#203 Time can be a dread Nov. 26th 17

                                                            Time can be a dread

 Once a while, I observe animals and pets and envy their pragmatism, calm and, maybe, their wisdom.

Their life is not fun, mostly routine. They suffer like all of us and yet they do not seem to make a “big deal of their dull and non-exciting life ”. Their lives seem to have few complications. They eat the same food, sleep when tired and don’t control anything.

As far we can judge, every animal is so busy with what he is doing in the current moment that he never bother asking whether life is good or bad, fair or unfair or what they regret from the past, expect or fear for the future. For them, happiness consists in living only in the present moment and not in the assurance that the past was better or the future will be full of expectations and without suffering. (more…)

#202 Change: Resisting or Accepting

                                                       Change: Resisting vs. Accepting 

 How are we dealing with changes? Do we resist them? Accept them? Don’t care?

Do they make you happy or sad, optimistic or worried?, angry or serene?

Remember this: everything we take for granted is constantly changing in way or the other.

The formation of the clouds in the sky at this moment is unique and will never be repeated. Every cell in our bodies is replaced all the time. You, me, our thoughts, our feeling, our environment, our planet and the universe are in a state of continual, unstoppable, inconceivable transformation.

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#201 Fear: attributes by Harish Verma

                     Fear, its attributes and how to try to overcome it. By Harish Verma

Fear is an emotion that is our companion from the womb to the tomb. The cave man lived with the fear thunder, going hungry without food etc. And we live in the ultimate fear our safety and well-being. In 1933, Franklin Roosevelt coined the phrase “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself”. So let us try to understand what fear is, how it affects us and how to deal with it. First of all we must understand that fear is a function of the mind, not of the intellect. We must also understand that it is an integral part of the human psyche. We are born with this. It is what might be termed as a “Manufacturer’s Defect”. The nature of our mind is such that it runs in all directions because it has a special characteristic, which is called “Association of Ideas”. When confronted with a certain situation, we get an idea about it, and through association, project that idea into the realm of unknown. (more…)

#200 Mind is like water

                                                               Mind is like water

Our mind is like a clear glass of water.

If you put salt into the water, it becomes salt water; adding sugar, it becomes sugar water; adding sh.t it becomes sh.t water.

But originally the water is clear.  Our thoughts are like salt, sugar and sh.t .

Clear mind is before thinking.

When you eat an apple, just eat an apple, be with it:  Don’t be in yesterday, don’t be in tomorrow, and don’t be at work.

Bring your mind where your body is and does.

This is before thinking, before the if, why, whom, when, where and how.

This is “no mind”.

Try to use your mind only when you need it. Otherwise, it will use you.

This is Enlightenment.

 

#199 Meditation in daily life by Kris

                                       MEDITATION IN DAILY LIFE   by Kris Mohan

Physical & mental Stress is a fact of daily life. If we analyze the root cause of stress and suffering, we would conclude that, beside hatred and ignorance that is illusion/delusion, “desire/graving” is the main culprit in all its manifestations. Many of our sorrows and causes of suffering spring from unfulfilled desires. Everything we do in this life is to achieve happiness. However, we do all this running around in the mistaken belief that our happiness lies in acquiring external objects and endeavors. Objects, by themselves cannot give us happiness or sorrow. By acquiring an object or if we get some approval from others, it may temporarily make us “happy” but the vagaries of this world will quickly change the circumstances.

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#198 Mindfulness on the GO: Practicing smiling Nov. 2nd 17

                                           Mindfulness on the GO: Practicing smiling

 We have to look always somewhat serious. This is what our society is expecting from us.

But, for few days, please allow yourself to smile spontaneously once a while during the day w/o any specific reasons. Strange isn’t !

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