The Practice of Giving and Taking

In Buddhist meditation, there is an exceptional instruction called “the practice of Giving and Taking.” This training takes place during meditation. A person using visualization would take on all the hurt pain, negativity, and unfortunate experiences of human beings. They would visualize taking this pain upon them self and then sharing with others their own positive qualities, such as positive states of mind, their virtuous energy, their wealth, their pleasure. This practice psychologically brings about a great transformation in their mind so effectively that their sense of love and compassion is much more enhanced. One thing we need to remember is that mental transformation of any form does not happen overnight. They take time and are not easy.  One point about the western way of life is we learn to expect things extremely fast with the advanced technology we have. We should not expect a spiritual change to take place within a short time frame. We have to keep in mind and make a constant effort, then after one year, five years, ten years, twenty years, we will eventually get change. There is an excerpt from Shantideva’s book I appreciate that I found in The Dalai Lama’s Little Book of Wisdom, which says, “As long as space endures, as long as sentient beings remain, until then, may I too remain and dispel the miseries of the world.”

The Power of Compassion

With an inner strength increase, it is possible to develop a strong determination. With this strong determination, there is a wider possibility of personal success, no matter what circumstances we face. Obstacles at times can be immense and seem like no way around them, but with an increase of inner strength, we will continue to walk out of the boundaries with ease. On the other hand, when we feel fear, hesitation, and lack of self confidence, is when we often develop a negative attitude. A negative attitude is the actual seed of failure. Image an enormous oak tree growing in a neighbor’s yard. That tree started out as a seed that was planted in the ground. After some time, the seed sprouted and then gradually grew into a tree. A negative attitude starts out as a seed and can continue to grow into as huge tree. If we let this happen within our life, we will have to face one failure after another. There will be no true happiness in our life as a result of feeling failure constantly. One way to strengthen our inner strength is to have compassion for humans. The greater the effectiveness of our altruistic attitude towards humans, the more courageous we become. It is when our courageous approach is at a high level we will feel less vulnerable to fear, hesitation, and low self confidence. Therefore, compassion is very important for a successful future.

Body Check-In

How relaxed are you at this moment in time?  Where is the tension in your body?  If you’re like most people, you’re probably more aware of your bank balance or the time of day than you are of your own body, even though you’re riding around in it.  And that’s the problem, isn’t it?  You’ve been treating your body like a junk car that gets you from one place to another, instead of treating it like a precious temple enshrining your existence. 

Your body can actually tell you more about relaxation than any book can.  It knows volumes about your unique states of tension and release.  All you have to do is turn your attention within, and quietly listen. 

Remember to thank your body for keeping you alive and informed, for serving you despite all the times you’ve ignored its needs.  Do something special for your body today:  take a bubble bath, get a manicure, use some hand lotion, or wear your most comfortable clothes.  Keep checking in with your body.  It will tell you truths you need to know, secrets you cannot hear from any other source.

From time to time today, pause in a quiet spot and close your eyes.  Allow your breathing to slow and deepen.  Ask your body, “Where are you tense?”  Scan your body for any tight neck or back muscles, sore joints, tiny aches and pains in your arms or legs, little twitches around your eyes, or places where you  are hunched up to protect tender spots. 

As you find each twitch, contraction, or distortion, thank your body for showing it to you.  Remember that all tension is muscular tension, and all muscle contraction is self-produced, even if you aren’t aware of producing it.  So, once you become aware of the tension, you can begin to let the tension go.  Focus on each area from a moment, exploring the tightness or soreness, even exaggeration it a little if you can.  Exhale slowly and allow your tight back muscles to relax, your eyelids to stop twitching, your knees to stop aching.  Tell your body, “It’s okay, we don’t need this tension or this soreness anymore.  We can let it go.”

 By: Mckay, Fanning

How do we look at our material possessions

"When our attitude towards our material possessions and wealth is not proper, it can lead to an extreme attachment towards such things as our property, houses, and belongings.  This can lead to an inabililty to feel contented.  If that happens then one will always remain in a state of dissatisfaction, always wanting more.  In a way, one is then really poor, because the suffering of poverty is the suffering of wanting something and feeling the lack of it.  The sense of contentment is a key factor for attaining happiness.  Bodily health, material wealth and companions and friends are three factors for happiness.  Contentment is the key that will determine the outcome of your realtions with all three of these factors."

The Dalai Lama's Little Book of Wisdom 

Practice Peace Properly

Peace possesses all knowledge and all power, and it gives rise to natures beauty. The subtle changes between the four seasons of spring, summer, fall, and winter give rise to different techniques. Peace seeks to promote ultimate beauty, a virtue that comes forth from the four corners and the eight directions of the world. Those who practice peace must protect the world of Mother Nature, the divine evidence of creation, and keep it attractive and clean. Peace makers give birth to natural beauty. A peacemaker is as natural as the appearance of each four seasons. Creating peace is none other than the vitality that sustains all life. In order to practice Peace properly, we must do three things.

1. Calm the spirit.

             
2. Cleanse the heart and soul by removing all malice, selfishness, and desire.

             
3. Be eternally grateful for the gifts received from the universe, our 

    family,  mother nature, and our fellow human beings.

The essence of being a peace maker is to absolve ourselves of all maliciousness, to get in tune with our environment, and lighten our course from all obstacles.

Peace is Medicine

Peace is medicine for a sick world. Everyone wants a cure for the world of contamination of violence, malcontent, and discord.  There is evil and violence in the world because people have forgotten that all things come from one source.  All non peace makers need to return to that one source and leave behind all self-centered thoughts, petty desires, and anger.  Practicing peace is a measure of faith, a belief in the ultimate control of nonviolence.  It is faith in the power of purification and confidence in the power of life itself. It is not a strict discipline or empty asceticism.  It is an application that follows natural principles.  These principles must be applied to our daily activities. Peace should be practiced from the time we start to greet the morning until the time we retire at night.  One expedient thing to remember is peace emanated from the Divine Form and the Divine Heart of life; it reflects the true, good, beautiful, and pure nature of life and the nature of its highest final design.  Peace’s goal is to build profound human beings. A profound human being is one who has unified body and mind, one who is independent of hesitation or doubt, and one who understands the power of peaceful words.  Today I would like to challenge us to do one kind deed.   “Give someone a welcoming friendly smile as we greet them with peaceful words.”

10 Thoughts On Whole Living

I recently came across these ten thoughts of whole living in a magazine and I thought this would be a perfect blog for the New Year.  Seems like every year I plan to change a large amount of things within my life and by the end of the year I notice I never meet all my resolutions.  This is very common with majority of the world.  These ten thoughts point out a different perspective on "whole living".    ENJOY!   

10 Thoughts On Whole Living

1.  Make this the year you follow through.

2.  Invigorate body and mind:  Excercise until your spirit soars.

3.  Other people may have opinions about where your life is headed, but only you have the power to prove them wrong.

4.  The path to fearless living goes straight through the roadblocks, not around them.

5.  Seek out foods that sustain, nourish, and warm you.

6.  Creativity goes beyond sheer artistry; it takes courage to express your ideas.

7.  Disagreements offer invaluable insights.  Don't avoid them - study them.

8.  To truly detoxify your lifestyle, think about what you can add in, Not Just Take out.

9.  The coziest homes aren't merely filled with stuff;  THEY'RE DESIGNED TO BRING PEOPLE CLOSER. 

10.  An ending doesn't have to be sad.  It's the only way to begin something new. 

By: Terri Trespicio