How is one to live a moral and compassionate existence . . . when one finds darkness not only in one’s culture but within oneself? Continue reading
Month: May 2014
Book Recommendation: The Essential Gandhi: An Anthology of His Writings on His Life, Work, and Ideas
“Gandhi was inevitable. If humanity is to progress, Gandhi is inescapable… We may ignore him at our own risk.”
– Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Mohandas K. Gandhi, called Mahatma (“great soul”), was the father of modern India, but his influence has spread well beyond the subcontinent, and is as important today as it was in the first part of the twentieth century, and during this nation’s own civil rights movement. Taken from Gandhi’s writings throughout his life. The Essential Gandhi introduces us to his thoughts on politics, spirituality, poverty, suffering, love, non-violence, civil disobedience, and his own life. The pieces collected here, with explanatory head-notes by Gandhi biographer Louis Fischer, offer the clearest, most thorough portrait of one of the greatest spiritual leaders the world has known.With a new Preface drawn from the writings of Eknath EaswaranIn the annals of spirituality certain books stand out both for their historical importance and for their continued relevance. The Vintage Spiritual Classics series offers the greatest of these works in authoritative new editions, with specially commissioned essays by noted contemporary commentators. Filled with eloquence and fresh insight, encouragement and solace, Vintage Spiritual Classics are incomparable resources for all readers, who seek a more substantive understanding of mankind’s relation to the divine.
Don’t think. See.
Book Recommendation : The Law of Attraction Made Simple by Jonathan Manske
I knew about this book for a couple of years, but didn’t buy it, figuring “What else can be said about the law of attraction that hasn’t already been said 10,00 times?” Finally I did, and it was a revelation! I would have to say it’s one of the best books I’ve ever read. His explanation that the law of attraction is like gravity at last made the concept concrete to me, and I have used several of his techniques over and over. I especially like the “wonder” concept, the difference between being “committed” to an outcome versus “attached”, and the Grand Canyon technique. The situation I’ve been visualizing has become stronger and stronger, not only in the exercise, but also in real life! Thanks, Jonathan, for this rich source of simple, intriguing methods…
– Feedback from Connie Ellefson
Don’t pretend to be what you are not, don’t refuse to be what you are….
That which you are, your true self, you love it, and whatever you do, you do for your own happiness. To find it, to know it, to cherish it is your basic urge. Since time immemorial you loved yourself, but never wisely. Use your body and mind wisely in the service of the self, that is all. Be true to your own self, love yourself absolutely. Do not pretend that you love others as yourself. Unless you have realized them as one with yourself, you cannot love them. Don’t pretend to be what you are not, don’t refuse to be what you are. Your love of others is the result of self- knowledge, not its cause. Without self-realization, no virtue is genuine. When you know beyond all doubting that the same life flows through all that is and you are that life, you will love all naturally and spontaneously. When you realize the depth and fullness of yourself, you know that every living being and the entire universe are included in your affection. But when you look at anything as separate from you, you cannot love it for you are afraid of it. Alienation causes fear and fear deepens alienation. It is a vicious circle. Only self-realization can break it. Go for it resolutely.
– Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj from I am That
the tragedy of the commons
Today, psychologists, economists and environmentalists use the phrase “the tragedy of the commons” to describe the same basic principle: when we use a common resource at a rate that is slower than the rate at which it replenishes, all is well. However, if a few individuals get greedy and use more than their share, the system of consumption becomes unsustainable, and in the long term, everybody loses. In essence, the tragedy of the commons is about two competing human interests. On one hand, an individual should care about the sustainability of shared resources in the long term because everyone, including the individual, benefits from it. At the same time, in the short term, the individual benefits immediately from taking more than his or her fair share. (Social scientists refer to such betrayers of social contracts as “defectors.”) Of course, if we all cared about the common good or thought about the long-term consequences of our actions, we might not run into resource-sharing problems. But because human beings tend to focus on short-term benefits and our own immediate needs, such tragedies of the commons occur frequently.
– Dan Ariely
Meditation is a lot like cultivating a new land
Meditation is called the Great Teacher. It is the cleansing crucible fire that works slowly but surely, through understanding. The greater your understanding, the more flexible and tolerant, the more compassionate you can be. You become like a perfect parent or an ideal teacher. You are ready to forgive and forget. You feel love toward others because you understand them, and you understand others because you have understood yourself. You have looked deeply inside and seen self-illusion and your own human failings, seen your own humanity and learned to forgive and to love. When you have learned compassion for yourself, compassion for others is automatic. An accomplished meditator has achieved a profound understanding of life, and he or she inevitably relates to the world with a deep and uncritical love. Continue reading
Thought for the Week – 26th May 2014
Happiness is a choice not a result!
What you need to realize is that happiness is a choice not a result! This is so important that it is worth repeating: Happiness is a choice! You can be happy for no other reason than because you choose to be happy, regardless of the circumstances. Here is a story that illustrates this really well: A 92-year-old man had to move into a nursing home. His wife of 70 years had recently passed away which made his move necessary. After several hours of waiting in the lobby of the nursing home, he was told that his new room was ready. The person guiding him to his new room started to describe the room. “I love it!” He stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old with a new puppy. The person who was leading him to his room said, “we haven’t got there yet just wait.” “That doesn’t have anything to do with it,” the old man replied. “Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not does not depend on how the furniture is arranged. It’s how I arrange my mind. I have already decided to love it!” “It’s a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do.” “Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I’ll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I have stored away.” ~source unknown
– The Law of Attraction Made Simple – Magnetize Your Heartfelt Desires
Book Recommendation – The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying
“What is it I hope for from this book? To inspire a quiet revolution in the whole way we look at health and care for the dying, and the w
This acclaimed spiritual masterpiece is widely regarded as one of the most complete and authoritative presentations of the Tibetan Buddhist teachings ever written. A manual for life and death and a magnificent source of sacred inspiration from the heart of the Tibetan tradition, The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying provides a lucid and inspiring intro-duction to the practice of meditation, to the nature of mind, to karma and rebirth, to compassionate love and care for the dying, and to the trials and rewards of the spiritual path.Buddhist meditation master and international teacher Sogyal Rinpoche brings together the ancient wisdom of Tibet with modern research on death and dying and the nature of the universe. With unprecedented scope, The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying clarifies the majestic vision of life and death that underlies the classic sacred text The Tibetan Book of the Dead. Sogyal Rinpoche presents simple yet powerful practices from the heart of the Tibetan tradition that anyone, whatever their religion or background, can do to transform their lives, prepare for death, and help the dying.
ONE TUSK 