jenny cares 

Thank you Larry and Care2 group Meditation Station for recommending this video...

Thanks to Sophie for submitting this in C2NN
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50 Enlightening Buddhist Blogs - With so much cluttering our minds, hearts, and souls, the teachings of Buddha have a lot to offer. But if you live in a small town with no Buddhist temple or even a large city where the nearest temple is hours away, resources are limited. Turning to the internet can help...50 blogs full of inspiration, relaxation, and teachings.
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Buddhist Blogs by a professional -These bloggers have some form of formal training in Buddhism.
1. The Buddhist Blog : James Ure is a Zen Buddhist in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh; also influenced by Taoism, Hindu, and secular humanism...the blog regularly addresses Buddhism in current events.
2. The Stupid Way : Irish blogger who formally studied Buddhism and was later ordained as a Buddhist monk in Japan...includes how to do Zazen, articles, talks, and more.
3. Danny Fisher : professor and Coordinator of the Buddhist Chaplaincy Program at University of the West in Rosemead, California; a lay Buddhist minister; posts on Buddhism in everyday life, along with causes, writings, and interviews.
4. The Buddha Diaries : Peter Clothier -author of “Persist” which praises creative spirits in a world gone mad with commerce; a regular contributor to The Huffington Post; gets to the heart of the matter from a Buddhist’s perspective.
5. The Naked Monk : Stephen Schettini's blog focuses on Buddha and on the Pali canon.
6. The Ino’s Blog
7. Zen The Possible Way : Markus “Uku” Laitinen is a Soto Zen Buddhist monk, founder and leader of Dogen Sangha, Finland; also studying comparative religions and social psychology.
8. Dogen Sangha Blog : Master Gudo Nishijima- practicing Buddhism for more than 60 years; student of Master Kodo Sawaki, an itinerant priest famous for his efforts to restore Zazen to its rightful place at the center of Buddhism. Recent posts are on examinations of doctrines and the twelve fold Chain of Cause.
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Buddhist Blogs by an Individual - These individual bloggers have made Buddhism their passion.
9. American Buddhist : This blog is by a student who believes all beings should be free from suffering. The blog also focuses on Buddhism, philosophy, ecology, life, and politics. A recent entry was on death meditation. 
10. Notes on Samsara : Taking the Buddhist name of Mumon, this blog focuses on the religion. The blogger works in communications systems in Vancouver, Washington. Buddhism, news, politics, and more are featured.
11. Smiling Buddha Cabaret : Marnie Louise Froberg is a Canadian writer and lives mostly in northern India. She has been a Buddhist practitioner for nearly 30 years and wants to share her perspective. Topics include 8 Fold Path, compassion, ego, and many others.
12. Buddha, Buddhism and India : This blogger is an Indian but non Buddhist.
13. The Reformed Buddhist : Get Zen from inside a particle accelerator...the blog speaks on wisdom, practice, compassion, and squirrels.
14. Big Happy Buddha : from Wisconsin, works in the internet industry; his blog is for people curious about Buddhism to come and learn.
15. Buddha Space : G lives in Thailand where interests include Buddhism, philosophy, and psychology.
16. Water Dissolves Water : Read about the life and strange times of a typical 50 something Zen Buddhist living in Atlanta. Shokai longs to be both different and original. There is also a live show that is linked to.
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Dharma Buddhist Blogs - An essential principle to Buddhism, these blogs focus on Dharma.
17. Digital Dharma : Links to Dharma resources and more; help for those facing addiction problems; includes prayers. 
18. The New Dharma Bums : Three bloggers write about Dharma, Buddhism, and more. They are recently in the process of moving and tell all about it.
19. Christopher’s Dharma Blog : reflections, notes and articles, past and present; Christopher Titmuss, a former Buddhist monk in Thailand and India, teaches awakening and insight meditation around the world.
20. The Dharma Blog : DharmaBuilt is a freelance web analytics and online marketing consulting group. Their blog focuses on many aspects of Dharma and Buddhism. Many useful teachings are featured.
21. Dhamma Blog : Stop here for posts on Dharma, Thai, and Buddhism.
22. Sustainability Dharma : This blog is about finding ways to live peacefully and sustainably on a global, communal and, most importantly, personal level; the posts are also massively commented on and you can join in.
23. Dharma Brother Pete : Pete Hoge used to by a devout Buddhist. However, he had an enlightening religious experience on June 26, 2009. Read all about it and how he started a new blog.
24. Zen Under the Skin: A Dharma Blog : Get the reflections of an African American practitioner here. Although there hasn’t been a new post in a while, the blog still has useful resources. They include how-to’s, an FAQ, and resources for black Buddhists.
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Zen Buddhist Blogs 
25. Zen Habits : tips for simple productivity; how to share with the world; the lost art of solitude; updated regularly. 
26. Zen Family Habits : how to Zen your family from the same people as the above e.g. eight things people never tell you about having kids and birthday parties.
27. Hardcore Zen : Brad Warner- Zen monk, writer, bass player.
28. Goodlife Zen : practical inspiration for a happier life; e.g. seven sources of deep clutter.
29. Zen Filter : Zen Buddhist websites, news, discussion, books, meditation and loving openly.
30. The Zen Site : critiques of Zen practices, essays, articles, dogen teachings, studies, and more.
31. Everyday Zen : Although there hasn’t been a recent entry, Norman’s knowledge of Zen is worth a look.
32. Presentation Zen : tips for your professional and educational life; professional presentation design, what you can learn from children.
33. The House of Zen : how to Zen your house; fashion for the Zen minded.
34. Zen Books That Don’t Suck : a list of recommended books
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Buddhist Sites 
35. Buddhanet : for everyone from beginners to advanced Buddhists: online magazine, large eLibrary, meditation, publishing, more. 
36. His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama : The official website of the spiritual leader of the Buddhists; video and audio teachings, schedule, photo gallery, news, messages, and more.
37. BeliefNet : many religions all on one site.
38. Tricycle Magazine : Buddhism articles, archives, online retreats.
39. Buddhist Geeks : Vince Horn et al host this podcast for Buddhists.
40. Elephant Journal : Eastern philosophies; yoga, sustainability, politics, and spirituality.
41. Illuminated Mind and Body : seven keys to discovering your passion by entering your name and email; recommended tools and books; a blog for Buddhists.
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New Age Buddhist Blogs - These blogs don’t necessarily focus on Buddhism -include new age perspective.
42. Stillness Speaks       
43. The Christian Universalist
44. New Age Journal
45. Monkey Mind : James Ford, ordained Soto Zen priest and Unitarian Universalist minister; religion, politics, and culture.
46. Liberal Faith Development
47. Speed of Life : A studio painter; notes on everyday life, art
48. You Are Truly Loved 
49. Wandering Monk
50. Thank God For Evolution

Vigil Where are you now,
with your palms together,
bowing,
your dark red robes
wrapping the wisdom
of a thousand years,
white knife peaks,
and over six thousand
monasteries?

Your home not your home
and yet your home always,
you wander,
you meditate,
you chant and pray;
you teach, you love,
or you stay
and must keep quiet.

Yet prayer flags still blow
in high Tibetan air,
prayer flags still blow
in the deep dark-eyed hearts
of your people.
There are places
the intruders,
the violators
cannot reach–
places alive with
the smiles and tears
of your lost land.

Red robed ones
with your calm eyes
upon the world,
you who pay homage
to the consciousness
in all things,
you who see far beyond
appearances:
you know past time,
you love past duality,
and yet you cry too.

The mountains of Tibet,
the vast plateaus and
green valleys,
the sky lakes and blue rivers,
the sons and daughters
of this sacred land
know and wait for you,
and for their time
within space and beyond
to be free

by Layne Russell 
http://candle4tibet.ning.com/

The book, Earth, arrived this morning, and I love it! Within just a few pages I had tears in my eyes.
But I'll let this book reviewer tell you about it...
Reviewer: Kate Arneman
Author: Bob Brown
Title: Earth
G Magazine, click here
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As you'd expect from Greens Senator Bob Brown, this is a political book, though not in the conventional sense.
 For one thing, it's only 500 words long and its size and layout resemble a gift book, the kind you see stacked up around the counter of the book shop with soothing pictures on the cover and titles invoking serenity or tranquillity.
 In its content, though, Earth is miles away from the sentimentality and cliche of many such publications. In an expression of his holistic political philosophy, Brown offers a series of personal reflections on humanity's place in the universe, our responsibility as guardians of the environment, the need to change our ways if we are to preserve our planet as we know it and why global democracy is essential in achieving this.
 I found reading Earth to be quite a meditative experience. The language is unadorned yet lyrical - "Earth is our miraculous cradle and we are its momentous mind" - and each handful of words appears opposite a full-page photograph of the natural world.
 All the photographs were taken by Brown and all except one were taken in Tasmania. The images display a diversity and wealth of life, from frilly orange lichen to a perfectly formed red-breasted bird, as well as the beauty of the landscape.
 Earth would make a wonderful present, but you might want to have it on your own shelf for personal reflection as well.

Exerpt from Lama Zopa Rinpoche's book The Heart of the Path, found in the chapter Why We Should Look At The Guru As A Buddha.
   It is not so much a question of whether in reality our guru is a buddha. As Pabongka Dechen Nyingpo mentions,
Even if the guru is not a buddha, if the disciple looks at him as a buddha, such a practitioner of guru devotion experiences no loss, but only great profit.
  The story of the old woman and the dog's tooth supports this. An old [Tibetan] woman wanted very much to have a relic of the Buddha, so she asked her son, a trader, to bring her one. Her son forgot, but on the way back home [from India] saw a dead dog by the side of the road, pulled out one of its teeth, and when he got back gave it to his mother, telling her it was a Buddha's relic.
  His mother believed it actually was the holy tooth of Buddha and prayed to it with devotion. By praying and making offerings every day, she actually got Buddha's relics from it. Tiny relic pills were born from that dog's tooth. The Buddha's blessings entered the tooth so that actual Buddha's relics came from it. The dog's tooth was merely the condition; the principle cause of the relics was her devotion. The relics were born from her devotion. Through her devotion, the old woman got what she wanted. In a similar way, we can achieve enlightenment through guru yoga practice. Even if the guru from his side is not an enlightened being, if we devote ourselves to him as a buddha, we receive the blessings of a buddha through the guru.
  Relic pills can also come from statues or the holy bodies of great yogis, even before they pass away, as a result of the power of devotion and of attainments. When His Holiness Song Rinpoche went on pilgrimage to Tsari, a Chakrasamvara holy place in Tibet, Rinpoche came to a waterfall that is regarded as Chakrasamvara's bodhicitta seed. When Rinpoche took off his robes and sat under the waterfall to receive blessings, relics appeared from the lower part of Rinpoche's holy body. 
  Lama Zopa mentions his own guru,
  Also, my kind root guru His Holiness Trijang Rinpoche would sometimes manifest relics. He would pick white relic pills from his face and give them to his disciples.
  (Note from Jenny: photographs from top to bottom, left to right, The Heart of the Path bookcover; Lucky Knot Auspicious Symbol; a Buddha image; my own beloved teacher, Geshe Thubten Dawe; Lama Yeshe; and Lama Zopa Rinpoche)