Bodhi Mind as The Mother of Liberation

Clearly aspiring for buddhahood, the disciple arouses the Bodhi Mind, for the sake of all sentient beings — like a bodhisattva incarnated as a Buddhist worthy of nirvana who postpones it to help others — with the determined longing to attain complete enlightenment — like a buddha who has achieved the state of perfect enlightenment, nirvana.

Compassion is the cause of Bodhi Mind, while the root of compassion is loving kindness.

Through the practice of loving kindness, the Bodhi Mind is aroused with clear determination for buddhahood and aspiration to be a bodhisattva to help all sentient beings.

To develop loving kindness, imagine your mother right before you while the following thought is brought to mind,

"My kind mother produced this body I have, an effort which caused her a lot of hardship and trouble. She gave me this precious life, taken care of me, and performed every single action needed for my survival in this world.

"Regarding me with a love greater than she had for her self, she protected me, and gave me all the help and support that I needed to grow up. When threatened by harm, she protected me, which is a great kindness. It would be truly amazing if my mother was happy and at ease, but it is not just my present mother — in all my countless lives, I have had mothers who have done exactly the same, loving mothers who have bestowed on me the same kind of help and love.

"This happened not only once, as a mother, but also countless times as a friend, a lover, and a companion. All these people have helped me in all kinds of ways. Thinking of my mother who is very dear to me and helped me, I now want to return her kindness."

Aroused in our hearts by such a thought, loving kindness should become a distinct and truly real feeling.

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References:

• Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche & Tulku Adeu Rinpoche, Skillful Grace: Tara Practice for Our Time
  

Mother Love: Mothers and their Children

"Women always stand for all of humanity, since we have created everybody from scratch; there are only two kinds of people on Earth, the mothers and her children. This is why the Madonna with child is essentially the symbol of our human race. This is the image that occurs in every culture over and over again." - Z. Budapest - http://blog.zbudapest.com/tag/goddess-z-budapest/

This occurs in Buddhist culture which has a mother's unconditional love sutra, the Karaniya Metta Sutta:

As a mother would risk her life
to protect her child, her only child,
even so should one cultivate a limitless heart
with regard to all beings.

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Reference:
A New Take on a Mother's Love: http://khalilbodhi.wordpress.com/2011/04/03/a-new-take-on-a-mothers-love-karaniya-metta-sutta/
Karaniya Metta Sutta: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mett%C4%81#Karaniya_Metta_Sutta_.28Sn_1.8.29

The Best Things My Mother Taught Me

Here's what my mother taught me:
To be independent,
to be straightforward,
to be decent and kind,
to have morals (know wrong from right).

Thanks for teaching me, Mom!

Laughter The Strongest Medicine on the Planet (humor)

"Laughter is one of the strongest medicines on the planet... If it's strong enough to kill an orgasm, surely it's strong enough to kill cancer." -- Lotus Weinstock

This is unauthorized memorial and remembrance dedicated to Lotus. It is based on my experiences watching two videos on Youtube, the first by Lotus and the second by her daughter, Lili, as well as reading Rob Weide's eulogy of her at his Duck Production website.

Fame for a comedian is like a degree to a doctor," Lotus would say. "You can't practice without it."

As a humorist, Lotus has the funny yet graceful humor, which tickles my funny bone. Her most funniest shtick was "How to Use Body Signals a Man Can't Resist". It was so funny that it endeared me to her.

As a humanist, she was willing to help out complete strangers, often homeless people, some of whom stole from her due to their own issues. Asked when she would stop to helping people who might steal from her, Lotus replied, "Until they don't need to steal anymore."

Later in life, Lotus remarked, "I used to want to save the world. Now I just want to leave the room with some dignity." Indeed, she lived in dignity, and her comedy acts treated others with dignity.

When a well-meaning deranged fan of hers wrote a threatening letter to Joan Rivers in response to Rivers declining to write a forward for Lotus' biography, only to have a bumbling private investigator morph her friend into a "drugged-out roommate" and incriminate her, just so Joan was getting her money's worth.

In actuality, Lotus was innocent of any wrong-doing and her friend was anything but a drug user.

Thanks, Lotus, your love lives on in the many lives you touched, through your caring towards strangers living in abject conditions, and through your comedy acts courtesy of Youtube.

"When I get to heaven's gate
and my life is reviewed,
I know that my saving grace
will be the love I have for you."

Lotus Weinstock, RIP 1943-1997

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Reference:
A Lotus By Any Other Name: http://www.duckprods.com/weide/lotusremembrance.html
The Love I Have For You Playlist: http://www.youtube.com/user/sageb1#grid/user/13A28030411363DA
How to Use Body Signals A Man Can't Resist: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXTDSGv4J8w
Lotus Weinstock: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3mI6AfstQM
Poetry in Motion LA 10-23-90 Lotus Weinstock: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BheUm_YiL0k

Meditation on Unconditional Love as Mother Love

A mother, even at the risk of her own life, protects her child, her only child.

In the same way should you cultivate love without measure toward all beings.

You should cultivate toward the whole world -- above, below, around -- a heart of love unstinted, unmixed with any sense of differing or opposing interests.

You should maintain this mindfulness all the time you are awake.

Such a state of heart is the best in the world.

-Majjhima Nikaya