True and Useful™

Quote of the Week

"Whatever we do lays a seed in our deepest consciousness, and one day that seed will grow."

~ Sakyong Mipham

Loving-Kindness Meditation - Forgiveness

To begin, direct your whole attention inward and concentrate on your breathing. 

• Become aware of the breath as it moves in and out 
• Feel the rhythm as you inhale and then exhale
• Allow yourself to relax into the easy movement of your breath in and out

Once you are settled into your breathing focus, you can begin the Forgiveness Meditation.

Have forgiveness in your heart for anything you think you've done wrong. Forgive yourself for all the past omissions and commissions. They are long gone. Understand that you were a different person and this one is forgiving that one that you were. Feel that forgiveness filling you and enveloping you with a sense of warmth and ease.

Think of your parents. Forgive them for anything you have ever blamed them for. Understand that they too are different now. Let this forgiveness fill them, surround them, knowing in your heart that this is your most wonderful way of togetherness.

Think of your nearest and dearest people . Forgive them for anything that you think they have done wrong or are doing wrong at this time. Fill them with your forgiveness. Let them feel that you accept them. Let that forgiveness fill them. Realizing that this is your expression of love.

Now think of your friends. Forgive them for anything you have disliked about them. Let your forgiveness reach out to them, so that they can be filled with it, embraced by it.

Think of the people you know, whoever they might be, and forgive them all for whatever it is that you have blamed them for, that you have judged them for, that you have disliked. Let your forgiveness fill their hearts, surround them, envelope them, be your expression of love for them.

Now think of any special person whom you really need to forgive. Towards whom you still have resentment, rejection, dislike. Forgive him or her fully. Remember that everyone has dukkha. Let this forgiveness come from your heart. Reach out to that person, complete and total.

Think of any one person, or any situation, or any group of people whom you are condemning, blaming, disliking. Forgive them, completely. Let your forgiveness be your expression of unconditional love. They may not do the right things. Human beings have dukkha. And your heart needs the forgiveness in order to have purity of love.

Have a look again and see whether there's anyone or anything, any where in the world, towards whom you have blame or condemnation. And forgive the people or the person, so that there is no separation your heart.

Now put your attention back on yourself. And recognize the goodness in you. The effort you are making. Feel the warmth and ease that comes from forgiveness."

May all beings have forgiveness in their hearts!

Source: Buddha Dharma Education Association & BuddhaNet

Hawaii Forgiveness Project Images of Forgiveness Award 2007

Gold Medal
"Forgiveness"
Ann Cho, born 1993
colored pencil

presented at
International Forgiveness Day in Hawai'i

Forgiveness by John Greenleaf Whittier

My heart was heavy, for its trust had been
Abused, its kindness answered with foul wrong;
So, turning gloomily from my fellow-men,
One summer Sabbath day I strolled among
The green mounds of the village burial-place;
Where, pondering how all human love and hate
Find one sad level; and how, soon or late,
Wronged and wrongdoer, each with meekened face,
And cold hands folded over a still heart,
Pass the green threshold of our common grave,
Whither all footsteps tend, whence none depart,
Awed for myself, and pitying my race,
Our common sorrow, like a mighty wave,
Swept all my pride away, and trembling I forgave!

Forgiveness: a gift to yourself

Forgiveness is an act of the imagination. It dares you to imagine a better future, one that is based on the blessed possibility that your hurt will not be the final word on the matter. It challenges you to give up your destructive thoughts about the situation and to believe in the possibility of a better future. It builds confidence that you can survive the pain and grow from it.

Telling someone is a bonus! It is not necessary for forgiveness to begin the process that heals the hurt. Forgiveness has little or nothing to do with another person because forgiveness is an internal matter.

Excerpt from CelebrateLove.com

Quote of the Week

"He who cannot forgive breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass."

~ George Herbert

America the Beautiful

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!

America! America!
God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea! 

O beautiful for pilgrim feet
Whose stern impassion'd stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness.

America! America!
God mend thine ev'ry flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law.

O beautiful for heroes prov'd
In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved,
And mercy more than life.

America! America!
May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness,
And ev'ry gain divine.

O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears.

America! America!
God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea.

Compassion

The practice of loving-kindness and compassion toward others essentially involves cultivating the recognition that all living creatures want to feel whole, safe and happy.  All you have to do is remember that whatever's going on inside someone else's mind is the same thing that's going on in yours.  When you remember this, you realize that there's no reason to be frightened of anyone or anything.  The only reason you're ever scared is that you've failed to recognize that whomever or whatever you're facing is just like you: a creature that only wants to be happy and free from suffering.

~ excerpt from The Joy of Living by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche

My Three Freedoms

Thought
Was my first freedom.
Will
Is my last freedom.

Surrender
Is my eternal Freedom.

From “The Wings of Light”  by Sri Chinmoy

Perfection

Dream your passion.  Fly away.  Go through the hoop of your innermost fears and desires.  Meet them and conquer them.  What pain from childhood have you not dealt with?  Move into the wound of your most secret fears, and find the seeds of wisdom that are planted there.  Face what upsets you the most; it is a great teacher.  Give away whatever is holding you back – insecurities, ego, fear of failure or of not being loved, fear of being alone – and be reborn into a new state of perfection.

Lynn V. Andrews

Quote of the Week

"There are very few monsters who warrant the fear we have of them."

~ Andre Gide

Changing the Dream

According to the Indian philosophy "Advaita- Vedanta", which is called "Nonduality" in the West, the world is not real, but only an illusion, created by our thoughts. Since most people think and repeat the same or similar thoughts often, focusing their mind and thoughts on their current environment, they create and recreate the same sort of events or circumstances. This process preserves the same "world" and status quo. It is like watching the same film over and over again, but we can change the film by changing our thoughts and visualize different circumstances and life, and in this way create a different "reality". For us it is a reality, though in fact it is just a dream we call "reality".

By changing our thoughts and mental images we change our "reality"; we change the "illusory" world we believe we live in. We are not employing magic or supernatural powers when creating and changing our life and circumstances. It is not something "material" that we change; we only change our thoughts, which shape our world.

All this is like dreaming a very realistic dream, and then changing the dream. We are not awakening from the dream, just changing the dream.

Excerpt from SuccessConsciousness.com

A picture to meditate on . . .

To Meditate by Thich Nhat Hahn

To meditate does not mean to fight with a problem.
To meditate means to observe.
Your smile proves it.
It proves that you are being gentle with yourself,
that the sun of awareness is shining in you,
that you have control of your situation.
You are yourself,
and you have acquired some peace.

Meditation Focus: Visualizing Light

Visualization is a meditation technique that incorporates our ability to imagine a particular experience.  Here is a technique using the visualization of light:

As always, focusing on your breathing is a good way to start meditation.  To begin, direct your whole attention inward and concentrate on your breathing. 

• Become aware of the breath as it moves in and out 
• Feel the rhythm as you inhale and then exhale
• Allow yourself to relax into the easy movement of your breath in and out

Once you are settled into your breathing focus, you can begin a light visualization:

• Imagine a column of white light radiating from above your head, and as you breathe in, picture this column of white light gently radiating through a small opening at the top of your head.
• Breathe out, then on your next breath in, allow the white light to gently flow downward through your head and neck to the center of your chest.
• Breathe out, then on your next breath in, picture the white light swirling around the center of your chest, surrounding your heart with glowing white light.
• Breathe out, then on your next breath in, allow the white light to gently flow down toward your lower abdominal area.
• Breathe out, imagining the light radiating outward through the front of your lower abdominal area.
• Breathe in and picture the light gathering in your lower abdominal area.
• Breathe out and imagine the white light radiating down your legs to the soles of your feet and up and out your arms to the palms and fingertips.
• Breathe in and focus your awareness on any areas of your body that may feel tense or in pain.
• Breathe out and allow the white light to flow to those areas of your body, imagining that the light can release the tension or pain.
• Breathe in, then as you breathe out imagine your body releasing the white light, leaving you in a deeper state of relaxation.
• Continue with a few more deep breaths, and release any lingering tension or tightness with each out-breath.

~ A.G.R

Quote of the Week

"A further sign of health is that we don't become undone by fear and trembling, but we take it as a message that it's time to stop struggling and look directly at what's threatening us."

~ Pema Chodron

Nurture Your Soul

In these challenging economic times it’s important to remember that our soul and spirit need nourishment as well as our body.  It’s difficult not to focus on money or lack thereof, potential or actual job loss, and downsizing our lifestyles and expectations.  However, economic set-backs are not a punishment to be endured; they are the external circumstances of life that confront us.

Now more than ever we need to take time to comfort ourselves and those in need around us.   Clearing our minds of worrisome thoughts and offering words of hope and compassion to others are vital to meeting the current situation with clarity and courage.  It’s easy to get discouraged and lose faith, but the greatest control we exercise over our experience comes from within.

Meditation, prayer, reading inspirational passages, walking in nature, and gathering with friends and family are available to everyone at little or no cost.  Take the time to nurture your soul and spirit.  It will lighten the load of this modern journey.

~ A.G.R

This picture just makes me smile

Tao Te Ching: Chapter 2

The Tao Te Ching contains 81 chapters of ancient wisdom.  This one discusses judgment, acceptance and detachment:

Chapter 2  Making things ugly

When people see beauty, they think, "that's beautiful."
Thinking of something as beautiful makes you think other things are ugly.
Calling something "good" forces you to call some other things "evil."

The ideas "difficult" and "easy" support each other.
"Long" and "short" define each other.
"High" creates "low."
"Tone" creates "noise."
"Before" creates "after."
"Have" creates "don't have."

This is why the Sage acts without effort and teaches without words.
New things are created and the Sage just accepts them.
Things fade away and the Sage accepts that too.

A Sage can have things without feeling they "own" them.
The Sage does things without putting an emotional stake into the outcome.
The task is accomplished, but the Sage doesn't seek credit or take pride in the accomplishment.
Because the Sage is not attached to the accomplishment, the accomplishment lasts forever.

Source: About the Tao, translation by Robert Friedler

Note: There are many translations of the Tao Te Ching, some of which are copywrited.  Robert Friedler is willing to share his work to help further awareness of this great wisdom.

COOLNESS by David Lourie

I have come to understand the meaning of “coolness” in spiritual terms.

A person is `cool’ when he or she is free from pressing desires (grasping) which always produce dissonant emotions (uncoolness).

An uncool person squirms with needs, waiting for the next coffee or cigarette or chance to break into the conversation, and thus is a state called “senseless agitation,” like Bodhi in the cartoon below.

On the other hand, a cool person is free of cravings and repulsions, and is thus in an empowered state of equanimity.

Being cool and detached is not being cold and uncaring. I’ve noticed that when I’m feeling cool and requiring nothing from the situation, it seems to clarify my thoughts, and in this state I tend to respond to other people’s agendas more, instead of my head being full of my own agenda.

To me, coolness means more compassion and less self-ness – the opposite of being heated.

Interestingly, the ultra-cool Buddhist who has realized nirvana is often referred to as “fully blown out,” referring to the flame of desire he has extinguished within himself.

David Lourie
Dharma the Cat’s Blog

Check out this wonderful Buddhist blog...

Quote of the Week

"Opportunities are never lost; someone will take the one you miss. "

Smiling is Contagious

S-l-o-w Learner: Crying Uncle

S-l-o-w Learner is a series based on the premise that I seem to require more time than most to learn basic life lessons.

The question that keeps coming around for me is how much personal growth work (meditation, introspection, reading, therapy, etc.) does it take before we are done? How many tools do I need in my spiritual tool bag before I arrive at the promised land of inner peace.

I’ve been on this journey for so long that I’m starting to feel just a bit weary and discouraged. My smart friends often remind me of the progress we are all making and the lessons we are learning, but I sometimes hit the wall and just run out of steam.

I’ve been referring to myself as a slow learner for years, sometimes out of low self-esteem and sometimes out of humor and self-deprecation. At this particular moment in time I’m not laughing. I’m too tired to laugh, or cry, for that matter.

I’m not happy to be sounding like a whiner, but I guess it makes sense that a slow learner would be likely to whine once in a while.  If I’m slow on the uptake, not operating on all cylinders, and not the brightest bulb in the chandelier, I certainly have something to complain about, don’t I? Why couldn’t I have been one of the early learners, the prodigies, the folks who seem so together and enlightened from the get-go?

I know the wise answer is to accept and allow my discouragement, to embrace my inner slowness. The way out is through, right? We all know what we’re supposed to do when we fall off that proverbial horse. According to the brightest minds, it’s one step, then another, then the next, etc.

I know all that, but right now it’s not helping.  I guess, after all, that’s why I’m a s-l-o-w learner.

~ A.G.R

Just Smile By Sri Chinmoy

Don't struggle;
You are bound to fail.
Just smile a sweet smile.
Your life-boat 
Is bound to sail,
Without fail.
Don't cry; 
You are bound to fail.
Just smile a soulful smile.
Your life-boat 
Is bound to sail,
Without fail.

Neck Release

Here is a simple exercise to help release tension from the neck area. These movements coordinated with breathing can be done virtually anywhere – at your desk, sitting up in bed, even while watching TV. Allow your head movements and breathing to flow smoothly and gently, and remember to keep your eyes looking straight ahead throughout the entire exercise.

Caution: As with any exercise be careful not to push beyond your limits.  If you have chronic neck pain or injury, consult your physician before attempting the following movements.

First sequence:

1. Sit or stand with your head facing forward and your eyes looking straight ahead.
2. Take a slow deep breath in and breathe out.
3. Take another breath in, and as you breathe out, slowly turn your head to the left while keeping your eyes looking straight ahead.
4. As you breathe in, slowly turn your head back to center, facing forward again.
5. As you breathe out, slowly turn your head to the right while keeping your eyes looking straight ahead.
6. As you breathe in, slowly turn your head back to center, facing forward again.
7. Slowly breathe out with your head facing forward.
8. Repeat steps 3 – 7 at least two more times, and if you’re comfortable, repeat for a total of five times.

Second sequence:

1. Picking up at the end of the first sequence above, take another breath in, and as you breathe out, gently tilt your head forward, bringing your chin down toward your chest, while keeping your eyes looking straight ahead.
2. As you breathe in, slowly bring your head back to center, facing forward again.
3. As you breathe out, gently tilt your head back just a few inches while keeping your eyes looking straight ahead.
4. As you breathe in, slowly bring your head back to center, facing forward again.
5. Slowly breathe out with your head facing forward.
6. Repeat steps 1 – 5 two more times.

~ A.G.R