When you feel diligent and enthusiastic you meditate, and when you feel lazy you meditate. — Ajahn Chah
Nontheism is the teaching that intervention of ultimate reality, whether called God or by some other name, is not the source of salvation for us beings of the temporal world. Rather, we must make our own salvation, helped perhaps by more realized beings, such as Christ or Buddha or saints or the guru, but basically alone, reliant on our own wit and grit. No God or external Power will intervene for us, or condemn us.
- Rob Lee In schools we need to teach not only about physical fitness, but about mental fitness too. In general, modern India pays too little attention to this kind of understanding, but I am committed to encouraging a revival of ancient Indian knowledge in this country. I am convinced that India is the only country that can combine modern education with ancient Indian knowledge of the mind and emotions and share it with the wider world. - Dalai Lama
Remaining in ignorance is harmful for everyone; developing wisdom is good for everyone.
- S. N. Goenka A great friend of mine is a yogi and, therefore compassionate toward all sentient beings, not just humans. She has kitchen mice and found this humane Buddhist inspired mouse trap. It's a catch and release. Wonderful. All three Eastern spiritual traditions: Buddhist, Vedic and Jain, abhor the killing of animals, insects and birds. It is diabolical to say that all animals are created for men to be killed and used in any way man likes. - Swami Vivekananda Whether they be creatures of the land or air, whoever harms here any living being, who has no compassion for all that live, let such a one be known as depraved. - Buddha in the Kshudraka Agama Killing animals for sport, for pleasure, for adventure, and for hides and furs is a phenomena which is at once disgusting and distressing. There is no justification in indulging is such acts of brutality. - Dalai Lama 14th The importance of patience and persistence to the success of any endeavor cannot be emphasized enough. - Hsing Yun
In Buddhist psychology remorse or regret is a mind function
which can be either beneficial or damaging. - Thich Nhat Hanh Though guilt is most often presented as a negative and destructive emotion, there is this neglected or hidden aspect about guilt: it's a vital component of a healthy conscience and the sign of spiritual sensitivity. This positive and constructive side of guilt which nudges us to offer an apology, make an amend, seek forgiveness, restore a relationship and clear our conscience. Furthermore, good guilt moves us to accept responsibility for our actions and, as we do that, we develop a deeper humility. Three of the hardest words to say are “I am sorry.” It is our pride, our ego which makes it difficult to speak say those words. Without the prodding of guilt we can deflect responsibility by blaming others, pretending no one noticed our infraction, and or simply justify our conduct. When guilt emerges in your life, look at it closely. Pay attention. If you conclude your action misfired, take a corrective step. That way, your feeling of guilt will be beneficial, not damaging. As an irrigator guides water to the fields, as an archer aims an arrow, as a carpenter carves wood, the wise shape their lives. - Buddha
Yoga for Peace and Health, is a book published only in India by authority Yogacharaya Sadashiv Nimbalkar. He concludes his excellent book by offering "points to remember". Here are ten of those. As you read them identify which one(s) you may not be doing and re-consider how you practice.
1. Clothing - should be clean, minimum, loose and light. 2. Food - At least four and a half hours should elapse between a heavy meal and Yoga. 3. Only do yoga when you're calm. If you are upset physically or mentally, try to come to normal state by sitting quietly or going into Savasana before you start the practice. 4. Breathe normally through the nose while doing asanas. 5. Minimize your efforts to attain a pose. 6. Avoid competitive strain. Strain of any kind should be avoided. 7. Perform all the practices slowly and smoothly. Any kind of violent action should be avoided. 8. Focus on you breath only. Count the breath or feel the touch of the breath at the walls of the nose and / or be aware of the inward and outward flow of the air. 9. Do not practice to the point of fatigue. 10. Adopt Yoga practices as a way of life and gain happiness in life by becoming more steady, healthy and flexible. “We have been ruthlessly conditioned to think we can find fulfillment in possessions, to love things rather than people – so much so that, when we feel an emptiness in our hearts, we go to shopping centers to fill up. I am all for living in reasonable comfort, but when I go to shopping centers, I cannot help getting alarmed. Not at the money that is being wasted – there is enough money in this country to waste. But there isn't enough will to waste. There isn’t enough energy to waste. When we hear of the energy crisis, this is it. All our vitality, energy and drive is sapped and undermined by the constant propaganda: go after this, go after that.”
- Eknath Easwaran, Words To Live By |
Victor M. Parachin ...is aVedic educator, yoga instructor, Buddhist meditation teacher and author of a dozen books. Buy his books at amazon or your local bookstore. Archives
May 2024
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