No Problema

When you have questions or problems in your practice, it means that you are not practicing shikantaza. If you practice shikantaza, you know, you will be monkey-minded buddha in shikantaza. You will be pain-legged buddha in shikantaza. And your whole body will be obstacle buddha-- obstacle of buddha-- or to be obstacle itself is buddha. Is there any problem, you know, when whatever you do, that is buddha? That is shikantaza. ----------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-10-12-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC  - Going through Suzuki lectures and posting anything that can stand on its own. Not looking for zingers or "the best of." I find that following these excerpts daily provides another way to experience Suzuki's teaching. - DC

Just to Sit

Even though we say “just sit,” to understand what does it mean is rather difficult, maybe. So that is why Dogen Zenji left us so many teachings to explain what is just to sit. But it does not mean his teaching is so difficult. When you sit, you know, without thinking or without expecting anything, and when you accept yourself as a buddha or as a tools of buddha or ornament of buddha, or if you understand everything is the unfolding of the absolute teaching or truth, or if you understand everything is a part of the great being--one whole being, when you reach this understanding, whatever we say, whatever we think, or whatever we see, that is the actual teaching of Buddha. And whatever we do, that is actual practice of the Buddha himself. -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-07-24 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC 

Rip Nancy Reagan

I think, according to what I read long ago, that the great thing Nancy Reagan did was to encourage her husband to deal  with Gorbachev to get the US and the Soviets to reduce the threat of nuclear weapons. As I read, she did so hoping he'd get a Nobel Peace Prize which I think was a good idea. But so much harm in other ways such as Nancy Reagan's role in the disastrous drug war.

First Bitch - a song from the Defuser archives

Doomsday Clock

The Union of Atomic Scientists are not asleep.


cuke page for Species Threat #1 - Nuclear War 

Geography Lesson

Southeast Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia.^[1] The region lies near the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic and volcanic activity. Southeast Asia consists of two geographic regions:

1. Maritime Southeast Asia, comprising Indonesia, East Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, East Timor, Brunei, and Christmas Island.
2. Mainland Southeast Asia, also known as Indochina, comprising Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Vietnam, and West Malaysia;

Coffin on War on Drugs (people) full of nails

But it needs more nails - maybe till there's nothing but nail heads available. Addiction relieved by connection. Drug war just persecutes some people and supports a drug war industry. The idea that changing ones environment and social setting is most important in treating addiction is certainly not new but the old ideas die hard. - dc

Subtle

To know things as it is is to let everything act as they want. Let it be free - because you want to bind it, you have difficulties. It means to have a subtle understanding of our life. And our practice should be based on a subtle understanding of our human life, and a subtle understanding of all the rest of existence.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 66-08-17 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. - Go to cuke.com What's New [now at blogger] to see more daily posts. 

Industrial farming is one of the worst crimes in history

From the guardian. Good for them. Thinking about this. I have not been helping. - dc

The fate of industrially farmed animals is one of the most pressing ethical questions of our time. Tens of billions of sentient beings, each with complex sensations and emotions, live and die on a production line

Torture in US Prisons

Solitary confinement as torture exposed in Breaking Down the Box, the new NRCAT film, a 40-minute documentary for communities of faith, to expose the torture of solitary confinement in the context of mass incarceration in the United States. NRCAT is the National Religious Campaign Against Torture.

Malaysian Human Rights Violations

Why Obama wants to torpedo a plan to fight human trafficking - Nothing makes the Malaysian government look good these days.

Won't Criticise Executions in Indonesia

After all the harm caused by my country in Asia, as the US ranks 5th on the global execution scale, I think it unwise to be overly judgmental about Indonesia's recent execution of eight foreigners for drug offenses committed a decade or so ago.

Good for Richard Branson

Read this on BBC

Richard Branson calls on Indonesian PM to spare Bali Nine pair

and discovered this great organization

Global Commission on Drug Policy

Prison Time

Nyoman drove Katrinka and me to the prison here today to meet with others to get prisoner paintings to take to the Hard Rock Cafe in Kuta to be sold for some fundraising venture.

On the Cause and Cure of Addiction

Chasing the Scream - from the Huff Post - A great contribution to Harm Reduction - reducing the harm from drugs and the war on drugs.

Drug War and Capital Punishment Global Issues

An articulate young woman from Surabaya in Java sat next to us at the night market last night and before parting we discussed the upcoming executions of two Australians. Without getting into the details of which each of us said, I was reminded of the importance of not putting the execution or drug law issue solely in terms of the Indonesian situation. Most people don't like to hear their country criticized, especially by foreigners. All the issues can be discussed and any opinion can be expressed much more successfully if couched in terms of a global situation. Or by discussing the drug war and capital punishment in the US. I will bite my finger here, not letting it type more or I'm liable to go on another tirade. - dc

Executing Justice

from the Jakarta Globe

Indonesia’s stance on the death penalty has become incoherent

Corruption and Incompetence Surrounds the Bali Nine Death Penalty Decisions

Abbott cites 'legal options' amid Bali Nine corruption claims

Death for Chan and Sukumaran while home-town kingpin gets reprieve

Look for recent prior posts January 27th and Feb. 3rd on this subject in Saunters here on cuke blogspot. - DC

Harm Reduction rather than Hypocritical Brutality

They're going to firing squad some more poor saps who were too far down the controlled substance chain to matter. Why doesn't Australia whose ignorant kids got caught expose who is really making the money there and maybe mention what percentage of substance deaths is caused by illegals - last I read was 2% with tobacco, alcohol, prescription all well ahead. And why not bring up Harm Reduction, the approach aiming to reduce the harm from substances and government policies. Actual effective policies would, of course, reduce the income of many well-placed people not only here but in America and all over the world, but it would also improve their karmic dilemma.  Harm Reduction Coalition - for those who really want to reduce deaths and suffering.

Indonesia Drug Deaths - tobacco #1 and alcohol #2 for sure

Here's a good brief article on Indonesia drug deaths, published yesterday in the Jakarta Post eight days after Indonesia executed six foreigners for smuggling some drugs in. Some more executions are coming soon. Linked to an article recently on this on cuke.com's saunters - 1-16-15.  Just saw Amanpour CNN interview with Prez Joko Widodo where she asked about the executions and he said that 50 (last time 40) people a day die from narcotics so zero tolerance. She only mentioned that some nations had withdrawn diplomats, no hard questions following up. Fluff. - DC