Not to associate with fools, but to associate with the wise, and to honor those who are worthy of honor, this is the greatest blessing. —Buddha Shakyamuni, Mahamangala Sutta
. . . you are a person who is doing his or her part to make this planet a kinder, gentler place.
When things are at their worst on the planet, highly evolved beings appear to show a better way of living. The presence of a highly evolved soul in a human body is called an Avatar. The era that we currently live in is regarded as an age of darkness in Hindu philosophy. Buddhist refers to our times as the “dharma ending age”. Look back the brutality of the 20th century which is characterized by multiple world wide wars, intolerant dictatorships, the emergence of cruel leaders, and the complete disregard of basic human rights. In spite of horrific suffering and killing, the 20th century has produced “avatars”, beings who show a more noble path - Mahatma Ghandi and peaceful resistance to colonial oppressors; Mother Teresa and the power of love; Martin Luther King, Jr., and non violence; Dalai Lama and compassion; Thich Nhat Hanh and peace. Hinduism would describe each of these individuals as “avatars”, the Divine in human form appearing to counteract the evil of the world. Through their lives they model a more a higher way of living and through their teachings they promote the ideal of a non-violent planet. Our world has benefited greatly from the presence of these great souls. Consider this, however: there are many more such “avatars” though they are hidden from public view. They are made up of ordinary women and men who, in their communities, counties and countries who promote and work toward establishing greater peace, harmony and compassion. Each one of us ought to view ourselves as “avatars” doing our part to help others vibrate higher and brighter. Reuters' new agency is reporting that an Indonesian court sentenced a Buddhist woman to 18 months in prison for blasphemy on Tuesday, after she was accused of insulting Islam for complaining that neighborhood mosque was too loud.
Meiliana, a 44-year old ethnic Chinese Buddhist had complained the Muslim call to prayer, repeated five times a day, was being played too loudly at the mosque near her house in North Sumatra. Indonesia has the world’s largest population of Muslims and sizable Buddhist, Christian and other religious minorities. Recent years have seen a rise in conservative and hardline interpretations of Islam, prompting fears that the secular nation’s long-standing reputation for tolerance and diversity was being eroded. “She had said something that insulted religion, in this case Islam,” said Jamaluddin, spokesman of the Medan district court, adding the defendant had “showed remorse and apologized”. Political activists have said the country’s stringent blasphemy laws are being used to bully minorities and violate religious freedoms. Research continues to indicate that yoga and meditation are an ideal combination for good health. Yoga, specifically, appears to be more effective as a physical exercise system than other forms of physical activity.
Recent studies found that meditation and yoga reduce diastolic blood pressure (the lower range) by 3-8 millimetres of mercury (mmHg), compared with people who engaged in another activity, such as aerobic exercise or relaxation. Both focused attention and automatic self-transcending meditation styles, as well as yoga, reduced systolic blood pressure (the upper range) by 4-5mmHg, compared with people who were not practicing any kind of meditation or yoga. This is important because reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure of as little as two mmHg can reduce the incidence of heart disease and stroke. Open monitoring and focused attention meditation and yoga reduced heart rate by three to four beats per minute. This is similar to the effects of aerobic exercise, which reduced heart rate by five beats per minute in one study. (source: https://theconversation.com/its-not-all-in-your-mind-how-meditation-affects-the-brain-to-help-you-stress-less-97777 ) Develop a heart that melts at the suffering of humanity, a mind that is full of creative thoughts for the promotion of harmony in the world. - Swami Jyotirmayananda
This should be a simple question with a simple “yes, I want to be a sage!’ Yet, most people are fools and this includes many who follow a Buddhist path. Look at the reality and the difference between a sage and a fool
Sages look within and use their minds to solve their problems. They understand that everything they need for dealing with life can be found within. Fools seek help from outside. They pray to the Buddha and other deities asking for wealth, health, security, and relief from problems rather than strengthening their minds. Sages cultivate the mind more than the body. While both are important, all things begin in the mind so they develop mind management to deal with life’s poisons. Anger is replaced with patience; greed with generosity; ignorance or stupidity with wisdom. Fools develop the body while completely neglecting the mind. Placing a total focus on a healthy body while the mind become weaker and sicker is counterproductive. Sages develop spiritual friendships. They associate with people on a spiritual path providing mutual support, encouragement and accountability. Fools have friendships but exclusively at levels which are superficial, frivolous, and one-dimensional. They have friends with whom they party, drink, use recreational drugs but no friends who offer spiritual insight and companionship. (please feel free to re-post and/or share on your social media) Do not become overly conscious of the negative in you, but learn to recognize what is potentially positive in your personality. - Swam Jyotirmayananda
When you let go of grasping, you can experience something else. - Buddhist Wisdom
Several years ago when a Zen student was killed at the age of 22 in San Francisco, Dainin Katagiri, a teacher at the center attended by the young man, reminded his mourning friends: "“Human beings have an idea they are fond of—that we die in old age. That’s just an idea. We don’t know when our death will come. Chris’s death has come now.” Today, bring to your mind the truth that old age is not a guarantee and try to live wisely. Dainin Katagiri himself died at the relative young age of 62.
The point: make each day and every phase of your life as meaningful as possible. Don't wait, don't delay, don't hold off. The best internet connection cannot compare with an inner connection to the Cosmic Mind that is the repository of all knowledge in the universe. - David Frawley
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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
April 2024
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