Enlightenment and the Brain. Raptitude. Who You Really Are. Okay, this post is the last thrust in our trip down the proverbial rabbit-hole, which so far has looked at what the ego is, and how the late Douglas Harding can help us answer that big, big question — who are you, really?
This is part one of a two-part post. I had no idea what I was getting into. Back in October, I arrived at an island retreat called Hollyhock, to take what I thought was a five-day course on Buddhism. I didn’t know we would spend those days in uninterrupted mindfulness, without speaking, and that we’d spend about six to eight hours a day in formal meditation. After the initial welcome at the main hall, our teacher led my group up the path to our meditation hut in the forest.
“Please be aware,” he said, as we all stared silently, “that you are seeing.” He repeated himself. His comment echoed again in my head a moment later, and I realized what he meant. In that instant, the stars became more real, more imposing, though I can’t say their appearance changed. Sitting lessons. High Existence.
Thought Questions. Boosting Your Creativity. 15 Styles of Distorted Thinking. 30 Things to Stop Doing to Yourself - StumbleUpon. Einstein-The World As I See It. "How strange is the lot of us mortals!
Each of us is here for a brief sojourn; for what purpose he knows not, though he sometimes thinks he senses it. But without deeper reflection one knows from daily life that one exists for other people -- first of all for those upon whose smiles and well-being our own happiness is wholly dependent, and then for the many, unknown to us, to whose destinies we are bound by the ties of sympathy. A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving... "I have never looked upon ease and happiness as ends in themselves -- this critical basis I call the ideal of a pigsty. The ideals that have lighted my way, and time after time have given me new courage to face life cheerfully, have been Kindness, Beauty, and Truth. "My political ideal is democracy. Popular Quotes - StumbleUpon.
Randomized quotes. The Mindful Way Through Anxiety: Break Free from Chronic Worry and Reclaim ... - Susan M. Orsillo, Lizabeth Roemer, Zindel V. Segal. How to do Mindfulness Meditation. By Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche “Mindfulness practice is simple and completely feasible.
Just by sitting and doing nothing, we are doing a tremendous amount.” In mindfulness, or shamatha, meditation, we are trying to achieve a mind that is stable and calm. What we begin to discover is that this calmness or harmony is a natural aspect of the mind. Through mindfulness practice we are just developing and strengthening it, and eventually we are able to remain peacefully in our mind without struggling.
An important point is that when we are in a mindful state, there is still intelligence. Creating a Favorable Environment There are certain conditions that are helpful for the practice of mindfulness. It is good if the place where you meditate, even if it’s only a small space in your apartment, has a feeling of upliftedness and sacredness. Beginning the Practice I encourage people to meditate frequently but for short periods of time—ten, fifteen, or twenty minutes. Gaze Thoughts. Kabbala.