yada Meditation and the Malleable Self The self is plastic, a malleable clay being molded each moment by intention. Just as our scientists are discovering not only how the mind is shaped by the brain but now, too, how the brain is shaped by the mind, so the Buddha described long ago the interdependent process […]
How Not to Reform the World
March 8, 2016 by
These words of wisdom from Ramana Maharshi teach us how not to reform the world. With the world in so much trouble right now from climate change, social, racial and economic injustice, and growing populations, we need to consider some methods to reform the world in a peaceful way. Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh says, […]
The Value of a Smile
March 7, 2016 by Leave a Comment
“You’ll find that life is still worthwhile, if you just smile.” ~ Charlie Chaplin REMINDER: Today’s happiness theme is on “smiling, even when it’s hardest to do so.” When things go wrong and stress takes over you, the last thing you feel like doing is smile. But if you smile, your mood will automatically change […]
The Joy of Living
March 7, 2016 by Leave a Comment
The joy of living is expressed by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh in the words we often hear from him in his dharma talk, books and interview: “.” “Only as we give the best we have to every passing experience can we hope to enter into the joy of living. Can anyone enjoy a game […]
Gratitude Exercise
March 6, 2016 by Leave a Comment
yada “Be thankful to those who gave you no love. It is because of them that you have learned to look for love and approval within yourself… Be thankful for the many limits that were imposed on you. It is because of them you have learned to break free from all the past conditioning and […]
Finding Lessons in Your Daily Experience
March 5, 2016 by Leave a Comment
yada “Don’t look for faults. Look for the lessons in everything that has happened to you. Look for the good in the bad, look for the beautiful in the ugly… Take the best out of every experience. Allow your challenges to make you better not bitter.”~ Luminita D. Saviuc, 15 Things You Should Give Up to […]
A Natural Inclination to Compassion
March 5, 2016 by Leave a Comment
tata Buddha vs. Hobbes I think everybody has a natural inclination to compassion. It gets covered over by frustration, ignorance, bad experiences, bad karma, but underneath it, as they say, everybody has a Buddha-nature which is compassionate. This is exactly the opposite of the Hobbesian view, which is that underneath everybody is a snarling animal. […]
Are We Our Own Worst Enemies?
March 4, 2016 by Leave a Comment
tata Making History Here World history is a record of the effects of the negative and positive thoughts of human beings. This, I think, is quite clear. By reflecting on these past occurrences, we can see that if we want to have a better and happier future, now is the time to examine the mindset […]
Great Compassion
March 3, 2016 by Leave a Comment
yada The Mindlessness of Aggression In the eyes of Great Compassion, there is no separation between subject and object, no separate self. If a cruel and violent person disembowels you, you can smile and look at him with love. It is his upbringing, his situation, and his ignorance that cause him to act so mindlessly. […]
Finding Goals
March 3, 2016 by Leave a Comment
yada “Crocker isn’t the only researcher who has investigated the benefits of taking a tend-and-befriend approach to achieving personal goals. Dave Yeager… has shown that helping students find their bigger-than-self goals improves academic motivation and performance. In one study, college students were given a twenty-minute ‘beyond-the-self’ mindset intervention that included this exercise: Take a moment […]
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