Alan Watts Theater

I found a link to the coolest little flash-animated shorts at the company site for Freshminds. One thing this company does is animate the public speaking of their clients – demonstrated here with a series of short Alan Watts audio excerpts. Here’s the really fun thing – they’re produced by Trey Parker and Matt Stone.

Thanks to Moridin.com for finding this!

Learn To Be Still

Time for a fluffier post, methinks. Been a while since I’ve listened to this:

The lyrics are interesting:

“Learn To Be Still”

It’s just another day in paradise
As you stumble to your bed
You’d give anything to silence
Those voices ringing in your head
You thought you could find happiness
Just over that green hill
You thought you would be satisfied
But you never will-
Learn to be still

We are like sheep without a shepherd
We don’t know how to be alone
So we wander ’round this desert
And wind up following the wrong gods home
But the flock cries out for another
And they keep answering that bell
And one more starry-eyed messiah
Meets a violent farewell-
Learn to be still
Learn to be still

Now the flowers in your garden
They don’t smell so sweet
Maybe you’ve forgotten
The heaven lying at your feet

[Solo]

There are so many contradictions
In all these messages we send
(We keep asking)
How do I get out of here
Where do I fit in?
Though the world is torn and shaken
Even if your heart is breakin’
It’s waiting for you to awaken
And someday you will-
Learn to be still
Learn to be still

You just keep on runnin’
Keep on runnin’

Please Help Save Darfur

Learn more about the situation at http://www.savedarfur.org/. Please consider embedding this on your site or blog or linking to this ad at YouTube. You can also forward the ad on to others here.

The Sangha Metta Project

This film looks to be (as far as I can tell from the trailer) a really good look at the Sangha Metta Project of Southeast Asia, “which which engages monks in HIV/AIDS prevention and care.” To learn more about the film project and also to find links relevant to this issue, check out http://aidsfrontline.org/.

Moving Meditation

This is obviously not directly Buddhism-related, but it’s fairly close to the version of Surya Namaskar that I do. Or at least will begin to do again as soon as I feel my shoulder is rested enough. Anyway, there are some little differences, but it’s more or less the form I was taught. I love this practice, and for as long as I’ve done it I’ve considered it a meditation on mindfulness and balance.

Please Get Involved

Consider joining the ONE Campaign to Make Poverty History at http://www.one.org.

Diamond Sutra 101

I stopped by Ven. Rinchen Gyatso’s blog today and found links to the beginning of this great 12 part lecture series on the Diamond Sutra by Venerable Hyun Gak (né Paul Muenzen). I found a better source for the lectures via Google, so I thought I’d include them below, if anyone’s interested. They’re from the Korean Buddhist Television Network.

Here are links to the other eleven parts (each about 40 minutes long): Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12. (As a heads-up, there are up to 2 brief ads before parts 3 through 12.)

Car-ma

OK, this is a car commercial, but I love this:

(Found at Awakening the Buddha in us – thanks!)

"Happiness Is…"

This is a lovely tune by Yungchen Lhamo. Her description:

Every1 wants to be happy. Everything works better when people are happy. We all need to find happiness. But what really makes us happy? Not just happy for a moment but really happy, a happiness that is meaningful and valuable. Om Mani Padme Hung

Juan Mann’s Loving Compassion

My 12 year old thinks that Juan’s efforts are full of Loving-Compassion. I agree.

Here’s a related Australian news clip:

And to learn more, here’s the website: http://www.freehugscampaign.org/