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Three Buddhist teachings for living a more joyful life based on the life of Harada Tangen:
1. Practice gratitude: "We all have to break through our selfish disposition and be able to appreciate all things we are blessed with, appreciate life itself." -Harada Tangen
2. The power of commitment: "If you set out to do it, it will be done--if you don't, it won't be done; when something isn't done, it is because you didn't resolve to do it." -Harada Tangen
3. Equanimity, or the gift of mental composure: "Just leave it be. . . . All is well." -Harada Tangen
-Victor M Parachin, workshop on April 13, 2025
1. Practice gratitude: "We all have to break through our selfish disposition and be able to appreciate all things we are blessed with, appreciate life itself." -Harada Tangen
2. The power of commitment: "If you set out to do it, it will be done--if you don't, it won't be done; when something isn't done, it is because you didn't resolve to do it." -Harada Tangen
3. Equanimity, or the gift of mental composure: "Just leave it be. . . . All is well." -Harada Tangen
-Victor M Parachin, workshop on April 13, 2025
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"Enjoy being a buddha. When you sit, allow the buddha in you to sit. When you walk, allow the buddha in you to walk. Enjoy your practice. If you don't become a buddha, who will?"
-Thich Nhat Hanh
The Buddha was very direct and clear that he was not a god but just a human being. Therefore, the path to enlightenment and liberation that he discovered is accessible to any other human. . . . The Buddha summarized his teachings in the Noble Eightfold Path to guide us:
1. Right View. Accept life the way it is rather than clinging to the way we wish it to be.
2. Right thought. Develop yourself to be a person who is positive and optimistic not negative and cynical.
3. Right speech. No gossip, no lying, no misrepresenting oneself and others.
4. Right action. Respond rather than react to life.
5. Right livelihood. Do work that is right for you, for others, for the planet.
6. Right effort. Rise daily with joy and enthusiasm.
7. Right mindfulness. Be present. The past is over and the future is uncertain. Focus on now.
8. Right concentration. Meditate regularly. This practice provides a foundation of stability, peace, confidence and awareness.
-Victor M Parachin, Think Like the Buddha
-Thich Nhat Hanh
The Buddha was very direct and clear that he was not a god but just a human being. Therefore, the path to enlightenment and liberation that he discovered is accessible to any other human. . . . The Buddha summarized his teachings in the Noble Eightfold Path to guide us:
1. Right View. Accept life the way it is rather than clinging to the way we wish it to be.
2. Right thought. Develop yourself to be a person who is positive and optimistic not negative and cynical.
3. Right speech. No gossip, no lying, no misrepresenting oneself and others.
4. Right action. Respond rather than react to life.
5. Right livelihood. Do work that is right for you, for others, for the planet.
6. Right effort. Rise daily with joy and enthusiasm.
7. Right mindfulness. Be present. The past is over and the future is uncertain. Focus on now.
8. Right concentration. Meditate regularly. This practice provides a foundation of stability, peace, confidence and awareness.
-Victor M Parachin, Think Like the Buddha
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When any part of the body is malfunctioning or experiencing weakness, use meditation to focus your attention on that area of the body. Here's a simple exercise to prepare you not only to do that but to show you how it works. As you sit in meditation, place your focus either upon your feet or your hands. Imagine that they are becoming warmer. Some start by seeing their feet or hands as a gray color gradually warming. As they warm, they change from gray to a lighter color and on to a glowing soft pink.
This simple exercise works for many people. Try it first. Then apply the same technique to the part of your body that is compromised. For example, if you suffer from a headache, do a meditation which focuses on your head: My head releases pain. My head restores itself. My head is healthy. Another example could be a meditation that focuses on your back if it aches: My back releases pain. My back restores itself. My back is healthy.
-Victor M Parachin, Sit a Bit
This simple exercise works for many people. Try it first. Then apply the same technique to the part of your body that is compromised. For example, if you suffer from a headache, do a meditation which focuses on your head: My head releases pain. My head restores itself. My head is healthy. Another example could be a meditation that focuses on your back if it aches: My back releases pain. My back restores itself. My back is healthy.
-Victor M Parachin, Sit a Bit
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Here's a simple yet foundational teaching from the Buddha: "Abandon what is unskillful. One can abandon the unskillful. If it were not possible, I would not ask you to do so." . . . Having read that, pause to ask yourself: "What's not working well in my life? What area is unskillful and no longer serves me well?"
. . . There's a second part to the Buddha's teaching: "Cultivate that which is skillful. One can cultivate the skillful. If it were not possible, I would not ask you to do so." . . . Now, having read this second part of his teaching, pause to ask yourself: "What brings me a great deal of satisfaction, pleasure, joy and happiness in life?" . . . Do more of that!
-Victor M Parachin, Think Like the Buddha: 108 Days of Mindfulness
. . . There's a second part to the Buddha's teaching: "Cultivate that which is skillful. One can cultivate the skillful. If it were not possible, I would not ask you to do so." . . . Now, having read this second part of his teaching, pause to ask yourself: "What brings me a great deal of satisfaction, pleasure, joy and happiness in life?" . . . Do more of that!
-Victor M Parachin, Think Like the Buddha: 108 Days of Mindfulness
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Use this meditation to connect with your body. It's done by "talking" to the body and asking it these kinds of questions. Pause to "listen" after you ask each question:
- What can I do for you right now?
- What would nourish you right now?
- Is there something I need to do more for you?
- Is there something I need to do less for you?
- What am I keeping you from doing?
Victor M. Parachin from Sit a Bit: Five Minute Meditations
- What can I do for you right now?
- What would nourish you right now?
- Is there something I need to do more for you?
- Is there something I need to do less for you?
- What am I keeping you from doing?
Victor M. Parachin from Sit a Bit: Five Minute Meditations
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Sooner or later each one of us will lose, to death, someone we love, value, and hold dear. That loss will plunge us into mourning. While the pain of bereavement is as intense as any pein we will ever experience, we do have a choice in how to respond to the loss. We can experience a good mourning or we can experience a bad mourning. . . . The vast majority of grievers experience a good mourning. They remember forever the one who has died, but come to terms with the loss and find new ways of living without the loved one. . . . They find themselves enlarged in heart, spirit and mind.
-Victor M Parachin, Healing Grief
-Victor M Parachin, Healing Grief
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At some point, most of us have felt the quiet ache of not being enough—not smart enough, capable enough, or worthy enough. This sense of deficiency can burden our hearts, shaping how we see ourselves and holding us back from living fully and authentically. Yet, the confidence we yearn for isn’t something to be earned or achieved; it’s already present—a profound potential waiting to be revealed. - Lama Döndrup Drölma
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It’s only by stopping our thinking and constant internal narration that we can have a true encounter with reality. - Phap Linh
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The art of growth has to do with how quickly you admit error. - Ram Dass
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Avoid associating with those who always complain about life. -Yogananda