Open Eye Blog

Mind Essence

2009-01-21T07:51:00.000-08:00

The purity of the sky does not vanish just because the clouds obscure the sun. When the clouds pass, everything is clear. Likewise, the essence of mind is pure, though it is obscured by ignorance, hatred, and greed. When these clouds are removed, Mind Essence is realized. The power shining forth through the clarity of mind is Buddhahood itself.

Intuition

2009-01-20T08:00:00.000-08:00

We are too often distrustful of our intuition. Yet our intuition is the key that opens the lock to the treasure-house within. As Master Hui Neng said, “The one who knows his own mind and sees intuitively his own nature, he is a Hero, a Teacher of gods and men, a Buddha.”

The Remaining Awareness is What I Am

2008-06-24T21:00:00.000-07:00

A precious string of words formed in me while meditating this evening:

After negating all that I am not, the remaining Awareness is what I am.

Afterwards, contemplating about the ego mind, I turned to the teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi (1879 – 1950) and was reminded of this: that it is useless to destroy doubts in the mind. When one doubt is destroyed, another arises to replace it, and so on, in an endless chain. But if you deeply inquire Who Am I?, then soon all doubts will cease. Who is the Doubter? Who is doubting? Follow this inquiry and you will discover that the Doubter does not exist. It is bogus. So the doubts cannot exist either. As Maharshi says, “Doubter ceasing, doubts will cease.”

But what about the slip ups during our practice? What is to be done when the ego reasserts itself and we follow its shrill voice and tempting allusions?

"There is the steady impulse of your determination that sets you on your feet again after every downfall and breakdown,” Maharshi notes. “Gradually the obstacles are all overcome and your current becomes stronger. Everything comes right in the end. Steady determination is what is required.”

Everything Changes

2008-05-01T12:03:00.000-07:00

The essence of Buddhism can be summarized in two words: Everything changes. This is the basis of the Buddha's Four Noble Truths. Nothing that you can point to or hold is permanent. Point to any object you see: it is not lasting. Hold onto any object (person or thing): it is not lasting. And because of the fact that everything changes -- everything is impermanent -- suffering follows. Our minds think of things as lasting, and we suffer when they change.

Some things change in the blink of an eye: You work hard all your life, save money, correct mistakes, plan for the future -- but in an instant your life is changed by a heart attack, a stroke, a sudden diagnosis of stage four cancer. Or your loved one dies. Or your lover abandons you for someone else. Or you lose all your material possessions. Everything can change over night. Other things change dramatically over time. Your once-youthful body deteriorates into old age.

We call changable things "conditioned," or "composited." They exist because of conditions. We like to think that love itself is unconditional, but we find over and over again that people fall out of love. People can even disown their children. Best friends fall into disfavor. Cherished colleagues drift apart.

New cars and houses become old and need repair or replacement. Even a house of solid stone and steel is composited. The tiny particles in the stones and steel are subject to weathering. They break down. The highest mountains will break down too over the course of time.

So far all of this has been stated in a rather negative light: change brings suffering. But so does suffering bring change! Our pain leads us to look deeper. To have discipline. To focus and to work toward something beyond the conditioned, composited world. Because everything changes, our mental processes can change too. Our understanding can change. Our expectations can change. This is the path of liberation, of seeing things as they really are. Connecting with the unchangable within you that lies deeper even than your mental processes.

We don't need a lover, a room of friends, a new car, a gorgeous house, piles of cash, praise at work, stature in our community. All of these things come and go. (We mostly feel that they go, because it is hard to let go of something that feels good.) We only hold them or point to them for a short time.

Standing on the shore, we can see the ebb and flow of the water. But the ocean remains. If we take our vision off the shoreline of our life, the depth of our being remains unchanged by ebbs and flows, gain and loss. That's what Buddhist contemplation means; what meditation is: looking deeply into your ocean.

Take Heed of Me

2007-08-22T13:38:00.000-07:00

Please take heed of me

With an open heart, I plead with you devotedly

Take heed of me

From the expanse of space

From the bliss of emptiness

Come to me

Surround me in your retinue of compassion

Clothe me in your strength

Dispel the darkness of ignorance that obscures my view

Reveal to me the path of liberation

Remove the poisons from my mind

Please take pity on me, glorious teachers

Please forgive me for my mistakes

My eyes are clouded with tears

Suffering pours through my veins

My heart has lost its will

Please heed the cries of your imperfect child

Bless me with your guidance

Bless me with your protection

Grant me refuge

Lift me swiftly into your arms

Let me be contentment within myself

Grant me the realizations of pure body, speech, and mind

Let me learn to alleviate the suffering of others

You who are inseparable to me

Let our minds be as one

No suffering, no illusion, no anger, no ill will

Embodiment of loving kindness

Take heed of me

With devotion I am pleading to you

Please bless me without delay

Please bless me in this very spot

Please bless me in this very moment

Calling the Lama from Afar

2007-08-22T13:29:00.000-07:00

In Vajaryana Buddhism, there is a practice called Lama Jang Bö (blama rgyang ‘bod) which means Calling the Teacher from Afar. The practice is deeply rooted in devotion to one’s higher nature. It is posited in the idea that the teacher and the student are spiritually inseparable. In fact all beings are connected to one another. No matter the level of accomplishment, no matter the time (past, present, or future), no matter the realm (earthly or other), all beings are connected. When we ask for the help of others, we are accessing our own ability to help ourselves. Their energy and ours combine to form the conditions we need in order to change our present situation.

I will publish (in a separate entry) a practice from my teaching that some might find beneficial in times of need. May it bring blessings to the world.

Inseparable

2007-08-21T20:30:00.000-07:00

In a spontaneous display of love

I am renewed in you

Stop Fighting Nature

2007-08-19T23:30:00.000-07:00

There is suffering in life. There is a cause. There is a cure. There is an end.

When we get cut deeply, the pain is a signal to the brain that we must tend the wound. Even after we clean it and bandage it, the cut still hurts for many days. We must tend the wound every day and be patient with the pain. Little by little it improves. The same is true for emotional wounds. We should not try to force ourselves to “get over it.” That is absurd. We must allow ourselves the period of pain while we tend the wound. If we do, then we stop fighting nature and hasten our recovery.

Being Gentle With Yourself

2007-08-12T13:48:00.000-07:00

If you think that your life is holy

And ordinary things are unworthy

Your mind is flooded with delusion.

Even the wisest ones are unfinished

Until they have gone beyond.

True Friendship

2007-08-08T17:37:00.000-07:00

The Venerable Ananda once observed to the Buddha: “This is half of the spiritual life, Lord: admirable friendship, admirable companionship, admirable camaraderie.”

The Buddha responded to Ananda: “Not so. Not so. Admirable friendship, admirable companionship, admirable camaraderie are not half of the spiritual life. They are the whole of spiritual life.”

We cannot reach our fullest flowering unless we associate with the right people. The right people are not just the ones who make us laugh, who take our side, who tell us what we want to hear. The right people are the ones we can learn from, whose good qualities we can emulate. They tell us with love and timeliness what is truthful and what is necessary for our progress.

Sometimes we think people are admirable friends, only to find out later that they cannot carry our pains or tolerate our joys or help us navigate our shortcomings. It is dreadfully painful when we come to this awareness. Yet it does no good, and it is wasteful of our energy, to try to find fault with them. Hold everyone in respect, but keep close only those who are worthy of your high esteem.

Mind of Equilibrium

2007-08-06T21:24:00.000-07:00

What is the mind of equilibrium?
It is the Middle Path itself.
The young prince became the Buddha when he discovered
that neither indulgence nor self torture are right.
The same is true with our thoughts.
You will always be subjected to praise and blame,
but do not let either affect the poise of the mind:
instead follow the calmness, the absence of pride.

Expansive Love

2007-08-06T21:22:00.000-07:00

In the Sutta Nipata are the most beautiful words:
Let your love flow outward through the universe,
To its height, its depth, its broad extent,
A limitless love, without hatred or enmity.
Then as you stand or walk,
Sit or lie down,
As long as you are awake,
Strive for this expansive love with a one-pointed mind
And your life will bring heaven to earth.

Five Subjects for Frequent Recollection

2007-08-04T21:25:00.000-07:00

It is in my nature to grow old. I cannot avoid aging.

It is in my nature to grow ill. I cannot forego illness.

It is in my nature to die. I cannot escape dying.

All that I cherish as mine will one day be separated from me.

I alone am the owner of my actions, heir to my actions, born of my actions, related to my actions, dependent upon my actions. Whatever I do, for good or for bad, I shall be the heir of my deeds.

We should reflect often on this.

From light to light

2007-04-15T22:20:00.000-07:00

Let us praise the Sublime Teaching
In whatever form it manifests
At whatever time it comes
It will lift away our defilements
And lead us from light to light

--Written after contemplating a 1995 interview with His Holiness Penor Rinpoche, the 11th Throneholder of The Palyul Lineage of Nyingma

The Buddha

2007-03-12T18:43:00.000-07:00

Buddha was not a god nor a prophet of a god. He was a man. He was born as a man, lived as a man, and died as a man. In his teachings he never made claim to divinity. Instead he repeatedly stressed that he was a mere mortal. If he could have saved the world through his good intentions or supernatural powers, he would have done so. But he couldn't. All the work must be done by you, he declared. "Atta hi attano natho, atta hi attano gati: You are your own master, you make your own future." How else could it be? Buddha could point the way, but he could not force our minds down the path.

Buddha's greatness is that he demonstrated how far the human mind can travel. With exceptional courage to see things the way they really are, the Buddha determined that he would free himself from suffering. And he did.

It is pointless, I think, to argue about whether the Buddhist path is the one true path. Many teachings of many religions share the same absolute truth. Why worry about the differences in relative truths? We all have different faculties, so having many different approaches to truth is not only to be expected, it is required.

For some people, the Buddhist path is the best approach. For them, no other path offers so much depth of insight. It is the unsurpassed path, for them.

But it is not an easy path. The goal is to end greed, ill-will, and delusion. These are the three poisons that keep us locked in a state of suffering. We may experience periods of joy, but eventually greed, ill-will, and delusion destroy our happiness. These poisons are so entrenched in the human mind that it takes great effort and mindfulness to extract them.

It is sad to me to see some Buddhists go to temples and try to call forth the supernatural power of the Buddha. They pray, "Buddha, please help me pass my exam at school. Please help me get that new car I want." There is no end to what people pray for. But whatever supernatural power the Buddha is supposed to have, he specifically instructed us to do the hard work. He devoted his life to teaching the way to end suffering. He laid it all out for us. He was meticulous and forthright. He admitted it was hard work. It is hard to be aware continually, to be compassionate, to be moral at the expense of our desires. Yet it is possible. The Buddha gave all he could give to the world. People who want to pass their exams should study harder. People who want to get a new car should work hard and save their money. Expecting to be saved from the consequences of your actions, or from the three poisons of your mind, simply by praying to Buddha is stubborn, selfish, and irrational. And in the end you would be disappointed.

On the other hand, by making the effort, little by little, each of us can achieve more peace of mind. With more peace of mind comes more insight, more achievement, and more happiness.

In the end, if it turns out there is no such thing as karma, there is no next life, there is no realm beyond the earthly, the Buddhist path still has merit by bringing mental rewards to this life, right here, right now.

Getting to Relaxation

2007-03-12T18:00:00.000-07:00

Finally! My mind has started to relax. A few days ago I arrived at Nechung Dorje Drayang Ling temple on the Big Island of Hawaii. It is located an hour south of Hilo in a very remote location. As soon as I arrived (the moment I stepped out of my car) I was summoned into the temple for evening prayers. I entered the temple, prostrated three times, and sat on a cushion. Sitting in the lotus position, I raised my awareness of everything around me: the smell of the incense, the beauty of the altar, the sound of the bell.... The lama moved rapidly through the prayers, leading the congregation in chanting. It might have been a serene moment for the other participants. But for me, it was a reminder of just how jumpy my mind had become.

My mind wandered, called forth anxieties, wanted to impress, fantasized about the future, mulled over regrets... The Buddha said that the untrained mind is like a wild elephant. It does whatever it wants, even if it causes you great distress. My elephant-thoughts were on a rampage.

It is fascinating that in this peaceful setting my mind actually became more anxious than it was during my routine work week in San Francisco. Why? Because the ordinary mind (the ego) doesn't know how to deal with spirituality. Spirituality involves intuition, faith, and the abandonment of the labels that we use to describe ourselves. The ego, whose job it is to protect us, likes to play it safe and operate in concrete terms. ("I am Scott Hunt. I am a consultant and an author. I went to Harvard." Etcetra etcetra.) Yet whereas the ego is all about personal definitions, spirituality is transpersonal. Buddhism in particular teaches about "emptiness" -- the lack of inherent nature in any of the terms that the ego likes to present.

So I watched as each nagging thought arose: "You came here for your birthday? Why aren't you celebrating with your friends? What are you trying to prove? What is that ridiculous chanting going to do for you? What does all that cling clang ding ding ding mean anyway? Who are you praying to? The same deities that abandoned you during your darkest hours? Doesn't your back hurt sitting on that little cushion? Do you think you'll be accepted here?"

Thankfully I have a strong foundation in meditation. I've gone on many retreats. One thing that I've learned is that it takes a few days for the mind to calm down. In the meantime, one has to be patient with oneself. You have to coax the rampaging elephant to be still. I gently tried to refocus my mind and not get caught up in any of its ramblings. My goal was simply to do the best I could, get some rest, and try to gain comfort with my surroundings.

Slowly I began to unwind. Several walks through the forest reciting mantra and listening intently helped me immensely. As did a number of short sessions on my own chanting prayers, in addition to the hour-long sessions in the morning and the evening with other participants.

Yesterday after evening prayers I emerged from the temple and sat on the stairs. It was raining heavily and I could hear thousands of drops striking the leaves of the plants and trees. I could hear also the sounds of the birds calling for attention. I smelled the incense and watched as its smoke curled up into the air. I noticed the intensity of the colorful prayer flags and the forest beyond. And I felt at ease for the first time in a long, long time.

Calming the mind is beneficial by itself. But for me the point of a calm mind is to set the stage for greater insights. Deep insights, culminating in an absorbed state called samadhi, come about when the mind is not distracted, when its enormous power is concentrated on the interior world.

I hope in the coming days I will calm my mind further and begin through contemplation, meditation, and prayer to develop the insights I need to guide me in the next phase of my life. But if that ambition is too grand for this short retreat, at least I will have reconnected with my spiritual tradition and felt again the power of my own buddha nature.

The End of the War on Terror

2006-11-10T09:44:00.000-08:00

It is time for the War on Terror to end. The lesson we can draw from this war-mentality is that violence does not end violence. Mr. Bush and his cadre of neo-conservatives have led the American people down the well-worn path of patriotic militarism. And once again, it has failed.

Those of us who dared to ask a basic question were shouted down after 9/11: Why would people in the Arab world hate us so much? Mr. Bush's response was, "Because they envy our freedom." Really? Or is it, in large part, due to the fact that the US supports repressive regimes that deny Arabs their freedom?

Thankfully, the Democratic victory in the Novemeber elections provides a new opportunity for the US to regain some of its lost stature in the world. People everywhere might begin to see that Mr. Bush's policies do not represent the American people. In fact, the electorate has soundly rejected those failed policies.

Here's how the media in Arab countries covered the US mid-term elections:

Arab News: "Americans sharply rebuked President George Bush and the Republican leadership in Congress on Tuesday.... The election yesterday was a repudiation of Republican scandal, with a succession of tainted politicians losing seats as their leaders lost power, and a stinging referendum on the course of the Iraq war and the nation’s direction. "

Al -Jazeera: "The mid-term election results that heralded a massive power shift in the American political landscape, including the resignation of Donald Rumsfeld, defence secretary, have been greeted with jubilation around the world. ... From Paris to Pakistan, politicians, analysts and ordinary citizens said on Wednesday they hoped the Democratic takeover of at least one house of Congress would force Bush to adopt a more conciliatory approach to the globe's crises, and teach a president many see as a 'cowboy' a lesson in humility."

The Egyptian Gazette: "The American people have made it clear they are tired of the failures of the last six years. ... Chairman of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs Abdel Ra'ouf el-Ridi said, 'To my mind, this was like a referendum on US foreign policy. The vote for the Democrats showed that the Americans were dissatisfied with the foreign policies of the administration.'"

The Jordan Times: "If the Democrats quickly get to work on all the ills that befell their country under the Republicans’ watch and keep their slate clean of scandals, they may be on the road to ending a very controversial era in US history. ... With the Democrats ready to “change course” in Iraq, and get cracking on the “Six for ‘06” agenda, there is ‘hope’ too that the US will start acting in tandem with the rest of the international community on major international issues, including global warming and nuclear threats."

The Jakarta Post: "The changing political landscape in Washington is a welcome development for the rest of the world. At the very least, it is restoring our faith in liberal democracy.
With all its weaknesses and shortcomings, America is still the leading democracy in the free world. It has been going through rough patches in the last few years because it has vested so much power in one person without the benefits of checks and balances. "

Dar Al-Hayat: "The results of the mid-term elections are a prelude to a way out of the great divisions that have erupted in American society. The Democrats will make the most of these results to make the [2008] presidential elections a remedy for healing the rift in American society."

We should hope and pray that we can begin to repair the damage done to our reputation by our misguided War on Terror. It is now time to wage Peace.

Honoring Thich Quang Do

2006-09-25T11:38:00.000-07:00

I read with extreme joy that on Sept 21st the Thorolf Rafto Foundation for Human Rights announced its annual prize will be awarded to the Buddhist monk the Most Venerable Thich Quang Do of Vietnam. The announcement said that Thich Quang Do was receiving the award in recognition of "his personal courage and perseverance through three decades of peaceful opposition against the communist regime in Vietnam," and his continual challenge to authorities "to initiate a dialogue on democratic reforms, pluralism, religious freedom, human rights, and national reconciliation."

Those of you who read my book (bloody shame if you didn't!) will recall that I devoted a chapter to Thich Quang Do and his struggle to bring peace and reconciliation to Vietnam, as well as his attempt to preserve the 2,000 year old tradition of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam. Thich Quang Do has spent two and a half decades in detention and remains under house arrest to this day. He has been treated horribly, at times in unimaginable conditions in solitary confinement.

I found Thich Quang Do to be one of the brightest, most welcoming and kind-hearted people I have ever encountered. This prompted me to ask him, "Venerable, why do you laugh and smile so much? Why are you so happy?"

"No one can imprison my mind. That's why I'm happy," he replied, his eyes gleaming.

Many of his words return to my thoughts like hidden treasures unearthed at unexpected times. The other day I was thinking of him and recalled this exchange:

"Venerable, I feel the biggest problem in the world today is the lack of faith, the lack of self-confidence that you can change yourself, and by coming together with others, you can change the world."

"Yes. But many people cherish hatred," he noted.

"But the hope is that hatred is very thin," I countered. "And when you take it off, when you peel away the hatred, one's deeper nature is cleared and love is released."

"Oh, yes," he said, taking hold of my hand. "What is easily gained is not precious. If you teach a man to give up greed and to replace hatred with love, that man becomes a precious man."

We sat in silence for a time, then he added, "I have never been pessimistic. I always hope for good. Even the Communists are loveable people. We just have to change their way of thinking; make them think of goodwill, not hatred, give up their policy of power. We are the same people, and we must stop fighting each other."

In another exchange, I asked him pointedly, "Are the Communists eager for you to die?"

He howled with laughter. "Of course! I'm now seventy-two years old already. According to Oriental philosophy, the man who reaches seventy can die without any regrets. But for me it is like being at a cinema. I do not want to leave before the curtain comes down. When Vietnam has freedom, then I will die."

That's a man who has truly dedicated himself to something greater than himself.

Later, while we walked hand in hand, Thich Quang Do told me about the importance of patience in achieving peace. "Violence is the inheritence of many generations of man," he said. "It is deeply part of man. You cannot in one day or two days get rid of it. It will take time. " But again he stressed his optimism. "The human heart contains a good seed, " he said, smiliang and looking deeply into my eyes. "It is concealed deep within the heart. It is always there. When this concealed seed is realized, the whole world will be better. When you have peace in your mind, there will be peace in the world."

Four previous Rafto laureates, Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi, East Timor's Jose Ramos-Horta, South Korea's Kim Dae-Jung and Iran's Shirin Ebadi, subsequently won the Nobel Peace Prize. I hope the same honor comes to Thich Quang Do this year.

Jesus v. Mean Jesus, Pat Robertson, et al.

2005-08-23T22:39:00.000-07:00

When I was young I learned about the man called Jesus Christ who gave a speech called The Sermon on the Mount. In the sermon, Jesus proclaimed the famous lines: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” Those are powerful, just, kindhearted words.

Jesus added, “I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you;” and also, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.”

People who follow this compassionate man named Jesus Christ are called Christians.

There is apparently another Jesus out there. A meaner Jesus; one who the radical Christians follow. This Mean Jesus ostensibly condones a host of violent activities, from bombing clinics to waging wars. Mean Jesus doesn’t agree with Jesus that we should love our enemies. Mean Jesus likes to kill his enemies, and he tells that to people like Pat Robertson and the rest of the Mean Christians.

Pat Robertson is one of the most influential Mean Christian evangelists in the United States. His group of devotees, called the Christian Coalition (which we now know should be called the Mean Christian Coalition), has close links to the Bush White House and declares that it has two million members. If you want to know more about Pat Robertson, you can go to his official website, where you can, and I quote, “learn more about the man and his mission -- as a broadcaster, statesman, author, humanitarian, businessman and Christian.”

Well, it is clear that he is a broadcaster. He’s always on The 700 Club television show asking people to send him money. It is clear that he’s an author, because he’s written some books. A businessman? Yes, he’s filthy rich from being an author and “family values” media boss. And now that we know he follows Mean Jesus, we know he’s a Mean Christian. So that’s all clear. But what about him being a statesman and a humanitarian?

President Hugo Chavez is the leader of Venezuela. Like it or not, he won the office in a landslide victory. Now, he’s not anyone that I admire. But what was Pat Robertson, the statesman and humanitarian, thinking when he said of Mr. Chavez, “We have the ability to take him out, and I think the time has come that we exercise that ability. We don't need another $200bn war to get rid of one, you know, strong-arm dictator. It's a whole lot easier to have some of the covert operatives do the job and then get it over with”?

Those definitely are not the words of a statesman. His comments were repudiated by the US State Department. And it’s definitely not a humanitarian ideal to execute the duly elected leader of a foreign country.

Mean Christians are now saying that the media is trying to stifle Mr. Robertson’s freedom of speech. I surely hope not. He has every right to say anything he wants, and I, for one, am delighted that he's saying what’s in his heart.

What I find fascinating is that so many people continue to support him no matter how obviously mean-spirited or downright foolish he is. Mr. Robertson reported that there would be no casualties in Iraq according to President Bush. The White House promptly denied that Mr. Bush said anything of the sort. Mr. Robertson recounted that in a meeting with Mr. Bush he told the president, “The Lord told me [the invasion] was going to be A, a disaster, and B, messy.” Mean Jesus is obviously very chatty with his Mean Christian leaders. (And he’s redundant: A, a disaster, and B, messy? C'mon, Mean Jesus, aren’t all disasters messy?)

Mr. Robertson twice said that he’d like to drop a nuclear bomb on the State Department. Not very statesman-like. He joined the other Mean Christian leader Jerry Falwell in blaming 9-11 on pagans, feminists, gays, lesbians, and other terrifying ghouls. In a fund-raising letter, Mr. Robertson wrote, “The feminist agenda is not about equal rights for women. It is about a socialist, anti-family political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism, and become lesbians.” You thought they wanted equal pay, but they actual want to form a crazed coven of divorced socialist lesbian child killers!

Here’s another of Mr. Robertson’s brilliant observations: “If the widespread practice of homosexuality will bring about the destruction of your nation, if it will bring about terrorist bombs, if it'll bring about earthquakes, tornadoes and possibly a meteor, it isn't necessarily something we ought to open our arms to.” Gay men, can you please remember that the next time you’re on a date. The whole earth could be destroyed by a giant meteor, you selfish sodomites.

Now I’m not trying to start anything here, but I just re-read something that seems perfect for the Mean Christians. Jesus, the compassionate one, said: “Beware of false teachers who stand before you wearing sheep's clothing. Beneath their guise hides a ravenous wolf.” I don’t honestly know if Mr. Robertson is a wolf. But he certainly appears to be quite a fool. Perhaps he can at least remove the words “statesman” and “humanitarian” from his honorific titles.

Gaza Disengagement Does Not Mean Peace (Yet)

2005-08-09T16:47:00.000-07:00

Israel

is finally evacuating the 8,000 Israeli settlers who live in the Gaza Strip and the 20,000 troops that protect them. Since capturing the area in 1967, 21 Jewish settlements have been built in Gaza, with extensive fortifications that carve up the countryside. The United Nations Security Council has repeatedly instructed

Israel

to give the Gaza and the West Bank to the Palestinians.

Gaza is a tiny patch of land, approximately 25 miles long and six miles wide, on the Mediterranean coast. It is home to 1.3 million Palestinians, most of whom are refugees who lost their homes in the war 38 years ago. Many progressive observers have called the Gaza Strip the world’s largest prison, as it is entirely sealed off from the outside world by an Israeli fence, guarded by watchtowers, snipers and tanks.

Israel

is building a second fence, replete with more watchtowers and remote-controlled machine guns.

Gaza is a troubled area. The unemployment rate is 38 percent. Forty-seven percent of Palestinians live under the poverty line of $2.10 a day, making it one of the poorest lands in the world. Corruption (largely the legacy of Yassir Arafat’s administration) is rife. Housing and infrastructure is dismal. Raw sewage pours from the overcrowded cities into the Mediterranean. The airport is unusable since Israel destroyed its runway.

Public opinion polls show that 60 percent of Israelis support the disengagement plan. The right-wing, however, adamantly denounces the action. Many of them claim that Gaza is part of “Eretz Israel,” a biblical definition of Israel comprising most of the Middle East.

Why is Israel evacuating its settlements without reaching any definitive peace agreement with the Palestinians? Israeli officials claim that disengaging from Gaza will increase the standard of living and the level of security for Israelis. Those are ambiguous declarations. Israel’s intent, however, is clear. The Gaza disengagement is part of a larger strategic plan to consolidate Israeli control over its settlement blocs in the West Bank. In the West Bank, where most Palestinians live Israel is also evacuating 4 settlements in the north, while continuing its land confiscations, illegal settlement expansion, and building barriers. Prime Minister Sharon has indicated that there will be no further peace discussions with the Palestinians unless they disarm the militant groups.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority doesn’t have enough rifles or bullets to arm its security forces, much less to disarm the militants. Israel will continue to control the borders of Gaza and prevent any arms from reaching the Palestinian Authority, which it says is complicit with the militants. In short, the Israelis have given the Palestinian Authority an extremely difficult (some say impossible) mandate.

The world is hoping, against these odds, that the Gaza disengagement will be the first step to a final agreement creating a Palestinian state. That seems unlikely as long as the right wing stay in power in Israel. Yet at the very least, the Israeli disengagement allows the chance for new governance and investment that will allow the Palestinians to lift themselves out of dire poverty and restore their human dignity.

We Need A Department of Peace

2005-08-06T19:54:00.000-07:00

It sounds whacky at first, but it’s a brilliant idea. 54 U.S. Representatives from 22 states are co-sponsors of legislation that proposes to create a Department of Peace. Amnesty International, the National Organization for Women, and Physicians for Social Responsibility are just a few of the groups that support the legislation. The new department would be cabinet-level within the executive branch of the federal government, led by a Secretary of Peace. Whereas the Secretary of Defense naturally provides a strong voice for military spending, and often for the use of military force, the Secretary of Peace would provide a counterbalance, arguing for peacemaking expenditures and activities that would strengthen the peace and prevent conflicts from arising in the first place. At a time when America has a horrendous reputation as the world’s bully, creating this new department would send a tremendous message that we are undertaking a concerted effort to raise the importance of human rights and conflict prevention in our national policy.

Yet the department would be far from symbolic. Sponsors envision streamlined and best-practice regulations to promote peace in our communities, addressing domestic violence, child abuse, and mistreatment of the elderly; strengthening and extending programs aimed at reducing drug and alcohol abuse; reforming rehabilitation and punishment policies; curbing gang violence, racial and ethnic violence, and violence against gays and lesbians. Moreover, the department would help communities and school districts create pragmatic conflict resolution programs. We would, quite literally, train a new generation of Americans how to resolve conflicts through peaceful means.

Internationally, the department would provide expertise to the president and the other cabinet officials in the areas of human rights and the prevention and de-escalation of conflicts. It would also administer reconstruction and soldier demobilization efforts in war-torn societies; train and deploy civilian peacekeepers; monitor and strengthen arms embargos; sponsor international peacemaking conferences; and improve the United States’ standing in the world by fostering greater contact between American and foreign communities.

The proposed bill would ensure that the new department’s budget equal at least 2% of the amount received by the Department of Defense. This is one of those ideas that is so plainly good, so timely and just, that the Congress will almost certainly fail to pass it in the foreseeable future. But we should support the legislation, commend the legislators who are backing it, and urge that the bill be reintroduced time and again until it becomes law. The Department of Peace is too good an idea to ignore.

You can sign a petition of support and find out more about the proposal at www.thepeacealliance.org.

The Pathetic Energy Bill of 2005

2005-08-02T19:10:00.000-07:00

Congress has a brilliant record of passing laws of staggering ineptitude. Case in point: the new energy bill. This bill represents the first major overhaul of America’s energy policies in 13 years. Yet it is remarkable in how little it will do to change our nation’s energy usage.

Ask American consumers what a new energy policy should contain and you’ll get common sense answers: the country shouldn’t be so dependent on foreign sources of oil, our consumption of oil should decrease, we should protect the environment, and in the meantime the price of gasoline should be lower and the price of electricity shouldn’t go any higher. You would think that the new energy bill would promote huge increases in the use alternative sources of energy, protect people from rising energy rates, mandate efficiency in order to lower our consumption of foreign crude, and take action to decrease global warming. On all these fronts, the bill is a dismal failure.

At a time when energy companies are reaping record profits, the energy bill unnecessarily gives away our tax dollars to the fossil fuel and nuclear energy industries in the form of subsidies and loan guarantees. Such is the incredible political power that energy companies wield in Washington in a system of legalized corruption that the bill is filled to the brim with massive giveaways to mega-wealthy corporations. (Didn’t the Republicans used to say they are the party of fiscal responsibility and less government?)

Glaringly, the bill rejects any mandatory increase in auto efficiency standards to conserve gasoline and decrease pollution. The transportation sector accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. oil consumption, but measures to raise fuel-efficiency requirements were voted down during energy-bill negotiations.

Though twenty-six former national security officials joined environmental advocates in calling for expanded use of "advanced biomass, alcohol and other available petroleum fuel alternatives," the measure adds only an extremely modest requirement that refiners raise the amount of ethanol used in gasoline from 4 billion gallons to 7.5 billion gallons a year.

The bill hardly makes a dent in the greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming. Our leaders are still concerned that saving the planet’s ecosystem would be too costly for the US economy. And while the bill could have championed hydrogen plants, and solar and wind power, it barely nudges these industries forward.

Congratulations, Congress. You’ve missed another opportunity to do the right thing. Enjoy your summer recess.

Burma: the Cradle of AIDS in Asia

2005-07-29T19:47:00.000-07:00

One of many tragedies caused by the continuing military regime in Burma is the country’s failed health care system. The military has neglected all areas of public welfare, including building and maintaining hospitals. According to United Nations statistics, the military regime spends 222% more on military spending than it does on health and education combined. The junta spends 2.7 percent of its budget on public health and 40 percent on arms. Burma ranks at the bottom of the list of health care systems in the world.

The regime forced the closure of all universities for an extended period of time, creating an inadequate supply of health care professionals. Medicines are in short supply, as are many modern medical devices. Moreover, the military has spent very little on health education programs.

This neglect has contributed significantly to serious outbreaks of malaria and other preventable diseases. Most disturbingly, according to the World Health Organization, as many as 500,000 people (or more than 10 percent of the population!) may already be HIV-positive in a spreading pandemic that shows no sign of slowing. UNAIDS suggests that up to 620,000 people may already be infected. Other studies show that the prevalence rate among sex workers is up to 60 percent.

The military regime has not taken measures to thwart the pandemic, either through public education, providing clean syringes, or ameliorating the trafficking of women into prostitution – the chief causes of the spread of HIV/Aids in the region. Nor has the regime allowed international aid agencies to engage in effective programs to combat the problem.

Molecular epidemiology has now proven that Burma is the prime source of the HIV/Aids epidemic in Asia. And while the member states of ASEAN dither around trying to decide whether to take a harder line against the brutal military regime that they admitted into their ranks, the US Council on Foreign Relations has concluded that, “"The Burmese HIV contribution to much of Asia poses a clear security threat to the region.” In other words, ASEAN’s failure to act is coming back to haunt them. Refugees, migrant workers, sex trafficking, and the drug trade ripples across the borders of Burma and spreads HIV/Aids, threatening the stability of the entire region. Just one more reason to take stricter action to overthrow the military regime and allow the democratically elected officials to finally take office.

Time for Tough Actions Against Burma’s Dictators

2005-07-27T01:55:00.000-07:00

While in Burma I was under continual surveillance by military intelligence. They followed me around town and rummaged through my room. I had to engage in an uncomfortable game of cloak and dagger, the consequences of which could have meant serious harm to me. I had several machine guns thrust in my face. Later I was apprehended and searched. They confiscated my notes and tapes, and I was deported. I cannot return to the country as long as the military regime stays in power. Why? Because I dared to meet with the rightful, democratically elected leaders of the country, Aung San Suu Kyi and U Tin Oo, both of whom are in detention.

My government’s sanctions against Burma rates as one of the proudest achievements of recent US foreign policy. It is a rare example of the US putting freedom over business interests. The law imposing sanctions against new American business in Burma was first signed by Mr. Clinton in April 1997. Mr. Clinton noted that he signed the law to penalize Rangoon's military junta for "a state of large-scale repression". Since that time, many people have argued that these sanctions do little to thwart the military regime, and instead hurt the Burmese people and provide an advantage to other nations that are willing to do business with the junta. These arguments are fundamentally flawed and unsupported by fact.

There has been some debate in the international press about the democratic opposition’s support for sanctions. I clarified the issue during my meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi. She told me unequivocally that she supports sanctions as a means of punishing the unjust rule of the military.

In July of 2003, with a new crackdown on the democratic opposition, the US Senate passed a law authorizing new and tougher sanctions by a vote of 97 to 1. The US House passed the bill 415 to 2. Such overwhelming bipartisan support is extraordinary in Washington. Mr. Bush signed the law, extending previous sanctions and prohibiting imports of Burmese products into the US. "By denying these rulers the hard currency they use to fund their repression, we are providing strong incentives for democratic change and human rights in Burma," he said.

The European Union in 2004 responded to the new crackdown against the democracy movement by adding marginally stricter sanctions against Burma. Yet the EU resisted calls from human rights groups to force companies to stop doing business with the repressive regime. France has continued to prevent the EU from enacting effective sanctions. It has done so for economic reasons. French oil giant TOTAL Oil is the fourth largest oil company in the world and one of the biggest foreign investors in Burma. It is in a joint venture with Burma’s dictatorship in the Yadana gas project in southern Burma.

The gas project earns the repressive regime hundreds of millions of dollars every year, which has enabled the junta to carry out ethnic cleansing of a million people, use rape as a weapon of war against women and children, recruit more child soldiers than any other country in the world, and purchase more weapons to perpetuate its power through force.

As Aung San Suu Kyi has noted, “TOTAL is the biggest supporter of the military regime in Burma.” She poignantly described direct foreign investment in Burma this way: “To observe businessmen who come to Burma with the intention of enriching themselves is somewhat like watching passers-by in an orchard roughly stripping off blossoms for their fragile beauty, blind to the ugliness of despoiled branches, oblivious of the fact that by their action they are imperilling future fruitfulness and committing an injustice against the rightful owners of the trees.”

There is, as stated above, a view that sanctions have failed. In fact, neither the EU nor Burma’s neighbors nor the United Nations have joined the US in imposing effective sanctions against the brutal regime. Not even the United Kingdom has joined the US effort. Consequently, over the past 15 years there has been massive foreign investment in Burma and a policy of pandering and appeasement by Burma’s neighbors. What has this engagement and foreign investment brought to Burma? It has not enriched the lives of most ordinary citizens in Burma. Poverty has increased and health spending has fallen. (See my next blog.) And the military junta hasn’t moved any closer to instituting democratic reforms. Aung San Suu Kyi remains the only Nobel Peace laureate who isn’t free.

What can be done? First of all, consumers around the world can boycott any company, and not invest in any company’s stock or any mutual fund that invests in any company’s stock, that does business in Burma. People can check the “dirty list” maintained by the Burma Campaign UK to see a complete list. Here’s a start: Don’t buy anything from Unocal. Send them an email telling them you are boycotting them. (The dirty list contains contact information.) Chevron is now attempting to purchase Unocal, so tell Chevron they’ll be boycotted too if they buy Unocal and remain in Burma. Don’t use DHL (they have a subsidiary that is in a joint venture with the Burmese military regime.) Reward the US Postal Service with your business instead. Don’t buy any Daewoo, Suzuki, or Rolls-Royce products. Don’t buy Lonely Planet guides or use Utopia Tours. Don’t do business with Lloyd’s of London. Don’t stay at Nikko Hotels or fly Japan Airlines. Tell them all why you won’t do business with them.

The EU should adopt the recommendations of the Burma Campaign UK, namely to strengthen sanctions in order to (1) prevent all European companies and citizens from investing in Burma; (2) ban the import of goods and services from enterprises owned by the military, military personnel and their associates; (3) ban the import of strategically important goods from sectors of the economy under state monopoly, such as gems and timber; (4) ban international financial transfers and transactions either by a citizen or an entity of an EU state or from the EU.

The UN Security Council should enact an immediate arms embargo, investment ban and a ban on Burmese exports of strategically important goods, including gas, oil, gems and timber until there is significant and sustained progress toward democracy and political prisoners are released from detention. Tell the Security Council delegations to support this agenda.

Finally, the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) should kick Burma out if it does not free Aung San Suu Kyi and make substantial progress toward democracy by the beginning of 2006. ASEAN member states should face boycotts if they don't.

It is high time for the brutal regime in Burma to end. The world can make that happen if it joins the US in its just effort to bring freedom to the Burmese people.

We Need An Exit Strategy for Iraq

2005-07-26T18:04:00.000-07:00

“As the Iraqis stand up, we will stand down." That’s what Mr. Bush said a few weeks ago. Despite how it sounds, he wasn’t referring to a game of musical chairs. He was talking about the United States’ strategy in Iraq. Leaders on both sides of the aisle have been gently inviting the White House to explain under what specific circumstances the United States will begin to exit Iraq. The House International Relations Committee voted overwhelmingly, 32 to 9, to call on the White House to develop and submit a plan to Congress for establishing a stable government and military in Iraq that would "permit a decreased U.S. presence" there.

“Progress is being made,” Mr. Bush has said. "We are there to complete a mission, and it’s an important mission. A democratic Iraq is in the interest of the United States of America, and it’s in the interest of laying the foundation for peace. … If you give a timetable, you’re conceding too much to the enemy." He does have a point there. If you tell the insurgents we are leaving on November 3^rd, they’ll probably plan to launch a major attack against the weak Iraqi government on November 4^th.

But no one has asked Mr. Bush to pick a date for a complete withdraw of American force. Instead, the American people are looking for a sensible plan of action, with relevant markers and a reasoned military draw-down.

If having an exit strategy is so problematic, then why has Britain been making contingency plans for withdrawing its troops? And why has the United States accepted Poland's plans to withdraw most of its 1700 troops from Iraq at the beginning of next year?

I think the problem is that Mr. Bush doesn’t have a clear exit strategy. Apparently the American people don’t believe so either. Only 24 percent said they believe "President Bush and his military advisers have a clear, well-thought plan to get our troops out of Iraq," while 66 percent doubt he has such a plan. (Scripps Survey Research Center.)

And he doesn’t seem to be in any hurry to get out of Iraq. His alleged vision of a robust Iraqi democracy doesn’t seem convincing. I wager that he’s more interested in creating a pro-American government that can deter insurgents, protect American business interests, and further project American power in the region. Egypt, which is far from a democracy, is probably the model that Mr. Bush truly believes is possible in Iraq.

Americans have also caught on to another important idea: the insurgents are motivated by our presence in Iraq. So continuing the war there indefinitely fuels the insurgency and ultimately makes Americans less safe.

The arguments for continuing the war without a plan of departure are strikingly similar to the Vietnam conflict: we have to build a government there first and train a local military to protect itself from America’s enemy. We know how Vietnam worked out. It turned into America’s longest conflict. How long will it be before the American public demands a clear, defined exit strategy for Iraq? How long will it be before the Congress comes up with a plan of its own? We might have to wait for the 2006 Congressional elections to find the answers to these questions.