Stress Reduction: Some Simple Secrets
- Stress Reduction: Some Simple Secrets
- Ending the world of shadows
- The Museum of Buddhist Art - a rare collection of Buddha statues
- Early Morning Buddhist Spirituality Inspiration - 12/4/2011
- The Devoted Efforts of German Scholars and German Buddhists
- How Meditation Gives Your Life a Boost
- Your Soul Revealed
- Are You Living The Way Of Peace?
- An Exercise Instead of Meditation
- Yuchai Casting residual stress reduction techniques up to international standards (Chart) - Yuchai,
- Let Go, Let Love
- Spirit of Zen outdoors
- Boulder Spiritual Consciousness brings mindfulness to Crispin Porter + Bogusky
- Using Your Subconscious Mind Deliberately
- My SELF or A Tale of Three Minds
- Buddhist meditation books
- Former radiology tech turns to holistic healing
- Board Exams? Relax...
- Spiritual Awakening With Base Emotions
- The Mind’s Ear
- "Atheist's Guide to Reality" answers life's biggest questions
- Americans Who Work for the Buddhist Cause
| Stress Reduction: Some Simple Secrets Posted: 04 Dec 2011 09:00 AM PST Article by Lorraine Roach Just imagine going to your job and you do not need to even brush your teeth or comb your hair. Lets take it one step further by saying you can do your work in your pajamas.These are just a few of the simple secrets to help in the reduction of stress in your life. I have talked to many people and as if by just joking about this concept they actually got to thinking it was a great idea. How to make this a reality will be revealed in the new product I am developing. I remember the sound of the alarm clock going off every morning when I was snuggled under the nice warm covers and believe me it took everything I had to get up and deal with my at home responsibilities before I could even get to my paying job. I new that when quitting time came at the end of the day that after the short ride home I would be getting stressed out and anxious, bordering on depression just thinking about all that I would be doing at home for the rest of my night. I felt like two people who wore so many hats with all I had to do each and everyday. There never was enough time to get it all done and I felt overwhelmed at times. This certainly is not a new concept for people who work outside the home and have children, a husband, activities, commitments and perhaps even looking after aging parents. Just reliving the memories of all of that makes me feel the beginnings of anxiety.Fortunately I can keep the feelings from the job and time issues from taking over my life now that I took the suggestion of a trusted family member to begin my own home based business on the Internet. I used to wonder if the businesses I saw on line really were having success and could the average, regular high school graduate have similar results or was there some magic touch or inside track that you needed to know.I saw lots of sites with information on the net and they were interesting and informative. I discovered that the World Wide Web was a new way to create jobs for people like myself. Along with having my outside! job, be ing a wife, mother, cook, nurse, chauffeur, cleaning service and outside activity coordinator I asked myself if I was really happy doing all of this each day. The stress and anxiety would build into periods of depression and I knew I wanted to eliminate these issues.I had to ask myself what I was passionate about before I could make the transition from the traditional outside job to the new concept of working at home. Working from home had definite advantages for me especially after I suffered a heart attack. That was certainly a motivating factor in my decision to change my life. I did my personal homework and found my number one passion. I had the desire to help others recover from anxiety, panic, stress and depression. I felt I could identify with others who were suffering like I had been. I have learned so many new skills and have found so much to be grateful and thankful for in the last eight months that I no longer think in the terms of a job but this is the calling I have had inside of me for years. I get a feeling of importance that I am doing something so rewarding and worthwhile. I can reach so many people on the Internet and bring my own information to them. I get to continue the helpfulness and caring that I used to give to my family when they were all at home. I still am involved in their lives but this is a way to use my abilities to reach out. I know I can make a difference by taking my desires and putting them into action. I am working on a new anxiety ending product package which has been exciting, challenging and will be beneficial to all anxiety sufferers. I know you will be just as excited, as I am to begin your journey into an anxiety free life. About the Author"For 40 years, 7 months, 4 days and 3.9 hours I suffered from anxiety and panic attacks - especially after my heart attack on August 12th, 5:00am EST 2006. As a result of my suffering, I decided I would go on a crusade to reveal the most powerful, most effective and most successful system for living an Anxiety and Panic Free Life." - Lorraine Roach, Founder Anxiety Ended.com Visit: http://www.anxietyended.com to discover what Bob Stahl, Stress Reduction (Part 1 of 3) The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook for Kids: Help for Children to Cope with Stress, Anxiety, and Transitions (Instant Help /New Harbinger) Children pay close attention to their parents' moods. When parents feel upset, their kids may become anxious, and when parents wind down, children also get the chance to relax. When you feel overwhelmed and stressed, it can be hard to help your child feel balanced. The Relaxation & Stress Reduction Workbook for Kids, written by two child therapists, offers more than fifty activities you can do together as a family to help you and your child replace stressful and anxious feelings with feelings of optimism, confidence, and joy. You'll learn proven relaxation techniques, including deep breathing, guided imagery, mindfulness, and yoga, and then receive guidance for teaching them to your child. Your child will also discover how taking time to do art and creative projects can create a sense of fulfillment and calm. By completing just one ten-minute activity from this workbook each day, you'll make relaxation a family habit that will stay with both you and your child for a lifetime.
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| Posted: 04 Dec 2011 09:00 AM PST Our contemporary world silently demands of us that we not ask if there is a substance or essence from which the shadows that dance before our sensory consciousness are composed (samskrita). Even though, at bottom, we are the very substance of shadows, which is shadowless, we have been taught from birth to respect, fear, adore—and yes—chase after shadows. Moreover, we are programmed never to doubt this play of shadows—there is even a supreme God who created shadows. If we doubt such a world (we believe) we shall be cast into the abyss of nihilism, the great undifferentiated shadow. For those with a pioneering spirit, the last frontier is to discover the shadowless. Such pioneers dare to leave this world. They instinctively know that shadows have their limit. To discover this limit means that we must be incapable, at some point, of being deceived and bewitched by shadows. I hasten to add, that this is not skepticism. Skepticism is just a euphemism for closed-mindedness. Every skeptic greatly fears to wake up in bright light. When Buddhism came to the West, the West was beginning to grow tired of its shadows—thus itself. It welcomed Buddhism for some strange reason although it did not realize that Buddhism showed the way to the absolute substance, ending forever the reign of shadows. Many Westerners who took up Buddhism believed that it was compassionate nihilism which denies a transcendent substance (one certainly shadowless). But they were wrong in this. In truth, Buddhism holds that all is shadow except our self, i.e., the Buddha-nature. This is not nihilism, in other words. What Buddhism brings is more like sunlight streaming into Plato's cave owing to the fact that someone just blew half of the cave away with high explosives. Everyone is terrified as the light overpowers the shadows revealing even the apparatuses of illusion and deception which hide the light.
Greek Buddhism Pt. 1 of 4  |
| The Museum of Buddhist Art - a rare collection of Buddha statues Posted: 04 Dec 2011 08:00 AM PST Article by Eric Lim The Museum of Buddhist Art in Bangkok is reputed to have the biggest collection of Buddha statues, sculptures and figurines based on Buddhist art work from kingdoms dating back to the 6th century AD. The exhibits reflect the cultural heritage of the various kingdoms in Thailand and neighboring kingdoms as well. Visitors to the Museum of Buddhist Art are usually advised to start their tour in an annex to the main building that houses the Kuan Yin Palace and Museum which displays statues of Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy. The courtyard outside this museum has six miniature wooden palaces housing Chinese deities. The main theme of the Museum of Buddhist Art, however, is housed in eight rooms upstairs in the main building displaying Buddha statues, sculptures and figurines from the different kingdoms that had an impact on Thai art and culture. The various schools of Buddhist art of each era blended with the previous and added its distinct touch. Detailed explanations are provided for the Buddha statues, their characteristics, different postures and subtle variations in the folds of the robes. The museum is a useful source of knowledge for the scholar of Buddhist art and Buddha sculptures. The casual visitor, seeking an overview of an important aspect of Thai culture, would find this museum interesting as well. Buddhist art from the various kingdoms displayed in the Museum of Buddhist Art Dvaravati art (6th - 11th centuries AD) Dvaravati art is based on the culture of the United Kingdom of Dvaravati in Nakhon Phahom, Central Thailand established by the Mon from Burma. The Buddhist art work of this period is based on the Southern India and Sri Lanka models. Srivijaya art (7th - 14th centuries) The Srivijaya kingdom covered Sumatra, Java, the Malay Peninsula and Southern Thailand, right up to Surat Thani and Nakhon Sri Thammarat. The art form from this era had a rich mix of Indian, Khmer, Sri Lanka, Java and Sumatra cultures! . Khmer art (11th - 19th centuries) From 6th - 14th centuries, the Khmer Empire in Cambodia ruled over Laos and northeastern Thailand (Isarn). Khmer art was to have an enduring legacy on Buddhist art work for centuries to come. Burmese art (11th - 19th centuries) Burmese art evolved from the various ethnic groups in the ancient Burmese kingdom of Pagan. The Burmese, Mon, Arakan, Tai-yai kingdoms developed Buddhist art during their respective reigns. All these groups had an influence on Thai art. Sukhothai art (13th - 15th centuries) Art flourished in the Sukhothai Kingdom under the reign of King Ramkhamhaeng. Classic Sukhothai art soon emerged from the Khmer influence and established its unique style. Ayuthaya art (1350 - 1767) The exhibits on Ayuthaya art in the Museum of Buddhist Art represents the longest period in Thai art. Pre-Ayuthaya art was a combination of Khmer art of the Bayon period (the Bayon temples in Cambodia) and Dvaravati art, a mixture which was known as U Thong Art. The establishment of Ayuthaya produced a blend of Khmer and Sukhothai styles which gradually evolved into its own distinctive character in the 16th century. Lanna art (13th - 20th centuries) The Lanna kingdom (Land of a Million Fields) was established by King Mengrai in northern Thailand in 1296. Pure Lanna art developed when the kingdom was independent. Lanna came under Burmese rule and later under Thai rule. The Buddha statues during these periods had their subtle differences. Lan Xang art (14th - 18th centuries) The Lan Xang kingdom (Land of a Million Elephants) was founded by King Fah Ngum in the 14th century after the fall of Sukhothai. The kingdom covered present day Laos and parts of northeastern Thailand. King Fah Ngum made Buddhism the state religion and so began an art form that also left its mark on Buddhist art. Thonburi art (1767 - 1782) Thonburi art had a brief period as ! the king dom lasted for only 15 years. Rattanakosin art (1782 - present) What followed was Rattanakosin art of the modern Bangkok era. The Buddha statues and sculptures during the reign of the Chakri Kings developed a distinct identity of their own. The other eight rooms in the Museum of Buddhist Art are not directly related to the central theme but are equally interesting. These cover artifacts from the pre-historic Ban Chiang culture, Yao paintings, stone sculptures. An unusual set of exhibits in this museum is the room displaying statues of Jesus Christ and Mother Mary, a reflection of the religious tolerance in Buddhist society. The Museum of Buddhist Art embodies not just the art and culture evolved for more than a millennium through the rise and fall of several kingdoms. It symbolizes the philosophy of moderation and tolerance, values that serve as a beacon of light in these troubled times. To return to the other Bangkok Museums. About the AuthorThe Museum of Buddhist Art first appeared in Tour Bangkok Legaciesa historical travel site on people, places and events that left their mark in the landscape of Bangkok. The author, Eric Lim, is a free-lance writer who lives in Bangkok Thailand.  |
| Early Morning Buddhist Spirituality Inspiration - 12/4/2011 Posted: 04 Dec 2011 08:00 AM PST  "Everyone may be a fool but nobody is a fool forever." ~Buddhist Quote   Buddhist monks chanting in pali (Sankalpa)  |
| The Devoted Efforts of German Scholars and German Buddhists Posted: 04 Dec 2011 07:00 AM PST Article by Arjanyai In Germany, an early stimulation to the study of Buddhism was the works of the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer (2331-2403/ 1788-1860), whose thoughts were influenced to a great extent by the teachings of the Buddha. His great work, "World as Will and Idea," served also to popularize a kind of Buddhism all over Europe. However, as his philosophy was pessimistic, his admiration for Buddhism as the key to all the problems of life and his acknowledgement of the agreement of his philosophy with the teachings of the Buddha have also given many Europeans a bad impression of Buddhism. In 2403/1860, Albert Weber, a German lndologist, translated the Dhammapada into German, thus giving it its first appearance in a modern Western language. Hermann Oldenberg, a Vedic scholar and a contemporary of Professor Rhys Davids, edited the publication of the Vinaya-Pitฺaka during the period from 1879 to 1883. Among his other works were "The Buddha", the first Buddhist textbook in Europe based wholly on firsthand Pali sources; which was translated into English in 2425/1882, and many learned articles intended to show the relation between Pali literature and the Vedas.Among German Buddhists1 who worked hard for the cause of Buddhism, mention should be made of Dr. Paul Dahlke, a physician and a student of Theravada Buddhism. Besides publishing Buddhist journals and translating Buddhist texts, Paul Dahlke wrote authoritative books on Buddhism, most of which have been translated into English by an English monk, Bhikkhu Silacara. In 2467/1924, he founded in Frohnau, Berlin, a Buddhist House (Buddhistisches Haus), which later, after his death, was purchased by the German Dharmaduta Society of Colombo to house the Ceylon Mission. Another was the Venerable Nyanatiloka Mahathera, who became the first person from continental Europe to be ordained as a Bhikkhu and lived the life of a Buddhist monk in Ceylon for over 50 years before he died in 2500/1957 at the age of 79. Besides writing numerous books in German and in Engli! sh, he f ounded in 2454/1911 the Island Hermitage on a lake at Dodanduwa in South Ceylon, which has served for a long time as a training centre for Western monks who studied and practised under his guidance. Another German Bhikkhu is his distinguished pupil, the Venerable Nyanaponika Mahathera, an able exponent of the Abhidhamma and competent translator of Pali texts, who is continuing the work of his teacher at the Island Hermitage and whose contribution to the spread of Buddhism is made known through the Buddhist Publication Society of Ceylon at Kandy. Today there are Buddhist Societies in many of the larger cities of Germany. In Hamburg, members of the Buddhist Society there, probably the biggest one in Germany, support the House of Stillness, an active Buddhist study and meditation centre outside the city. Other European contributionsIn Scandinavian countries there is a long tradition of Pali and Buddhist studies and the contribution made by Scandinavians in this field is second to none in its scholarly value. It was Vincent Fausboll, a Danish scholar, who edited the publication of the Dhammapada with a Latin translation in 2398/1855, making the first transliteration of a full Pali text in Roman characters in Europe. Fausboll's greatest work was his edition of the Jatakas in seven volumes published between 2420/1877 and 2440/1897,1 a noteworthy contribution to the study of popular Buddhism and Indian Buddhist culture. Another Dane, V. Trenckner, published his edition of the Milindapanha in 2423/1880. Trenckner, assisted by a Swedish Pali scholar named Helmer Smith, initiated the great lexicographical work, Critical Pali Dictionary. Many parts of this dictionary have been published by the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters in Copenhagen since 2470/1927, and the work is still being continued under the editorship of Dines Anderson and Helmer Smith. Today there are some Buddhist societies, such as the Friends of Buddhism, working to encourage the study, the practice and the spread of Buddhism. !Earli er than the work by English scholars was the beginning of Pali studies by the French Orientalist Eugene Burnouf. In 2369/1826, E. Burnouf and Christian Lassen published their essay on Pali in French and became pioneers in the field of Pali studies in Europe. Burnouf's "Introduction to the History of Indian Buddhism", published in 2387/1844, which threw light on the relation between the Pali and Sanskrit traditions, was the first history of Buddhism. The French tradition begun by Burnouf was continued by Sylvan Levi and later eminent scholars such as Paul Demiville and Louis Renou. Under the direction of S. Levi and J. Takakusu and the editorship of Paul Demiville, an encyclopaedic dictionary of Buddhism after the Chinese and Japanese sources called Hobogirin was started in 2472/1929. There are still many other scholars of countries in Continental Europe who have made significant contributions to the progress of Buddhist studies. A Hungarian, Alexander Csoma de Koros (2327-2392/ 1784-1849), through his works in the field of Tibetan studies, was,regarded as the inaugurator of Buddhist studies in the West. Among his works was Tibetan-English Dictionary, published in 2377/1834. A Dutch scholar, H. Kern, made an edition of the Jatakamala in 2434/1891 and published his famous work, Manual of Indian Buddhism, in 2439/1896. The Belgian Indologist Louis de La Valle Poussin, a pupil of Sylvan Levi and H. Kern, edited a number of Sanskrit texts and organized in 2464/1921 the Society for Oriental Studies. Among Italian scholars G. Tucci was prominent for his edition of voluminous Mahayana texts. Among Russians the name of Th. Stcherbatsky stands foremost. Besides editing and translating many Sanskrit texts, Stcherbatsky wrote a number of learned treatises on Buddhism. Among these works, The Central Conception ofBuddhism, The Central Conception of Buddhist Nirvana, and the two-volume Buddhist Logic are probably the best known. About the AuthorElliptical Cross Trainer With Computer Dvd for yoga Discount hotel in singapore  |
| How Meditation Gives Your Life a Boost Posted: 04 Dec 2011 06:00 AM PST Article by Art Price Today we live in a fast-paced world. Things happen so quickly that more often that not, we do not have the chance to react to the things thrown at us. We somehow lose the ability to think things over in favor of lightning-quick decisions. But it shouldn't be so. Every one of us needs to slow down a little from time to time and be calm. Otherwise, stress will build up and will affect how we deal with the people around us, not only in the workplace but also at home. The practice of meditation is a way for us to be still for a while and let our minds become focused until we become calm enough to deal with the daily pressures of life. Some may think that meditation is a completely religious practice. While it is true that a lot of religions, especially Eastern ones, take meditation as an integral part of their practice, it is not necessarily the case. In fact, more and more people who aren't necessarily religious get into meditation. People practice meditation for a variety of reasons. While we already mentioned that it helps us become still in this fast-paced world, other people meditate for health reasons and to attain a higher state of consciousness, among others. So if you think that life is stressing you out, it's probably time for you to slow things down a little bit. Your mind is probably too distracted with so many things to consider and to think about. Meditation can help you calm down and let you be stress and worry-free. Meditation to Improve Concentration Today, there are a lot of things that help in keeping us entertained. In the internet alone, there are a multitude of websites that do such that like video sharing sites, gaming sites and other websites which cater to our interests. While there is nothing wrong with entertaining ourselves, a problem arises with our constant need for distractions. Because of that, it becomes difficult for us to focus on one thing. We do not need to take extreme measures to help us focus. There are prac! tices wh ich can do the job for us. It includes the practice of meditation. People take up meditation for different purposes and improving concentration is one of them. There are several methods by which meditation does its job. One is through breathing exercises. Even an exercise that is as simple as being aware of the times we inhale and exhale can do wonders to our ability to concentrate. While it may sound easy, it can be quite difficult especially if one has to deal with distractions such as outside noise. Another method is by reciting a mantra. A mantra is a phrase or a sound that is recited repeatedly. For Catholics, praying the rosary is a form of a mantra. The repetition becomes the center of the meditation to which the person's attention becomes focused. There are other more methods by which meditation can help improve concentration. However, the two mentioned above are the most basic and could help beginners start out with the practice. Breathing and Meditation Breathing is an integral part of meditation. Proper breathing is required in many practices of meditation and is therefore an important tool to be possessed by people who wish to perform this activity. The practice of proper breathing while meditating helps a person relax while doing the exercise. Proper breathing is achieved by inhaling through the nose, letting the diaphragm (not the chest) expand and exhaling through the mouth. Doing this slows down a person's heart rate which leads to a relaxed mood. Breathing also plays a significant role when a person aims to improve his/her concentration. This is done by focusing the mind on the act of taking in air and feeling it pass through the nostrils until the air is finally exhaled through the mouth. While this may sound easy, it can be quite challenging when done for the first time. Then there's the method for increasing a person's awareness. Just like the concentration technique mentioned above, it involves putting one'! s attent ion to his/her breathing. But instead of focusing on the act of inhaling and exhaling air, it is the sensation of breathing where the person trains his/her thoughts. The feeling of the air passing through the nose, filling the lungs and expanding the diaphragm is the sensation that a person should look for. It helps him/her feel how it is to be truly alive. This article has shown how important breathing is in the practice of meditation. It is no wonder, therefore, that the two are inseparable activities that a student of meditation should learn. Meditation and Dealing with Fear and Phobia Every person has a phobia of certain things, be it of heights or speaking in front of people. While most people overcome their fears, some are crippled by it. This therefore prevents them from doing things that they would otherwise find enjoyable. Meditation is one way for people trapped by their phobias to finally get out of their shell and start living the full life. A definition of fear is that it is the anxiety caused by a perceived danger. It is the state of mind by which a person foresees something wrong happening either to him/her or the people around him/her. Meditation helps in overcoming a person's fear by altering his/her state of mind. There are several ways by which this practice can help people achieve this. One such way is called mindfulness meditation. By training the person to live in the now, his/her attention is veered away from the future where that person perceives the danger. Besides, it is only a mere perception and such event may or may not actually happen. Visualization can also help a person cope with fear by making the person imagine what he/she will do in case the perceived danger comes. By being mentally prepared for such an event, the person will be able to deal with the future situation better. Again, fear is a mere state of mind. Facing it, therefore, needs some alteration in the person's perception of what may or may not h! appen. I t can be achieved by the practice of meditation. Meditation and Pain Anyone who has heard of the expression about the power of mind over matter will easily understand the benefit of meditation on people suffering from different forms of physical pain. This article will deal with several methods by which meditation can help in alleviating a person's condition. Concentration techniques in meditation can help in easing a person's suffering by keeping his/her mind away from the source of the pain. Usually, the pain is magnified because people choose to focus on it. If their attention is trained somewhere else, the pain becomes more manageable. Another method is called mindfulness meditation. This involves being aware of one's present condition and accepting it as such. If a person accepts that he/she is currently in pain, dealing with it would be much easier. Then there's visualization. It could be considered as a form of self-hypnosis. It is done by creating an image of the pain and imagining it moving away from the body. As suggested by these methods, they do not actually take away pain from the person. Rather, they make dealing with the pain much easier. This is also the reason why methods like those mentioned should be coupled with the proper medical advice. In fact, consulting one's doctor is advised before even trying the meditation exercises out. Otherwise, there will be a risk of overlooking more serious conditions that could be causing the pain. Along with the proper medical advice, meditation can help improve a person's tolerance for pain. About the AuthorTo learn about inflamed pancreas and pancreas infection, visit the Pancreas Problems website. Such soothing meditation music, (4 million views) 10 minute relax - by Paul Collier (02)  |
| Posted: 04 Dec 2011 07:53 AM PST Deepak ChopraThe soul is disguised when you are tired or stressed; you are pulled outside yourself; your attention is dominated by externals; you let others think for you; you act out of compulsion; you are influenced by fear and anxiety; you struggle and suffer. Theses conditions have to change before the soul connection can be reestablished. Death provides access to the domain of the soul, but Vedanta declares that the soul has a great deal to offer before death. Life is conducted under the gaze of the soul. Your portion of pure consciousness has certain universal qualities: It is constant; it never loses sight of you; it is connected to every other soul; it shares God's omniscience; it is untouched by change; it lives beyond time and space. So it isn't only tender, loving, quiet moments that reveal the soul. Rather, it's those moments when the soul's own qualities come to the surface that are most important. The soul is revealed when you feel centered; your mind is clear; you have the sensation that time has stopped; you suddenly feel free of boundaries; you are keenly self-aware; you feel merged with another person, either in love or silent communication; you feel untouched by aging and change; you feel blissful and ecstatic; you have an intuitive flash that turns out to be true; you somehow know what is going to happen; you sense the truth; you feel supremely loved or absolutely safe. If there is only one reality, as the rishis declare, then life is not a struggle between good and evil, but a tangled web where all actions, good and bad, move us closer to reality or deeper into illusion. Karma spins the web. Hell, like every other location in consciousness, ultimately reflects the state of our own awareness, and freedom from hell is won, like every other achievement, by coming closer to the reality of the soul. Adapted from Life After Death: The Burden of Proof, by Deepak Chopra (Harmony Books, 2006). Maz Jobrani - "Buddhist Terrorist" - DVD OUT NOW!  |
| Are You Living The Way Of Peace? Posted: 04 Dec 2011 08:18 AM PST Peace isn't achieved by working with violence or working through it. Peace has its own power, its own scheme for organizing events. We are looking for substitutes that can satisfy needs that are now being satisfied by war. The old satisfactions aren't trivial, for adventure, power, and expansion are primary values in life. If there is no viable way for the average person to participate in adventure, power, and expansion, then even the illusory way of war, with its terrible toll in human life, is preferable to nothing. As we'll see, if you go deep enough into the way of peace, you find power. You achieve the freedom and excitement that adventure is supposed to bring. You expand in consciousness without having to invade another country and seize its riches. War is above all a material thing. It involves brute force, bodies fighting against bodies, the destruction of cities that get rebuilt, the squandering of weapons so that more deadly ones can be devised. If people could achieve satisfaction without destruction, I believe they would. Millions of us want to live without destruction already. Now we are looking for a way to make our will and desire more powerful than war. Fortunately, that isn't complicated. According to the ancient Vedic texts, you will know you are living the way of peace when three things are present: Seva: Your actions harm no one and benefit everyone. Simran: You remember your true nature and your purpose for being here. Satsang: You belong in the community of peace and wisdom. These three S-words come from Sanskrit. They describe the ideal life of any spiritual person. But just as crucial, they unlock a power that materialism can't defeat, as a rock can't defeat the rain even though one is hard and the other soft, as a tree can't defeat the wind, even though one is solid and the other invisible. Power can sound abstract, but satisfaction isn't. With each S-word comes a satisfaction that war will never be able to match. Adapted from: Peace Is the Way, by Deepak Chopra (Harmony Books, 2005). Buddhism = Christianity. Zen Flower Radio Treasury of the True Dharma Eye: Zen Master Dogen's Shobo Genzo
Kazuaki Tanahashi and a team of translators that represent a Who's Who of American Zen have produced a translation of the great work that combines accuracy with a deep understanding of Dogen's voice and literary gifts. The finely produced, two-volume boxed set includes a wealth of materials to aid understanding, including maps, lineage charts, a bibliography, and an exhaustive glossary of names and terms—and, as a bonus, the most renowned of all Dogen's essays, "Recommending Zazen to All People."
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| An Exercise Instead of Meditation Posted: 04 Dec 2011 07:54 AM PST Deepak ChopraThe past is layered in to us in many intricate layers. Your inner world is full of complex relationship, for it contains the past not only as it occurred but all the ways in which you would like to revise it. All the things that should have turned out differently do turn out differently in that place where you escape into fantasy, revenge, yearning, sorrow, self-reproach, and guilt. To get rid of these distractions, you need to realize that there is a deeper place where everything is alright. In Siddhartha, Hermann Hesse writes, "Within you there is a stillness and sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself." This sanctuary is a simple awareness of comfort, which can't be violated by the turmoil of events. This place feels no trauma and stores no hurt. It is the mental space that one seeks to find in meditation, which I believe is one of the most important pursuits anyone can follow. However, if you do not meditate, you can approach this place of calm with the following exercise: Write down this affirmation: I am perfect as I am. Everything in my life is working toward my ultimate good. I am loved and I am love. Do not pause to analyze the statement, just write it down. When you come to the end, shut your eyes and let any response surface that comes to mind, then write down the first words that come to you (write this response directly under the affirmation). Your first thought is likely to contain a lot of resistance, even anger, because no one's life is perfect and it is hard to believe that everything is working out as it should. Now, without pausing, write the affirmation again, shut your eyes, and once more write down the first words that come to mind. Do not stop to analyze or dwell on your reaction. Continue the exercise until you have repeated the affirmation and your response twelve times. This exercise allows you to eavesdrop on the innermost levels of your awareness. Adapted from Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, by Deepak Chopra (Three Rivers Press, 1998). Happy Tree Friends - Enter The Garden  |
| Yuchai Casting residual stress reduction techniques up to international standards (Chart) - Yuchai, Posted: 04 Dec 2011 04:00 AM PST Article by jekky Appraisal meeting site 8 16 morning, Guangxi Science and Technology Department organized experts on the stock company to complete the "use of Engine Cylinder block, cylinder head castings such as heat aging technology research "project to identify the scientific and technological achievements. According to some experts, the project has independent intellectual property rights, innovative, leading domestic and international advanced level of technology. The morning, the project scientific and technological achievements appraisal meeting in Yuchai Power Building, 4th Floor Conference Room, from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Professor Li Yuan was the chairman of the Guangxi University Professor Chen as vice chairman of the right of the 7 technology for the project appraisal committee results were identified. Autonomous Science and Technology Department Director Li Weihong, Secretary of Yulin City in a flying science and technology, and the project team Qiuzhen Quan, deputy director of the core members of the Casting Plant, Zhao Guoqin, Li Wu, deputy director of the new, the quality of the quality of development, Deputy Director Department of Children and other leaders attended the Civic Arts appraisal meeting. Meeting, key points from the work of child thinking arts, economic and social benefits, prospects, do the technical work of the project report. Listen to the report, the appraisal committee of experts on technical aspects of project-related challenge to the project team members, ask questions of the experts, Zhao Guoqin and other project team members to give the answer. Finally, the identification of the Committee examined the relevant technical documentation and inspection based on the production site, after serious discussion, the formation of expert opinion: The project has independent intellectual property rights, innovative, leading domestic and international advanced technology . Project conforms to the national energy saving policy, with significant economic and social ! benefits , application prospect, they unanimously recommended that further expand the application scope, to promote the popularization and application of industry and contribute to energy conservation. It is understood that casting residual stress too easily lead to casting distortion, cracking, affecting the quality of casting and further processing. The project proposes to use the first time, casting and electric auxiliary heating heat heat treatment process and its application in the engine cylinder and cylinder head castings, heat treatment process, and electric auxiliary heating device and heat treatment process innovation. Currently, the technology has achieved initial results of the use of significant results: First, reduce the effect of casting residual stress significantly. After that the process of casting the average residual stress is less than 20MPa, below the heat treatment process of domestic traditional casting residual stress; Second, a significant reduction in energy consumption by 3 years of application in practical production, the total saving 1.126 million Kwh , equivalent to 4124.7t standard coal, has achieved remarkable economic benefit; Third, the traditional aging technology to reduce operating time of the site area occupied, to improve workplace efficiency and productivity, significantly reducing heat emissions, improve worker smooth operating environment and logistics. Related personnel, said the project technical achievements in Yuchai Foundry Center under construction in the further application. About the AuthorI am an expert from yaisu.com, while we provides the quality product, such as China 3D Cinema System , 3D/4D Driving Flight Simulator Manufacturer, 3D Cinema System,and more. Research on Aging: Mantram Repetition to Reduce Stress Black Car Steering Wheel Bluetooth Adapter + MP3
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| Posted: 04 Dec 2011 07:52 AM PST Deepak ChopraIn practical terms surrender means letting go. Although you don't realize it, reality isn't a given. Each of us inhabits a separate reality. Your mind maintains your personal version of reality by buttressing it with beliefs, expectations, and interpretations. Your mind blocks the free flow of the life force by saying, "This is how things must and should be." Letting go releases you from this insistent grip, and when you let go, new forms of reality can enter. Letting go is a process. You have to know when to apply it, what to let go of, and how to let go. Your mind is not going to show you any of these things; worse still, your ego is going to try to prevent you from making progress, since it believes that you have to hold on in order to survive. Your only ally in letting go is spirit, which sees reality as a whole and therefore has no need to create partial realities based on limitation. The whole path to love could be described as learning to let go, but letting go all at once isn't possible. This is a path of many small steps. At any given moment the steps are basically the same: awareness begins to substitute for reactions. Awareness doesn't resist the imprint of memory. It goes into it and questions whether you need it now. In the face of a big dog, awareness tells you that you aren't a small child anymore and that not all big dogs bite. Being aware of this, you can ask if you need to hold on to fear. Whether you wind up petting the dog, ignoring it, or withdrawing is now a matter of choice. Every time you are tempted to react in the same old way, ask if you want to be a prisoner of the past or a pioneer of the future. The past is closed and limited; the future is open and free. Adapted from The Path to Love, by Deepak Chopra (Three Rivers Press, 1997). Buddhist Monks in Thailand  |
| Posted: 04 Dec 2011 03:00 AM PST Article by Sandy Cosser Many people like gardening to relax. Many more like gardens to relax in. There is nothing quite like a beautiful, well tended garden to fill you with peace and serenity. Gardens create the sensation that there is a protective layer between you and the rest of the world and that nothing can penetrate it without your express approval. Japanese gardens are particularly good at creating that stillness and that atmosphere of reflection. They are hard work to design and even harder work to create but the rewards are boundless. It is commonly thought that Japanese gardens are designed as tranquil getaways that allow you to escape from the chaos of life, but the fact is that they are designed for many purposes. It is true that most are designed for quiet contemplation and meditation but some are meant for recreation, or for displaying rare plants or unusual rocks. There are different types of gardens Kaiyu-shiki or Strolling Gardens, which contain a premeditated path, which takes observers through each unique area of the garden so that it can be fully appreciated. Uneven surfaces are used to catch the eye so that you will look at particular points. Ornamentation is used, which when seen, is designed to enliven and revive the spirit. This type of design is known as the landscape principle of "hide and reveal". Other landscape gardens can be categorised into three types: Tsukiyama Gardens or Hill Gardens, Karensansui Gardens or Dry Gardens and Chaniwa Gardens or Tea Gardens.Tsukiyama Gardens: refers to the creation of artificial hills, they vary in size and in the way in which they can be viewed. Small gardens can be viewed from one viewpoint, while larger gardens may be best experienced by walking a path i.e. the strolling gardens mentioned above. These garden use ponds, streams, hills, stones, trees, flowers, bridges and paths to create a mini reproduction of a famous landscape in either China or Japan. Karensansui Gardens are often used for meditation, as they are strongly influ! enced by Zen Buddhism. They also reproduce natural landscapes but in a more abstract way, by the use of stones, gravel, sand and occasionally moss. These represent mountains, islands, boats, seas and rivers. Chaniwa Gardens are built for the tea ceremony. They contain a tea house and are designed according to the aesthetic simplicity of sado - tea ceremony. Typical features of these gardens include stepping stones leading towards the house, stone lanterns and a stone basin - tsukubai - so that guests are able to cleanse themselves before the ceremony. Traditionally the Japanese believe that stones are beings with spirits that need to be treated with reverence. They are used to create paths, bridges and walkways and are used to represent mountains. They are placed in odd numbers and most of the groupings are triangular in shape. There are no fountains in traditional Japanese gardens because they believe that a water source should appear to be a part of the natural surroundings. They build their streams with curves to create a serene and more natural appearance. You will often find lanterns next to prominent water basins to represent the female and male elements of water and fire or yin and yang. Some gardens contain a dry pond or stream; this is because they have just as much impact as ones filled with water. Japanese gardens contain three elements, stones, water and green plants. According to Japanese tradition, gardens contain little colour so there are very few colourful flowers. If there are colourful flowers, they are usually found near the entrance to the garden. Japanese gardens are hugely popular internationally. There are experts on Japanese gardens in virtually every country in the world. But consider that some Japanese Gardens have been in existence for centuries. They have withstood weather, war and all manner of other human follies. There is only one nation that has the right to call themselves experts on their own tradition of gardening and they don't have the audacity! to do t hat. They still spend years learning their trades from the masters, guarding their secrets, carefully studying and adding what they can to the knowledge base. They remain students their entire lives and take pride in it. Recommended Sites: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_gardenhttp://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2099.html About the AuthorSandra wrote this article for the online marketers Garden and Home News garden and home news one of the leading publishers of garden and home news on the Internet. The Japanese mind and Zen Buddhism Part 6 Zen And the Art of Happiness Cutting-edge science and spirituality tell us that what we believe, think, and feel actually determine the makeup of our body at the cellular level. In Zen and the Art of Happiness, you will learn how to think and feel so that what you think and feel creates happiness and vibrancy in your life rather than gloominess or depression. You ll learn how to adapt to life s inevitable changes, how to deal with stress in a healthy way, and how to nurture a mindful happiness in your daily life. Most importantly, the gentle wisdom of Zen and the Art of Happiness will show you how to invite magnificent experiences into your life and create a personal philosophy that will sustain you through anything. A timeless work about the art of happiness, the way of happiness, the inner game of happiness.Cutting-edge science and spirituality tell us that what we believe, think, and feel actually determine the makeup of our body at the cellular level. In Zen and the Art of Happiness, you will learn how to think and feel so that what you think and feel creates happiness and vibrancy in your life rather than gloominess or depression. You ll learn how to adapt to life s inevitable changes, how to deal with stress in a healthy way, and how to nurture a mindful happiness in your daily life. Most importantly, the gentle wisdom of Zen and the Art of Happiness will show you how to invite magnificent experiences into your life and create a personal philosophy that will sustain you through anything. A timeless work about the art of happiness, the way of happiness, the inner game of happiness.
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| Boulder Spiritual Consciousness brings mindfulness to Crispin Porter + Bogusky Posted: 04 Dec 2011 03:00 AM PST Just three years ago, Greg Burdulis was living a different life, one of near-silence and careful contemplation. In a simple bamboo hut in Burma, he focused on meditation and discipline in a peaceful rainforest. Now, back in Boulder after nine years in Asia, he is allowing people a literal peek inside his head to help find answers to their questions, whether they be spiritual or scientific. "I was happy as a hermit," says Burdulis, a former Theravadan Spiritual Consciousness monk. "But I also felt that my happiness was almost completely dependent on my environment." When Burdulis learned that his father was dying, he returned to the U.S. to see his family. As his environment changed, a question loomed: what to do  Greg Burdulis, a former Spiritual Consciousness monk, now coaches employees at Crispin Porter + Bogusky in mindfulness. (Courtesy Greg Burdulis) Instead of returning to his life in robes, he did something totally different: started working for a 600-person ad agency whose big-name clients include Microsoft, Volkswagen and Coca-Cola. But his job choice wasn't a total 180-degree turn. In fact, his job at Boulder-based Crispin Porter + Bogusky became an extension of his long-term Spiritual Consciousness practices. Burdulis now teaches mindfulness meditation to fellow employees who seek balance in their hectic work lives. On a recent Tuesday, a handful of CP+B employees gather in a dim meeting room, trading the incessant clacking of keyboards and the murmurs of conference calls for the sound of Burdulis's even-tempered voice. With eyes closed, Burdulis directs the room to relax, let thoughts go, and simply be present. "We're shifting from 'doing' to 'being,'" he says in a low, just-above-whisper tone. "We're going from thinking to awareness." The mindfulness training is meant to combine meditation techniques and counseling for a common goal: strengthening teamwork, increasing creativity and raising morale in high-stress environments. Burdulis says he feels a deep sense of gratitude -- and a higher level of responsibility--in guiding employees  A scan of Greg Burdulis' brain. "It's not that I am perfect or enlightened. It's that I think I can help," he says. With several employees who seek regular advice and guidance, his weekly meetings can get busy. Yet even as CP+B employees are figuratively picking his brain, researchers at a Wisconsin-based lab are literally picking his brain via high-tech scanning techniques. It's part of ongoing research investigating the ways the brain responds during meditation and its role in stress management. Burdulis travels periodically to the University of Wisconsin at Madison's Center for Investigating Healthy Minds, where he is one of several subjects in the study. Though research isn't complete, some scientists believe meditation can help train pathways in the brain, "lighting up" areas of the brain associated with positive thoughts. With continuous mindfulness practice, the paths to those areas of the brain might get stronger, according to university research. During the study, Burdulis spent time in claustrophobic MRI machines, took part in mind-twisting psychological experiments and even received mild shocks as researchers scanned his brain. Burdulis sometimes highlights tidbits of brain research during his weekly sessions at CP+B, where he integrates scientific findings with centering exercises. Whether it's because of science or spirituality, employees at CP+B say mindfulness sessions have made an impact on their work attitude. "I see an overall change," says Valerie Zumbach, a business manager who walked into the session after a challenging morning. "To have that knowledge to be aware of yourself can help you check in with yourself so you don't blow your top." Meanwhile, Kyle Decker, CP+B's quality-of-life director, says she has found herself imitating Burdulis's calm approach during her own meetings. "Just talking to him, you see how thoughtful he is. It's infectious," she says. Decker says Burdulis's sessions are just one feature of the company's "work/life balance" philosophy, which aims to create a work environment were employees are motivated and taken care of. (Other features include an "extreme concierge" who will wax employees' snowboards or repair their bicycles.) Burdulis enjoys his role in CP+B's office culture, and has even been asked to provide similar insight for companies such as eBay. Yet as happy as Burdulis is to do it, he is sometimes overcome with a deep sense of responsibility he didn't feel as a monk. "Much more is asked of me," he says. "It's difficult, but it's what I want to do." Burdulis still speaks fondly of his life as a monk, where meditation started at 2:30 a.m. As the sun rose, he concentrated on walking to the nearby well, observing the small flowers that bloomed in the cracks of the stone path. Despite the grueling discipline, "there's energy to think any thought, feel any feeling, but there is no one thought that needs to be thought," he says. "To experience that from the inside, there is a sense of potential, of no limits." Now, Burdulis feels he has elements of both worlds. The energy of corporate settings is balanced with his home life in Nederland, where he lives in a simple cabin often visited by herds of elk. "Now, I still live out here like a hermit, except in the day I go to town," he says with a smile, settling down at his home with a steaming cup of tea. Burdulis isn't sure if he will ever return to a life of silent prayer. He considers himself an ex-monk, but isn't sure he can reject the whole meaning behind the title. "I'm not sure what you want to call me," he says. "In the 21st century, everything is changing." He spread out his arms as far as they would go, indicating his cabin, the mountains and the world around it. "This it for me," he says. "So there's something it for me to say that maybe I'm a 21st-century monk." Megan Quinn writes about religion for the Camera. Email: meganquin@gmail.com  Read More @ Source Namo Amitabha~Pure Land Spiritual Consciousness Meditation  |
| Using Your Subconscious Mind Deliberately Posted: 04 Dec 2011 02:00 AM PST Article by Sandy MacGregor Using Your Subconscious Mind DeliberatelyI first heard the term "subconscious mind" in 1982. A lot has been written on this subject and many ideas and theories put forward as to what is the subconscious mind and how we can work with it. I have been able to prove to myself the power of the subconscious mind. Although I have read widely on the subject, I have chosen in my teachings to work only with scientifically based and proven theories on how the subconscious mind works and operates in our lives. Why Is The Subconscious Mind Important? The subconscious mind contains all our memory, our habits and beliefs, personality and self image. Perhaps you want to change a habit, such as smoking, or always reacting angrily when someone 'pushes your buttons". Maybe you wish to have better recall in exams. Or you might be challenged by low self esteem. Whatever you want to change, it is essential to change it in the subconscious mind. But were you taught how to do that when you were at school? Were you born with a manual on how to operate your subconscious? Do you know the laws and the language of the subconscious mind? In my experience, most people answer "No" to those questions! What Is The Subconscious Mind?When you buy a computer, you acquire the hardware which is the computer screen, keyboard, disk drive and all the other bits and pieces inside. However, when you plug the computer in, it will not work without an "operating system". The operating system is like a basic, predefined set of instructions which coordinates the use of the hardware. Once the operating system is installed, the computer comes to life and is able to perform fundamental tasks such as saving information, but more importantly, it is now able to accept further, more sophisticated programming. For instance, if you want your computer to type letters, a word processing program is required. When you want to type a letter, you request the operating system to start this program. What then appears on the screen is a blank page,! and as you type, the characters appear on the page. You may not be aware of all the billions of electronic signals which have been "programmed" by both the operating system and the word processing program to flow through the computer in a particular way so that you can type a letter. What you are consciously aware of is the image on the screen. The human mind/body system operates in a very similar way. The conscious mind is our current awareness. It can be likened to a word processor. As we type, we make hundreds of decisions - what to write, whether we have written the letter correctly, how the letter should look, etc. The conscious mind is the decision maker. It requests the subconscious programs to perform certain tasks ("let's go to the shops"), observes what the subconscious programs perform (moving the body to action), and then decides on what else needs to be done. The Role Of The Subconscious Mind Your mind therefore has two components, each with separate functions. {The conscious mind is estimated to be only 12% of our mind, and the subconscious is the other 88%. The subconscious mind is important because it has the ability to record and remember every incident that it experiences. Amazingly, the subconscious mind is actually to record and remember every incident it has experienced. This is called "conditioning". It forms part of the way we learn and it enables us to perform actions habitually (without thought). If you experience enthusiasm, happiness or love when meeting a person, this mechanism will record those feelings and associate them with that person. Feelings of frustration and stress are associated in the same way. When you next see that person (or even just think about them) the subconscious mind automatically recalls the previous feelings, and they are re-experienced. This is why thinking of happy memories can make you feel good, and how the mere thought of a person can make you feel angry. This mechanism is a system designed to protect us by emotionally recalling the la! st exper ience (in Primary School everyone laughed at me when I drew an elephant). This is in anticipation of a subsequent similar situation (when I had to draw a seal in High School, I immediately felt fear, told myself "I can't draw", and traced the seal instead). However, it is also the reason we can continue to experience a lot of other complex emotional conditions such as depression, fear, anxiety, anger, procrastination, and lingering grief, which can express themselves in other forms such as weight gain, sleeplessness, smoking and general ill health. Recent major scientific discoveries enable us to understand and control this mechanism so we can change these conditions. Your conscious mind can actually program the subconscious mind for new behaviours and habits, in order to react more appropriately to the different situations that we experience. This ability is built into us. Nobody taught us how to walk or how to talk. These miraculous feats of "self-education" were accomplished through an intuitive process of observation, imitation and repetition at a very early age. Sadly it seems that as we age we frequently remain caught in longstanding patterns of behaviour which are no longer useful to us and our ability to self educate seems to disappear. One Mind To Overcome Many Different Challenges.On a day to day basis we face many challenges. Work pressure and stress, challenging relationships, change, frustration with career choice, questions of prosperity, difficulty in learning new things, fear of accepting new experiences, grief or ill health - most of these situations are viewed as problems. Firstly, what are problems? Aren't "problems" really challenges which require you to learn, understand and then apply something new? Hasn't every problem you've encountered in the past given you both new skills and valuable experience so that you can deal with future "problems" more effectively and efficiently? We only find problems difficult because we feel frustration in wanting to accomplish something ! and we d on't know how. It is often at this moment that we ask for help, and become open to learning a new approach. Secondly, from my experience, I find that all these situations are ultimately asking us to do just one thing - CHANGE! It is the process of change that we find difficult and frustrating. Why do we find change difficult? Essentially any decision to change is made in your conscious mind. This decision will in some way conflict with your existing habits and beliefs, and it is therefore the subconscious mind (the storehouse and performer of tasks) which must be changed. This means 12% of your mind wants to change the other 88%, and this is the source of all the frustration that we experience.~The 88% of your mind that doesn't want to move with the change is the problem as it is only 12% of your mind that wants to change. How do we do that? By using a scientifically proven method in which the conscious mind can influence the subconscious mind so that they work together. This involves:* Learning to access the subconscious mind easily and quickly.* Understanding how the mind works with a complete scientific explanation. * Utilising the Laws and the Language of the subconscious mind. * Utilising the Laws and the Language of the subconscious mind.*Permanently imprinting goals into the subconscious. * Proof - with biofeedback from an electroencephalograph.Change is tough and no-one want's to do it! You can make it easy by deliberately using the subconscious mind. All the best - Sandy MacGregor About the AuthorSandy MacGregor is a Civil Engineer, a retired Australian Army Colonel and was awarded the Military Cross and American Bronze Star for bravery in Vietnam's Cu Chi Tunnels. He commanded the Original Tunnel Rats. He learnt a mind technique from his son who had already used it to help his own Asthma and to save his own leg from amputation. Sandy applied it to weight release - 49 pounds (22 Kgms) and to controlling blood pressure. He even found inner strength after the tragic murder of his three daughters using these same techniques. Now as a best-selling author of 6 books, multiple CDs and DVDs he teaches scientifically proven mind techniques benefiting hundreds of thousands over the last 20 years. Mindful Way Part 1 How to Train a Wild Elephant: And Other Adventures in Mindfulness A growing body of research is showing that mindfulness can reduce stress, improve physical health, and improve one's overall quality of life. Jan Chozen Bays, MD—physician and Zen teacher—has developed a series of simple practices to help us cultivate mindfulness as we go about our ordinary, daily lives. Exercises include: taking three deep breaths before answering the phone, noticing and adjusting your posture throughout the day, eating mindfully, and leaving no trace of yourself after using the kitchen or bathroom. Each exercise is presented with tips on how to remind yourself and a short life lesson connected with it.
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| My SELF or A Tale of Three Minds Posted: 04 Dec 2011 01:00 AM PST Article by Hemant Gupta Computationally Astute Informational Self At the deepest informational level, living cell is composed of trillions of quantum variables, qubits. At the physical level, the quantum information stored in these quantum switches or qubits combine in the form of atoms, informational molecules, and other nano structures. Living cells form tissues, organs, and ultimately organized as life-forms including the human body. Therefore, the life forms such as humans are large macroscopic structures, which are buried deep in internal quantum features. From a top-down perspective and as a macroscopic body, humans would be closer to a classical computing or binary processing. At the root level, these structures are computationally astute to take advantage of both binary and quantum mode of information processing. From a bottom-up perspective and as a quantum inner body, we would be closer to quantum processing. From this perspective, we form a seamless oneness with everything else in the universe. From the top-down view, derived from binary computation, we form a perspective of being separate from the rest. The consciousness is the interface of these two perspectives. On one side of consciousness, there is this grand oneness, whereas, on the other side, the separation with the rest. Myself is fundamentally an informational entity whose basic aspect of being is the ability to know and act per guidance of a mind influenced by these two perspectives. Many programs drive my conscious self. These programs live in my mind that finally guides myself. My mind directs all the actions of bits and qubits through these programs to cause various experiences of self. Everything that myself does, therefore, can eventually be described by a series of interconnected tiny quantum of action or the qubit or programs governed by the interaction of one or more aspects of my minds. "C'mon, Papa, we are not like computers with programs running inside of us," my eleven-year-old son Monish exclaimed as he heard of my! newfoun d wisdom. "Maybe not the kind that we know and are used to, but we compute incessantly and information is also at the root of our being." I was not sure if it consoled him. Most of us do not see ourselves from this consideration. Our image of ourselves is mostly based of perceptual reality of our senses, consistent with laws of classical physics. We see ourselves as large solid three-dimensional physical beings where energy breaths life into our material body, separate from everyone else. Our top-down view based on binary computation makes us aware of this separation. The separation leads to incompleteness, the product of which is desire. The most basic desire, common to all life, is of food, or a source of energy. Life is like a toy that operates on batteries. Food is the battery that all variety of life needs. Safety is another desire that is innate and results from preservation of the form. The separation need takes on a wide variety of forms to be complete. The self has evolved to have a free will to pursue the fulfillment of the needs and desires. Humans along with a few other life-forms have evolved a capability that enables a rational mode of processing information using our rational mind. It is physically contained in and informationally synchronized with the emotional mind. My physical body is my emotional mind and is eventually rooted in the cosmic mind at the quantum level. The emotional mind provides the information network involving the molecules of information and emotion that facilitates communication from nonlocal regime to the self. In other words, the inputs from the cosmic mind are mediated to the living entity through the emotional mind. The emotional mind also links information circuits that allows the decisions from rational mind to reach all part of the physical body. So what I call as myself is interplay of these three minds. Which mind I use is a matter of what I feel is important and where I put my attention. The nature of myself indicates a tale of three mi! nds-emot ional, rational, and cosmic minds-that work in concert, resulting in the experience of the self. Therefore, even though I am physically limited, I am unlimited from informational perspective as myself linked to the cosmic mind spans the whole universe. Each of the three minds contributes differently to the nature of myself by altering the computational mode of this informational entity. Since the nature of the three different minds is decidedly different, their influence results in different nature of the self. Two of these natures of the self are recognizable and present in all of us. First is centered on myself being separate from others, and the second one result from myself as one with others. If you recall from earlier discussions, these are exactly the two basic tendencies that make the cosmic mind or the whole. So from this point of view, self is made in the image of the whole. Each living cell in my body is a self in its own right. It has made a commitment to support my being. My desires are dictated on my cells through a top-down network of informational commands. My cells obey to fulfill these wishes. Many times, my self-interests will put extra strain on my cells. My cell's functionality depends on it being healthy. Just like I feel tired or sick when my system is overused or abused, each of my cells feel the same through network of informational signals that flow throughout my emotional and rational brain. Each of my cells is also rooted in the cosmic mind and receives signals from that mind in the form of waves of guidance. If signals from rational mind and the cosmic mind do not match, my cells are often in conflict. Which proteins sensors and gears would need to move and in which direction? The conflict leads to internal pain or suffering. Since the programming of our modern, rational mind is often at odds with the functionality of the cosmic mind, this suffering has become a normal feature of our existence. When rational mind is in a state of surrender, our decisions are mad! e throug h the cosmic mind. This leads to ease of conflict within and thus a sense of peace or calm spreads throughout the body. The rational mind also can make decisions that can benefit the community or others. In this case, the rational mind works in concert with the cosmic mind as they coconspire to create the reality. Therefore, whether myself operates in a state of surrender to the cosmic mind or works in concert with it, the resultant processor is quantum in nature. I would call it our "quantum self." It is also our bottom-up perspective. After its origin from quantum information processing, it appears that life has been evolving toward this binary mode of information processing. Our free will allows a choice between the queues from the grand cosmic mind and the rational mind. Through intentionality, we can choose one or the other. When we choose the rational mind over the cosmic mind, we act with our rational mind. This leads to second of the two essential natures of our self. The information processor dominating this nature is binary. I will call this as our binary self. There is a strong temptation for the rational mind to make decisions so that they benefit the self only. This mode of action leads to development of egoic entity, which is highly prevalent in our modern societies. A Case of Mean Bacteria Robert Austin of Princeton has been studying the social behavior of bacteria in order to help understand the social dynamics of other organisms, including humans. He has intriguing results about selfish and altruistic individuals and the social dynamics between the two. Austin and his collaborators have found a single gene that controls bacteria "selfishness." If it is off, bacteria slow down their metabolism and reproduction rate when they sense their environment has been depleted of nutrients. This prevents them from entirely destroying their living space. However, if this gene is turned on the bacteria go right on eating until nothing is left. They even develop the ability to feed off ot! her dead bacteria. Interestingly, the gene is off by default when bacteria are found in the wild. However, if one puts these in a petridish, and cut off their food supply, the selfish mutants emerge in matter of only days. These mutants consume all the remaining food, including each other, and then starve. The experiment shows: first, the selfish bacteria win, and then everyone loses. This is a situation where selfish seem to have the advantage over the self-restraining altruists, but if everyone is selfish, then everyone is worse off. These results, however, could not be reproduced in the wild where selfish bacteria would not emerge. The bacteria in the wild exercise restraint, so there must be something different going on in the wild than in the petri-dish. This is a fascinating example where a simple organism like bacteria is informationally able to change the nature of its "self" from quantum to binary depending on the influence of environment. Modern human device contain both binary, egoic or selfish, and quantum or altruistic self in one body. The result is a conflict or internal unrest that is the prime cause of suffering in modern humans. An excerpt from the book "Joy From Deep Within", Nature of Quantum Selfhttp://www.joyfromdeepwithin.com About the AuthorHemant Gupta graduated from the University of Southern California (USC), completing his Masters and PhD degrees in Chemical Engineering with specialization in Polymer Science. Gupta subsequently finished executive MBA course from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He has been Vice-President of Research and Development at a major corporation for thepast ten years and in various leadership roles for the past twenty years. His writings address fundamental questions of existence and reflect his search for meaning spanning past 30 years. For example, does GOD exist? What is the nature of the silence? What is the meaning of Life? What is the true nature of the self? How one can discover one's True Self? What is Digital Divine and what is Divine Meaning? How can one feel the supreme Joy? Can Joy and Happiness provide ultimate meaning to our Lives? How does modern living contribute to causing stress and stress related ailments such as depression, anxiety and high blood pressure just to name a few? How can one realize relief from the pain caused by stress responses in our body? How can one lead harmonious, emotionally fulfilling and meaningful life by knowing one's true Quantum self? For More Information please visit or {a href="http://www.theself.us "> http://www.theself.us Mindfulness: What Is It? Planting Seeds: Practicing Mindfulness with Children Planting Seeds: Practicing Mindfulness with Children is the fruit of decades of development and innovation in the Plum Village community's collective practice with children. Based on Thich Nhat Hanh's thirty years of teaching mindfulness and compassion to parents, teachers, and children, the book and enclosed CD covers a wide range of contemplative and fun activities parents and educators can do with their children or students. They are designed to help relieve stress, increase concentration, nourish gratitude and confidence, deal with difficult emotions, touch our interconnection with nature, and improve communication. Planting Seeds offers insight, concrete activities, and curricula that parents and educators can apply in school settings, in their local communities or at home, in a way that is meaningful and inviting to children. The key practices presented include mindful breathing and walking, inviting the bell, pebble meditation, the Two Promises or ethical guidelines for children, children's versions of Touching the Earth and Deep Relaxation, eating meditation and dealing with conflict and strong emotions. Also included are the lyrics to the songs on the enclosed CD that summarize and reinforce the key teachings, as well as a chapter on dealing effectively with conflict in the classroom or difficult group.
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| Posted: 04 Dec 2011 12:00 AM PST Article by Rasmus Lindgren When seeking the perfect Buddhist meditation books to suit your needs, you may want to check out Buddhist Meditation for Beginners, Rasmus Lindgren's comprehensive primer for those just beginning their meditative journey.This easy to read, informational text uses humor, wisdom, and a conversational style to detail the journey of the beginning meditator; taking you from that uncertain initial stage, where you're not altogether sure if meditation is right for you, all the way through the entire course and duration of your first meditative session.Essentially, Buddhist Meditation for Beginners takes the reader step by step through the time-honored practice and process of Buddhist meditation. The book goes into exactly why you should meditate; just how meditation cleanses the body and soul; why you should choose Buddhist meditation over other forms of the art; and how you can prepare to meditate.The book considers different positions and varieties of meditation, and probes in to the factor that emotional surrender plays in the meditative process. It tells how to get the most out of meditation, and addresses the role of Buddhism in the meditative process. Ever wonder how and why to meditate if you're not remotely Buddhist? Buddhist Meditation for Beginners will tell you. It may, in fact, even inspire you to some day become a Buddhist, or at least to immerse yourself in the divine intricacies of Buddhist belief. And it will explain why, when it comes to meditation, the Buddhist way is the best way.This informative text will tell you the right times of day in which to meditate, and how to 'tune in and tune out' while you're doing it. It defines common meditative terms such as Chih-Kuan, offers a helpful checklist for the beginning meditator, and details the many and varied benefits of this time-honored practice. The book even features informative interviews with noted practitioners of this timeless art; smart and helpful experts who will guide your way to the ultimate meditative experience. These invalu! able, we ll-versed instructors and practitioners will inspire you with their infinite wisdom and timeless knowledge.In essence, Buddhist Meditation for Beginners by Rasmus Lindgren serves to demystify the timeless art of Buddhist meditation. The book could serve as a trusted friend on your meditative journey, explaining complicated concepts in a way that is simple, straightforward and even fun. Imagine that! If you are considering making Buddhist meditation a part of your life, and are in need of some top quality Buddhist meditation books, then Buddhist Meditation for Beginners by Rasmus Lindgren just may be the key to your meditative success. Learn about this wonderful, thought-provoking work by visiting Beginning Buddhist Meditation today. About the AuthorRasmus Lindgren has practiced meditation for several years and has created a free course in Buddhist meditation books targeted at beginners. He is also author of the ebook Buddhist Meditation targetted at beginners. Address to the Global Buddhist Congregation 2011  |
| Former radiology tech turns to holistic healing Posted: 04 Dec 2011 12:00 AM PST Buy This Photo Organic Warehouse owner Maryann Raiola arranges some goods in her Bartonsville store.S. Rothman/For Pocono Record By SHARON ROTHMAN December 04, 2011 Organic Warehouse owner Maryann Raiola feels she has the perfect gift solution: "Try giving the gift of health," she said. Located along Route 611 in Bartonsville, the Organic Warehouse sells more than a thousand unique holistic gift options as well as a plethora of health supplements and services. Raiola has been in the business of healing for many years before opening the Organic Warehouse, including a 20-year career as a radiology technician and an outpatient center supervisor at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. While working at the center, Raiola spearheaded an aromatherapy program to help outpatients tolerate their exams without the need for other pharmacological medications. Her passion for finding alternative ways of healing led the mother of two to earn a certification as a holistic health counselor through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, an accredited partner of the State University of New York where she continues to study today. Path to holistic healingRaiola's path of learning the art of healing holistically began after the birth of her second daughter who was diagnosed with autism and a spectrum of learning disabilities. "She was delayed in speech and the doctor's prognosis for her was not good and I knew I would be the best advocate for my daughters health," Raiola said. "That's when I stopped commuting to Sloan and focused on making her well. My oldest daughter and I began working with her and, with sign language, we were able to help her learn how to speak." Raiola wouldn't accept the doctors diagnosis and made it her mission to ease her youngest suffering and maximizing her potential with natural supplements and natural therapies to create better health for her daughter. Her daughter currently is a fully functional kindergartner. Raiola purchased the Organic Warehouse building in 2007 so she can balance her two passions — healthy living and motherhood. "I thought this is the best way I can stay close to home to care for my family as well as help create healthy alternative options for others here in the community," Raiola said. Her products include meal supplements, dental hygiene and sports nutrition. The gift of healthGiving the gift of health is easy at the Organic Warehouse where it offers many services and personal products that bring well-being. "I believe a whole part of what you are is a balance of your body. If you feel good on the inside, you will look good on the outside as well," she said. "We focus on the whole body, not just the parts." The warehouse offers onsite holistic health counseling, reiki, aromatherapy and modalities for detoxification. There are gift certificates for all services. The product lines are vegan and benefit nonprofit organizations. For example, Thistle Farms is a social enterprise that is run by the women of Magdalene of Tennessee, a residential program for women who have survived lives of violence, prostitution and addiction. The natural bath and body products are made by those who enter into a two-year program that helps these victims by offering housing, food, medical and dental needs, therapy, education and job training, all without charge or taking government funding. Purchases of Thistle Farms products directly benefit the program for the women who made them. Their line of products include body butter, lip balms, handmade soaps, candles and many other personal product. Items from the Brooklyn skin care company Sprout Wellness are also for sale. Raiola said, "The products are all natural, made from scratch, don't have chemicals in them that you can't pronounce and are all naturally sustainable skin care products." Sprout has an extensive facial cleanser, lip balms, creams and lotions. Items from Thistle or Sprout product lines can be gift wrapped for free. "These items are great for teachers or stocking stuffers," said Raiola, who also said she ships orders from her online site www.theorganicware.com or call 570-426-7991. The store opens 10 a.m. seven days a week (closing times vary). Reader Reaction We reserve the right to remove any content at any time from this Community, including without limitation if it violates the Community Rules. We ask that you report content that you in good faith believe violates the above rules by clicking the Flag link next to the offending comment. New comments are only accepted for two weeks from the date of publication. Read More @ Source  |
| Posted: 03 Dec 2011 11:00 PM PST Article by Sakshi Tandon Something scares us, the moment we hear the word board exam. This scare leads to stress, which every student has to bear during these exams. A student, who is appearing for a board exam, is always a victim of parental as well as peer pressure. Parents pressurize their children thinking that they should get admission in the best college in India and students pressurize themselves to score better than peers. All this tension and anxiety ultimately leads to restlessness, agitation and depression among various students. Students generally don't realize that it is very important to keep mental calm during these exams to yield best results. We should not forget the fact that only good health can help in the best performance. Here are a few tips that can help students in keeping the exam stress away:- 1. Think positive - Positive thinking is the best medicine for examination stress. If a student believes that he / she can do it, no one in this world can stop him / her from scoring the best. It also helps students in taking negative thoughts out from the mind and helps them to think in a much healthier manner. Positive thinking is the best remedy to beat the exam stress.2. Focus - During examinations, it is a general tendency among students to lose focus. They will start with a subject but will end up doing some other subject. This way, till the last moment, no subject is thoroughly prepared. It is very important that students focus on one subject at a time instead of preparing two-three subjects simultaneously. Though, this more or less depends on the personal choice of a student, it is more advisable to adopt a focused approach.3. Take breaks - To keep the mind relaxed before and during exams, it is very important to take small breaks after every few hours of study. During these breaks, if you want to catch up with your favourite serial, watch that or if you want to listen to music, listen to it as it soothes the mind. Avoid talking to a friend as you may end up discussing st! udies on ly.4. Keep hobbies alive - The moment a students enters 10th or 12th standard, he / she gives up his / her hobbies and plans to devote all the time to studies. However, this is not right. To appear for an examination, a student should not end up giving something he / she likes months before. One can give some time every day to dance, listen to music, watch TV or do whatever he / she likes till the exams. Keeping hobbies alive, keeps one motivated.5. Study in groups before the exams - Discussing and learning with friends, before the exams, always helps in understanding a subject better. Other than that, this way, one breaks away from the monotony of studying alone all the time. However, it is advisable not to follow this practice during the exams as friends may create distraction in mind. 6. Practice Yoga - Yoga is the best form of stress-buster. It releases all the tension from mind and helps a student concentrate better. By putting half hour every day in Yoga, a student not only remains fit physically but also mentally. 7. Self-confidence - It is very important to have faith in oneself. One should not lose hope ever. These tips will not only help a student score well in exams but also will help them keeping the mind relaxed and cool during the course of exams About the AuthorSakshi Tandon is a counselor of shiksha.com Sacred Love: Enhanced Relaxation and Visualization Chakra Music Everyday Meditation: A Mini Retreat to Calm the Mind & Nourish the Soul (Inner Mastery) New inner software to help you live each day more fully.KRS s unique mindfulness meditation skills increase awareness and enhance everyday experiences, making your journey a smoother ride. Two meditations with gentle background music designed to facilitate your practice. (Each meditation has 4 markers to help you come back to a certain place in the meditation, if you wish). A Personal Note from KRS about Everyday Meditation - This audio was made in response to requests from those who come to my retreats and enjoyed my guided meditations. They wanted something to play when they weren't at retreat that would refocus them and provide mileage (as one long-term meditator told me) for their daily practice. The Purpose of the Inner Mastery Series - Everyday Meditation is 1 of 6 titles from KRS Edstrom's Inner Master Series. Mindfulness meditation is a non-denominational, non-sectarian practice and the core technique used throughout this series. Mindfulness cultivates an awareness of present moment with open-palmed acceptance; an appreciation of now and whatever it may contain. Imagery and breath techniques are also used to enhance your meditation experience. The purpose of the Inner Master Series is that you not only experience results after each listen, but that you also develop increasingly deeper skills to serve you in all of life's challenges. Commonly considered negatives such as pain, stress and insomnia are transformed in a non-judgmental way that invites insight and is both growth-promoting and freeing. Once perceived enemies turn into welcome teachers. Similarly, everyday events such as watching a bird soar, greeting a neighbor or putting on your socks are experienced in a more mindful, complete way; a way that enriches your relationship to self, spirit and thus! , the re st of the world. [Consists of 6 CD titles, sold separately or together (as the Wellness Set):Relax Mind & Body, Defeat Pain, Conquer Stress, Sleep Through Insomnia, Everyday Meditation, and Sounds of Serenity.Both meditations on all CDs (except the all-music CD Sounds of Serenity) has 4 silent markers to help you come back to a certain place in the meditation, if you wish].
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| Spiritual Awakening With Base Emotions Posted: 03 Dec 2011 10:00 PM PST Article by Jeramy Follick To bring things to their simplest terms, it is important we understand that there are only two base emotions in the Universe. There is Love and its counter-part Fear. It is from one of these two emotions everyone operates. We choose, whether it's consciously or not, to operate from one or the other. The following is a brief example of what I mean; FROM LOVE: Kindness, harmony, gladness, peace of mind, and so on. FROM FEAR: Hatred, discord, sadness, racism, unrighteous anger, and so on. We choose to operate within the confines of one of these emotions, or both, on day by day bases. Once a person has an insight as to their place in the Spiritual Universe, even if it's just a minute bit at first, the peace of Creator's Love takes root and a rippling effect sets off a chain reaction throughout the person's entire being. Understanding who we are is important for us as a people, a nation, and as a society. Being able to live within our own skin and be comfortable with who we are as a person, is a gift greater than no other. That's why we must daily make a conscious effort to walk in LOVE and to avoid FEAR. In the Christian Bible there is a scripture that reads, "Love your neighbor as you love yourself." Let's look at that statement. Many Christians comprehend the portion that says "Love your neighbor…" but fail to understand the portion that reads "… as yourself". I am saying, in part, what Jesus was trying to explain. How can you love and respect your neighbor(s) if you do not love and respect yourself? How can you operate in God without love for yourself? Many claim that God resides within their hearts but do they really see themselves as God sees them? I am afraid they do not. This is the point that must be made within our own hearts, as well as to others who are seeking a spiritual awakening. Knowing God loves us, and learning to love ourselves can bring about a realization of just who we are in God. And in God's Love we cannot exist with fear in our hearts, or minds. Rational fear of! things that can hurt us is a good thing. Irrational fear is a fetter we must free ourselves from. Learning that God's Love for us is based in peace of mind, and security, is the mind set we need to achieve. And in doing this we can see the essence of who we are in God's Love. This will in turn give us a new lease on life by allowing us to walk in LOVE. We are worthy of God's Love! We are worthy to love ourselves. And we can learn to love others with the love from within ourselves that is based in the true essence of God. The rational fear in this life is to be afraid of a life without God. Not to be afraid of God. Turning from a negative self out look to a positive self outlook is what we are trying to achieve here. We can do this, the question is do we want to? About the AuthorThe Universal Life Church is a multi-denominational, interfaith church that will ULC anyone for free and for life, regardless of your beliefs. The ULC offers courses in a wide variety of religious and spiritual topics, and much training is offered for free. The Universal Life Church Seminary offers courses in a variety of topics and training on subjects like counseling and other religious topics. The ULC Seminary offers free ordination and minister support and training. Taste What You Really Are AWEtizm: A Hidden Key to Our Spiritual Magnificence Lyrica is born, seemingly unreachable. With a recommendation to institutionalize her and a diagnosis of autism, her mother, Gayle, won't give up. With love and patience she stops at nothing to penetrate her daughter's wall. The barrier is breached and Gayle is welcomed into Lyrica's world. While Gayle attempts to teach her daughter, she discovers that Lyrica is an enlightened spiritual being, sharing wisdom beyond this world. As Gayle opens up to Lyrica's gifts, miraculous events begin to shape her life. Lyrica and friends, Leslie, Kellen, and Sara, write how they love their lives in autism and are here with a grand purpose. They share their mystical abilities, including telepathy, soul traveling, healing, oneness, gridding Earth energy, and communing with angels. Lyrica reveals that autistic souls are wired at a higher frequency that enables them to experience multidimensional worlds. Written by mother and daughter, this book will challenge every conventional belief of autism, religion, and our world.For those purchasing the Kindle Edition, be aware that in part two of the hardcover edition, there are five brilliant full-color illustrations of Lyrica Mia Marquez's paintings. While the images are not contained within the electronic version, readers can view these images at http://www.awetizm.com/lyricas-paintings/. Lyrica is born, seemingly unreachable. With a recommendation to institutionalize her and a diagnosis of autism, her mother, Gayle, won't give up. With love and patience she stops at nothing to penetrate her daughter's wall. The barrier is breached and Gayle is welcomed into Lyrica's world. While Gayle attempts to teach her daughter, she discovers that Lyrica is an enlightened spiritual being, sharing wisdom beyond this world. As Gayle opens up to Lyrica's gifts, miraculous events begin to shape her life. Lyrica and friends, Leslie, Kellen, and Sara, write how they love their lives in autism and are here with a grand purpose. They share their mystical abilities, including tele! pathy, s oul traveling, healing, oneness, gridding Earth energy, and communing with angels. Lyrica reveals that autistic souls are wired at a higher frequency that enables them to experience multidimensional worlds. Written by mother and daughter, this book will challenge every conventional belief of autism, religion, and our world. For those purchasing the Kindle Edition, be aware that in part two of the hardcover edition, there are five brilliant full-color illustrations of Lyrica Mia Marquez's paintings. While the images are not contained within the electronic version, readers can view these images at http://www.awetizm.com/lyricas-paintings/.
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| Posted: 04 Dec 2011 07:57 AM PST  illustration by Joon Mo Kang Morning commute in America. "I was fully conscious, but there were no more thoughts. Then I felt drawn into what seemed like a vortex of energy. . . . " At the wheel of her Subaru, driving east on (perhaps) the Massachusetts Turnpike, a woman is afloat on, adrift in, the Germanic guru-tones of Eckhart Tolle. Raw winter light irradiates the car, fixing every scratch on the windshield in a constellation of worldly damage, and Tolle's voice — deep but somewhat nasal, as if he has a tiny Jedi Master lodged in his sinuses — snuffles spiritually from the speakers. "I could feel myself being sucked into a void. . . . Suddenly there was no more fear." Audiobooks are on the rise. Purchasable, downloadable, borrowable from the library, they are making ever deeper inroads into what publishers persist in calling (with touching optimism) "the book market": a recent article by Peter Osnos on The Atlantic Web site parsed the sales data in anticipation of a "coming audiobooks boom." There's something lovely about this. At the very moment the poor old book-object dissolves before our eyes, pecked to pieces by the angry birds of Kindle, iPad and the rest, we are renewing our primary contract with the author by offering him our ears. We offer them intimately — in the car, in the kitchen, or in bed, on headphones, the sleeping spouse-form heavily at hand while poetry or fiction or New Age consolation is piped directly into our cranial darkness. The voice of Eckhart Tolle, well known to the millions of hungry souls who have purchased audio versions of "The Power of Now" or "A New Earth," is but a strand of the Voice, that human frequency without which, it seems, we cannot do. It feels banal to observe that the voice is older than the printed word, and has a senior claim upon our attention. So banal, in fact, that I'm going to leave it to Oscar Wilde. "Since the introduction of printing," he wrote in "The Critic as Artist," "there has been a tendency in literature to appeal more and more to the eye, and less and less to the ear which is really the sense which, from the standpoint of pure art, it should seek to please, and by whose canons of pleasure it should abide always." Wilde's own interface with audio technology is historically shrouded: did he or did he not, at the Paris Exposition Universelle in 1900, recite part of "The Ballad of Reading Gaol" into the recording horn of one of Thomas Edison's phonographs? Biographers are unclear. Half a century would pass before Dylan Thomas, quivering Celtic super-ham, sealed the compact between literature and the microphone with a 1952 session for Caedmon Records. Some poems, some shaken jowls, and the literary celebrity spoken-word recording was born. Three years after that, Caedmon's engineers captured T. S. Eliot reading "Preludes": "The thousand sordid images / Of which your soul was constituted. . . . " Morose, incantatory — how does one begin to describe Eliot's style on the mic? Anglo-Golgothan, maybe. The "talking book" had already been in existence for a couple of decades, its development powered by the American Foundation for the Blind. The blind, naturally, have a particular interest in the utterance of books. A blind friend of mine makes frequent use in her reading of text-to-speech technology, whereby the words she summons to her computer screen are recited aloud in an uninflected automated-banking robo-voice. She claims to prefer this voice, for all its flatness and occasional glitchiness, to the conventional huffings and puffings of some great Narrator. "It mispronounces a ton of stuff," she tells me, "but I don't care, because I'm getting the information in a way that's most analogous to reading the printed word. You can learn a lot of things from a narrator's voice, but that interpretation belongs to the narrator. With a synthesized voice there's no interpretation." James Parker writes the Entertainment column for The Atlantic. Introduction to Ashtanga Yoga Aurorae Yoga Mats - Ultra Thick, Extra Long with Focal point Icon and Illuminating Colors. SGS approved Free from Phthalates and Latex. All products guaranteed. Midnight
* Our Unique Focal Point Icon helps you focus on your poses as well as maximize the calming and stress relief Yoga encourages. * It's available in Great Illuminating colors that Define your Inner Self, bringing out the Natural Aura within you. * The 1/4" thickness provides enough cushion and comfort to protect your knees and joints. * This newly designed Eco Friendly material molds your hands and feet to the Mat with immediate Recovery giving you the foundation needed for your practice. * Aurorae is one of the most durable and easy to care for Yoga Mats with Incredible Value * This Mat has been SGS approved. The world's largest testing, inspection and Verification Company for certification and your safety. AURORAE YOGI TIPS * Wash your mat down with a soft brush and a non oil based soap or detergent, then rinse off. Repeat if necessary. * Hang dry outside in sun if possible. DO NOT PUT IN DRYER. * Wash your hands with soap and water before class to reduce any natural oils in your hands. * Do not use creams or oils on your hands or feet before your practice. * Always keep a cotton towel (available by Aurorae) near you to wipe away any perspiration. * If necessary, use an Aurorae Yoga Slip Free Rosin Bag to absorb any perspiration and increase gripping power. * To keep your mat fresh and clean spray Aurorae Yoga Mat Wash directly onto the mat. Let it soak in for a minute or so then wipe off with cotton towel. Clean mat after your yoga practice to allow it to dry completely before your next use. This will disinfect, restore and keep mat free from bacteria. Do as needed Remember "It's Your Yoga" "Your Island of Peace and Tranquility"
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| "Atheist's Guide to Reality" answers life's biggest questions Posted: 03 Dec 2011 10:00 PM PST Here's a gift idea for the atheists and agnostics on your Christmas shopping list: Alex Rosenberg's The Atheist's Guide to Reality: Enjoying Life Without Illusions. I'm enjoying it a lot, having bought it at Powell's Books in Portland (best bookstore in the world!) a few weeks ago. Rosenberg, chair of the Philosophy Department at Duke University, is a powerful writer. He is utterly fearless in proclaiming his atheistic thesis. Here it is in a nutshell, on pages 2-3 of his new book where he confidently answers life's biggest questions in a few words: Is there a God? No. What is the nature of reality? What physics says it is. What is the purpose of the universe? There is none. What is the meaning of life? Ditto. Why am I here? Just dumb luck. Does prayer work? Of course not. Is there a soul? Is it immortal? Are you kidding? Is there free will? Not a chance! When happens when we die? Everything pretty much goes on as before, except us. What is the difference between right and wrong, good and bad? There is no moral difference between them. Why should I be moral? Because it makes you feel better than being immoral. Is abortion, euthanasia, suicide, paying taxes, foreign aid, or anything else you don't like forbidden, permissible, or sometimes obligatory? Anything goes. What is love, and how can I find it? Love is the solution to a strategic interaction problem. Don't look for it; it will find you when you need it. Does history have any meaning or purpose? It's full of sound and fury, but signifies nothing. Does the human past have any lessons for our future? Fewer and fewer, if it ever had any to begin with. Standing in Powell's Books, thumbing through "The Atheist's Guide to Reality," what made me decide to buy the book was a positive mention of scientism that I came across in the first chapter. Almost always this word is used in a perjorative manner. Meaning, scientism is considered a viewpoint that fails to recognize the legitimate limits of scientific inquiry, a reductionist philosophy which ignores aspects of reality beyond the bounds of science. Appealingly, Rosenberg proudly appropriates this word. He stands tall for scientism, and a scientistic outlook on life. But we'll call the worldview that all us atheists (and even some agnostics) share "scientism." This is the conviction that the methods of science are the only reliable way to secure knowledge of anything; that science's description of the world is correct in its fundamentals; and that when "complete" what science tells us will not be surprisingly different from what it tells us today. We'll often use the adjective "scientistic" in referring to the approaches, theories, methods, and descriptions of the nature of reality that all the sciences share. Science provides all the significant truths about reality, and knowing such truths is what real understanding is all about. You may not agree with Rosenberg. But if you read his book, I guarantee that he will make you think. He will challenge your assumptions about how the world, and you, are. I'm getting mini-revelations on almost every page. I'm about to read a chapter that promises a maxi-revelation. Stay tuned to this blog for what it is. Here's a preview that I came across this morning. Ultimately, science and scientism are going to give up as illusory the very thing conscious experience screams out at us loudest and longest: the notion that when we think, our thoughts are about anything at all, inside or outside of our minds. Chinese Stress Reduction Song - Jie Tuo Dao  |
| Americans Who Work for the Buddhist Cause Posted: 03 Dec 2011 09:00 PM PST Article by Arjanyai In the United States, an American went to work for the revival of Buddhism in a Buddhist country before Buddhism was introduced to America. This person was Colonel H.S. Olcott who went to Ceylon in 2423/1880, established the Theosophical Society, and worked for the revival of Buddhism, Buddhist culture and education in that country. His famous book "Buddhist Catechism" is a work of great clarity. In an attempt to outline the basic beliefs of the Buddhists to which the Theravada, Mahayana and all other schools could agree, Olcott wrote in 2434/1891 "Fourteen Basic Buddhist Beliefs" which was accepted by Buddhist leaders of several countries at a congress in Madras.1 In 2436/1893 Anagarika Dharmapala of Ceylon represented Buddhism at the World's Parliament of Religions held in Chicago. It was at this time that Mr. C.T.S. Strauss declared himself a Buddhist by receiving the Threefold Refuge and the Five Precepts from Dharmapala. Strauss was probably the first American to become a Buddhist. It was also during this same period of time that the first Japanese Buddhist Mission was said to arrive in San Francisco and commence their activities in the United States. This can be regarded as the introduction of Buddhism to the United States. In 2427/1884 Dr. Paul Carus published in Illinois his famous book, "The Gospel of the Buddha." The book has gone through many printings and over one million copies of it have been sold since its first appearance. During this time, the Harvard Oriental Series was founded by Charles Rockwel Lanman and Henry Clarke Warren. Among the works included in this series were Warren's Buddhism in Translations (2439/1896) and Eugene Watson Burlingame's Buddhist Legends which is the English translation of the Dhammapada-Commentary (2464/1921). A Buddhist Bible by Dwight Goddard was also an American contribution to Buddhist studies. Goddard was born in Worcester, Massachusetts in 2404/1861. He accepted the message of the Buddha while he was a Christian missionary in China. ! Later he founded a brotherhood called "The Followers of the Buddha," which became an inspiration to other American Buddhists. In the field of Sanskrit Buddhist studies, an American contribution was made by Professor Edgerton who compiled for Yale University the "Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Grammar and Dictionary" published in 1953. However, in comparison with the numerous works produced in Europe, American literary activities of this early period were nearly beneath notice. Generally speaking, it was Europe that played the central part in carrying the message of the Buddha to the West in the early period. Academic studies and scholarly research became characteristic of the Buddhist activities during these first hundred years. Names of Orientalists and Indologists, historians and philologists, along with their scholarly works, filled up the pages of the early history of Buddhism in the West. Names and titles cited above are only pioneers and some distinguished examples. A great number of other scholars, both pupils and colleagues of these leading figures, had their shares in this Western tradition of Buddhist scholarship and academic study of Buddhism. Some popular texts and works of importance have had many printings or were published in many versions. Among popular texts, the best known is the Dhammapada, which has been translated into many languages and of which not less than twenty versions have been published. Among the discourses of the Buddha, the Kalamasutta, rightly called the first charter of free thought, seems to be the best known and the most oftenquoted, the only possible exception being the First Sermon. Among post-canonical works the Visuddhimagga and the Abhidhammatthasangaha are next only to the Milindapanha in popularity and in publication statistics. About the AuthorDesign a fashion Blackberry car charger Amulet necklace  |
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