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The soul, in its intelligence, searches for its Self, slowly ascending the path that leads to enlightenment and liberation. It is an arduous,
delightful journey through the cycles of birth, death and rebirth culminating in Self Realization, the direct and personal spiritual experience of God, of the Self, of Truth. - Sivya Subramuniyaswami
delightful journey through the cycles of birth, death and rebirth culminating in Self Realization, the direct and personal spiritual experience of God, of the Self, of Truth. - Sivya Subramuniyaswami
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While all religions attempt to deal with questions such as Why am I here? What is my purpose? Is there a purpose for my life? How should I live?, there is a vast difference in "style" and approach between religions of the East and those of the West.
The East - Hindu, Buddhist, Taoist - tend to be intuitive, introspective, unifying, embracing of other views.
The West - Judaism, Christianity, Islam - dualistic, materialistic, externally focused, including only those who agree and adhere to their teachings. Their is an open system.
Eastern spiritual styles are highly accommodating and hospitable to other viewpoints and understandings feeling that all sincere paths lead to Higher Consciousness or God.
Western religions, shaped by their theologians, confine and constrict their views resulting in dogmas and doctrines which stress that their path is the only path which will lead to God. Theirs is a closed system often resulting in fanaticism and intolerance.
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Learn to see the truth in everything that befalls you, seemingly bad events included. You will be amazed at the difference it will make in your life. - Wu Wei
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The discipline of assent means that we should constantly ask ourselves whether the first impression we get about everything that happens to us is correct – in which case we can “give it assent” – or incorrect, in which case we “deny it assent”. - Massimo Pigliucci
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According to officials of the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the most looked up word in 2017 was feminism. In one year, lookups for the word increased 70 percent over 2016 on Merriam-Webster.com, and searches have spiked several times after key events, lexicographer Peter Sokolowski, the company’s editor at large, told the Associated Press.
“Surreal” was the word of the year last year.
Feminism’s roots date to 14th-century English. Sokolowski had to look no further than his company’s founder, Noah Webster, for the first dictionary reference, in 1841. “It was a very new word at that time,” Sokolowski said. “His definition is not the definition that you and I would understand today. His definition was ‘the qualities of females,’ so, basically, feminism to Noah Webster meant femaleness.”
On the flip side, the most disliked word use is “whatever.” Every year the Marist Institute for Public Opinion (MIPO) — a survey research center — conducts a poll, and for nine straight years, Americans say “whatever” is the most annoying word or phrase used in casual conversation.
“Surreal” was the word of the year last year.
Feminism’s roots date to 14th-century English. Sokolowski had to look no further than his company’s founder, Noah Webster, for the first dictionary reference, in 1841. “It was a very new word at that time,” Sokolowski said. “His definition is not the definition that you and I would understand today. His definition was ‘the qualities of females,’ so, basically, feminism to Noah Webster meant femaleness.”
On the flip side, the most disliked word use is “whatever.” Every year the Marist Institute for Public Opinion (MIPO) — a survey research center — conducts a poll, and for nine straight years, Americans say “whatever” is the most annoying word or phrase used in casual conversation.
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The way to stop perpetuating the habits that cause us unnecessary suffering is to bring mindfulness and awareness to all aspects of our lives. - Karen Kissel Wegela
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Many mental health counselors advise their patients to clean their living areas. That's because a sloppy, messy, chaotic home reflects an inner chaos and unhappiness. Shoukei Matsumoto, a Buddhist monk and author of A Monk’s Guide to a Clean House and Mind explains that cleaning and maintaining a clean environment are a vital aspect of Buddhist practice in Japan. "In Japanese Buddhism, it is said that what you must do in the pursuit of your spirituality is clean, clean, clean. This is because the practice of cleaning is powerful," he notes.
Here's what this Buddhist monk has learned about the spiritual practice of cleaning:
Shoukei Matsumoto says the spiritual practice of cleaning is "very simple. Sweep from the top to the bottom of your home, wipe along the stream of objects and handle everything with care." After cleaning up your home, apartment or room, he recommends extending the practice into other life areas. While he doesn't identify what those areas may be, his suggestion is stimulating. What if we began to tidy up our relationships and friendships to make them "cleaner"? Or, how about cleaning up the way we drive our vehicles, making roadways and traffic less anxiety producing? Or, how about cleaning up the way we treat people who serve us – baristas, store clerks, bank tellers, waiters and waitresses, flight attendants, etc.,
Here's what this Buddhist monk has learned about the spiritual practice of cleaning:
- Cleaning practice - that is sweeping, polishing, wiping, tidying, washing - constitutes an important step toward inner peace.
- Buddhism does not separate the person from the environment and "cleaning expresses our respect for and sense of wholeness with the world that surrounds us."
- Cleaning when done mindfully is a powerful meditation practice. For that reason, Japanese Buddhist monks routinely clean their own temples. "This is because the cleaning practice is not a tool but a purpose in itself. Would you outsource your meditation practice to others?"
- There is no end to cleaning just as there is no ending of or "graduation" in meditation practice. " Right after I am satisfied with the cleanliness of the garden I have swept, fallen leaves and dust begin to accumulate. Similarly, right after I feel peaceful with my ego-less mindfulness, anger or anxiety begin once again to emerge in my mind. The ego endlessly arises in my mind, so I keep cleaning for my inner peace. No cleaning, no life."
Shoukei Matsumoto says the spiritual practice of cleaning is "very simple. Sweep from the top to the bottom of your home, wipe along the stream of objects and handle everything with care." After cleaning up your home, apartment or room, he recommends extending the practice into other life areas. While he doesn't identify what those areas may be, his suggestion is stimulating. What if we began to tidy up our relationships and friendships to make them "cleaner"? Or, how about cleaning up the way we drive our vehicles, making roadways and traffic less anxiety producing? Or, how about cleaning up the way we treat people who serve us – baristas, store clerks, bank tellers, waiters and waitresses, flight attendants, etc.,
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Lovers of wisdom must open their minds to very many things. - Heraclitus
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A common problem of
modern humanity
is such that we use
the mouth a lot
but the eyes and ears
only a little.
- Hsing Yun
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If you’re meditating with some regularity but not finding it as motivating as it once was, consider re-inventing your meditation practice rather than allow it to dwindle away and disappear.
Some signs that a meditation practice needs help include:
Buddhism teaches impermanence, meaning that nothing is unchanging and that includes your meditation practice. In fact, your very practice may be trying to move you into another direction in order to be a more meaningful practice. Just as you have changed over the months and years, perhaps your practice needs refining. Personal tastes change all the time – tastes in clothing, food, friends, reading, television programs, etc. The same may be true for meditation. So, don’t hesitate to adapt and modify. This can be a subtle shift or one which is more profound
Some signs that a meditation practice needs help include:
- boredom
- laziness
- less desire to practice
- finding excuses not to do it
- craving - feeling there are no results
- doubt – believing meditation isn’t really useful
Buddhism teaches impermanence, meaning that nothing is unchanging and that includes your meditation practice. In fact, your very practice may be trying to move you into another direction in order to be a more meaningful practice. Just as you have changed over the months and years, perhaps your practice needs refining. Personal tastes change all the time – tastes in clothing, food, friends, reading, television programs, etc. The same may be true for meditation. So, don’t hesitate to adapt and modify. This can be a subtle shift or one which is more profound