We often think we know the reason behind someone's actions, when in fact we have no idea. We are simply projecting onto them, thinking our assumptions are reality. - Jampa Tegchok
From time to time, individuals compile hilarious announcements which appear in church bulletins. Here are some to lighten and brighten your day:
“The rector will preach his farewell message, after which the choir will sing ‘Break Forth into Joy.’” “Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married October 24 in the church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days.” “Potluck supper Sunday at 5 p.m. - prayer and medication to follow.” “At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be “What is Hell?” Come early and listen to our choir practice.” “The sermon this morning: ‘Jesus walks on water.’ The sermon tonight: ‘Looking for Jesus.’” “Ladies, don’t forget the rummage sale. It’s a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands.” “Don’t let worry kill you off - let the church help.” Listen for silence in noisy places; feel at peace in the midst of disturbance; awaken joy when there is no reason. - Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami
Joy is short and suffering long. The key then lies in cultivating a state of mind where we can declare without reservation that life itself is a joy. - Daisaku Ikeda
This sentence – water which is too pure has no fish – is a Chinese teaching from a 16th century Buddhist text called "Vegetable Root Discourses". It correctly notes that fish cannot survive in pure water. Sterile, distilled water cannot support fish life. There’s no oxygen, no food source. Fish live and thrive when water is “impure” – dirty, muddy, messy with leaves floating on it and branches falling into it.
The teaching is a reference to people think life should be perfect, ideal. It’s about people who have a sanitized view of life. No one has problems. No family has an addict. No marriage experiences infidelity. No family has a gay or lesbian member. No person ever fails. Additionally, the wisdom is a strong reminder not to get down on ourselves because we’ve failed, acted foolishly or even irresponsibly. That’s the time to remember life is messy. Getting it wrong from time to time is inevitable. Disappointing ourselves is inescapable. Failure is unavoidable. In those times, it’s vital that we go easy on yourselves and remember “water which is too pure has no fish." The only ultimate state of purity in which no life issues are present is death. Dead people don't have problems any more. So whenever you experiences life’s challenges, it’s a sign you’re alive. To experience more bliss in life, there's one habit we must break: constantly forming expectations about what the future will hold. Though we seldom realize it, our expectations chip away at our overall happiness bit by bit. We don't give reality a chance to make us happy because we're too preoccupied with out preconceived ideas. - Nicole Beland
Wherever you go, whether or not you benefit from being there, let that place benefit from your being there. This is good practice for the mind of enlightenment and the mind of compassion. - Sheng Yen
Just as gold is tested by being burnt, cut, and rubbed, the learned should accept my words only after examining them, not simply out of blind faith or other such reasons. - Buddha
A new study suggests mindful activities are not only good for our mental health but our memory and concentration as well. And it only takes 15 minutes a day. Such a brief meditation practice produced boost to memory, concentration and problem solving abilities – helping to stave off the natural effects of ageing on these processes, especially in the over 60s.
“We saw a benefit of mindfulness in people from 18 to 80 but the benefit was larger for those aged 60 and over,” said Tim Whitfield, of University College London. “The effect we observed is equivalent to an older adult remembering an extra word from a fifteen-item list read to them half an hour ago,” he added. The study was published in the journal Neuropsychology Review. The moment you identify yourself as something, you are already something else.
- Thubten Yeshe |
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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