Homeless Meditation Practitioners (HMP)

See the New Website!!!

2010-03-21T19:14:00.000-07:00

HMP Street Dharma

http://hmpstreetdharma.org/

Lama's Blessing

2010-03-09T12:31:00.000-08:00

This is an extremely generous, precious, wonderful and sacred Gift. To have a Tulku's Blessing is bigger than anyone outside the Dharma can imagine. The fact that my Great Lama, Lama Tulku Tsori trusts and believes in HMP enough to give us his blessing publicly...is truly amazing.

(I feel like a blind turtle whom has surfaced after a hundred years, and found my head is inside an Wishfull-fulling yoke.= Which means: A very, very rare & auspicious thing has happend.)

Please watch:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/video/video.php?v=1295526400320&ref=mf

also visit our main site at:

HmpStreetDharma.org

How to Start a Group in a Homeless Shelter

2010-03-01T12:00:00.000-08:00

(1.) Go Online. Find a Women's Shelter, Homeless Shelter, or Family Crisis Center in your Area.

(2.) Find the 'Volunteer Application' on their website. (if there isn't a website-there is a phone #...call them and ask how to volunteer for anything.)

(3.) Fill-out the Application. Volunteer for 'Spiritual Services' but whatever you put is fine. They just want to do a background check on you...and all you want is the Volunteer Badge they will send you. (There might be a small fee to send with the application, usually not more than five dollars.)

(4) On the website, find the name and email addresses of the 'Volunteer Coordinator' and 'Director of Spiritual Services.'

(5.) You may find one, both, or none. But send an email to SOMEONE explaining that, "I recently sent an application to Volunteer at your facility. I have a background in Meditation Instruction. I have found that meditation is very good for Stress-Relief, as a Coping-Skill, and for a general feeling of health and well-being. I'm wondering if your facility already has a group that does meditation with the clients. If so, I would really like to help out in that area. If it does not, I would be happy to volunteer to create such a group. I have friends that also do meditation and they could also Volunteer with me, to offer such a group to those under your care. thanks."

(6.) Remember. Some Christians are not open to Buddhists. Remember. Even if the person you are dealing with isn't a Christian...they may not know anything about meditation or Buddhism. The worst case, which happened to me, is that they think Buddhism has something to do with 'Them Terrorists!' (a guy really told me this.)

(It is best to go with 'meditation' and not use any Buddhist terms...until you know with whom you are dealing.)

(7.) When you get your permission/badge to volunteer. Go back to the website and see what there is to do there. It will be very important to volunteer several times in some other area...until you feel comfortable there. Homeless people can seem intimidating and scary at first. You will not know how to act or what to say.

(8.) Go...go there and volunteer every chance you get. I suggest that you don't work the Food-Line. This is great for some people, but there is a huge barrier between you and the homeless. Volunteering in the kitchen or chow-line will not teach you anything about Homelessness, except that they gotta eat, just like us. You should volunteer at the bag check-in at night or find some event that you can help with...to get experience working, talking, and getting to know everyone. This brings me to another suggestion, I work with Volunteers whom have been coming down to the shelter for years and still don't know one person's name!

(9.) Learn people's name if you want to connect with them. Notice the huge smile you get, when the second time you shake hands with a homeless person...and you call them by name. You have a friend for life.

(10.) Be following-up with the emails from the Volunteer Services Staff. Eventually, they will give you a spot. A time and a place to hold your little Meditation Group......

Feel free to email me with any questions,

Tashi Delek

Kiley Jon Clark

HMPStreetDharma.org

Questions about 'Dana-ating' Books

2010-02-16T07:52:00.000-08:00

Hi Friends of HMP,
http://www.hmpstreetdharma.org/

There is an Great Article coming out about HMP in the SA Current. A reporter followed me around, asked a lot of really good questions and took hundreds of pictures. So, I'll send that your way as soon as it comes out in early March.

And Just to let ya know...We love....and need any and all of your spiritual books for our Online Bookstore! I started this online bookstore with my own library...which is Christian, Catholic, Buddhist, Philosopy, New Thought, Mythology, Taoist, Mystic Islam, Mystic Hinduism, Self-Help, and many many others.

Please consider sending us some of your books!

Donating books to HMP is win! win! win! ! Selling spiritual books at an affordable price is a great way of passing on Spiritual Truth, it helps support HMP and our Outreach to the Homeless Community, and you can feel great by knowing that your spiritual books are going to people really want them!

Also, these books 'WILL' make a difference for our organization and in someone elses life! Thank YOU!!! And thanks for spreading the word about US, Please let others know what you are doing...and encourage them to get engaged also!!!!

You can send your books by media mail from your Post Office to ours:

HMP-Jon Clark

P.O. Box 71

Floresville, Texas 78114

Big love,

kiley jon clark

Have you Visited the Site?
http://www.hmpstreetdharma.org/

Been out on the streets!

2010-02-08T11:42:00.000-08:00

Please feel free to click around these Archives untill I can get back to posting regularly again.

http://www.hmpstreetdharma.org/

(Hmp believes in being Self-Supporting. We run a Spiritual Bookstore. Our Partners donate money for us to purchase books, they donate their spiritual books to us, and they buy our books. We don't believe in something for nothing. It is our desire to bring Buddhist Teachings to the Homeless, and we support that by running a Successful Not-for-Profit Spiritual Bookstore. When you buy from us, you are giving the Homeless the gift of the Dharma and getting a great spiritual book at the same time. Also, for the price of one plane ticket, we send an HMP Representative to anywhere in the World that asks for our help in starting Homeless Outreach in their area.)

21Century Begging Bowl: pass the Dharma & Karma (BOOKS!!!)

2010-02-02T11:31:00.000-08:00

Come See the beginning of our Online Bookstore!

http://www.hmpstreetdharma.org/the-21century-begging-bowl.php

HMP Street Dharma

A Buddhist Ministry

Supported by an Online BookStore

Help fundraise for Ministry, donate your Spiritual books...we'll pay for shipping!

“Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.”

-Buddha

Tags: bodhisattva, buddha, chenrezig, compassion, engaged, homelessness, kindness, love, peace, progressive

SA PeaceCenter tonight!

2010-01-31T19:17:00.000-08:00

Diane and I went to the 'Blessed are the Peace Makers' rally at the San Antonio PeaceCenter tonight!
It was really rad! They announced this year's Peace Laureates. They are a dear, sweet couple who have been fighting for human rights and peace for over 60 years. They are truly an inspiration to us all.

If you don't know about it yet, please check out the SA PeaceCenter for yourself, they do wonderful work and there are plenty of events to get involved with.

http://www.salsa.net/peace/peace.html

New Name. New Website. New gmail. Same Mission.

2010-01-27T08:09:00.000-08:00

'HMP Street Dharma'
http://www.hmpstreetdharma.org/

Jon

PS-

Hi friends, It's official...we're getting all grown up & becoming a real 'not-for-profit ministry!'

Your support is important. We have been invited to start HMP Groups in other Cities and haven't done so because of funding...but we're doing it now because the need is truly tremendous...

Some estimate that there are over 100 million homeless people worldwide...(before Haiti)
and there are only a handful of Buddhist groups doing Outreach in this area.
Please spread the word about Us, visit our new site, and if there are any links or widgets on there that aren't working, please tell us.

Until all Sentient Beings
are free from Suffering,

love,
jon

http://www.hmpstreetdharma.org/

James Munoz KENS 5 News Interview with Jon Clark

2010-01-20T13:19:00.000-08:00

(picture: Jon on the streets teaching meditation.)

Can you describe any 'success' stories...

"When we were doing the meditation group inside the Emergency Shelter, there was a man named 'Dino.' He was reclusive and angry when he first started coming to group. Little by little, he started opening up. He would share a little more about his life and what he was feeling in group each time. After several months of these weekly meditation groups, he was a very different person. Dino told us, that he would use these meditation techniques to keep his mind tranquil and calm throughout the long nights at the shelter. He offend spoke about his daughter, and their relationship that had disintegrated. We gave him a Tonglen practice to help with this. It was a visualization of taking in the negative energy between him and his daughter, and releasing it back as light, love, and healing. One day, Dino came up and gave me a big hug. He said that he had called his daughter after years of not speaking to her. They both cried and spoke for hours. She sent him a bus ticket, and as far as I know, he is living with her somewhere in Oregon."

What about dangers you might face...any antagonism from the homeless?

"Well, when we were in the Shelter, it was a group situation. There was a day and a time to be there. The Homeless that weren't interested, just didn't come to group. But now that we are working with the Chronically Homeless, the ones that won't go inside the shelter, it's different. Our job is just 'being' there, on the street with them. What we are doing is simple. We are going under the bridge to make friends. We want to listen, learn, interact, and maybe give them some meditation techniques that can help with alcoholism, depression, bi-polar disorder, and stress. And you asked about the dangers we might face? It has been my experience, that there is very little violence among the homeless community. They often have fights amongst themselves, but rarely, if ever, is that violence focused at people outside their peer group."

Do you just go sit there in a group, and the homeless just watch?

"The Homeless people that live under the bridges at Medina St. are very communal. We are just going down there and interacting with them. We may stay eight hours one day, and six hours the next, but it will be three or four days a week. So, by doing individual meditation, and teaching one person at a time, it soon becomes a communal thing. Let say, me and johnny are doing a ten minute meditation, and then Lucy wants to join us, and bob wants to know whats going on, and yeah....it's like that. Simple. No microphones or loud guitars, just us, living, learning, and practicing together."

Can you give us a quote? Or tell us what a homeless person said to you once?

"If you want to be sad, think only of yourself. If you want to be happy, think only of others"-Tibetan Proverb.

"I wish my wife was here, she would have really enjoyed this meditation group. She taught yoga for years before the cancer took her. thank you, for this."-Mike

"Better than a thousand years of bowing to the Buddha, is one day lived as the BOW-become a Buddhist Outreach Worker."

-Jon Clark (HMP)

How has meditation helped you? You have been in a pit before, are you gainfully employed now?

"After I had been meditating for awhile, I suddenly realized that my mind was constantly in a state of flux---frustration, annoyance, anxiousness, anger, and unhappiness. Now, my life still fluctuates from the 'pit' to the 'penhouse' but my mind remains, on the most part, tranquil.

I'm I 'gainfully employed?' Well, I just stepped out into full-time ministry. My Lama commissioned us to start a Meditation Center in my hometown of Floresville, Texas. As a YTDR Dharma Center, we are responsible for not only serving our community, but also raising awareness for the Tibetan Refugee children that are under his care in Mainpat, India.

The Dharma Center in Floresville is also the headquarters for Homeless Meditation Practitioners. HMP is trying to educate and encourage 1.6 billion Buddhists around the World to get engaged in 'Being' with the Homeless. I'm not sure how all this is going to pay out in dollars, but I know how it pays out in Merit and Karma."

Homeless Meditation Practitioners
http://homelessmeditationpractitioners.blogspot.com/

YTDR Dharma Center floresville, Texas
http://ytdrfloresville.wordpress.com/

Jon Clark
PO Box 71
Floresville, Texas 78114
830-484-7403

Bridge Pictures

2010-01-20T12:47:00.001-08:00

Under the Bridge Picture: 3

2010-01-20T08:33:00.000-08:00

Under the Bridge Pictures: 2

2010-01-20T08:08:00.000-08:00

Convenient Store-Pictures

2010-01-20T08:05:00.000-08:00

Under the Bridge Pictures:1

2010-01-20T08:02:00.000-08:00

KENS 5 News Report on 'HMP'

2010-01-12T12:42:00.000-08:00

KENS 5 News Report on HMP

http://www.kens5.com/news/local/San-Antonio-man-takes-meditation-to-the-streets-to-help-homeless.html

more 'Being' with the Homeless

2010-01-10T11:22:00.000-08:00

Can you describe any 'success' stories...

"When we were doing the meditation group inside the Emergency Shelter, there was a man named 'Dino.' He was reclusive and angry when he first started coming to group. Little by little, he started opening up. He would share a little more about his life and what he was feeling in group each time. After several months of these weekly meditation groups, he was a very different person. Dino told us, that he would use these meditation techniques to keep his mind tranquil and calm throughout the long nights at the shelter. He offend spoke about his daughter, and their relationship that had disintegrated. We gave him a Tonglen practice to help with this. It was a visualization of taking in the negative energy between him and his daughter, and releasing it back as light, love, and healing. One day, Dino came up and gave me a big hug. He said that he had called his daughter after years of not speaking to her. They both cried and spoke for hours. She sent him a bus ticket, and as far as I know, he is living with her somewhere in Oregon."

What about dangers you might face...any antagonism from the homeless?

"Well, when we were in the Shelter, it was a group situation. There was a day and a time to be there. The Homeless that weren't interested, just didn't come to group. But now that we are working with the Chronically Homeless, the ones that won't go inside the shelter, it's different. Our job is just 'being' there, on the street with them. What we are doing is simple. We are going under the bridge to make friends. We want to listen, learn, interact, and maybe give them some meditation techniques that can help with alcoholism, depression, bi-polar disorder, and stress. And you asked about the dangers we might face? It has been my experience, that there is very little violence among the homeless community. They often have fights amongst themselves, but rarely, if ever, is that violence focused at people outside their peer group."

Do you just go sit there in a group, and the homeless just watch?

"The Homeless people that live under the bridges at Medina St. are very communal. We are just going down there and interacting with them. We may stay eight hours one day, and six hours the next, but it will be three or four days a week. So, by doing individual meditation, and teaching one person at a time, it soon becomes a communal thing. Let say, me and johnny are doing a ten minute meditation, and then Lucy wants to join us, and bob wants to know whats going on, and yeah....it's like that. Simple. No microphones or loud guitars, just us, living, learning, and practicing together."

Can you give us a quote? Or tell us what a homeless person said to you once?

"If you want to be sad, think only of yourself. If you want to be happy, think only of others"-Tibetan Proverb.

"I wish my wife was here, she would have really enjoyed this meditation group. She taught yoga for years before the cancer took her. thank you, for this."

"Better than a thousand years of bowing to the Buddha, is one day lived as the BOW-become a Buddhist Outreach Worker."
-Jon Clark (HMP)

How has meditation helped you? You have been in a pit before, are you gainfully employed now?

"After I had been meditating for awhile, I suddenly realized that my mind was constantly in a state of flux---frustration, annoyance, anxiousness, anger, and unhappiness. Now, my life still fluctuates from the 'pit' to the 'penhouse' but my mind remains, on the most part, tranquil.

I'm I 'gainfully employed?' Well, I just stepped out into full-time ministry. My Lama commissioned us to start a Meditation Center in my hometown of Floresville, Texas. As a YTDR Dharma Center, we are responsible for not only serving our community, but also raising awareness for the Tibetan Refugee children that are under his care in Mainpat, India.

The Dharma Center in Floresville is also the headquarters for Homeless Meditation Practitioners. HMP is trying to educate and encourage 1.6 billion Buddhists around the World to get engaged in 'Being' with the Homeless. I'm not sure how all this is going to pay out in dollars, but I know how it pays out in Merit and Karma."

Homeless Meditation Practitioners(HMP)
http://homelessmeditationpractitioners.blogspot.com/

YTDR Dharma Center floresville, Texas
http://ytdrfloresville.wordpress.com
Jon Clark
PO Box 71
Floresville, Texas 78114
830-484-7403

Dharma Center Floresville, Texas

2010-01-06T15:30:00.000-08:00

Our sweet Lama Tulku Karma Rinpoche surprized us with a request. He wanted to Bless and Empower Diane and I to open a Meditation/Dharma Center here in our little hometown of Floresville, Texas. It will serve as a home base for HMP, and provide Teachings to this community.

So, What could we say?

We will start meeting every Thursday Night at 1006 C Street in Historic Downtown. It is actually a very beautiful building. I am praying, plotting, and planning to buy it outright, for our Center.

So, we will start giving Buddhist Teachings and doing Meditation sessions there on Thursdays at 7pm, starting the first thursday in 2010.

Please join us. It should be very exciting starting a Buddhist Fellowship in Floresville! And even non-buddhists can attend…if you just want something different to do.

Come visit us!

Thursday Nights

Starting Jan. 7th 2010

7pm

1006 C Street in Historic Downtown Floresville

Jon Clark

Speakerjonclark@gmail.com

http://ytdrfloresville.wordpress.com/

830-484-7403

fyi****I have been researching something that I am labeling 'Incarnational Buddhism' and putting together a website and newsletter called,
'The Buddhist Outreach Worker: Better than a thousand years bowing to the Buddha, is one day lived as the BOW--become a Buddhist Outreach Worker.'

My studies have taken me through the Buddhist Cannon...researching compassion, loving-kindness, Bodhichitta and the very fact that Buddha didn't want us worshiping him...he did everything he could to help us become Buddhas.

So, Incarnational Buddhism, is just that. Being the Buddha by 'Being' with the poor, the weak, the hungry and everybody else.

'Being' with the Homeless

2010-01-06T08:57:00.000-08:00

What does meditation do for you?

"In Tibetan, the word for meditation means, 'To become familiar.' We are trying to become familiar with how our minds work.
It all starts with being here, in the present moment. It can be very unsettling, when you realize just how frantic your mind really is.
Just try it. Stop, sit down, stay in the present moment, and think of nothing else but your own breathing. You may find, like the Buddhist Elders have said, 'the mind is like a 'crazy monkey' swinging from thought to thought' and from the past to the future!
Our brain does not know how to relax."

How are you able to reach the homeless?

"We had been doing a Meditation Group inside the Downtown Shelter for several months, but it was just an hour a week.
And to be honest, the Christian management didn't feel comfortable with us there. So we are going to the streets to the Chronically Homeless. It will provide more freedom to just be ourselves and make friends. Interestingly, this is what both Jesus and Buddha did. Although, they both held services and preached, they spent the majority of their lives simply 'being the message' of Love and Compassion. They lived 'with' the poor 'incarnationally.' Both Buddha and Jesus listened to, sat with, talked with, ate with, and shared in the grief of the people. Also, we would like to be invovled in Prospect's Courtyard at the new 'Haven For Hope' facility. HMP wants to be there for the Homeless that do not want to go inside or be a part of the program, and that will be quite a few."

Some people would think the homeless don’t have the frame of mind to meditate if they are in a critical emergency situation?

"Our main aim of working with the homeless, is just being with them. It is just about common everyday interactions. But those who ask for Meditation Instruction, will gladly get it. Like most of us, the Homeless have been listening to the same 'soundtrack' going on in their heads for years. "I'm so stupid." "I'm such a mess." "I can't do this anymore." "I wish I were dead." We have this subconscious 'Mind-Chatter' going on all the time, and don't even recognize it. But once it is exposed by meditation, you say, "Oh, I don't want to say those negative things to myself anymore." and "I'm not going to chase that 'old thought' down the rabbit hole again, that incident happened thirty years ago, why am I still worried about it?" So, once we start being present with our thoughts as 'The Observer' of them...old thought patterns get broken...and things begin to change in our lives."

What’s your experience?

"I've been through a lot in life. My story is a long one, way too much to tell here. But the short version is, I was raised in an alcoholic home and became one myself. I've dealt with clinical depression, divorce, death of loved ones, and jail. But, in 2006, I met a Tibetan Lama at the San Antonio Airport, of all places. This meeting would change the whole course of my life, bring me under the teachings of this Great Lama, and lead to something that I'd never known before, a 'peaceful mind."

Do you feel like this helps them deal with their situation?

"This helps them in at least two ways. They come to realize that people outside their peer group care about them. And secondly,
it is an influx of new ideas. None of us grow as people without positive, fresh ideas. A body of water that doesn't move, stagnates."

I assume this is all done for free?

"As you can imagine, hanging out with the Homeless, teaching meditation, and discussing Buddhist Philosophy doesn't pay a whole lot. People can contribute to this work by going to YTDR.org and making a donation: 'for the homeless.' We are acquiring the experience to go out and teach others about 'being' with the Homeless. Perhaps, we could travel to different cities and teach them how to start their own HMP Groups. So, It would be lovely if Meditation Centers around the world, would get behind and support this work, but as of right now, I believe, that if your intentions are pure, you will always have what you need."

Can you talk about what motivates you to give this service to the homeless?

"Neglect is something most children of Alcoholics feel, so I think my childhood made me 'super-sensitive' to the loneliness and suffering of others. Among other things, the Homeless also suffer from personal neglect. When you have lost everything, it is easy to lose yourself. As a Buddhist, my life should reflect my beliefs and practice. Our lives are usually wasted, driven by unfulfilling things and desires. Why not be completely motivated by generosity, loving-kindness, and wisdom? What's the alternative?"

How did 'Homeless Meditation Practitioners(HMP)' get started?

"My Teacher is a Tibetan Master. His name is Lama Tulku Karma Rinpoche. He runs a Monastary for Tibetan Refugee children in Mainpat, India. It serves as an Orphanage, a Nursing Home, and a hospital. Daily, the aged and the young are dropped off on his doorstep. They would have no place to go, and would starve to death, if he was not there. He has been my guiding light and inspiration. When he asked me to start a Dharma Center in my hometown of Floresville, and provide an outreach to the Homeless of San Antonio..well, it just confirmed what I was already feeling, but hadn't spoken about."

Can Non-Buddhists be involved in this outreach?

If you would like to become a Homeless Outreach Worker, Buddhist or Not, feel free to contact us. We will be visiting with our Homeless friends every Tue. Weds. Friday. & Saturday on South Medina St. San Antonio, TX 78207 under The Buena Vista and Commerce Street Bridges. We will be Living, Learning, and Practicing Together. And if you would like to Support our efforts, please go to www.ytdr.org/home and make a donation for 'Homeless Meditation.' I don't know where the funding for this ministry will come from, but I know it is right and what our hearts are telling us to do."

"Better than bowing a thousand years to the Buddha, is one day lived as the BOW-
become a Buddhist Outreach Worker."

http://homelessmeditationpractitioners.blogspot.com/

Yours for Peace,
Jon Clark
Speakerjonclark@gmail.com
PO Box 71
Floresville, Texas 78114
830-484-7403
Donate to YTDR.org

Jerry Springer at SA Homeless Shelter - Shelter Sit-Dec 26th

2009-12-28T16:31:00.001-08:00

(HMP Newsletter from YTDR Floresville)

***Updated 12-31-O9: "What you are about to read, is a Dramatized Version of what really happened. If you are a Writer or Public Speaker, you know that first...you must get the audience's attention. This event did happen, although if you were in group that day, I doubt that you would even think it was something worthy of Blogging about.

I did a little skit, for dramatic effect and then we had our usual meditation class. No Harm. No foul. But because I also blog about these experiences, I tend to lean toward the Grandiose. It's like the Evangelist who tells you about 'The Great Revival'..."There must have been two thousand saved that day!" But you remember being at that Revival, and there were only about a hundred people there, albeit..most of them 'were' really touched by the message.

I am not crazy, and I'm not dumb. I am just a Buddhist Teacher whom is willing to use 'Skillful Means' to bring my audience back to the present moment so that they can actually hear what is being said.

There is a video camera in that room and if anyone wants to see the video, Please, contact the San Antonio Downtown Shelter. That being said, enjoy the blog"****

We had a good sit this Saturday Dec 26 at the Homeless Shelter.

I knew what I wanted to discuss in group this morning, but my 'Acting Abilities' even surprised me. The topic came from a discussion I had had with a Resident a couple of weeks ago.

It was the type of conversation you hear everywhere. You hear it at work, with friends, with your family, in the Super Market, and on TV. The guy I was talking to was 'Bad Mouthing' the Staff and the Shelter. He was using a lot of "They and Thems."

So after our first five minute Vipassana Meditation, I rose straight up, turned around, and threw my chair across the room! It went bouncing, spinning, skipping, and finally.... crashing against the back wall! (That side is used for storage, so it was safely done.)

But wait, let me set the scene. The guys are circled up, just coming out of their meditation. The room is also occupied by people who are talking loudly and generally not giving a crap that we are trying to do a meditation group. So, when the chair went crashing across the room, not only were the people in the group surprised...but the whole room got deathly quiet.

After the chair came to rest, I turned around and started yelling, "If they would give us comfortable chairs around here! Then maybe we could meditate better! If they would feed us descent food! Maybe we would feel better! If everybody in this room would Shut Up Once in Awhile! Maybe we could concentrate!"

I stomped over and grabbed the chair and then came stomping back. One of the Staff Members came flying out of her office and stood there watching me. I set the chair upright, and sat down. Everyone was holding their breath.

"See, isn't that how are minds work? How easily our emotions drag us around? We are so busy trying to fix or blame the outside world for our problems...and never get down to the real issue....which is fixing ourselves."

First one guy started laughing, then another, and then the Staff Worker, then the whole room. They suddenly realized that they had just witnessed a dramatic illustration.

The rest of the session went well, also. The room was quieter, even the people outside the circle were listening. I had their attention. When I was leaving, one guy grabbed me by the arm and laughed, "Man, I can't believe you did that! You even had the staff freaking out! But I understand what you were trying to get across."

So, I had fun, but I don't plan on doing that 'exact' type of thing again, It scared a few people more than I had intended. Although, Buddha did use Skillful Means to convey his message.....I don't think he was much on throwing chairs.

peace,

jon
http://homelessmeditationpractitioners.blogspot.com/

http://ytdrfloresville.wordpress.com/

Even after all this time
The sun never says to the earth,
"You owe Me."

Look what happens with
A love like that,
It lights the Whole Sky.

~Hafiz

How to become happy-Shelter Sit Dec.19th

2009-12-20T06:07:00.001-08:00

How to become happy-Shelter Sit Dec.19th
by Scott Walker

Buddha was continually asked by Ananda, "Would it be true to say that the cultivation of loving kindness and compassion is a part of our practice?" To which the Buddha replied, "No. It would not be true to say that the cultivation of loving kindness and compassion is part of our practice. It would be true to say that the cultivation of loving kindness and compassion is all of our practice."

Compassion can come from within as doing something compassionate for others because you want to do good, a manifestation of our inherent goodness. Or, compassion can come from a more selfish perspective…because you want to appear compassionate to others maybe (“look at me, I gave to save the whales”), or simply, my compassion makes ME feel good, which charitable organizations sometimes have to rely on, hence the “save the whales” bumper stickers, right? Either way, it’s still compassion, despite its origin.

I learned this weekend, that a two-year resident of the homeless shelter stashes clothing and things around the shelter so he can give them to others when they need it…a blanket now, or a jacket now, not when the donated goods office is open. We had a long discussion about compassion. In fact, we didn’t even meditate in the meditation session because we had this conversation about compassion and different ways in which it manifests itself in the homeless world. Then, toward the end of the hour, just when we were about to begin a tonglen meditation, a church group came in the room, followed by a group of homeless. The group prayed loudly, with audible “yes Lord” and “amen” thrown in to support the pastor. We didn’t get to meditate because of all the praying and giving away of goods for the homeless who had crowded around.

So, I’m driving home thinking, my compassion meditation was interrupted by compassion in action. Who’d have thought? Coincidence? So, the single meditator and I simply agreed to each do a short tonglen meditation each day for the next few weeks, in line with this season of “compassion.”

"If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion." -Dalai Lama
I'm out until January traveling with the kids, etc.
Happy Holidays
SW

How safe is your Asylum?-Shelter Sit Dec.12th

2009-12-13T16:58:00.000-08:00

We had a good Sit this Saturday at the Shelter. Along with Vipassana meditation, we discussed the topic:

'What do you take Refuge In?'

When I was a kid, I remember seeing a movie where some Secret Agent ran into a Church,...and the Government's Military Forces couldn't touch him because he had sought Sanctuary or Religious Asylum in the Church.

In writing this, I made a phone call to my brother who is a Police Detective, and he said that it was a myth. (Drats! Fooled by TV again!) And actually, A police or military agency can make arrests in any place of worship. (Even during the Service!) They can even go in and make arrests in Foreign Embassies if proper protocols are followed.

Man, that really screwed up how I was going to write this blog! So, I'll just stick to some of the things we discussed in group.

I told them a story that my Lama had told me when he was at my house last week. Some of the guys from the Shelter met him when we went to hear him speak last Saturday and Sunday.

Anyway, Rinpoche told me about this one time, when his students and himself were riding a crowded passenger train, (I think it's like a subway) in India. And a crazy woman ran up to him and started waving her arms all around him and chanting these Hindu magical curses!

His students grabbed her and drug her away. They came back all terrified and shook up. They kept asking him if he was "OK?" and wanted to get off the train immediately.

Later on that day, he asked them all to come into his room. He told them, "I did not like the way you treated that poor lady on the train. She could have been badly hurt by the way you grabbed and shook her. If this ever happens again, please do nothing. I am not concerned about my own well being or afraid of magical chants. So, there is nothing to protect me from. And if you think her religion is powerful enough to hurt me...perhaps you should take Refuge in that...instead of Buddhism."

So, that story got me thinking about the word 'Refuge.'

Many times we come into contact with people whom feel threatened in some way by the fact that we are practicing meditation at the Homeless Shelter! And God forbid, we mention Buddhism. People really get upset.

And by the same token, I notice that Buddhists get annoyed at Christians for trying to share their faith with them. Personally, I have offended many Buddhists by telling them that they need to 'get off their butts...and do something' like volunteer at the shelter!

So, if you take 'Refuge' in your faith, beliefs, or philosophy...but you feel threatened when people don't agree with you....then it isn't a very good Refuge...is it?

A refuge is a place that protects, defends, and provides safe haven for you! It is not something that you have to protect and defend! In Buddhism, instead of looking for any external saviour, most Buddhists believe one can take refuge in oneself. Let me explain:

Because external conditions can never bring you happiness, your internal conditions must change. Therefore, even if God picked you up and set you down in a golden castle full of everything you could ever want...until your internal conditions changed...you still wouldn't be happy. And that takes a personal decision on your part to change. It's not something that can be done from an outside Deity. Christians would call this, 'Free Choice.'

In Buddhism, it seems that we are taking refuge in outside forces when we say:

Those whom have gone for Refuge to the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha, penetrate with transcendental wisdom the Four Noble Truths:

(1.) Suffering, (2.) the cause of suffering, (3.) the cessation of suffering, and (4.) the Noble Eightfold Path leading to the cessation of suffering.
This indeed is the safe refuge, this is the Refuge Supreme. Having gone to such a refuge, one is released from all suffering.

But the difference is...that according to the deeper teachings of Buddha....'we are' the Buddha, 'we are' the Dharma, and 'we are' the Sangha. (Wow. I could really go off on a tangent here about perception and delusion...but I won't, whew! Your lucky... this time)

The Dhammapada states:

"By oneself is evil done, by oneself is one defiled. By oneself is evil left undone, by oneself is one purified. Purity and impurity depend on oneself--no one can purify another."

The Tibetan Refuge Prayer is:

"Until 'I am' enlightened,
I go for refuge to the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.
Through the virtue 'that I create by practising' Generosity...and the other Perfections,
'may I become a Buddha' to benefit all sentient beings. "
And in doing so...I Vow to abstain from Killing, Stealing, Sexual Misconduct, Lying, and all Intoxicants.

So, in group we discussed Refuge. Whether you take Refuge in yourself, Jesus, Allah, Yeshiva, Yeshua, Yahweh, Mohammad, Krishna, Buddha, or whatever...it is not a true Refuge unless it protects and defends you...and has no need of 'being defended.'

Well, I don't have a big finish...so I'll just shut up.

peace ya'll,

jon
http://homelessmeditationpractitioners.blogspot.com/

Field Trip from Shelter to Sangha!

2009-12-07T10:38:00.000-08:00

We had the greatest time this weekend in San Antonio!

A Tibetan Lama whom runs a Monastery for Tibetan Refugee children, in Mainpat India, was in town and put on a workshop about 'Tibetan Buddhism and Culture.'

Some dear friends of mine, from the Homeless Shelter went with...and they were blown-away! Lama Tulku blessed them, gave them Mala Beads, protection cords, and many kind words. I will be adding/sending those pictures soon!

I would highly encourage everyone to find out more about this great 'Saint of Compassion.'

Lama Tulku Karma is so compassionate, humorous, and knowledgeable about eliminating suffering now! His website is YTDR.org and see him on YOUTUBE at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzYro5ojtSA

All the donations raised, go directly to the little refugee children. Lama Tulku only comes to the United States to raise money for medicine, clothing, food, and shelter for these precious little ones. He is the real deal!

Also, being a Workshop on 'Tibetan Buddhism and Culture' it drew in a lot of people whom wouldn't have normally visited a Meditation Center. I pray that you will one day be blessed enough to meet this great man and hear his remarkable story!

much love,

jon

http://homelessmeditationpractitioners.blogspot.com/

Discovering Tibetan Buddhism and Culture:

2009-11-28T15:36:00.000-08:00

Dear friends of HMP,
My Root Lama, Tulku Rinpoche will be here in San Antonio this coming weekend. He will be talking to us about his Life, Faith, and Culture. We are having a nice Potluck lunch together before the workshop begins on both days, Saturday and Sunday. I will be bringing some of my friends from the Homeless Shelter to enjoy this auspicious event. Although there are many on my email list, I know so very few of you personally. I would consider it a personal honor to met and to get to know you better there. Please make plans to be apart of this. Don't let time, money, or anything stop you.
I promise, once you meet this Lama, you will never forget him, the children he cares for...or his Teachings. You will leave with the sense of peace, that you will need to handle all the 'Visiting Relatives' and 'Christmas Chaos' that lie ahead.
If you would like a preview of what this event might be like, go to 'THE LOST BOY OF TIBET' youtube video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzYro5ojtSA

http://ytdr.org/home/index.php

Thank you so very much,
(And please forward this to everyone, buddhist and nonbuddhist. Lama Tulku spends his life taking care of homeless children in a Tibetan Refugee Camp in Mainpat, India. He is a lovable, humble saint...whom is loved by countless people all over the world, from all walks of life and of all faiths. And you will come to love him to. )

jon
830-484-7403

Discovering Tibetan Buddhism and Culture:
Sat.& Sun.-December 5th & 6th
(Lunch provided &Workshop from 1pm-5pm.)

Rissho Kosei-kai
Buddhist Church of San Antonio
6083 Babcock Rd.
San Antonio, TX 78240
830-484-7403

Discovering Tibetan Buddhism and Culture is a beginner-level workshop in Tibetan Buddhist philosophy and practice, with the aim to give you a solid footing in the practice of this type of Mahayana Buddhism.
By engaging in this program, you will gain an experiential taste of Tibet, its teachings, meditation experience, and learn to see the world from a uniquely Tibetan perspective.
There will be many Question & Answer Periods and private consultations.
With keen insights, entertaining stories, and explanations of the deeper meanings of Tibetan Texts, our Teacher Lama Tulku Karma Rinpoche will show you how to improve your life today.
Discovering Tibetan Buddhism and Culture is a two day course open to everyone. The Topics will include the 4 Noble Truths, Death, Impermanence, Karma, Loving-Kindness, Compassion and the Nature of Reality, as well as guided meditations.
Our Teacher for this event will be Venerable Tulku Karma Gyurme Sonam Rinpoche. He is the founder and spiritual leader of the http://ytdr.org/home/index.php based in Miami, Florida.
During his childhood, he was recognized as the incarnation of Yogi Tsoru Dechen Rinpoche of Chamdho, Tibet. At the age of seven, he was received at Namdroling Monastery in Bylakuppe, India where he completed his education.
Tulku Karma has devoted his life to champion humanitarian efforts. He travels throughout the world teaching the Path of Awakening, Rinpoche is the founder and Head Lama of The Children's Monastery in Mainpat, India. It also acts as an Orphanage to homeless refugee children. He continues to help establish new Dharma centers throughout the world.
(There is a suggested $25 dollar donation for each day-All are Welcome!)

The Joke - Nov. 21 Sit.

2009-11-23T13:14:00.000-08:00

It was a good sit this Saturday.

We had some new faces in the group. They were new to Buddhist Philosophy and to Meditation. It was nice to have Scott Walker there from San Marcus, he is a long time practitioner and knows how to pronounce the 'big' Buddhist words...God knows I can't!

So, instead of trying to explain the entire Tripitaka... I told the Newbies the story of 'Buddha and the two Brahman Priests'. It's an old story, but I'm going to change it up a little bit here...to make it sound more like a modern joke. And it goes a little something like this...

"Jesus, Mohammad, Moses, and Krishna were standing in a forest. They were looking at a deer, whom had been shot by, but escaped the hunter. It was lying on the ground with an arrow sticking out of it's side. Jesus, Mohammad, Moses, and Krishna were arguing about the metaphysical nature of the deer's future. 'Does a deer have a soul? At what point will the soul leave the deer's body if it dies? And If it does die, is there life after death for animals? If so, is it the same place where humans go when they die, or is it different?"

They were busy debating when Buddha happened by. Knowing him to be a wise man, although not inclined to these types of discussions, they thought they would ask his opinion. "We are discussing the fate of this deer's soul, we would like your perspective on this matter."

When Buddha saw the deer, without hesitation, he immediately plucked the arrow out, dressed the wound with healing herbs, and walked away without a word."

Ok, it's not funny. But everyone gets the message. When asked about God and other metaphysical questions, Buddha kept a Noble Silence. We can speculate about these things forever and yet never get down to the real problem.

Buddhism, at it's most dynamic and basic level...is about 'plucking the arrow out.'

There has been much written about the 'Dharma Wars' between Buddhist Teachers lately. Perhaps, it has a lot to do with what Buddhism has become in the West. Just another Cult of Personalities. Just another Teacher to follow, another Retreat, and another Meditation Center, label, and Title to hide behind.

Perhaps we, Buddhists as a whole, don't spend enough time Volunteering our time in places like this, the Downtown Emergency Homeless Shelter. When you are trying to eliminate the Suffering of others...you find out alot about your own 'arrows.'

And there isn't much debate about who the rightful leader is, what the best doctrine is, and the 'fate of the Deer's soul.'

I once heard a Christian Preacher say that he had a vision of hell. It was similar to our Hungry Ghosts, but in his version, the people in hell are starving and yet surrounded by delicious foods of every kind. The only problem is although they have silverware, everyone's arms are incapable of bending at the elbow. So, for all eternity...they are tormented by the terrible hunger and the frustration of not being able to get the food to their mouths.

In the Church where the Pastor told the story, the congregation gasped, and shook their heads at someone being in such an inconceivable state of existence. But my first thought when I looked around was, "What's the problem here? Why don't they just feed each other?"

I guess, when we only focus on our own salvation, liberation, sangha, group, community, ego....it's hard to see the obvious.

big love,

jon

Volunteer writes Sutra! Nov. 14

2009-11-16T06:35:00.000-08:00

(A man named Scott Walker, came and Volunteered with HMP this Saturday. Scott is from San Marcus, Texas. Hours after I got home from meditation, he sent me this email. I think it is really, really cool. And I think it perfectly captures the tone of that morning. peace)

Jon,

I'm taking a study of the "Heart Sutra" class on Monday nights with Betsy Pond and Allen Cross at the Shambhala center. Our "assignment" for next Monday is to write our own sutra...there is a structure for these things it turns out. So, when I got home today, rather than change the oil in the car, the SUV, and the motorcycle (something akin to work), I sat down and wrote my sutra for Monday's class...based on what we did this morning. It's attached. Use it in your blog if you'd like.

The Sutra of the Homeless

I have discovered this. At the shelter of the homeless sardonically located on Commerce Street, there was a meeting of a group of wanderers to work on the path of the alleviation of suffering. The leader became not the teacher; the teachers became the venerable homeless Mike and the venerable homeless Dino, both men of profound wisdom. The students were the householder leaders and the teachers where the homeless. The homeless teachers taught that the answer is within and the path to the answer is found in the reflection in the mirror.

Homeless Mike and homeless Dino addressed the question of what it is we are searching for and does the searching ever end?

Homeless Dino who spends his nights awake looking at his reflection in the window professed contentment is what we are looking for and contentment is only found within. Contentment is not the same as happiness. To find contentment one cannot look to externalities like drugs, like sex, like alcohol, like money, like food, like clinging, like any of the 10 nonvirtuous acts, or like any of that sought after in the realms of deva, asura, human, animal, hungry ghost, or Naraka. Anything other than meditative reflection or sitting quietly alone behind a homeless shelter smoking a pipe will not lead to contentment. Venerable homeless Mike stated there is no good and there is no bad, but until we can experience this we have no contentment. The path is like a circle with bad on one side and good on the other side and contentment is when we arrive in the middle of the circle and at that point the concept of “good” is recognized as not existing and the concept of “bad” is recognized as not existing. It is all only a circle.

SEM CHEN THAM CHA DE WA DANG DE WAI GYU DANG DAN PAR GYUR CHIG

SEM CHEN THAM CHA DE WA DANG DE WAI GYU DANG DAN PAR GYUR CHIG

SEM CHEN THAM CHA DE WA DANG DE WAI GYU DANG DAN PAR GYUR CHIG

(May all sentient beings have happiness and the causes of happiness)

Then the time was over and students who were the teachers, homeless Dino and homeless Mike, returned to homelessness. They were glad to have shared their insight and to have been teachers for one hour rather than being homeless for one hour. And, the householder leaders who had become the students were more enlightened than they were when they first sat down.

And, the householder leaders who had become the students were more enlightened than they were when they first sat down.

HOW TO START A MEDITATION GROUP WITH THE HOMELESS

2009-11-12T13:36:00.000-08:00

(Thanks for the invite to discuss this wonderful idea more. Please feel free to email me and let me know what I need to do to start such a wonderful program here in my town.....) thanks, H.

-On Thu, Nov 12, 2009 at 7:13 AM-

Dear friends of HMP,

I have gotten several emails, like the one above, asking about starting a HMP Group in their own cities.

Although, I don't claim to be anyone, I know what a meditation group with the Homeless looks like here San Antonio. So I thought, It would be very interesting to establish a loose network of groups working under the 'Homeless Meditation Practitioners(HMP)' name.

We could share advice, information, stories, and ideas. We could use my existing blog to post all of this...and swap the good, the bad, and the funny. And I will help in any way I can, but be forewarned...I have practiced Tibetan, Shambhala, Nichiren, Zen, and Theravada Buddhism...yet I have rarely joined anything. I am not a joiner, and don't expect you to be.

This isn't a petition to start some new organization. There are plenty of them, and plenty of 'would-be' leaders. That's not me, man, I'm not digging more names or labels. I do, however, have some experience with working with the Homeless, starting, and leading meditation groups. But, once you start your own group....within a short matter of time...you will know as much as me. (or more than me!)

My idea has always been, "HMP is an Outreach within an Outreach. We provide meditation instruction to the Homeless by seeking volunteers from all the Buddhist and Meditative Traditions, thus facilitating fellowship and communication between EVERYONE."

....so if you are interested in doing something like this...just email me. And if you want to start a HMP group in your town...

(1.) Go on-line. Find the Biggest or closest Homeless Shelter in your Area.

(2.) Find the 'Volunteer Application' on their website. (if there isn't a website-there is a phone #...call them and ask how to volunteer for anything.)

(3.) Fill-out the Application. Volunteer for 'Spiritual Services' but whatever you put is fine. They just want to do a background check on you...and all you want is the Volunteer Badge they will send you. (There might be a small fee to send with the application, usually not more than five dollars.)

(4) On the website, find the name and email addresses of the 'Volunteer Coordinator' and 'Director of Spiritual Services.'

(5.) You may find one, both, or none. But send an email to SOMEONE explaining that, "I recently sent an application to Volunteer at your facility. I have a background in Meditation Instruction. I have found that meditation is very good for Stress-Relief, as a Coping-Skill, and for a general feeling of health and well-being. I'm wondering if your facility already has a group that does meditation with the clients. If so, I would really like to help out in that area. If it does not, I would be happy to volunteer to create such a group. I have friends that also do meditation and they could also Volunteer with me, to offer such a group to those under your care. thanks."

(6.) Remember. Some Christians are not open to Buddhists. Remember. Even if the person you are dealing with isn't a Christian...they may not know anything about meditation or Buddhism. The worst case, which happened to me, is that they think Buddhism has something to do with 'Them Terrorists!' (a guy really told me this.)

(It is best to go with 'meditation' and not use any Buddhist terms...until you know with whom you are dealing.)

(7.) When you get your permission/badge to volunteer. Go back to the website and see what there is to do there. It will be very important to volunteer several times in some other area...until you feel comfortable there. Homeless people can seem intimidating and scary at first. You will not know how to act or what to say.

(8.) Go...go there and volunteer every chance you get. I suggest that you don't work the Food-Line. This is great for some people, but there is a huge barrier between you and the homeless. Volunteering in the kitchen or chow-line will not teach you anything about Homelessness, except that they gotta eat, just like us. You should volunteer at the bag check-in at night or find some event that you can help with...to get experience working, talking, and getting to know everyone. This brings me to another suggestion, I work with Volunteers whom have been coming down to the shelter for years and still don't know one person's name!

(9.) Learn people's name if you want to connect with them. Notice the huge smile you get, when the second time you shake hands with a homeless person...and you call them by name. You have a friend for life.

(10.) Be following-up with the emails from the Volunteer Services Staff. Eventually, they will give you a spot. A time and a place to hold your little Meditation Group......

We can discuss the rest at another time. Feel free to email me with any questions,

Tashi Delek
metta
namaste
blessings

Jon
speakerjonclark@gmail.com
Homeless Meditation Practitioners(HMP)
http://homelessmeditationpractitioners.blogspot.com/

Killing over a Penny, Happily giving a $1000.-Shelter Sit Nov. 7th

2009-11-09T09:59:00.000-08:00

"I would happily give a man a thousand dollars if he needed it, but I would easily kill a man who takes a penny from me without asking."

This was said in group Saturday. And it may sound harsh, but believe it or not, I have been witness to more camaraderie, compassion, and loving-kindness at the Downtown Shelter than any other place I have ever been. (including church!)

I have seen homeless men and women pooling their meager funds together, to make that long, rain-drenched walk to Walmart...to get medicine for someone they barely know.

I have seen them guide frightened newbies though the hallways, explaining in great detail..the ends and outs of how to survive here. I have seen men and woman begging for blankets, not for themselves, not for someone who asked them, but for someone passed-out cold on the sidewalk.

I know of a guy, whom waits in line under the bridge everyday to get a plate from a church group. Then he takes it to someone too physically or mentally challenged to get it for themselves. I know one woman who does the same thing, so that the alley cats don't go hungry.

I went to work at the Downtown Homeless shelter thinking I was a saint.

It didn't take me long to realize that I was : The only one cussing in the building. That I was : The only one being rude and aggressive. That I was : The one who didn't know what charity really means. That I was : a fake.

-----It was a good group on Saturday, Nov. 7th----

We continued our discussion about Being violated by theft, and our Dhammapada Study.."We are what we think, all that we are arises with out thoughts, with our thoughts we make the World."

We did Vipassana Meditation for two, five minute sessions. Then discussed what to do with that anger that arises when you are trying to meditate and somebody comes in...and starts scooting chairs around with their radio on full blast!@

namaste,

jon
http://homelessmeditationpractitioners.blogspot.com/

FEAR at the Downtown Shelter-Oct. 31st

2009-11-02T13:41:00.000-08:00

Good sit this morning.

Since it was Halloween week, my kids and I watched all the latest Scary movies. And I noticed a pattern.....

When you first hear the rattling upstairs.................deny it!

So, in meditation group today, I thought it would be interesting to talk about fear. Buddha had a lot to say about fear. There was a time when fear ruled my life. You see....all of us have fears and problems. Yours are more real than mine...only because they are your own. But believe me, we all have fear.

This is going to be easy to read, but it wasn't easy to live. But maybe, by opening myself up, you may find a little comfort.

I had drank myself out of a job and marriage. She left and took our three children. We lost the house and Ford Suburban to the finance companies. I had to move in with my father, but he was a terrible alcoholic. I loved my father, but I didn't respect him. I didn't like or respect him because he was an alcoholic and what I considered a failure in life.

(And not only that, I was just like him. And living there was intolerable. It was like living with the ghost of whom I was going to become in thirty years.)

For lack of any better ideas, I started going to Alcoholics Anonymous. I didn't want to stop drinking, I just wanted my wife and kids to come back. A fellow heard me share, and met up with me after the AA meeting. He said that his father had a trailer house that I could stay at...and that I didn't have to start paying rent until things got a little better for me.

So, I moved in. And there I was....in the worse place I had ever seen!

Because the doorknob was missing, the door was held shut with a bent coat hanger. Two of the windows in the house were also missing. And when I say missing, I mean, no screen, no glass, not even the frame...just two gaping holes. And before I go on about the filth, dirt, mold, stench and, ah, everything else.....I want to tell you about the noise. Being directly behind a thriving tire shop, I became intimately familiar with the sound of air-tools, mexican music, and yelling. The common Impact-Gun used to take lug-nuts off of a tire, has an especially high, annoying whine that seems to pucker the anus and cause a slight other-worldly dizziness.

Often, during the night, the wind would blow the backdoor open, and three or four of the goats that lived in the yard, would wander in and make themselves at home. And before sun up, on many mornings after I had drank myself to sleep on the floor...a huge rooster would flap up into the hole where a window should have been and start crowing his head off. The first couple of times, yeah, it startled me, but I got used to it. It always scared the hell out of the goats though.

Now, I have written about finding a book about Zen in the blog entitled 'a little of my story.'

And this is where I discovered Buddhist Teachings for the first time. (In this life anyway. Which would might raise the question about how good a buddhist I was in the last life...but I digress.) So, there I was, full of information about Zen, and yet had never met anyone who knew about or had studied Buddhism before.

There's a biblical saying that, 'faith without action is dead'. Some might even say, 'Words are written on water, but actions are written in stone.' So, I made up my mind, that I was going to find some buddhists and explore these new ideas. The only problem was, the nearest big city...was over thirty miles away. That might not seem far to some folks but....

Call it depression. Call it trying to get sober for the first time. Call it whatever you want. But I looked out those gaping holes, with the curtains that had been sucked outside, and were flapping in the breeze of a gloomy world. (That's right...I didn't have windows, but I had curtains. and they spent most of their time outside, flapping around.)

I wanted to learn more about Buddhism...more than that...I wanted to talk to other Buddhists.

But all I saw out that window was despair, foreboding, conflict, and my piece of shit truck. I was thirty miles south of any type of meditation center, sangha, or group. "What if the truck breaks down?" "Where would I get the money to fix it?" "How would I get my truck back to town?" "How would I get to work tomorrow?" As I said, these words are easy to read, but it was much harder being there.

Fear.

I had to physically put myself into that truck, and point it north. There was no cheering section rooting me on. Just me, wrestling with myself and the fear. Later, I would read in the Dhammapada that, "We are what we think, all that we are arises with our thoughts." And I was thinking that I was done as a human being, and that I had lost everything...so why try?

But I had to start myself thinking, "The end is not yet... I am creating my own cage."

Did I find a Sangha and connect with some Buddhists that day? Probably not. Did I eventually go to a meditation group? Yes, I started going every Saturday to the Shambhala Center. Was it life-changing? Not the first time, or the tenth time...but it was life-changing everytime I said No to fear and pointed that truck north.

It took at least a year of studying the Dharma, and hanging out with experienced practitioners, and meditation before my life got better. During that time, and over the last several years I've studied Zen, Tibetan, and Theravada Buddhism.

And I learned to not 'Become FEAR.'

But to take it out, play with it, look at it, examine it, and say, "Ok, I am feeling this emotion called fear. Why am I feeling this emotion? Is it legitimate or absurd? Should I listen to it, or can I move on now?"

And that is what we talked about at Saturday's meditation. (Believe it or not? Other's had the chance to speak too! And there was still time for Vipassana Meditation and Tonglen.

metta,
namaste,
big love,

jon

The Zen of 'not' awaiting the moderator's approval

2009-10-27T20:12:00.000-07:00

Dear SA Zen

For last couple of months, I've been posting email about my experiences with Homeless Meditation Practitioners(HMP) to the SA Zen Centers Sangha email list. I have always felt a little bit werid about thisl, since, HMP isn't offically affiliated with the SA Zen Center or 'under their umbella.'

I was always a little worried that HMP would be mistaken for an SA Zen Center Outreach. Or for someone to think that I spoke for, represented, or were an example of what the SA Zen Center was 'into.'

To clear up any future confusion, I am stopping all correspondence to the Sangha-at-Large. If you would like to continue to receive updates and read little stories about our little group, Homeless Meditation Practitioners(HMP)....please let me know via email or phone call. And I will add you to our email list.

SA Zen Center and each Sangha member individually...as help us in incredible ways. SA Zen welcomed this idea, of bringing Meditation and the Dharma to the Homeless, with open arms. SA Zen allowed me to use their Center for a 'brain-storming' discussion with potential volunteers. And....the only volunteers that have ever stepped in to help...were from the SA Zen Center. When most San Antonio Buddhist groups were avoiding my emails, Sa Zen allowed me to use their entire member list...for my rants!

SAMMinistries is months away from moving our operation to the $99 million dollar 'Haven for Hope' facility. We are all very excited about the move. We have been having day and night meetings with every nonprofit and service provider in Bexar County. It is going to operate like a huge military base. In one location, their will be SAMMinistries, American GI Forum, Haven for Hope Supportive Housing Units, Centro-Med: Medical Services, Christian Dental Clinic, I Care San Antonio: Vision clinic, San Antonio Prevent Blindness: Vision clinic, Center for Health Care Services: Mental health and substance abuse treatment clinic, and Child Protective Services...to only name a few.

This is a dramatic step away from the Christian Charity approach. We have been promised more freedom, openess, and more opprotunities for meditation classess...for the Homeless...and now other organizations are asking about meditation for their staff members...to alleviate stress and provent 'burn-out.'

So, I thank everyone at the San Antonio Zen Center for their kindness, generousity, love, and support. And hope that I receive tons of emails, asking to stay on the HMP list. But because we are not affiliated with SA Zen and what we are doing doesn't represent SA Zen...I will not post anything further on the Sangha email list.

Thank you so much,
Your for Success,

Jon Clark
830-484-7403
http://homelessmeditationpractitioners.blogspot.com/2009/10/saturday-oct-24-sit.html

Dr. B. R. Ambedkar

2009-10-26T20:56:00.000-07:00

More than 165 million untouchables in India are condemned to a lifetime of abuse simply because of their caste, according to Human Rights Watch. Former untouchables who have immigrated to North America advocate for fair land distribution and elimination of caste inequality in their homeland.

Buddhist human rights activists like Varhade are inspired by former untouchable and fellow Buddhist Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, who helped draft the Indian constitution in 1947. “Ambedkar gave them hope for a better future,” said Lynch, one of the leading experts on untouchables in India. Ambedkar is also credited for sparking the Buddhist revival movement in India’s untouchable community, according to Robert Thurman, professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies at Columbia University.

Spreading Ambedkar’s message and the Buddhist faith is a higher calling, according to many former untouchables. “We were slaves for 2,000 years because of this concept of caste that Hindus said was from God,” said Raju Kamble, a former untouchable who now lives in Calgary, Canada and works for the Ambedkar International Mission. “This movement created an ideological base for people to get out of slavery.”

Many former untouchables in North America are using their newly acquired privileges to help clothe, feed and educate the lower caste of India. Sanjay Kumar helped start the “Be Educated” movement, which raises money in North America to build libraries all over India with the exclusive mission to educate the poorest—usually untouchables—about their rights. “Some of us who started the project were from very poor, underprivileged communities and have struggled to come up so we know the problems that exist,” said Kumar. “I visited a couple of the villages and I can see that people still need to be uplifted.”

Saturday, Oct. 24 Sit.

2009-10-26T07:58:00.000-07:00

We had a great sit at the Downtown Shelter.

When we started this meditation group several months ago. We thought it was going to be just that, 'a meditation group.' We would come in, facilitate the meditation and leave. But it has become more of a Spiritual Community...although, I don't know if Sangha would be the right word for it.

I find that many of the older people who attend, have had experience with Buddhism and other meditative traditions. They have a lot to talk about, a lot of hard earned Wisdom to share.

So...

Because we had discussed Anger the previous group, it led into a discussion about 'blind spots' in our personalities.

We thought about things other people have pointed out about ourselves, but we have been too hard headed to see..i.e., greedy, lustful, judgemental, dishonest, over-bearing, unloving, cruel, addicted..etc.

I told them that through the study and practice of Buddhism...these 'character defects' or 'kilesas' expose themselves to me...more and more. And once I recongize one of them, I have the opportunity to work with it.

We all discussed the parts of our natures, that we are working on.

We ended with a five minute meditation on the breath

and

five minutes of Tonglen.

About 'Buddha found drunk and homeless'

2009-10-25T10:24:00.000-07:00

Granted, it might smack of ...'This is what Jesus did for you!' After all, I was raised on that type of literature...but this bit of Creative Writing was meant to present two ideas.

One: If we are to take Buddha's life as historical...then without Sujata stopping to help that day...he may have died. And, what the hell does that mean? (Bob Thurman, Danny Fisher, and Vince Horn would be unemployed. lol)

And two: As sappy as it sounds, we know that everyone has the Buddha nature...but also...the next person you help ('get back on their feet') may very well have the next 'big' Karmic impact on the World.

I really enjoy discussing 'The Buddhist's role in helping others.' Because...

I work for a christian nonprofit, that shelters and feeds the homeless. There are christian volunteers and church groups down there 24 hours a day....but where's the Buddhist Community?

Are they working 'undercover?' Are they at the Meditation Center doing another workshop? Are they sitting at home facing the wall? Are they seeking their own liberation in seclution, so that they can liberate others openly...somehow? Are they sending out positive energy and best wishes to the universe?

I don't know, but San Antonio has a million people, I work for the largest nonprofit in town...and I can barely find one or two volunteers to help do meditation with the homeless on Saturday mornings. Most Buddhist groups...won't even return my emails on the subject.

I assure you, I'm not upset, disgruntled, or seeking more volunteers (Really, really, really. And I don't know what is happening in other cities)....I'm just scratching my head, "Why are there a hundred Christian Charities and a hundred Christian Volunteers lined up to help people in this town, but not one Buddhist group?"

I don't care if these Christians are trying to get to heaven or get more converts for Christ, at the end of the day...the widows and orphans are clothed, sheltered, and feed.

"What is the Buddhist's resposibility to those in need?"

We hear that our founder, Buddha, spend thousands of life-times involved in Bodhisattvic Activities...to reach Buddhahood. We hear that he was Compassion Incarnate. We hear alot about Loving-Kindness, Open-Hearts, Compassion, Altruism, and Pema Chodronism.

But where is it happening? Most buddhists that I know, wouldn't walk across the street to piss on you if you were on fire. There are a lot of Clicks, Social Groups, Country Clubs, Names, Labels, and the Like....but

(EPB!) Enough Philosophical BullSh**! Where's the love, baby? Where is the Love?

Don' t just sit...do something!
jon
http://homelessmeditationpractitioners.blogspot.com/2009/10/oct-17t...

Don't just Sit...Do Something!

2009-10-22T15:48:00.000-07:00

Visit The Tricycle Community

yesterday TLLC Sit

2009-10-19T07:36:00.000-07:00

Had three kids show up. Had a pretty good sit.

As I was leaving, a twelve or so year old boy ran after me...he was apologizing for not making it to meditation. He said that his mother had him washing the family's clothes. He kept saying, "but I will be there next week, I promise!"

that encourages me. I gave him my Mala beads. When I drove off, he was sitting on the stairs, smiling and inspecting them.

metta

jon

Oct. 17th Shelter Sit

2009-10-17T20:56:00.000-07:00

We had a great group this morning.

But I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out at first. The Shelter has given me the BannerRoom to use for meditation from 9 to 10am on Saturdays.

And the BannerRoom is the only room the residents have, to watch TV. There was some type of violation that caused the Case Managers to call for all the TV's to be taken out of the Dorms. So that leaves only the bannerroom to watch TV in.

And there was some kind of Football game on today. Luckly, during the meditation time, only the pre-game show was on...Because I have to walk into that BannerRoom, in front of all those people, and pull the plug on the TV. Then I announce, to the sounds of sighs and growns, that the room will now be used for Meditation group.

Most of the time, no one argues. They all just get up, piss and moan, and leave. So, this morning, like every Saturday, I circle up the empty chairs and wait.

I sat there for about three minutes, when a fellow we'll call D. came in and sat down. We begain talking about a common occurrance around the Shelter. D.'s personal things were stolen the night before. They had a practice firedrill. Everyone went outside. When D. returned, someone had stolen his stuff from right under his bunk.

By this time, another gentlemen came in and sat down. Then a lady came and sat down. We always have people coming through, listening for awhile..then leaving. Some sit down, outside of the circle and just observe. And those people came and went. But inside the circle, there were four of us.

So, we had a good discussion about losing things. We all get robbed of something. Buddha said, old age, sickness, and death are the main thieves. And what's more...desire binds us to the wheel of life so that we keep getting robbed by these three master thieves...over and over and over and over.

Old Age steals our youth, sickness steals our health, and death steals our life. That is common to us all. And we all lose things. Marriages, cats, rings, sex drive, and our cars break down..etc.

So we discussed the advantage of working with that emotion. The one that arises after something is taken from you. And the discussion of "Why would we even consider working with that emotion? Why not just be pissed off, find the bastard, and kick his ass?"

The conversation went around and around. And we decided. That in the end, it really wasn't about the 'Things.' Even if it was your great grandmother's wooden tooth that she made in a Nazi war camp...it isn't about the Things that were taken.

It is about the ego. "Why did this happen to me? Why would someone do this to me? I'm going to miss these things! This things were me/mine...and so on"

D. admitted that since this happened to him. He is paraniod about, not only his own stuff, but other peoples stuff also. He feels that everyone is a thief. And cannot even trust his friends now.

So, we decided that a thief must be caught if possible and dealt with. But anger and revenge was not the answer. "hate never yet dispelled hate, only love dispells hate..that is the Law...ancient and eternal."

And carrying around anger, paranioa, and fear isn't the answer. So, the best thing to do, is to open yourself up to these emotions, recognize that it isn't about 'the things'...and to work with 'the seat' of those emotions.

We finished off by a ten minute meditation, just focusing on the breath. Which I thought was a good way to end a 'MEDITATION' group. Right?

I walked out of that room feeling....I don't know....better.

Tomorrow is Adult and Children's meditation at TLLC. I'm looking forward to it.

peace,
love,
hope,

jon

Buddha found drunk and homeless!

2009-10-17T16:52:00.000-07:00

There was this filthy, smelling Homeless guy. He was asleep in the middle of the sidewalk. Probably drunk! But when she got closer, she saw that his body had been tortured by the elements, and that he was dangerously underweight...truly, he was on the verge of Death.

So, this farm girl, she goes back to her home and cooked up some milk-gruel. And she brings it to him.

Seems like no big deal, right? But it took time out of 'her life.' It was a big deal to her. She didn't really want to. She certainly didn't have to do it. She could have looked the other way, and walk on by.

Sujata was a busy career woman. She also had a son and no husband that we know of. That's a lot of responsibility, to be a working single mom.

She had to get that kid to Chess Club, Marching Band practice, get his 'Rube Goldberg' homework project done, get him fed, bathed, and to bed.

Somewhere in that, she had to do some work...that she had brought home from work, the usual housework, email the bill collectors again....and a thousand other things before she got some sleep.

And oh yeah...she had promised herself that she was going to start meditating again. And because "she is he, you are me, and we are all together".....her meditation was going to somehow help the whole world. So, she definitely had better things to do...then help some old bum.

Yet, she did stop. She did go back home and cook. She did come back to feed him.

And it was a mysterious event. Reverently the Homeless man took the milk-gruel in his shaky hands and brought it to his lips.

The nutrients, at once, returned him to his right state of mind. The taste of the delicious milk, his joy, gratitude, and deep emotion all began flooding him. It left him speechless. He had never experienced anything like it before. He was full and satisfied. And it wasn't the milk-gruel.....

He had failed to notice his 'Heart' before. It didn't exist during his ascetic practices...when he was just a spoiled little Prince, hell bent on out running his own sickness, old age, and death!

No, It was his first such experience. He had touched upon the beginning of a new world. None of the myriad of Great Teachers, with their myriads of teachings, had taught him what this one woman had shown him by her one simple act of kindness.

Later that evening, the homeless wander, Siddhartha..Seated in meditation, made the determination -'Even if my blood should run dry I will not leave this seat until truth has been realised!' He recalled that once, as a little boy under the Rose Apple tree, he had falling into an innocent meditation while watching a plow being pulled through the earth.

"..Seeing the ground like that... with the young grass scattered.... and torn by the plough....all covered with the eggs and young....of tiny dead insects", he was filled with a sorrow as deep as if it was the slaughter of his own kin.

"And for the men as they were ploughing, their dirty faces, the sun beating down on them and the wind, and their poor oxen dizzy from going back and forth", he had felt extreme compassion, "all of life is suffering," was his thought.

Thinking on this deeply, he again entered into that meditation.

and then...

The Manifestation of Complete Evil, Mara appears......recognizes that Buddha is on the verge of transcending the realm of senses and about to eliminate desire - which is Mara's domain.

Mara engages in attempts to prevent this enlightenment through violence and distraction. He sends horrible, monstrous demons to attack him, but they are ignored and their weapons are turned into flowers.

Mara sends his daughters, transformed from disgusting creatures into beautiful women, to distract Buddha - however, he recognizes them and their purpose, and rebukes them.

Mara himself appears before Buddha as a terrifying monster... mounted on a giant horrific elephant, wielding powerful weapons, but even then he is unable to break his concentration and will. The Lord of sense-desire mocks Buddha, admitting that though he has been beaten, there is no one there to witness Buddha's victory.

Buddha replies that the earth will be his witness, and touches the ground - the earth trembles in response, indicating that it will indeed bear witness to Buddha's triumph.

After he had attained Enlightenment, the Buddha sat beneath the Bodhi tree for seven days in a deep meditation. When he emerged from it, he went and sat under a different tree to consider what he had come to understand... and the bliss that it produced.

According to Buddhist religious beliefs, 'others had reached the state of enlightenment before Siddhartha, but had entered into nirvana 'without' ever having taught.' The Buddha, too, had doubts about teaching and was hesitant to do so.....for there would be , in the whole world, only a few who could understand....if any.

Legend has it...that the Buddha decided to teach only after the god Brahma appeared and whispered,

"You, who so readily leaves
the world in their suffering...

listen to me,

Sujata had already weakened Mara by
resisting the temptation
to pass you by...without
rendering aid."

old poem about first sit at Transitional Living Facility

2009-10-15T18:06:00.000-07:00

'Good at the beginning, good in the middle, good at the end'

Laid out the cushions,
light pouring through the old catholic church's stained glass windows.
Beautiful.
Put out the snacks.
Arranged the flowers.
Looked at the time.
Looked at the door.
Asked the Resident Manager
to 'Announce it one more time, please.'
sat in meditation for twenty minutes.
Looked at time.
Looked at the door.
Ate some cookies
drank some apple juice.
put the cushions up
put the flowers away
put up the snacks.
light pouring through the old catholic church's stained glass windows.
Beautiful.

email to Homeless Tom

2009-10-15T14:39:00.000-07:00

Hello Homeless Tom,

We are a small group here in San Antonio, that Sits twice a week with the Homeless. We sit Saturdays at the Downtown emergency shelter...and Sundays at a Transitional Living Facility with families. (We are now having Adult meditation in one room, and the Children's Program in another...the kids out number the adults, ten to one. When you average the age of the Homeless population...the average age is nine years old.)

We have been asked by people in Austin, Houston, Dallas, and Lubbock...to help them start a HMP in their cities. And our response has been, "We still don't know what the hell we are doing yet?!?"

I have searched the Net for info on other Buddhists groups working with the Homeless...and well....there isn't much out there. A Zen Nun in San Fransisco is about the only one that jumps out....and it just talks about her working with the homeless....not 'how' she works with the homeless.

My vision of HMP has always been two fold...an outreach within an outreach. First, We want to provide and teach stress-relief techniques, Meditation, and Dharma to those in need of fresh ideas. But second, we want to invite all Buddhist and meditation groups to come together and work together in this field. Locally, I see a lot of names, labels, social groups, clicks, and private Buddhist clubs....but not a lot of fellowship or outreach.

Please send me any info you have on where I can post something like we did on your blog. We want to let people know what we are doing here...so we can learn how to do it better...and encourage others whom want to start a HMP in their area.

Feel free to forward this email and my contact information to anyone whom might be a resource of advice and information.

bowing toward you,

thank you again,

jon
Speakerjonclark@gmail.com

http://homelessmeditationpractitioners.blogspot.com/2009/10/downtown-meditation-today.html- Show quoted text -

http://progressivebuddhism.blogspot.com/

nice write up about HMP

2009-10-15T12:44:00.000-07:00

http://progressivebuddhism.blogspot.com/2009/10/homeless-meditation-practitioners.html

"The"

2009-10-13T20:14:00.000-07:00

"The wind cannot over turn a mountain.
Temptation cannot touch the man
Who is awake, strong, and humble,
Who masters himself and minds the
Law."

"How"

2009-10-13T20:11:00.000-07:00

"How easily the wind overturns a frail
tree .
Seek happiness in the senses,
indulge in food and sleep,
And you too will be uprooted."

"You"

2009-10-13T19:34:00.000-07:00

"You too shall pass away.
Knowing this, how can you quarrel?"

"In"

2009-10-13T19:31:00.000-07:00

"In this world
Hate never yet dispelled hate.
This is the Law,
Ancient and Inexhaustible."

"Look how"

2009-10-13T19:29:00.000-07:00

"Look how he abused me and
beat me,
How he threw me down and robbed
me.
Abandon such thoughts and live in
LOVE."

"Look"

2009-10-13T19:24:00.000-07:00

"Look how he abused me and
beat me'
How he threw me down and robbed
me,
Live with such thoughts, and you live
in Hate."

"We are"

2009-10-13T16:24:00.000-07:00

"We are what we think. All that we are
arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts
we make the World.

Speak or Act with a Pure Mind, and Happiness
will follow you, as your Shadow, Unshakable."

"Speak"

2009-10-13T16:19:00.000-07:00

"Speak or Act with an impure Mind,
and trouble follows you like the wheel
follows the Ox that draws the Cart."

"We"

2009-10-13T16:15:00.000-07:00

"We are what we think, all that we are
arises with our thoughts,
With our thoughts, we make the world."

For those of us that avert our eyes

2009-10-12T19:50:00.000-07:00

engaged buddhist websites

2009-10-06T20:45:00.000-07:00

Hi Jon,
I am sure you're aware of these resources but I thought I'd pass them along in light of your email yesterday:

---end---

Nope. I wasn't aware of them. thanks! This is exactly the response I was hoping for! If you find anything else, please keep them coming. I posted these to our blog.

I always said, "Homeless Meditation Practitioners is an outreach within an outreach. The first goal is to teach meditation as a 'coping skill' to those in need. And secondly, to bring all the buddhist lineages together for a single purpose. So we can all fellowship and learn from one another."

Yours for Success,

jon

http://www.dharmanet.org/lcengaged.htm

http://progressivebuddhism.blogspot.com/2009/07/political-activism-and-buddhist.html

http://www.elephantjournal.com/2008/05/buddhism-activism-teenagers/

http://www.quandt.com/eba-2.pdf

http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2003/03.20/13-buddhists.html

"Cook Hotdogs, and they will come."

2009-10-05T07:19:00.000-07:00

Special thanks go out to

Joe Tedesco,
Kim Ryan,
Victoria Valerga,
Diane Superits,
and
Fred Stone!

Wow, I think every kid at the Transitional Living Facility came to our Party! There must have been a hundred of them little 'Ankle Biters!' jk. lol.
We did have some adults, I counted about ten that at least poked their heads in for a look. But as I have told people, it's not about numbers. We're not
trying to build a church or some kind of following. We just want people to know we are there. We may get fifty one week, and none the next. It doesn't matter.

I will tell you something, though...

A residential manager brought a young lady to the door. And I walked over to meet her. We got to talking and she said, "I would like to start coming on Sundays to meditate, but you don't understand, I suffer from bad depression." I said, "Really! me too!" She said, "No, you don't understand. I see a doctor and take medication for it." I said, "Really! me too!"

Her face broke out into a smile, and her eyes brightened, "I take three hundred milligrams of Welbutrin a day!" And I started laughing, "Damn, you win! I only take one hundred and fifty milligrams." I said,....."But I used to take three hundred and fifty milligrams," I bragged. She left will a commitment to start coming to visit us on Sundays.

After she was gone. The Residential Manager said, "I really..I really hope she does start coming. She needs something. She needs to be a part of something....so...maybe...she will stop cutting herself."

So, our little meditation group...it is what it is. Maybe we are doing good. Maybe we are wasting our time. But we are doing something.

You wouldn't believe how many Buddhist and meditation groups I have contacted about helping us with this...and have gotten no reply. I was confused. Maybe they just don't like me. Maybe they are busy doing other Compassionate Acts. So, I googled and researched Buddhist Charities and Outreaches. And I'm still scratching my head.....I see alot of social groups, clicks, names, and labels...but not much else.

I work with Christian volunteers at the downtown shelter, everyday, and it's very difficult to explain the lack of Buddhist Charities, Outreaches, and Volunteership. What can I tell them? That we pray constantly for the liberation of every sentient being, but we won't go under the bridge to give a starving person a sandwich or teach a GED Class. (believe me, there is a Christian doing both of these things while you are reading this.)

And I'm not looking for more Volunteers. Or upset...or anything like that....It's just...I hear a lot of talk from Buddhists....about being raised in the guilt of Christianity....or about how narrow minded Christians are. And then I look around...and every organization doing something Altruistic for battered women, orphaned children, the sick, the poor, the homeless, the people with HIV...and so on and so forth.....Are Christians.

If there is a Heaven. The Christians, Jews, Muslims, atheists, agnostics, pagans, and everyone else will say, "Awesome Party. Where are all the Buddhists?" And perhaps the answer will be, "Oh dear, they are such slow learners, God allows them to do it over and over just hoping they will finally get it!"

(What are your thoughts on this?)

Anyway...the Meet & Greet was a smashing success! Kudos to everyone! Thank you all so much!

Let the nasty emails begin,

jon

Downtown Meditation Today

2009-10-03T17:48:00.000-07:00

It was raining...
so I knew the banner room would be full of people watching TV,
and I thought they would be upset when I cut the TV off to start the meditation class.

And I was wrong and right...the room was full, but everyone was cool. Most got up and walked out when I
turned the TV off but....

Nine folks stayed!

We had a great discussion about
Buddhism as a philosophy, a great question and anwered period, then we did sitting and walking
meditation. There was very good interaction in the group.

Also, I noticed, a few of the same people came in and out, watching what we were doing. Others came in and sat outside the circle, listening.

-Selah!-

I am excited about tommorrow's, Sunday Oct. 4th's Party with the TLLC Meditation Group. Should be a great way to introduce ourselves to the folks that don't know us!

jon clark
830-484-7403

"Mary, Mary, why ya bugg'in? Mary, Mary, I need your Lov'in"
-RUN DMC Lyric

SuperMega BuddhaFest 2009 !!!

2009-09-28T11:01:00.000-07:00

Dear HMP'ers

Kim, Joe, and I are planning a big Potluck-Meet-&-Greet at the Transitional Living Facility. We are calling it, 'SuperMega Buddhafest 2009! (ok..that's what i wanted to call it...but joe and kim think i'm dumb)

But we have been doing meditation with the folks there on Sundays, and this is a chance to get to know them better. We have had a trickle of adults and children come in for Meditation Instruction. We have gotten to know some of the people, but we want to offically annouce ourselves and 'break bread with the brethren' (and sister-er-ren...and uh...childer-en?!?)

It will be Sunday Oct 4 @ 3pm at 5922 Blanco Rd. If you have your SAMMinistries Volunteer Badges and are interested in doing meditation with the homeless, and families in Transition...come on out!

your country cousin,

830-484-74032

jon

Kim's email

2009-09-28T10:57:00.000-07:00

Kim Ryan
-About Sunday Sept 27th Sit at the Transitional Living Facility-

I hope you and your family are well. I wish for Peace for all of you.
I went to the shelter at 2:20 and immediately appreciated all you do before I arrive. I put out all of the mats, but the pillows were nowhere to be found. When I went through the halls, no one was stirring, so I decided to prop the door to the chapel open and sit for 30 minutes. I sat for 5 minutes before I was joined by a young woman who was looking for us! I gave her brief instructions and asked her if she would like to sit for 10 minutes. After we sat, we discussed how she felt about it and then we just talked and got to know a little about each other. I invited her to join us next week.
I had decided that if no one came, I would have a lovely 30 minute sit in the beautiful, cool, quiet chapel and it would be worth the effort. I felt so happy to have 1 person join me, but even if she hadn't it would have been cool.
I am anxious to hear how Saturday morning went for you. I had planned on going Saturday, but not Sunday (working the night shift blues). I will be able to sit next Saturday and Sunday.
Metta,

Kim

Ego and the first sit

2009-09-26T20:12:00.001-07:00

It was a great first sit at the Downtown Shelter. I bless Joe Tedesco so much, for coming out to help. And we are slowly realizing that...

Meditation with the Homeless isn't about huge crowds.

It's about..one by one, little by little, making that connection with someone.
The Dharma is not only in the meditations, mantras, or prayers...the true Dharma is 'Holding up a flower,' and seeing someone smile, because they understand.

.........................................................................................................................................................................

I was once crying in a meeting about how terrible my life was...my wife left me for another man...I was broke...my kids didn't like me much...And then an older man slipped me a piece of paper....on it he had written, "It's Ego." I didn't understand then...and only a little now. But I am always suprised, how often the words, "It's ego" gets to the root of my pain, conflict, worry, fear, jealousy, anger, and suffering.

2009-09-24T07:23:00.000-07:00

Homeless Meditation Practitioners(HMP)

Come out and join us at the
Downtown Homeless Shelter:
910 W. Commerce St. Saturday, Sept. 26th at 9am
Contact Jon 830-484-7403
(p.s. please forward this to any of your friends
that may want to be involved. Thanks.)

went great-sunday 20th

2009-09-20T17:36:00.000-07:00

Kim, Victoria, and I, had a really good sit today. We had one adult and...i don't know...about eight or so children. It was alot of fun. We did sitting...walking...sitting..and walking meditation again. And I think the kids would have sat again.,if i hadn't told them it was over.

Kim, Vicky, and I got a good fifteen minute sit...after the everyone left. I am also very encouraged by the inner-outreach...Had a lovely discussion with Kim while we were putting the mats out. All in all, very nice time today.

Copy email-Send to Dharma-friends

2009-09-20T08:39:00.000-07:00

Well,

It's like when people would ask the Bhikkus about Buddha, they would just say, "Come see."

I work for SAMMinistries in the the donations department. Another Driver and I go in every morning, get our trucks, and drive all over San Antonio picking up donated items...furniture...appliance...clothing..etc. Then we re-distribute these items to the homeless, families in transition, and families in crisis.

Not only does SAMM's operate the Downtown Emergency Shelter, The Transitional Family Living Facility on Blanco, but it also owns 40 houses all around SA for families trying to get back on their feet. These houses continually need to be provided...furniture...stoves....refrigerators...etc. (But wait, there's More! lol)

SAMMinistries is moving to a $99 million dollar facility. It's called Haven for Hope.

Meditation and the Dharma, are just two more tools that these people can use to ease their suffering. I have researched the internet for other Buddhist goups doing this sort of thing with the Homeless....and have come up empty. (Emptiness is form. Form is emptiness. just kidding) No, but really....the San Francisco Zen Center is doing something with the Homeless...but it isn't all together clear..what that is...except that they do food drives and funerals.

So, to make a short email...even longer. I have a outreach within an outreach. The first mission is to extend the hand of friendship to all Buddhists and meditation practitioners, regardless of tradition...lineage...or label. And secondly, to get us all together...to provide the most helpful teachings and meditation practices....to the Homeless and Families in Transition of San Antonio. (I already have a guy in Austin, and one in Houston that want us to start something there. But...we are just getting started here..so.)

Right now, we are meeting every Saturday and Sunday. Most of my volunteers are from the SA Zen Center. But we have some Shambhala and Tibetan Volunteers. I don't have a whole lot on the Blog. but you can check it out and call me anytime. thank you for your time and consideration.

http://homelessmeditationpractitioners.blogspot.com/

jon clark

830-484-7403

Saturdays 9am Homeless Shelter-Downtown

2009-09-17T18:33:00.000-07:00

Starting on Sept. 26

WE WILL BE DOING MEDITATION AT THE DOWNTOWN HOMELESS SHELTER

910 W Commerce, San Antonio Texas

Every Saturday at 9am

park in back (off Frio Street)

And...

Every Sunday at 3pm

at The Transtitional Living Facility

5922 Blanco Rd, San Antonio Texas

Call or email me for more info

jon clark

speakerjonclark@gmail.com

8304847403

Sunday 13th, What went down !

2009-09-13T19:49:00.000-07:00

Hey Dharma-Cowboys, (We spit Texas Tobacco on dim Dharma-Punx! lol)

Well, today's meditation was pretty Cool! I got there early, put out the cushions, and assumed the position. I was prepared to sit through another session with me, myself, and I.

But lo and behold, three kids appeared in the doorway. One girl about fifteen, a boy about eight, and another girl about six. I asked them if they wanted meditation instruction, and they said, "We are looking for two other kids."

I said that I hadn't seen them, but they might as well learn to meditate while they were there. So, It was so cute. I asked them to take their shoes off, we bowed to each other, they each found a mat and cushion.

And we had some small talk about being upset with your brothers and sisters, and getting mad when mom or dad tells you NO. And I gave them basic meditation instructions, and asked if they wanted to try sitting for five minutes and they all agreed.

So, we sat for five minutes, and then I showed them walking meditation. And we did that for five minutes. It was really fun. We bowed to each other and they left. I told them to come back next Sunday.

I sat back down to do my meditation, and when I looked up, Joe Tedesco was standing there. He had come to volunteer and help out. Joe and I had a really great talk about this Outreach and our backgrounds. My phone was vibrating in my pocket, and I guess I answered it with my elbow...because when I pulled it out...Kim Ryan was on there...and she was at the front of the building, waiting to go in.

Joe, Kim, and I discussed different aspects of buddhism and lineages. We discussed networking with 'ALL' the Buddhist groups in San Antonio...and fellow-shipping with them. Getting all the Buddhists together, united in a single purpose, and that would be kind of like an outreach in itself. Right?

So, as we were sitting there...a little girl wondered in. And we asked if she would like meditation instruction...and she did. So, we did another five minutes of meditation and some walking meditation with her. And she bowed to us... said she was late for a birthday party. And she was gone. (You know how busy a girl's life can get.)

Kim and Joe came up with a great idea about having a big potluck lunch for the residents. Kind of a meet & greet & eat thing.

Like Joe said, "Let them know we are here, and that we don't have antenna's growing out of our heads or something weird. And kim shared her idea about them getting to know us on a one to one basis, just talking and chitchatting about meditation and stuff, ya know?

I think it is a brilliant idea! Let's wait until there are a few more Volunteers and then we will start planning Rock-n-Roll MegaBuddha FoodFest 2009!!! j/k (TicketMasters wants too big of a cut into our prophets...I mean..ah..profits.)

And there is word, that we may get Saturday mornings to bring HMP to the Downtown Shelter, so stay tuned!

And if you are filling out the Volunteer Application....you are affiliated with HMP and our interest is Spiritual Services.

jon
830-484-7403

Stardate 9-9-09

2009-09-09T17:39:00.000-07:00

(1) I didn't expect too many people to show up at the first sitting. We are introducing a new thing to these people.

In fact, It is said, the chances of any of us hearing the Dharma,
is like a blind turtle rising up from the bottom of the sea once every hundred years, and each time, when it surfaces, finds its head in an ox yoke that is floating aimlessly in the middle of the sea.

(2) No. Absolutely no one will be admitting into the facility without a Volunteer Badge. Some of these families are running from bad people, there are kids all over the place, and this is there home/safe haven. No strangers are allowed near the place, without a proper background check.

Good at the beginning, good in the middle, good at the end

2009-09-06T19:55:00.000-07:00

Sunday September 6th.
First meditation at the Transitional Living Facility.
Laid out the cushions,
light pouring through the old catholic church's stained glass windows.
Beautiful.
Put out the snacks.
Arranged the flowers.
Looked at the time.
Looked at the door.
Asked the Resident Manager
to 'Announce it one more time, please.'
sat in meditation for twenty minutes.
Looked at time.
Looked at the door.
Ate some cookies
drank some apple juice.
put the cushions up
put the flowers away
put up the snacks.
light pouring through the old catholic church's stained glass windows.
Beautiful.

Prayer/Mala Beads for the Homeless

2009-09-05T16:04:00.001-07:00

We have started a campaign, to have people send us Mala Prayer Beads, for the Homeless to use during meditation. To help keep their minds focused. If you know anyone who would like to donate or send us some mala beads for the homeless....our address is

HMP-Jon Clark
PO Box 71
Floresville, Texas 78114

ANY GIVEN SUNDAY

2009-09-04T16:41:00.000-07:00

I want Homeless Meditation Practitioners(HMP) to work with all the buddhist groups in san antonio.

I had a meeting sept 3rd at the SA Zen Center, and told them about what I've been doing with meditation and the Homeless. I work at the Downtown Homeless Shelter, but I have meditation every sunday @ 3pm at 5922 Blanco Rd. That is a Transitional Living and Learning Facility. It is over a hundred families, that just needed a little help to get back on their feet. It used to be a Catholic Convent...so the Chapel that we use is marble floors, high ceiling, stained glass...etc.

It is a very safe enviroment. It is meditation with men, women, and children. Many of whom, have never encountered Buddhism or meditation before. Here is what many of the Zen people have done.

They have gone to http://www.samm.org/volunteer/ and filled out the volunteer form. You cannot get into any of the facilities without a Bar-Coded Volunteer Badge. After you summit the forms online. There is about a two week wait until they tell you how to pick up your badge...or they mail it. I don't really remember how I got mine...it was three years ago.

The next step is simple. When you get your Volunteer badge...you call me...Jon Clark 830-484-7403. Then make arrangements to meet me and the rest of the Volunteers any given sunday @ 3pm at 5922 Blanco Rd. You can come sit with us...you can bring a teaching....bring some flowers...you can observe....you can just be with the people....come once a month...come twice a month....don't come at all....come and don't talk to anyone...meditate and leave....I don't know....It's up to you.

There is nothing to join. There is no positions to fill. There is no dues or fees. There is no pressure or responsibility. Just come sit in meditation with me, some zen people, and some families whom are going through a rough patch in their lives right now. That's all there is to it.

tashi delek
namaste
mucho love

jon clark
speakerjonclark@gmail.com

830-484-7403

Every Sunday @ 3pm

2009-09-02T16:05:00.000-07:00

yes siree,

anyone who has their Volunteer Badge, from filling out the online application.

Can come join us in a wonderful time of dharma discussions and meditation @ 3pm every Sunday at

Transitional Living and Learning Center
5922 Blanco Road,
San Antonio, TX 78216

a little of my story

2009-09-01T17:51:00.000-07:00

found a book about Zen buddhism during a rough patch in my life('Selling Water by the River'-thats the book title...not what I was doing). Inside the front cover was a man's name and address. I wrote the man, he was from San Antonio. He wrote back (he might have thought I was a woman...because my first name is Kiley. But he wrote back anyway, and sent me a book called Being Peace by thick tknot Hahn (screw it..you find the spelling i'm tired) and he also invited me to the Shambhala Center downtown SA. I went and kept on going..it was my first experience with Buddhism and I liked it. Although still have never met the man I wrote to (I think he figured out that I was a man by the second letter. where I told him I was a man.) but I did meet a woman and she invited me to the airport to pick up a traveling Teacher...so I'm at the SA Airport...and suddenly this Tibetan Lama is standing there... and it's the guy we are there to pick up...so I think 'this is cool' and so I spend a couple of days with him...then he stays at my house a couple of days....that was back in 2006. I have been his student ever since...because he is a fine man, and a good buddhist, and he is Compassion Incarnate. He runs an Monastary/Orphanage in India and spends most of the year there...then comes here periodically to teach and raise donations for the Orphanage. I know he is my Teacher because....I used to be a Rodeo Clown...I'm not scared of shit. But when I'm around him....I'm giddy as a school girl. so.....
I work at 'blank' in the Donations Department....furniture...clothing...appliances...ect.
and I think there is a need there...to expose these sentient beings to the Dharma and meditation.
I also have a great friend named Rick Wadsworth from the San Antonio Zen Center(someone I also met during a rough patch) and he and I and I and the SA Zen Center and we and them and us and everybody and anybody...Buddhist or non-Buddhists who is interested....are doing this thing called HMP. (come along...it should be fun!)

www.ytdr.org

www.sanantoniozen.org

Meeting Sept 3rd at SA Zen Center

2009-08-28T13:56:00.000-07:00

We will be having a meeting for those whom want to
volunteer with the Homeless Meditation Practitioners(HMP) at the
San Antonio Zen Center on Thursday Sept 3rd at 6:00pm.

"When his disciples were asked about Buddha and his Teachings...they just said 'come and see!"
---Rupert Gethin

Don't know if you want to work with the homeless? ........"Come See!"

Mala Revolution!!!

2009-08-28T13:54:00.000-07:00

It was suggested that giving the homeless Mala beads would be beneficial to their practice and well-being. So let's have a Mala Revolution: Send some to Homeless Meditation Practitioners (HMP) P.O. Box 71 Floresville, Texas 78114

Suffering by Conditions

2009-08-27T11:56:00.000-07:00

"Everything in the world, everything we experience, is changing moment by moment. Some things may change very rapidly, some things extremely lowly, but still everything changes, everything is impermanent.

When we begin to be affected by the reality of this state of affairs we may find the things that previously gave us great pleasure are tainted and no longer please us in the way they once did.

The world becomes a place of uncertainty in which we can never be sure what is going to happen next, a place of shifting and unstable conditions whose very nature is such that we can never feel entirely at ease in it.

Here we are confronted with 'Duhkha' in a form that seems to be inherent in the nature of our existence itself----duhkha as conditions.

I may feel perfectly happy and content; the suffering I hear about is a long way away, in another city, in another country, on another continent.

But how close does it have to come before it in some sense impinges on my own sense of well-being---the next street, the house next door, the next room?

That is, we are part of a world compounded of unstable and unreliable conditions, a world in which pain and pleasure, happiness and suffering are in all sorts of ways bound up together..and bind us together.

It is the reality of this state of affairs that the teachings of the Buddha suggest we each must understand if we are ever to be free of suffering."

From 'The Foundations of Buddhism' by Rupert Gethin

Zen people are Awesome

2009-08-24T19:29:00.000-07:00

The San Antonio Zen people have been contacting me. They are all for HMP. We are planning a meeting at the SA Zen Center on Woodlawn on Sept. 3....not completely sure on the time yet.

be back with more details.

Things go better

2009-08-22T16:45:00.000-07:00

Got a call from the Director of Spiritual Services at the Transitional Living and Learning Facility on Blanco. (It's where the married and single women and men with children are)

She is all for us doing Family Meditation Nights over there as well as at the Downtown Emergency Shelter on Commerce. More details soon.

(Remember)
The Buddha was Homeless, slept in sheds and shelters when it rained... and continued to meditated everyday even after he had 'Awakened.'

My teacher says, "Don't be picky! Eat what people offer you! Sleep where they let you!"

Things go well.

2009-08-22T15:33:00.000-07:00

I had a meeting with a 'Top Dog' (Director of Volunteer Services) at the non-profit I'm working for and doing the meditation sessions.

We were only scheduled for a thirty minute meeting to see what nights I would be able to schedule for September....but we ended up talking and laughing for over an hour and a half. (I was on the clock....so I got paid for it too!)

He asked me, what I hoped to provide or how I thought meditation would help the homeless....and that lead into a discussion about Buddhism...and he put down his pencil and really started asking in depth questions.

He said that he was "a 'Jesus Man' all the way" but he opened up so much...and really wanted to know everything...asking some really thought provoking questions.

By the time I left, he had called some churches and asked them to give me their extra service nights for me to provide meditation....called a family outreach and set up meditation for me over there....and donated some Yoga mats...

and he wanted YTDR's website and the San Antonio Zen Center's website. He is definitely all for us! And I wouldn't be surprised, if we start getting all sorts of opportunities and contacts through him.

Om mani padme hum : )

speakerjonclark@gmail.com

Homeless Meditation Practitioners(HMP)

2009-08-13T13:05:00.000-07:00

Hi Dharma-Friends,

I recently went to work for a San Antonio Interfaith Ministry that provides services for the Homeless.

I have been volunteering there for years. But now I am on the Payroll, which means I can hang around more often, without having to run off and do something else to pay my bills.

So, as I look down the sidewalk at all the gentle spirits waiting for us to unlock the door...so that they can come in and get a hot shower and a hot meal...I think about my own Buddhist Practice.

I think about Buddha, wandering the hills with his disciples....all renuncites...ascetics...homeless... wandering...wandering...and now... I see them here...right in front of me.

I see the Wandering Ascetic Renunciate Bhikkus and Anis (Monks & Nuns) of the Twenty-First Century.

Now listen, Jesus is very popular here. In fact, there are only a few open, random nights for me to offer meditation...because so many Churches are coming down here to minister to the Homeless. Which is wonderful.

But, like in so many other areas...Where is the Buddhist Community?

So, I wondered how many of my Meditative Friends I could get down here or to start a HMP in their area? Nothing big...just sitting and walking and maybe reading from the Dhammapada.

This website is dedicated to this. It is for all of us...to encourage one other, to streach ourselves, and to practice better.

If you are a Lama, Roshi, Priest, Monk, Nun, Teacher, Meditation Center Director, average meditator like me, or currently living the Homeless Life....

I would love to get your help, advice, and posts.

So, Welcome to Homeless Meditation Practitioners(HMP) Website.

My plan is simple.

(1.) Meet with the Homeless at the Downtown San Antonio Shelter... several nights a month.

(2.) Bring in fresh flowers, incense, colorful alter-style fabrics, do walking and sitting meditation with them...and read from the Dhammapada.

(3) ask all my Buddhist & Meditative brothers and sisters to join with me in this experience. You will have to go to the Website to fill out a Volunteer Application.

Remember:

"Master your words. Master your thoughts. Never allow your body to do harm. Follow these three roads with purity And you will find yourself upon the one way, the Way of Wisdom."

namaste
jon clark

Please contact me at

speakerjonclark@gmail.com

(ps.-My Teacher is Lama Tulku Karma Rinpoche: He is a Saint of Compassion, and runs a Monastary/Orphanage in India...besides doing much good here in The States.

http://ytdr.org/home/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1.

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I think...to leave comments...you must have a gmail or goggle account. You can also sit-up an OpenID account. It's very simple and free. Please do this...I would love to here from you.