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In India the cow is a highly venerated animal. It is the recipient of adoration and worship by Hindus and Yogis for a variety of reasons including the following six:


  1. The cow symbolizes the Divine because it is gentle and generous providing milk, ghee and fertilizer for fields. It provides these in abundance and without complaint.
  2. The cow gives more than she takes.
  3. The cow lives simply on the planet using nothing more than water, grass and grain.
  4. The cow, by her gentle, tolerant nature exemplifies a cardinal virtue of Hinduism, that of ahimsa (non-harming and non-violence).
  5. The cow instills in humans virtues of gentleness, generosity, and connection with nature.

  6. The cow is ever giving and under demanding.


Hindus are puzzled by the fact other nations do not equally venerate the cow. Gandhi observed: "One can measure the greatness of a nation and its moral progress by the way it treats its animals. Cow protection to me is not mere protection of the cow. It means protection of all that lives and is helpless and weak in the world. The cow means the entire sub-human world." In India, the cow is honored at various festivals and adorned with colorful cow jewelry and clothing. Children are taught how to decorate the cow with garlands, paint and ornaments. There are more than 3,000 institutions in India called goshalas, maintained by charitable trusts, to care for elderly and infirm cows. Yoga also honors the cow by naming a pose after this kind creature - gomukhasana or "cow face pose".

(public domain photo from www.pixabay.com)


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If you master your mind, it will remain naturally concentrated, peaceful, and aware. You will even be able to wander around in a crowd without being distracted and carried away by attachment or aversion. —Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
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CPR MEDITATION FOR
ANXIETY, STRESS
AND INNER PEACE

I am . . . Calm
I am . . . Peaceful
I am . . . Relaxed

Inhale on the "I am"
Exhale on the CPR words-
Calm, Peaceful, Relaxed
- Victor M. Parachin

(Feel free to re-post and/or link to your social media)
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You must be very regular in your practice of meditation. Even if you do not realize any tangible results in the practice, your must plot on with faith, sincerity, patience, earnestness and perseverance. - Swami Sivananda

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A man’s mind may make him a Buddha, or it may
make him a beast. Misled by error, one becomes a
demon; enlightened, one becomes a Buddha. Therefore,
control your mind and do not let it deviate from the right
path. - Buddha
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It's OK to walk away from things that can’t be fixed.  - Victor M. Parachin
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Bringing consciousness to any energy defuses it. - Deepak Chopra


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In his book, Living In The 21st Century: A Buddhist View, Sheng Yen states that "Buddhism is a religion that places great emphasis on environmental protection" and cites the following as examples:
  • The Buddha was born at Lumbini Garden
  • He engaged in spiritual practice in the forest
  • His awakening came while seated under a tree
  • He first began teaching in Deer Park
  • The first "monasteries" where the Buddha taught were outside - Jeta Grove, Bamboo Grove, Amravana Garden

  • He reminded his disciples, when spending the night under a tree, to regard that place as their home and take loving care of it
  • In his teachings, the Buddha instructed people who take loving care of animals, never to harm grass and trees, but to regard them as the home where other sentient beings live their lives
  • He died and entered nirvana while lying between two Sal trees
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Avoid anyone, however great and good he may be, who asks you to believe blindly. Beware, therefore, of everything that takes away your freedom. - Swami Vivekananda
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A significant shift is needed and for that shift to take place we need a growth in consciousness. - Dena Merriam

Victor M. Parachin ... 

a Vedic educator, yoga instructor, Buddhist meditation teacher and author of a dozen books. Buy his books at amazon or your local bookstore. Sadly, Victor passed away in August 2025, but his blog continues. Janet Parachin, his partner of 45 years, shares quotes from his books and articles each week. 

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