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"Simple living helps in high thinking and getting mastery over mind and body." -Swami Sivananda
The Buddha recognized that we humans have four basic needs. in Buddhism these are referred to as "The Four Requisites" which are:
1. Nutrition--food and water to keep the body healthy and strong
2. Clothing--to protect from the elements and from insects
3. Shelter--for safety and protection from weather conditions
4. Medicine--to help the body overcome disease
These are basic and necessary. However, this list of four then raise these important questions:
1. How much food do you really need?
2. How much clothing do you really need?
3. How much shelter do you really need?
4. How much medicine do you really need?
-Victor M Parachin, Buddhist Wisdom for Beginners
The Buddha recognized that we humans have four basic needs. in Buddhism these are referred to as "The Four Requisites" which are:
1. Nutrition--food and water to keep the body healthy and strong
2. Clothing--to protect from the elements and from insects
3. Shelter--for safety and protection from weather conditions
4. Medicine--to help the body overcome disease
These are basic and necessary. However, this list of four then raise these important questions:
1. How much food do you really need?
2. How much clothing do you really need?
3. How much shelter do you really need?
4. How much medicine do you really need?
-Victor M Parachin, Buddhist Wisdom for Beginners
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Too often we have "monkey minds" which do not consider carefully enough the consequences of an action before it is taken. While we are free to choose our actions, we are not free to choose the consequences of those actions. That is the law of Karma which operates through the universe. People have experienced tremendous sadness because of careless thinking and acting saying "I didn't mean for it to turn out like this." The way to avoid such troubles and tragedies lies in mind management. It is important to think things through, consider all options and take the most skillful action. Only then are the odds in our favor that the consequences will be positive rather than negative and disappointing.
-Victor M Parachin, Buddhist Wisdom for Beginners
-Victor M Parachin, Buddhist Wisdom for Beginners
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Buddhist tradition notes that the Buddha himself taught three fundamental types of generosity. First, material generosity, which involves sharing money and other material things with others. Secondly, emotional generosity, which the Buddha described as "making others feel unafraid." We do this when we spend time with a person who has just experienced a traumatic event such as the diagnosis of a life-threatening illness, or with someone who has had a loss to death, or with someone who has been "downsized." Thirdly, there is the generosity of sharing wisdom with others such as leading a meditation group, offering a spiritual workshop, making a presentation about higher values and ethics.
The Buddha often taught about the importance of generosity because it is not only helpful to the recipient of our generosity. We ourselves are greatly helped when we act generously.
-Victor M Parachin, Think Like the Buddha
The Buddha often taught about the importance of generosity because it is not only helpful to the recipient of our generosity. We ourselves are greatly helped when we act generously.
-Victor M Parachin, Think Like the Buddha
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Attachment is a major theme in Eastern thought, especially in Buddhism. The Buddha specifically taught that it is attachment that leads to suffering. We suffer not because an unpleasant event has taken place in our lives, but because we add to that event the huge burden of emotions and fantasies: anger, resentment, hostility, entitlement, fear, grief, etc. The Buddha taught that freedom from attachment is the cure for suffering. "For him who is wholly free from craving, there is no grief, much less fear."
-Victor M Parachin, Eastern Wisdom for Western Minds
-Victor M Parachin, Eastern Wisdom for Western Minds
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This Zen proverb of six words is mindfulness in a nutshell: When walking, walk. When eating, eat. It reminds us to do one thing at a time; to do it slowly; to do it deliberately; and to do it completely. This can and ought to be expanded into daily life. Here are some ways:
- When listening to a friend, listen.
- When mowing your lawn, mow.
- When loading the dishwasher, load.
- When sitting with your cat, sit.
- When driving, drive.
- When working, work.
By approaching daily living this way, you'll discover the joy of living like a Zen monk because your daily mindfulness will bring you calm, peace, perspective and tranquility.
-Victor M Parachin, Think Like the Buddha
- When listening to a friend, listen.
- When mowing your lawn, mow.
- When loading the dishwasher, load.
- When sitting with your cat, sit.
- When driving, drive.
- When working, work.
By approaching daily living this way, you'll discover the joy of living like a Zen monk because your daily mindfulness will bring you calm, peace, perspective and tranquility.
-Victor M Parachin, Think Like the Buddha
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Note from Janet: Victor's birthday is this week and here is a post that explores a Buddhist view of birthdays.
Here are three specifically Buddhist (mindful) ways to celebrate a birthday:
First, remember, with appreciation, the woman who gave you birth. Whether your mother was adequate or not is irrelevant. The fact is, she kept you alive and nurtured your growth when you could not do it for yourself. . . . Secondly, do an act of kindness for an animal. On special days, Buddhists worldwide will go to a market and buy a live creature destined for slaughter--a fish, goat, sheep, turtle, bird--and release it in an appropriate area. . . . Another way to embrace animal compassion on a birthday is by making a significant donation to an animal shelter. Thirdly, create a more mindful birthday by contributing a gift of money to a needy individual or civic organization. By so doing, a birthday isn't just "all about me" but also about others.
-Victor M Parachin, Buddhist Wisdom for Beginners
Here are three specifically Buddhist (mindful) ways to celebrate a birthday:
First, remember, with appreciation, the woman who gave you birth. Whether your mother was adequate or not is irrelevant. The fact is, she kept you alive and nurtured your growth when you could not do it for yourself. . . . Secondly, do an act of kindness for an animal. On special days, Buddhists worldwide will go to a market and buy a live creature destined for slaughter--a fish, goat, sheep, turtle, bird--and release it in an appropriate area. . . . Another way to embrace animal compassion on a birthday is by making a significant donation to an animal shelter. Thirdly, create a more mindful birthday by contributing a gift of money to a needy individual or civic organization. By so doing, a birthday isn't just "all about me" but also about others.
-Victor M Parachin, Buddhist Wisdom for Beginners
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It's all too easy to discount our efforts and minimize our effectiveness on the planet because most of us are not creating global change--negotiating peace treaties, ending wars, discovering new vaccines, etc. Yet, the Buddha wisely reminds people not to overlook tiny good actions. Our small acts can, indeed, make a big difference. A tiny seed can, in time, produce a huge tree. A small act of compassion can relieve a great distress. The journey that covers an enormous landscape always begins with the first step. The Buddha taught, "Do not overlook tiny good actions, thinking they are of no benefit; even tiny drops of water in the end will fill a huge vessel."
-Victor M Parachin, Eastern Wisdom for Western Minds
-Victor M Parachin, Eastern Wisdom for Western Minds
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When we are mindful, we create a space between a reaction and a response. And in that space we can access the wisdom that empowers us to move from reaction to reflection to response. Unlike a reaction, in which we are controlled by difficult thoughts and emotions, mindfulness creates a gap moment that allows us to control the response. In the gap we can pause, analyze and respond in a way that is skillful, positive and helpful.
-Victor M Parachin, Think Like the Buddha
-Victor M Parachin, Think Like the Buddha
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A popular teaching in the Zen tradition is equanimity or balance in the presence of various life issues. . . . Equanimity is something which ought to be brought to all events which come our way. In times of pain or pleasure, in times of sorrow and happiness, we can train ourselves not to be carried away by our emotions remembering to remain in a balanced state.
For example, when we learn someone has gossiped about us we do not react by gossiping back nor feeling broken by what was said. When we are treated with contempt and rudeness, we do not lash out with anger. Or, when someone we love has been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, we do not collapse in dread. We choose to remain balanced, calm, even serene.
-Victor M Parachin, Buddhist Wisdom for Beginners
For example, when we learn someone has gossiped about us we do not react by gossiping back nor feeling broken by what was said. When we are treated with contempt and rudeness, we do not lash out with anger. Or, when someone we love has been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, we do not collapse in dread. We choose to remain balanced, calm, even serene.
-Victor M Parachin, Buddhist Wisdom for Beginners
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Many times we're too hard on ourselves and view ourselves as weak, ineffective, hesitant and timid. That becomes so ingrained in our thoughts that we come to believe it's our true nature. However, Buddhist thought teaches just the opposite. Buddhists like to remind us that whenever we look into a mirror, we are seeing a Buddha. Our true nature is Buddhahood and everything that implies.
One way of actualizing our true nature is to meditate upon it. Sit comfortably and take a few deep inhalations/exhalations. Then return to normal breathing. Then repeat these three statements slowly, carefully, over and over during your five-minute meditation.
- Joy is my true nature.
- Love is my true nature.
- Peace is my true nature.
-Victor M Parachin, Sit a Bit
One way of actualizing our true nature is to meditate upon it. Sit comfortably and take a few deep inhalations/exhalations. Then return to normal breathing. Then repeat these three statements slowly, carefully, over and over during your five-minute meditation.
- Joy is my true nature.
- Love is my true nature.
- Peace is my true nature.
-Victor M Parachin, Sit a Bit