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My Lama used to say that, in the West, we no longer have the Eightfold Noble Path but the “twofold shortcut” of mindfulness and meditation. - Tashi Nyima
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The Buddha outlines eleven benefits of lovingkindness meditation (called metta in Pali). Interestingly, the Buddha cited a beautiful face and skin complexion as one of those. Here's how Buddhist author Bhante Gurantana describes that benefit:
Your complexion brightens. Metta shows in your face. As you practice metta, joy arises. At first it is barely noticeable, but as the joy increases, it begins to pervade your whole mind and body. Metta does not rely on any particular time, place, or condition. Once aroused, it can remain present in you the rest of your life. Your face cannot hide what is going on in your mind. When you are angry, it shows on your face. When you are peaceful, everyone notices. The energy of metta spreads through your bloodstream and nourishes your whole being. You look bright and clear, calm and peaceful.
(Read all eleven benefits at this link: https://tricycle.org/trikedaily/benefits-loving-friendliness-meditation/
Your complexion brightens. Metta shows in your face. As you practice metta, joy arises. At first it is barely noticeable, but as the joy increases, it begins to pervade your whole mind and body. Metta does not rely on any particular time, place, or condition. Once aroused, it can remain present in you the rest of your life. Your face cannot hide what is going on in your mind. When you are angry, it shows on your face. When you are peaceful, everyone notices. The energy of metta spreads through your bloodstream and nourishes your whole being. You look bright and clear, calm and peaceful.
(Read all eleven benefits at this link: https://tricycle.org/trikedaily/benefits-loving-friendliness-meditation/
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Pessimism can be so deadly.
The habit of seeing only
the negative aspect of a
situation hardly leaves
any room for healing.
- Tulku Thondop
The habit of seeing only
the negative aspect of a
situation hardly leaves
any room for healing.
- Tulku Thondop
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Even though the Declaration of Independence cites the “pursuit of happiness” as an unalienable right, a recent pew research Center poll discovered that just one-third (34%) of adults in this country say they're very happy. Here are six ways for bringing more happiness into your life even though you are grieving.
1. Tap into resilience. You are much stronger, wiser, capable, talented that you may know. No matter how difficult your life may be just now, tap into your inner strength and talent. Step up the the challenge you are facing. Consider this wisdom: Look within in the silence. Your soul is waiting to tell you everything you know. - Alison Stormwolf
2. Purge. Get rid of something which is a negative symbol for you. Purging yourself of an object which has negative energy opens the door to joy and happiness. When her husband died after a lengthy battle with multiple sclerosis, “his wheelchair, the symbol of our mutual imprisonment to his disease, was the first thing to go,” says his wife. Consider this wisdom: Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful. William Morris
3. Practice compassion. The English word compassion is used to translate the Sanskrit word 'karuna' which means 'suspending happiness.' Reach out with love, kindness and compassion to someone else who is in a tough place. For a few moments every day suspend your own happiness to focus on another. Consider this wisdom: If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion. - Dalai Lama
4. Learn something new. Even though you may be out of school view yourself as a lifelong student. Learn new things – a language, a hobby, a skill, a sport, etc. Consider this wisdom: Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young. - Henry Ford
5. Forgive. If you've blundered, forgive yourself, try to make amends and the let it go. If you've been hurt, forgive them and move on with your life. Consider this wisdom: To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you. -Lewis Smedes
6. Transition from setback to comeback. It's impossible to go through life with experiencing disappointment and discouragement. When those enter your life, absorb what's happened, learn from it and then, move from setback to comeback. Consider this wisdom: I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life. - Steve Jobs
1. Tap into resilience. You are much stronger, wiser, capable, talented that you may know. No matter how difficult your life may be just now, tap into your inner strength and talent. Step up the the challenge you are facing. Consider this wisdom: Look within in the silence. Your soul is waiting to tell you everything you know. - Alison Stormwolf
2. Purge. Get rid of something which is a negative symbol for you. Purging yourself of an object which has negative energy opens the door to joy and happiness. When her husband died after a lengthy battle with multiple sclerosis, “his wheelchair, the symbol of our mutual imprisonment to his disease, was the first thing to go,” says his wife. Consider this wisdom: Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful. William Morris
3. Practice compassion. The English word compassion is used to translate the Sanskrit word 'karuna' which means 'suspending happiness.' Reach out with love, kindness and compassion to someone else who is in a tough place. For a few moments every day suspend your own happiness to focus on another. Consider this wisdom: If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion. - Dalai Lama
4. Learn something new. Even though you may be out of school view yourself as a lifelong student. Learn new things – a language, a hobby, a skill, a sport, etc. Consider this wisdom: Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young. - Henry Ford
5. Forgive. If you've blundered, forgive yourself, try to make amends and the let it go. If you've been hurt, forgive them and move on with your life. Consider this wisdom: To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you. -Lewis Smedes
6. Transition from setback to comeback. It's impossible to go through life with experiencing disappointment and discouragement. When those enter your life, absorb what's happened, learn from it and then, move from setback to comeback. Consider this wisdom: I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life. - Steve Jobs
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The Buddha said that some people are born in the light and go to the light. Some people are born in the light and go to the dark. Some people are born in the dark and go to the light. And some people are born in the dark and go to the dark. This means no matter where we're born, our choices and opportunities exist. - Ayya Khema
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Much of our life is based on wrong assumptions made through not understanding and not really investigating the way anything is. So life for one who isn’t awake and aware tends to become depressing or bewildering, especially when disappointments or tragedies occur. Then one becomes overwhelmed because one has not observed the way things are.
- Ajahn Sumedho
- Ajahn Sumedho
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In the past, the lives of monks were hagiographies; today, they’re mostly slander. I have no desire for the former and the latter can be harmful to the Sangha. I was fortunate to meet my Lama and have tried to share what little I understood of his teaching. I was born sickly and barely survived. I’ve lived long enough to do a few good deeds and make many mistakes. I confuse previous lives with the one I live now. I am dying; we’re all dying. These are the facts. Everything else is gossip. - Tashy Nyima
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It is a common misconception that because we're alive we know how to live. This is one of our human absurdities. Living life is a skill. - Ayya Khema
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(public domain photo from www.pixabay.com)
In her book, Awaken My Heart, Andrea Miller has an interview with anthropologist Jane Goodall who is considered the world's foremost authority on chimpanzees. Ms. Miller asked Goodall what "evidence" she uncovered which demonstrates that animals can feel compassion of love.
"I’ll give you one story. There was an infant chimpanzee named Mel. He was three and should still have been riding on his mother’s back, sleeping with her at night, and suckling. but his mother died. If he’d had an older brother or sister, he would have been adopted by that individual, but he didn’t, so he was on his own and we thought he’d die. Then he was adopted by Spindle, an unrelated male who was twelve, which is about like being a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old human. Spindle let little Mel ride on his back. If it was cold or Mel was frightened, he let him cling to his belly as a mother would. If Mel crept up to his nest at night and made whimpering sounds, Spindle reached out and drew him in. They slept curled up together. When Mel begged, whimpering with his hand out, Spindle would share his food. And most dramatic of all, Spindle protected Mel....There is no question that Spindle saved Mel’s life."
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Why do you give so much
power to your mistakes?
Why not give yourself more
pluses than minuses?
- Victor M. Parachin