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Meditation is undeniably one of self-care’s all-time greats. Few other millennia-old practices have stood the test of both time and scientific scrutiny. Additionally, it’s a simple process, you can do it pretty much anywhere at any time, it doesn’t require any equipment and, best of all, it costs you nothing. - Justin Caffier
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Life is like climbing a mountain. You must find a good objective and use this temporary life to move towards it. Do not be lazy, because if you relax your attention for an instant on your way up, you will fall back down. Do not set your goal on many summtis. Since each mountain is a different height, if your going up and down, in the end all your labor will be for nothing. - Zen Master Cheng Yen
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If you are an atheist and do not believe in the notion of God, you may have a brilliant future in Zen. - Philip Kapleau
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Villagers in ancient India developed a simple and successful way to capture a monkey. A person would first find a ripe coconut, cut out a hole roughly the same size as a monkey’s hand and drink up or drain it of the sweet milk. Then the coconut would be tied to a tree in the forest and, a small banana would be placed inside the coconut.
Before long, a monkey would discover that hollow coconut with a banana inside. It would reach in, grasp the fruit and try to pull it out. However, the hole was only large enough for an open palm to be placed inside. When his fist was holding the banana, the monkey could not remove his hand.
When the village returned to check his banana – coconut trap, the monkey would frantically try to pull out his fist with the banana. The creature was trapped. All the monkey had to do to escape was open his fist, let go of the banana, pull his hand out and run.
That’s how monkeys came to be captured. They won’t let go of what keeps them trapped, stuck, frozen in place.
And, that’s exactly how humans get captured by life. The path to freedom is: let go of the banana.
Before long, a monkey would discover that hollow coconut with a banana inside. It would reach in, grasp the fruit and try to pull it out. However, the hole was only large enough for an open palm to be placed inside. When his fist was holding the banana, the monkey could not remove his hand.
When the village returned to check his banana – coconut trap, the monkey would frantically try to pull out his fist with the banana. The creature was trapped. All the monkey had to do to escape was open his fist, let go of the banana, pull his hand out and run.
That’s how monkeys came to be captured. They won’t let go of what keeps them trapped, stuck, frozen in place.
And, that’s exactly how humans get captured by life. The path to freedom is: let go of the banana.
- Let go of regret,
- Let go of guilt.
- Let go of anger.
- Let go of a relationship which is over, done, gone.
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People who eat animals may gain some awareness and may seem to be in samadhi, but they are great demons. When their current lifetime ends, they are bound to sink into the bitter sea of birth and death.They are not disciples of the Buddha. Such people kill and eat one another in a never-ending cycle. How can such people transcend the Triple Realm of samsara?
—Buddha Shakyamuni, Surangama Sutra 6:24
—Buddha Shakyamuni, Surangama Sutra 6:24
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Recently a Toronto, Ontario woman named Julie B celebrated one year of sobriety thanks to AA and her Buddhist practices. Speaking before her AA group, she explained how the Buddhist mindfulness teachings are not only helpful but powerful for dealing with troubling thoughts and a desire to drink. For her buddhist themed presentation she used the acronym S.O.B.E.R -
- Stop – Pause for a moment and consider what you are doing;
- Observe – Think about what you are sensing, feeling and experiencing, and what events led to the situation;
- Breathe – Pause for a few deep breaths in order to assess your situation in as calm a manner as possible;
- Expand – Expand your awareness and remind yourself of what will happen if you keep repeating the unwanted behavior (and how you will feel afterward);
- Respond mindfully – Remember that you have a choice, that you are not required to continue the undesired behavior.
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Suffering is very real, and, I fear, mankind rather increases than decreases it. - Allan Bennett
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Calming and tranquilizing the mind is the whole point of meditation. - Ajahn Brahm
(My commentary: people with weak impulse control should sincerely give meditation a try.)
(My commentary: people with weak impulse control should sincerely give meditation a try.)
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Chuck Norris is well known as a martial artist, actor, and author. His life appears to be one success after another. While that’s true, there is another aspect to his life, one of deep grief. Norris’ younger brother, Wieland, was killed in Vietnam in June of 1970. It was a devastating loss for Norris who was both an older brother and a father figure to Wieland.
Growing up, the Norris’ family struggled to get by. The father was largely absent and it meant his mother worked full time forced to leave Chuck Norris in charge of his two siblings. “Since we couldn’t afford a baby sitter and my mother and to work, I had to rush home from school every day to look after my two younger brothers.”
So, when Norris received the phone call informing him that Wieland was dead, it was a crushing blow. In his book The Secret Power Within, Norris writes: “I had nothing of greater value than my brother. I would have given anything not to lose him, and there was nothing I could do to get him back. That sunny June day was the saddest day of my life.”
With the passing of time, with support from family and friends, with grief work, Norris emerged from the tight grip of loss. He describes his grief journey this way:
“Consolation comes in many forms, all of them meaningful and helpful to a degree, and families, even small ones, can generate enormous amounts of power support to deal with such a terrible loss. The first piercing grief eventually becomes a kind of ever-present sorrow that doesn’t seem to want to go away ever, but then it does; or, rather it grows into something else, something you know you can live with, although at the same time you know you’ll never forget.”
In spite of this pain, Norris has lived a remarkable, fulfilling life. He is an inspiring example of this truth: the power of grief to disable us is temporary. There is within the human spirit a greater power, one that is able to overcome the troubles and trials of life.
(feel free to re-post and/or link to your social media)
Growing up, the Norris’ family struggled to get by. The father was largely absent and it meant his mother worked full time forced to leave Chuck Norris in charge of his two siblings. “Since we couldn’t afford a baby sitter and my mother and to work, I had to rush home from school every day to look after my two younger brothers.”
So, when Norris received the phone call informing him that Wieland was dead, it was a crushing blow. In his book The Secret Power Within, Norris writes: “I had nothing of greater value than my brother. I would have given anything not to lose him, and there was nothing I could do to get him back. That sunny June day was the saddest day of my life.”
With the passing of time, with support from family and friends, with grief work, Norris emerged from the tight grip of loss. He describes his grief journey this way:
“Consolation comes in many forms, all of them meaningful and helpful to a degree, and families, even small ones, can generate enormous amounts of power support to deal with such a terrible loss. The first piercing grief eventually becomes a kind of ever-present sorrow that doesn’t seem to want to go away ever, but then it does; or, rather it grows into something else, something you know you can live with, although at the same time you know you’ll never forget.”
In spite of this pain, Norris has lived a remarkable, fulfilling life. He is an inspiring example of this truth: the power of grief to disable us is temporary. There is within the human spirit a greater power, one that is able to overcome the troubles and trials of life.
(feel free to re-post and/or link to your social media)
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Some people store grudges the way others store recipes. - Rabbi Rami Shapiro