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This Friday - March 30th - is Sangha Day for Buddhists worldwide.
After the birth date of the Buddha, Sangha Day is regarded as the second most important Buddhist day of celebration. It takes place around the first full moon in March and is a national holiday in many Southeastern Asian countries. Sometimes cited as Magha Puja, it celebrates a day which took place nine months after the Buddha's awakening. At that time 1,250 disciples came to see the Buddha without being summoned where they were ordained by the Buddha and received the following instructions:
Please join me - and Buddhists worldwide - to sit in meditation honoring the establishment of the Sangha. More information at:
www.tulsayogameditationcenter.com
After the birth date of the Buddha, Sangha Day is regarded as the second most important Buddhist day of celebration. It takes place around the first full moon in March and is a national holiday in many Southeastern Asian countries. Sometimes cited as Magha Puja, it celebrates a day which took place nine months after the Buddha's awakening. At that time 1,250 disciples came to see the Buddha without being summoned where they were ordained by the Buddha and received the following instructions:
- to cease from negative actions
- to do what is good
- to purify and strengthen the mind
Please join me - and Buddhists worldwide - to sit in meditation honoring the establishment of the Sangha. More information at:
www.tulsayogameditationcenter.com
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Very few relationships come to us exactly as we want them but with proper care we can shape thim into enduring pillars of strength and beauty within which great joy can b experience and great deeds can be accomplished. - Wu Wei
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One of the great modern Japanese Zen masters was Harada Tangen (1924-2018) who died this week at the age of 93. He viewed his life as a miracle and the result of his mother's total dedication. When she was pregnant with Harada, she was advised to abort because there were complications about pregnancy and delivery, problems which would likely cost her life. She refused an abortion, gave birth and died shortly after birth. Harada felt his lived because of his mother's protection and ultimate sacrifice.
Teaching for years and decades when Zen was not popular in Japan, Harada persisted and drew faithful crowds not only from Japan but worldwide. In one of his teachings on the importance of consistency in meditation, he shared this personal insight. His wisdom is worthy of further reflection.
It (meditation) was always easy for me. I struggled mightily, as you struggle. But I stuck with the practice — the one single way of practice — and made no excuses for myself. I did not allow my practice to fade out in feelings of discouragement. There were hard times. But I stayed with the practice, no matter what. And this is what each one of you must do. Even times when I thought I was not going to live through it. There were times when I could not breathe, times when all went dark before my eyes, times when I thought I was going to pass out. But even then I refused to give in to my old self-centered patterns of behavior. I did not try to adjust the practice to do it my way. I stuck with the simple practice that was given to me.
I cannot stress enough to you the absolute importance of sticking to your practice no matter what. No adjustment is required; no calculation is needed. I went through the same thing that you are going through now, so I can tell you from personal experience what you must do. You must give your life to this, and refuse to let anything — any thoughts, ideas, attitudes — get in your way. Your ‘yes’ must be open. Your resolve must be like steel.
Teaching for years and decades when Zen was not popular in Japan, Harada persisted and drew faithful crowds not only from Japan but worldwide. In one of his teachings on the importance of consistency in meditation, he shared this personal insight. His wisdom is worthy of further reflection.
It (meditation) was always easy for me. I struggled mightily, as you struggle. But I stuck with the practice — the one single way of practice — and made no excuses for myself. I did not allow my practice to fade out in feelings of discouragement. There were hard times. But I stayed with the practice, no matter what. And this is what each one of you must do. Even times when I thought I was not going to live through it. There were times when I could not breathe, times when all went dark before my eyes, times when I thought I was going to pass out. But even then I refused to give in to my old self-centered patterns of behavior. I did not try to adjust the practice to do it my way. I stuck with the simple practice that was given to me.
I cannot stress enough to you the absolute importance of sticking to your practice no matter what. No adjustment is required; no calculation is needed. I went through the same thing that you are going through now, so I can tell you from personal experience what you must do. You must give your life to this, and refuse to let anything — any thoughts, ideas, attitudes — get in your way. Your ‘yes’ must be open. Your resolve must be like steel.
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No one can avoid experiencing fear and tension at one time or another, but it is within our power to minimize their influence. - Indra Devi
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His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama will wind down his foreign travel for the rest of this year, a spokesperson for the Central Tibetan Administration announced on Thursday, citing age and exhaustion as the reasons for the decision.
“His Holiness is invited to different countries but he has cut down public engagements because of age,” said Central Tibetan Administration spokesperson Sonam Dagpo. “He is exhausted after teaching for a long period of time. Therefore a few commitments have been canceled.”
Dagpo added, “The Dalai Lama’s health is fine,” noting that the 82-year-old Tibetan spiritual leader has made several trips within India, where he has been living in exile in Dharamsala since 1959.
“Usually these engagements—inauguration, ribbon-cutting-type ceremonies—last only for a few hours, but some engagements are for teaching and they last for seven days, which he’s doing less and less of,” Dagpo clarified.
(source: www.buddhistdoor.net)
“His Holiness is invited to different countries but he has cut down public engagements because of age,” said Central Tibetan Administration spokesperson Sonam Dagpo. “He is exhausted after teaching for a long period of time. Therefore a few commitments have been canceled.”
Dagpo added, “The Dalai Lama’s health is fine,” noting that the 82-year-old Tibetan spiritual leader has made several trips within India, where he has been living in exile in Dharamsala since 1959.
“Usually these engagements—inauguration, ribbon-cutting-type ceremonies—last only for a few hours, but some engagements are for teaching and they last for seven days, which he’s doing less and less of,” Dagpo clarified.
(source: www.buddhistdoor.net)
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Avoid anyone, however great and good he may be, who asks you to believe blindly. Beware of everything that takes away your freedom. - Swami Vivekananda
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Over dinner, a friend asked Bruce Lee, the famed martial artist and actor, how he was able to deal the with great stress in his life. Lee’s response is instructive: “I have a system of ridding my mind of negative thoughts. I visualize myself writing them down on a piece of paper, lighting it on fire, and burning it to a crisp. It may seem silly, but the system works, at least for me.”
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Self pity is one of the deadly sins ‘Poor me’ is the worst affirmation you can make, as it cuts you off from the Power within, and you will have more and more reasons for pitying yourself. - Florence Scovel Shinn
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Douglas Rushkoff is a social media authority, professor at City University of New York and someone who "ditched" facebook three years ago. He's never regretted it advising others: "You can ditch Facebook. It's OK. You will survive. And not only will you get through it, but your life will get better." Here are some reasons he dropped facebook and why he believes more people should #delete facebook.
1. For facebook, you are not a customer but a product. Facebook is selling you and your personal information: likes, dislikes, politics, religion, purchases etc.
2. The social media company allows others to "harvest" you. Rushkoff states: " Facebook was not breached or hacked by Cambridge Analytica. The Facebook platform was doing exactly what it is programmed to do: Harvest our data, identify our psychological triggers and then manipulate our behavior."
3. Getting off facebook will let you connect to people who really matter to you. "You won't be pinged by those friends from second grade whom you have spent the last 40 years trying to forget. Is that sad?Maybe. Until we migrate to a less corrupted online directory of names and emails, people you no longer know may have a harder time locating you.
4. You will be a happier person and more responsible citizen. "Whether you want to be a more responsible citizen, or simply a happier person, you owe it yourself to get off Facebook any way you can. And I'm here to tell you, you can do it. You are going to be OK. It's not so bad. In fact, it's better.," he says.
1. For facebook, you are not a customer but a product. Facebook is selling you and your personal information: likes, dislikes, politics, religion, purchases etc.
2. The social media company allows others to "harvest" you. Rushkoff states: " Facebook was not breached or hacked by Cambridge Analytica. The Facebook platform was doing exactly what it is programmed to do: Harvest our data, identify our psychological triggers and then manipulate our behavior."
3. Getting off facebook will let you connect to people who really matter to you. "You won't be pinged by those friends from second grade whom you have spent the last 40 years trying to forget. Is that sad?Maybe. Until we migrate to a less corrupted online directory of names and emails, people you no longer know may have a harder time locating you.
4. You will be a happier person and more responsible citizen. "Whether you want to be a more responsible citizen, or simply a happier person, you owe it yourself to get off Facebook any way you can. And I'm here to tell you, you can do it. You are going to be OK. It's not so bad. In fact, it's better.," he says.
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Postures are only the initial stage in the long road of Yoga training. It is a training that usually begins with working to improve the body, then progresses to control of the mind and finally leads to the unfolding of the spirit within. - Indra Devi