- Published on
Ajahn Pasanno was born in The Pas, Manitoba, Canada but for the last 46 years has been a monk in Thailand following the Thai Forest Tradition of Buddhism. He was recently by the King of Thailand for his immense contributions to Thai Buddhism as well as to Buddhism worldwide. Here's how he explains his role.
"As a Buddhist monk I’m not just concerned about what I say. It’s important for me to be a steady and consistent example of that which is peaceful and compassionate. This is my 46th year as a monk. Firstly, I’m here to practice. But I’m also here to be an example and give encouragement and support to both the monastic and lay community."
His insight applies to all of us who have a regular meditation practice. That should lead us to be "mentors" of peace and compassion.
"As a Buddhist monk I’m not just concerned about what I say. It’s important for me to be a steady and consistent example of that which is peaceful and compassionate. This is my 46th year as a monk. Firstly, I’m here to practice. But I’m also here to be an example and give encouragement and support to both the monastic and lay community."
His insight applies to all of us who have a regular meditation practice. That should lead us to be "mentors" of peace and compassion.
- Published on
Thinking of yourself first, when your goal is to help others, might seem counterintuitive, but in fact it is the only way it can work. In the end, the notion of putting oneself last is really an inside-out form of self-cherishing. That’s why during pre-flight instructions the flight attendant says to put on your own oxygen mask first. - Cyndi Lee
- Published on
Tao Porchon-Lynch, the world’s oldest yoga teacher who turns 101 today, kicked off her birthday week doing what she loves best — teaching her weekly Sunday class. Sixty students showed up for her special day birthday class bringing fruit salad, champagne and a carrot cake inscribed “101 and fabulous” to toast their teacher who was recognized by the Guinness World Records as the “World’s Oldest Yoga Teacher” in 2012.
As the celebratory pictures found their way to Instagram, messages from fans from around the world, including from Norway, Germany, India, Spain and Brazil, flooded the comments section thanking her for inspiring them.
“To me 101 is natural. It doesn’t scare me. I awake with the sun and think of all my many friends and that makes me ready to know that you never put anything off for tomorrow because tomorrow never comes,” Porchon-Lynch, a resident of White Plains, NYT.
As the celebratory pictures found their way to Instagram, messages from fans from around the world, including from Norway, Germany, India, Spain and Brazil, flooded the comments section thanking her for inspiring them.
“To me 101 is natural. It doesn’t scare me. I awake with the sun and think of all my many friends and that makes me ready to know that you never put anything off for tomorrow because tomorrow never comes,” Porchon-Lynch, a resident of White Plains, NYT.
- Published on
Christianity has long been on the decline all over Europe. There major cathedrals are largely tourist sites rather than places of worship. Now, Canada is experiencing a similar trend with more and more citizens becoming less and less affiliated with Christianity. Here are five facts about religion in Canada, based on Pew Research Center data:
- A declining share of Canadians identify as Christians, while an increasing share say they have no religion.
- Most Canadians say religion’s influence in public life is waning in their country.
- Canada has low levels of government restrictions on religion.
- Relatively few Canadians engage frequently in traditional religious practices, such as daily prayer or weekly worship.
- Two-thirds of Canadians (67%) say it is not necessary to believe in God in order to be moral and have good values.
- Published on
You must develop the capacity for introspection. Without introspection we rarely recognize our own faults. We often blame others or the environment, and see ourselves as victims.
- Sheng Yen
- Sheng Yen
- Published on
Rabbi Joseph Telushkin wisely observes that "because we all have flaws, the most important struggle in which we must engage is with ourselves." However, in order to correct our shortcomings we first need to be aware of them. For this to happen, Rabbi Telushkin advises taking some time to carefully "write down what you feel are your most obvious character flaws and weaknesses." Only this way can we gain an intimate awareness of our true character. Rabbi Telushkin offers these sample questions to glean character insight -
- Am I prone to anger? When I am angry, do I over react and so or do things that inflict pain on others?
- Do I judge others fairly, or am I harshly critical (both in what I say and what I think)?
- Do I speak curtly, making people feel that I have no time for them?
- Am I moody? Do I make people around me feel that they are somehow responsible for my moods. Does my unhappiness affect the atmosphere in my home?
- Do I treat strangers with more consideration than members of my own family?
- Do I take other people's kind behavior for granted or do I go out of my way to express thanks and help those have been kind to me?
- Do I blame my wrongful actions and mistakes on others or do I take responsibility for the wrong I do?
- Do I jump to conclusions before I know all the facts?
- Do I bear grudges and remain angry at others for a long time?
- Am I jealous of the success of others?
- Published on
We needn't rescue the whole world, or even a city, or neighborhood. We begin with those around us. - Eknath Easwaran
- Published on
Hinduism itself is a mosaic of different groups practicing different belief systems and worshipping various deities yet still there is unity and harmony. Debates between different groups have remains mostly verbal and have rarely resulted in violent conflicts. This same attitude is applied in the interaction of Hinduism with other religions. throughout India's history communities of Zorastrians, Jews, Christians and Muslims have settled in India and been given the respect and freedom to worship and practice their faith. - Swami Narayan Aksharpith
- Published on
The young, the old, the extremely aged, even the sick and the infirm obtain perfection in Yoga by constant practices. Success will follow him who practices, not him who practices not. Success in Yoga is not obtained by mere theoretical reading of sacred texts. Success is not obtained by wearing the dress of a yogi or a recluse, nor by taking about it. Constant practice alone is the secret of success. There is not doubt of this. - Hatha Yoga Pradipika
- Published on
Speak no evil; tweet no evil.