- Aim for 6 to 8 hours of restful sleep nightly.
- Avoid using drugs or alcohol for sleep. “Restful sleep means that you’re not using pharmaceuticals or alcohol to get
- to sleep but that you’re drifting off easily once you turn off the light and are sleeping soundly through the night.”
- Respect “circadian” rhythms. “You can get the highest quality sleep by keeping your sleep cycles in tune with the
- rhythms of the universe, known as circadian rhythms. This means going to bed by about 10 p.m. and waking at 6 a.m.”
- Eat a light evening meal and get light evening exercise. Dr. Chopra advises eating no later than 7:30 pm, then going for a brief walk and retiring to bed by 10 pm.
- Use a journal to write out troublesome, anxiety producing thoughts. “It’s also very helpful to download your thoughts from the day in a journal before going to bed so that your mind doesn’t keep you awake.”
In his book Seven Steps To Radical Well Being, Dr. Deepak Chopra writes: “Getting regular restful sleep is an essential key to staying healthy and vital, yet it is so often neglected or under emphasized. There is even a tendency for people to boast about how little sleep they can get by on. In reality, a lack of restful sleep disrupts the body’s innate balance, weakens our immune system, and speeds up the aging process.” Here are some suggestions Dr. Chopra offers to gain restful sleep:
Do not fear failure. Before you meet with success, failure is natural and necessary. As a baby learns to walk, it keeps falling down. Is this failure? - Sheng Yen
First expressed in Buddhist teaching by Chogyam Trungpa, idiot compassion appears when the kindness and compassion are devoid of wisdom and insight. Buddhist nun Pema Chodron defines idiot compassion saying: "It refers to something we all do a lot of and call it compassion. In some ways, it’s what’s called enabling. It’s the general tendency to give people what they want because you can't bear to see them suffering."
Without the application of intelligence, awareness and wisdom, compassion is more harmful than it is helpful. A small setback does not mean that you have failed; it is just that the time has not yet arrived. If you climb half-way up a mountain, you cannot say that you have failed. You just need to continue climbing until you reach the summit. - Sheng Yen
Ask yourself, “where does my life need attention and improvement?” Possible answers include:
Then, strive for improvement, not perfection. When one thinks that by giving gifts now there will be a great reward, then receiving and giving are like trade for profit, which will be criticized. - Aryadeva
(*Aryadeva says that any giving which expects reward, including recognition and praise, is not pure generosity. It's more similar to a business transaction) The New York Times recently carried an article on Thich Nhat Hanh's return to Vietnam where he has received some prominent visitors who have made concerted efforts to be in his presence. Fluent in seven languages, Ven. Nhat Hanh remains unable to speak at 92 years of age due to a stroke experienced in 2014.
Though the Vietnam government has made no public comment on his return, several high officials have come to see him privately and pay their respects. The United States ambassador to Vietnam, Daniel Kritenbrink, visited soon after his return and called it an honor to see him in person. Recently, nine United States senators visited Mr. Nhat Hanh, in what some of them described later as a very emotional meeting. “It was way beyond a political experience,” Senator Patrick Leahy, the Vermont Democrat who led the delegation, said by telephone. “It was very much a religious experience.” Another senator in the group, the New Mexico Democrat Tom Udall, said he participated in a workshop with Mr. Nhat Hanh in 2003 as a member of the House of Representatives, and that he had been meditating daily ever since. (read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/16/world/asia/thich-nhat-hanh-vietnam.html ) That's the headline which recently appeared in India's Deccan Herald newspaper. Dr. Frawley is a leading Vedic scholar and the author of many highly influential writings about Hinduism, Meditation, Ayurveda and Astrology. Dr. Frawley is director of the American Institute of Vedic Studies. In 2015, he was recognized for his contribution to Vedic studies by India's Prime Minister Nodi who awarded him with Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award given in India. Here are excerpts from the interview:
On conversions into Hinduism People take to Hinduism in an informal way. Many are even leaving Christianity. In the West, in many countries, less than half the people call themselves Christians and the majority don’t even go to church. West, in many countries, less than half the people call themselves Christians and the majority don’t even go to church. Even in the surveys in America, the largest growing group among the youth are the people who aren’t affiliated to any religion. The many people who claim to be spiritual and not religious are practising yoga, meditation, mantra and teachings out of the Dharmic tradition. But the Hindu tradition doesn’t have the same type of formal conversion idea as the Christian tradition does. Because in the Hindu tradition, it is a tradition that we are all one, so there is no idea of conversion, but an idea of karma, rebirth self-realisation for everybody. In all the Dharmic traditions, there’s a recognition of all human beings. (read the full interview: https://www.deccanherald.com/metrolife/spirituality-greater-faith-700336.html ) When trying to improve your character, don't despair and lose heart when you do something wrong. We must remember that even imperfect or incomplete improvement is far better than none at all. - Rabbi Joseph Telushkin
Dalai Lama Expresses Determination to Live 110 Years During Long-life Ceremony in Dharamsala, India. Reflecting a very positive attitude, he said: "The First Dalai Lama, Gyalwa Gendun Drup, who lived to be 84, had no wish to be born in a pure land. Since I have the opportunity to benefit beings, it will be good if I’m able to live longer. I make prayers to him for his blessing that I may live another 10–15 years," He told visitors that during a dream, a Tibetan Goddess told him that he would live to be 110 years of age. Noting that he has dedicated his life to the service of others, in particular the welfare of the Tibetan people, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate observed:
“I feel that I have contributed something for the well being of people around the world, and in particular to the Tibetan people and their cause, over the last 60 years.” In good health, the Dalai Lama expressed wishes to continue being present on the planet in order to be of help to others. |
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
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