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Thread: [Engaged] Spring into LAH

  1. #1

    [Engaged] Spring into LAH

    With the start of the engaged project, I want to make sure we don’t forget about Lend A Hand (see here for Jundo’s Description).

    Let’s brainstorm some LAH activities and then we can all think if there are ones we could commit to do during the month of May.

    The prompt for this month will be “Spring into LAH”.

    Some examples:
    • Clean up trash around plants
    • Give flowers to someone who could use them
    • Help a neighbor with yard work
    • Volunteer to do beach/river clean-ups
    • Spring clean your bookshelves and donate the books



    Remember LAH activities can vary greatly, from small tiny acts to large long-term projects.

    Also, this brainstorming, you are not committing to do this activity; but perhaps some of the ideas will help inspire us all for the coming month.

    Remember nothing is too small,
    one raindrop raises the sea.jpg

    Gassho,

    Shoka
    sattoday

  2. #2
    Placeholder for a full list of all the ideas.

    Gassho,
    Shoka
    sattoday

  3. #3
    Eishuu
    Guest
    For people who are physically unable to do the above, I think there are things that can be done on the Internet to make the word a better place and LAH such as supporting people on other forums, signing petitions, raising awareness of suffering and supporting campaigns to do something about it and just generally trying to be a kind, calm and supportive presence. I realise it's not very springy, but I'm not sure how to do springy on the Internet.

    Gassho
    Eishuu
    ST/LAH
    Last edited by Eishuu; 04-27-2018 at 08:24 AM.

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by Eishuu View Post
    For people who are physically unable to do the above, I think there are things that can be done on the Internet to make the word a better place and LAH such as supporting people on other forums, signing petitions, raising awareness of suffering and supporting campaigns to do something about it and just generally trying to be a kind, calm and supportive presence. I realise it's not very springy, but I'm not sure how to do springy on the Internet.

    Gassho
    Eishuu
    ST/LAH
    Eishuu,

    Those are great ideas! To make them more spring-y... how about:

    Write lawmakers about environmental issues
    Sign petitions to save monarch butterfly habitats

    I'm spit-balling and those specific ones might not exist, but you get the idea.


    Gassho,

    Shoka

    Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

  5. #5
    Eishuu
    Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Shoka View Post
    Eishuu,

    Those are great ideas! To make them more spring-y... how about:

    Write lawmakers about environmental issues
    Sign petitions to save monarch butterfly habitats

    I'm spit-balling and those specific ones might not exist, but you get the idea.


    Gassho,

    Shoka

    Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk
    Good idea - there must be lots of other environmental campaigns too.

    Gassho
    Eishuu
    ST/LAH

  6. #6
    Some other thoughts for things that can be done from inside and brighten up someones day:

    Send a handwritten color card or letter to someone

    Draw spring pictures with your children and send them off in letters to a senior pen pal

    Make a flower craft and give it someone to brighten their day (I remember for mother's day making paper flowers and a vase... my mom probably still has it somewhere).


    Gassho,

    Shoka
    sattoday

  7. #7
    Hi Shoka,

    Here at home we are very sensitive about animals wondering in the city, specially when weather gets tough.

    Every spring and summer temperature rises very hot so we set up buckets of fresh water and food for dogs and cats. Also we put some small bowls with seeds and water for birds. We are not very popular with neighbors, but we are with animals

    So an idea to lend a hand is just that: help animals whenever possible.

    Gassho,

    Kyonin
    Sat/LAH
    Hondō Kyōnin
    奔道 協忍

  8. #8
    Mp
    Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Kyonin View Post
    Every spring and summer temperature rises very hot so we set up buckets of fresh water and food for dogs and cats. Also we put some small bowls with seeds and water for birds. We are not very popular with neighbors, but we are with animals
    This is becoming a common practice with folks leaving water out for the dogs when out walking with their humans ... lovely to see. =)

    Gassho
    Shingen

    Sat/LAH

  9. #9
    Eishuu
    Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Kyonin View Post
    Hi Shoka,

    Here at home we are very sensitive about animals wondering in the city, specially when weather gets tough.

    Every spring and summer temperature rises very hot so we set up buckets of fresh water and food for dogs and cats. Also we put some small bowls with seeds and water for birds. We are not very popular with neighbors, but we are with animals

    So an idea to lend a hand is just that: help animals whenever possible.

    Gassho,

    Kyonin
    Sat/LAH
    This is lovely.

    Gassho
    Eishuu
    ST/LAH

  10. #10
    That's a good idea. My Samu practice has been rather unskillful lately. Now I have another incentive.
    ST/LAH & SPRING

    Kyousui - strong waters 強 水

  11. #11
    A few ideas ...

    When not in a rush, let folks cut in front of you in lines for no reason, give up parking spaces in crowded parking lots, give up a seat on the bus for no reason (not necessarily for the elderly, etc.).

    Smile at someone for no reason who looks very serious or sad. (No need to do it in a creepy way Just a normal smile).

    Thank a busy work man, the post man, store clerk, receptionist or the like for the work they do.

    Go online and write a supportive letter to someone who seems down.

    Before going to sleep, in bed, think about some "out of the box" crazy ideas that could change the world, help lots of people or make a difference in your community. (Who knows, you might come up with something wonderful!)

    Gassho, J

    SatTodayLAH
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  12. #12
    Ever since I had to put that baby squirrel out of its misery in my backyard, I've been trying to be more mindful of the life both in and around my house.

    Something we've been doing everyday since, is taking a portion of any fruit we eat and leaving it at the bases of trees around the yard. The squirrels, birds, possums, and foxes seem grateful.

    I can't believe it was my little daughter that made the suggestion. I swear, children are the enlightened ones. We learn ignorance.

    Gassho,
    Alexander
    ST/LAH

  13. #13
    Thank you and your daughter for taking care of these animals, Alexander. Your daughter had a wonderful idea.

    One thing I have done before, and it is very easy to get children excited and involved in this, is saving worms that have crawled onto pavement during or after a thunderstorm. They rely on the water to lubricate their passage and if there is not enough sometimes they get stranded on the pavement and dry up and die. It is very easy to go out side with a stiff piece of thin carboard (because otherwise it can be difficult picking them up) to roll the worms on and place them on a piece of soil. It's a fun way to spend an hour or so, though people do look at you funny.

    Another idea: if you have a dog, take some time out of your week to take him/her on a "slow" walk. Instead of rushing to where you go when you take your dog on walks, go at your dog's pace. Let them take the time to sniff and explore their surroundings. Go where they lead, even if it is offtrail. Dogs get a lot of useful information about their environments through their excellent noses, but when we rush them places, they miss out on all this wealth of information. Doing this may turn a 15 minute walk into an hour walk... but your dog is sure to enjoy it a lot more.

    I've found that going on slow walks are also good ways to practice "taking my dog for a walk zazen." While your dog is sniffing the base of a cherry tree, you can stand mindfully enjoying the cherry blossoms and the feel of the wind on your face and maybe even bend down and join your dog in sniffing!

    Gassho,

    Matthew
    STLAH
    Last edited by Mitka; 05-04-2018 at 11:07 AM.

  14. #14
    Mp
    Guest
    Hey folks,

    So I saw a great activity of support on the weekend that I have not seen before, so I thought I would share this with you. So have you ever seen where kids get together with their friends or with a sports team and do fund raisers for the activities they do? Or maybe a field trip they are planning? Well, I saw a group of girls here in the valley that are apart of a local soccer league and their fundraiser was this - they were raising funds not for their soccer team, but rather to raise that money for children in need/poverty.

    Here is BC we are one of the most wealthiest provinces in this country and yet we have the highest child poverty rate in Canada. (url: http://bcpovertyreduction.ca/learn-m...-in-canada/#bc)

    So what these girls are doing is raising money and then giving it to organizations that are helping such that are in need, but they are doing it in such unique ways. The two ways they shared with me were: 1. They would get sponsored by a local car dealership, which would supply them with hoses, water, soap, and cleaning equipment. They would then hold a car wash rally and wash cars with ALL the proceeds going to help children in poverty. 2. They went to the bottle recycle depots and setup a stand. From there they would organize and return all your bottles and the money they got from those returns, they gave to charities that supported children in poverty. They also said folks gave extra in support of their cause.

    I thought this was a wonderful way to give back ... they are giving back in supporting their charity; they are planting the seed with local businesses to give back; and they are helping folks out by washing their car, organizing their bottle recycle, etc.

    Making change can be a very hard and sometimes overwhelming task, but I feel that when we plant the seed of compassion and giving it can spread like flowers in a field. So I hope this has inspired you to maybe think about the next time your kid's school or sport team does a fund raiser ... maybe consider on donating and helping those in need. =)

    Gassho
    Shingen

    Sat/LAH

  15. #15

    Buddhist Action Month

    The Triratna (FWBO) folks put this little pdf out related to this topic:
    https://thebuddhistcentre.com/buddhi...ion-month-2018

    sat/lah

    Kyousui - strong waters 強 水

  16. #16
    Eishuu
    Guest
    Just found a good (spring-related) cause to donate to...Bayer, the world's largest producers of bee-killing pesticides, is about to hold its annual shareholders meeting and the charity 'Sum of Us' is raising money to get beekeepers inside the meeting to tell the shareholders what is happening to the bees.

    https://actions.sumofus.org/pages/ch...ource=fwd&t=12

    Gassho
    Eishuu
    ST/LAH

  17. #17
    There are a number of day camps in and around this area. Some of these camps specialize in providing opportunities for underprivileged children. In a couple of weeks a group of us from work are taking a day to help get the camp ready for summer by doing a general cleanup of the grounds and buildings. I can’t take credit for finding this opportunity, I am just lending my time and muscle.


    Tairin
    Sat today & LAH
    泰林 - Tai Rin - Peaceful Woods

  18. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by Eishuu View Post
    Just found a good (spring-related) cause to donate to...Bayer, the world's largest producers of bee-killing pesticides, is about to hold its annual shareholders meeting and the charity 'Sum of Us' is raising money to get beekeepers inside the meeting to tell the shareholders what is happening to the bees.

    https://actions.sumofus.org/pages/ch...ource=fwd&t=12

    Gassho
    Eishuu
    ST/LAH
    Eishuu,

    What a great cause!

    Also I'm sure there are many petitions about the same topics. Bayer has been problematic for many insects. I love that the EU has sided with the insects and ban them. We need to do more to fight them in the US, because the burden has been placed on the beekeepers to prove that their pesticides are killing the bees. Instead of the other way around. But don't get me started, it is a cause close to my heart.

    Gassho,

    Shoka
    sattoday

  19. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by Tairin View Post
    There are a number of day camps in and around this area. Some of these camps specialize in providing opportunities for underprivileged children. In a couple of weeks a group of us from work are taking a day to help get the camp ready for summer by doing a general cleanup of the grounds and buildings. I can’t take credit for finding this opportunity, I am just lending my time and muscle.


    Tairin
    Sat today & LAH
    What a fantastic way to get a group going! How wonderful that your office is finding opportunities for you to get involved as a group.

    If they find any other good ones let us know! Someone else might be able to borrow the idea at their work place.

    Gassho,

    Shoka
    sattoday

  20. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by Eishuu View Post
    Just found a good (spring-related) cause to donate to...Bayer, the world's largest producers of bee-killing pesticides, is about to hold its annual shareholders meeting and the charity 'Sum of Us' is raising money to get beekeepers inside the meeting to tell the shareholders what is happening to the bees.

    https://actions.sumofus.org/pages/ch...ource=fwd&t=12

    Gassho
    Eishuu
    ST/LAH
    Yes! Even as my choices get more and more limited as companies gobble each other up and get bigger and bigger... I do very little business with Bayer.

    Gassho,
    Jakuden
    SatToday/LAH

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