Fourteen Precepts & Ten Commandments

Fourteen Precepts of the Order of Interbeing:

1. Do not be idolatrous about or bound to any doctrine, theory, or ideology, even Buddhist ones. Buddhist systems of thought are guiding means; they are not absolute truth.
2. Do not think the knowledge you presently possess is changeless, absolute truth. Avoid being narrow-minded and bound to present views. Learn and practice nonattachment from views in order to be open to receive others' viewpoints. Truth is found in life and not merely in conceptual knowledge. Be ready to learn throughout your entire life and to observe reality in yourself and in the world at all times.
3. Do not force others, including children, by any means whatsoever, to adopt your views, whether by authority, threat, money, propaganda, or even education. However, through compassionate dialogue, help others renounce fanaticism and narrowness.
4. Do not avoid contact with suffering or close your eyes before suffering. Do not lose awareness of the existence of suffering in the life of the world. Find ways to be with those who are suffering, including personal contact, images, and sound. By such means, awaken yourself and others to the reality of suffering in the world.
5. Do not accumulate wealth while millions are hungry. Do not take as the aim of your life fame, profit, wealth, or sensual pleasure. Live simply and share time, energy, and material resources with those who are in need.
6. Do not maintain anger or hatred. Learn to penetrate and transform them when they are still seeds in your consciousness. As soon as they arise, turn your attention to your breath in order to see and understand the nature of your anger and hatred and the nature of the persons who have caused your anger and hatred.
7. Do not lose yourself in dispersion and in your surroundings. Practice mindful breathing to come back to what is happening in the present moment. Be in touch with what is wondrous, refreshing, and healing both inside and around you. Plant seeds of joy, peace, and understanding in yourself in order to facilitate the work of transformation in the depths of your consciousness.
8. Do not utter words that can create discord and cause the community to break. Make every effort to reconcile and resolve all conflicts, however small.
9. Do not say untruthful things for the sake of Personal interest or to impress people. Do not utter words that cause division and hatred. Do not spread news that you do not know to be certain. Do not criticize or condemn things of which you are not sure. Always speak truthfully and constructively. Have the courage to speak out about situations of injustice, even when doing so may threaten your own safety.
10. Do not use the Buddhist community for personal gain or profit, or transform your community into a political party. A religious community, however, should take a clear stand against oppression and injustice and should strive to change the situation without engaging in partisan conflicts.
11. Do not live with a vocation that is harmful to humans and nature. Do not invest in companies that deprive others of their chance to live. Select a vocation that helps realize your ideal of compassion.
12. Do not kill. Do not let others kill. Find whatever means possible to protect life and prevent war.
13. Possess nothing that should belong to others. Respect the property of others, but prevent others from profiting from human suffering or the suffering of other species on Earth.
14. Do not mistreat your body. Learn to handle it with respect, preserve vital energies (sexual, breath, spirit) for the realization of the Way. Be fully aware of the responsibility of bringing new lives into the world. Meditate on the world into which you are bringing new beings

The Ten Commandments.  Exodus 20:2-17:

1. “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me.
2. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
3. “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
4. “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
5. “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you.
6. “You shall not murder.
7. “You shall not commit adultery.
8. “You shall not steal.
9. “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”

Un gran jugador

   Milovan Djoric, al final de una de sus clínicas de futbol, me dijo mientras me daba mi trofeo de participación: "El mejor.  Cuando seas un gran jugador, llamame."  Don Hernan Carrasco Vivanco me dijo una vez, "Yo vi jugar a Zamorano y a Salas cuando tenían tu edad, y tú sos mejor que ellos."  Nelson, mi entrenador de secundaria, me decía cada vez que yo tenía la pelota desde la defensa izquierda, "corré Medrano, llevátela hasta el arco!"  Rommelinho Ramirez, mi buen amigo y entrenador de primaria, nos dijo una vez durante un tiro de penalty decisivo, "cuando Chico (nuestro portero estrella) se lo pare, todos corramos a abrazarlo."  Y tal como su fé lo declaró, Chico detuvo ese tiro, y todos corrimos a celebrarlo.  Mi papi, por su lado, cambió mi futbol por completo, al "castigarme" diciéndome que hiciera técnica todo el día los fines de semana, y que si no llegaba a cierto numero no iba a jugar conmigo.  "Tirá la pelota al espacio y seguila, ese es el secreto del Mágico," me decía en los partidos, "usá tu velocidad hijo."  Mi papi siempre supo que yo tenía la capacidad, porque creía, a pesar de que yo corría chistoso.  

   Ahh, si a mi no me hubiera escogido el arte para jugar para su equipo, habría escogido jugar futbol.  Pero gracias a Dios sigo siendo un jugador, y gracias a El tuve el ejemplo de estos grandes maestros que mencioné; quienes han jugado posiciones tan importantes en mi vida.  Me han enseñado a tener fé, a seguir lo que me apasiona porque quizás ahi está mi propósito.  Mas bien, mi estilo de servir, porque creo que servir es el propósito de todos.  Y aunque mis maestros le dijeran lo mismo a todos sus jugadores, jaja, me enseñaron que nada es imposible si uno cree en Dios, en los demás, y en uno mismo.  

   Muchas bendiciones maestros queridos, les dedico mi servicio de este dia a ustedes.  Gracias por nunca perder su fé en Dios, en los demás, y en ustedes mismos.  Gracias por creer en mí.  

El más fuerte de los abrazos.

3 reminders: what is it to be human?

1) Mistakes

2) Greeting

3) Educacion

Que pobres somos

Una vez, un padre de una familia acaudalada llevo a su hijo a un viaje por el campo con el firme propósito de que viera cuán pobres eran las gentes del campo.

Estuvieron por espacio de un día y una noche completa en una granja de una familia campesina muy humilde.

Al concluir el viaje y de regreso a casa el padre le pregunta a su hijo:

“¿Que te pareció el viaje?” – preguntó el padre. 

“Fue fantástico Papá!” – dijo el hijo

“¿Viste que tan pobre puede ser la gente?” – preguntó el padre

“¡Oh, sí!” – dijo el hijo

“Y… ¿que aprendiste?” – preguntó el padre

El hijo contestó:

“Vi que nosotros tenemos un perro en casa, ellos tienen cuatro.”

“Nosotros tenemos una piscina con agua estancada que llega a la mitad del jardín… y ellos tienen un río sin fin, de agua cristalina, donde hay pececitos y otras bellezas.”

“Que nosotros importamos lamparas del Oriente para alumbrar nuestro jardín…mientras que ellos se alumbran con la luna y las estrellas.”

“Que nuestro patio llega hasta la pared de la casa del vecino, ellos tienen todo el horizonte de patio.”

“Tenemos un pequeño pedazo de tierra para vivir y ellos tienen campos que van más allá de nuestra vista.” 

“Que nosotros compramos nuestra comida;…ellos, siembran y cosechan la de ellos.”

“Nosotros cocinamos en estufa eléctrica…Ellos, todo lo que comen tiene ese glorioso sabor del fogón de leña.”

“Para protegernos nosotros vivimos rodeados por un muro, con alarmas….Ellos viven con sus puertas abiertas, protegidos por la amistad de sus vecinos.”
“Nosotros vivimos conectados al celular, a la computadora, al televisor… Ellos, en cambio, están “conectados” a la vida, al cielo, al sol, al agua, al verde del valle, a los animales, a sus siembras, a su familia.”
“Especialmente papá, vi que ellos tienen tiempo para conversar y convivir en familia. Tú y mamá tienen que trabajar todo el tiempo y casi nunca los veo y rara es la vez que conversan conmigo.”

El padre se quedó mudo… y su hijo agregó:

“¡Gracias Papá por enseñarme lo pobres que somos!

-Paulo Coelho

-Fernando Llort

Labels and Bells

I made a big mistake recently.

I said my friend Eddie was Dominican, when he's in fact Puerto Rican. He was pissed. He said "you never call a Puerto Rican a Dominican," and he walked away. I couldn't get through to him for a few days. But when I did, I had to wonder something. We wondered together. We hear this same phrase in stories, songs, we hear it from our parents even: "you never confuse Puerto Ricans with Dominicans, or vice versa. They hate it, & they hate each other."

So let's forget that for a second, and pretend we've never heard it before. How does Eddie feel about being called Dominican? Does saying "Eddie is a Puerto Rican" define the infinitely unique human being that Eddie is? Does it truly bother Eddie if someone calls him Dominican? Is it worth creating a conflict between two friends? Does Eddie "the Puerto Rican" really hate every single infinitely unique human being that happens do be "Dominican?" After a little introspection, Eddie found that the answer to all these questions was "no."

Eddie & I found this to be a great example of looking at the world from the inside out, rather than looking at the world from the outside in (which is what we are groomed to do). We have the power to shape the world around us; by controlling how we react to what it throws our way, as opposed to trying to control it. The world around us doesn't have to shape who we are inside; and it'll never be able to stop us from bringing peace to it, if we choose to receive everything it throws our way...with love.

I'll even go a little further with this. Donald Trump may be a blessing in disguise. Let me finish. He is bringing a lot of attention to labels. To many of us this is an opportunity, a time to stop & think about things we don't take enough time to reflect on: "Shit, what this dude is saying is not true; Islam is about peace, each and every 'Muslim' is an infinitely unique & precious human being, and the vast majority does not want to kill me." In some cultures, a bell is used to remind us to stop, breath, smile, and just be in the present moment; to see things more clearly, enjoy them more profoundly, and get to understand them. Every time it is invited to ring, it is a blessing, an opportunity. Let Donald Trump, who we run into 100 times a day, be a bell to us. But please, vote Bernie Sanders, haha.

Much love everyone, happy Sunday!

-Roberto

#prayfortheworld

   This comes in a bit late, but here goes.  According to what a few of my Salvadoran facebook friends were posting around the time of the Paris attacks: There's nothing wrong with praying for Paris, we are all brothers & sisters. But I agree, let's pray for El Salvador as well. My home country, El Salvador, has the highest homicide rate in the world; on average, one HUMAN BEING is murdered per hour. We CANNOT get used to this. Let's pray for the world for that matter. We are all connected; and the ones who need our love & prayers, above all others, are the troubled hearts of the human beings who commit these horrific acts. Make no mistake there. YOU DO NOT STOP A FIRE WITH MORE FIRE!!!!

   I live in New York, many of the problems we see in the world originate from the selfishness & greed that exists in the hearts of a handful of individuals/organizations right here. Cheap/slave labor around the globe, deforestation, illegal drug purchasing that leaves a mass blood trail through the entire American continent (just to get to your nose/wherever you stick it in), weapons sales, mass food production industry, oil, etc. EVERY ONE of us supports this destructive anti-unity anti-equality anti-collaboration cycle from the moment we choose to look down on another human being living on the street instead of pulling him/her up; to the moment we make a purchase without trying to find out at what expense this product reached our hands. I'm guilty. What's happening out there is all our faults. LET'S STOP PRETENDING WE DON'T CARE, IT IS OUR HUMAN NATURE TO CARE. ACT ON IT.

"Nothing that happens to others should be considered foreign to us." -Juan XXIII

"If you only love those who love you, what reward is there for that?" -Matthew 5:46

"The only devils in this world are those running around in our own hearts, and that is where all our battles should be fought." -Mahatma Gandhi

#prayforParis #prayforElSalvador #prayforWallStreet #prayfortheworld

"Yo tengo algo mejor para ti"

   Hace poco le pedi un consejo a un amigo. Le dije que habia algo que yo estaba haciendo que sentia me estaba alejando de Dios. Mi amigo me preguntó, "pero te hace sentir bien?" Y yo le respondi, "si."
Pero eso no me bastó. Hay tantas cosas que hacemos que nos hacen sentir bien en el momento, pero no nos llenan. Todos tenemos algo diferente que a veces nos tiene atados, pero el deseo es el mismo, por eso no podemos juzgar; solo comprender, perdonar, y apoyar.
   Cuando nos permitimos caer en la tentacion, el deseo de hacerlo de nuevo, sin falta, regresa muy pronto. No estamos satisfechos, no estamos llenos, queremos mas y mas y mas. Eso no es paz, eso no es plenitud, eso no es felicidad. Entonces, si no luchamos contra nuestras debilidades, como vamos a fortalecernos?
   Nuestros seres contienen radares que no tienen la capacidad de mentir, que nos dicen donde esta la verdad y donde no. Es solo que a veces no queremos escuchar. La verdadera libertad viene cuando no estamos atados a cadenas fisicas, mentales, emocionales, o espirituales, que nos alejan de la paz. Luchemos por ella, para estar cerca de Dios.
   En oracion le pedi ayuda a nuestro Papito, me respondio en mi corazon con la mejor arma que me pudo haber dado, y aqui se las comparto. Me dijo: "Yo tengo algo mejor para ti."

Feliz 2016. No podemos controlar lo que recibimos, pero si podemos escoger recibir todo con amor. Venite año nuevo, estamos listos.

3 reminders: we are moving forward

1) Labels

2) Nuevo Paradigma 

3) Bernie Sanders

3 recordatorios: que es ser humano?

1) Palabras Japonesas


2) Ubuntu:

"Un antropólogo sugirió una broma para unos niños en Africa: puso un saco muy bonito lleno de dulces debajo de un árbol, y propuso a los niños una carrera.  Quien ganara tendría el regalo.  Cuando dijo "ya," todos los niños se dieron las manos y salieron corriendo en dirección al saco.  Dividieron todo entre ellos, con mucha alegría.

El antropólogo quedó asombrado ante la actitud de los niños.  Ellos le explicaron: 'Ubuntu, amigo.  ¿Cómo uno de nosotros podría estar feliz si todos los demás estuvieran tristes?'  Él, entonces, se dió cuenta de la esencia de ese pueblo.  No había competencia, sino colaboración.  Ubuntu significa: 'soy quién soy, porque somos todos nosotros."

3) "Sino se convierten y se hacen como niños"