True and Useful™

Welcome to True and Useful

I started True and Useful in March, 2006, and created an archive of almost daily postings for over a year. For various reasons my posts became very infrequent after June, 2007.

In October, 2008, I revived True and Useful, transitioning the hosting from Eponym to TypePad. Even though the original blog is still up and running, the management of Eponym shut down their operations in mid-2007. Since I’m not sure how long my large archive of posts will continue to be available at the Eponym address, my plan is to gradually shift the archive over to this TypePad address. You can click here to visit the first incarnation of True and Useful.

I plan to continue providing an eclectic mix of resources and inspiration, sprinkled with my own perspectives. As always, I invite you to determine what is true and useful for you on your path of self discovery.

– A.G.R

Tao Te Ching . . . further thoughts

The Tao Te Ching (literally, "the classic of the way of virtue") is attributed to Lao Tzu, though scholars disagree about his actual existence. In its very poetic form it teaches that there is a dynamic, cosmic structure underlying everything that happens in the world. We humans need to discover that Way (Tao) , which is immanent in all aspects of the world, not a rule imposed from without; and we need to fit into it, letting things take their course, not exerting ourselves in opposition to it by trying to bend things to our will.

Our naming (describing) of things always falls short of the way things are, since things are not limited as our language presupposes. Even the Tao which we are trying to talk about here eludes our words. The original polarity is that of being and non-being, and it will be found to interplay throughout the world, with non-being (emptiness, what is not) having as much significance as does being (the fullness of things, what is). Thus the notion of the Tao recaptures the earlier Chinese concept of Yin and Yang, the polarities running through all things.

Excerpt from Reading About the World, Volume 1, edited by Paul Brians, et.al

What is Yoga?

Yoga is an ancient Indian body of knowledge that dates back more than 5000 years.  The word 'Yoga' comes from the Sanskrit word 'yuj' which means 'to unite or integrate.'  Yoga is about the union of a person's own consciousness and the universal consciousness.

Ancient Yogis had a belief that harmony with self and the environment requires integration of the body, the mind, and the spirit.  For these three to be integrated, emotion, action, and intelligence must be in balance.  The Yogis formulated a way to achieve and maintain this balance through exercise, breathing, and meditation - the three main Yoga structures.

In Yoga, the body is treated with care and respect as the primary instrument in man's work and growth.  Yoga Exercises improve circulation, stimulate the abdominal organs, and put pressure on the glandular system of the body, which can contribute to better health.

Breathing techniques were developed based on the concept that breath is the source of life.  In Yoga, students gain breath control as they slowly increase their breathing.  By focusing on their breathing, they prepare their minds for the next step - meditation.

In Meditation, students bring the activities of the mind into focus resulting in a 'quiet' mind.  By designing physical poses and breathing techniques that develop awareness of the body, Yoga helps develop focus and can provide relief from everyday stress.

Source: ABC-of-Yoga 

"I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, it's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, and that enables you to laugh at life's realities."    ~ Dr. Seuss

Zen story: "Worse than a clown"

There was a young monk in China who was a very serious practitioner of the Dharma.

Once, this monk came across something he did not understand, so he went to ask the master. When the master heard the question, he kept laughing. The master then stood up and walked away, still laughing.

The young monk was very disturbed by the master's reaction. For the next 3 days, he could not eat, sleep nor think properly. At the end of 3 days, he went back to the master and told the master how disturbed he had felt.

When the master heard this, he said, "Monk, do you know what your problem is? Your problem is that YOU ARE WORSE THAN A CLOWN!"

The monk was shocked to hear that, "Venerable Sir, how can you say such a thing?! How can I be worse than a clown?"

The master explained, "A clown enjoys seeing people laugh. You? You feel disturbed because another person laughed. Tell me, are you not worse than a clown?"

When the monk heard this, he began to laugh. He was enlightened.

Baby Steps

Choosing a path of self discovery requires courage.  When you look inward, you may not always be pleased with what you see.  Pausing from your usual activity level and slowing down your busy and distracted mind may increase your awareness of deeper thoughts and feelings, some of which could make you uncomfortable.

Yet many self help advisors, spiritual teachers, therapists and personal coaches emphasize that allowing thoughts and feelings that lurk below the surface to emerge and acknowledging them as authentic reflections of your life experience can be a valuable element of the self discovery process.

Since the natural human response is to avoid discomfort whenever possible, I have found that I need to be willing to increase my awareness at the risk of dealing with whatever comes to light.  This willingness doesn’t demand superhuman courage but rather a day to day sense of adventure that propels me forward one step at a time. 

Some days are steps forward, some days steps back, but the good news is that even the "step back" days are movement forward on the self discovery path.  There is always the opportunity to observe and learn something, and with that new little piece of knowledge to step forward again.

As Richard Dreyfuss said to Bill Murray in the 1991 film What About Bob?, “baby steps, baby steps.”  The humor of that film was mined from the elements of truth that emerged from the extreme situation of an overly dependent therapy client.  For me the elemental truth of the next “baby step” of self discovery often means being willing to take another honest look at what I’m thinking or feeling at any given moment.

- A.G.R

What is Buddhism?

Buddhism is a path of practice and spiritual development leading to Insight into the true nature of life. Buddhist practices such as meditation are means of changing oneself in order to develop the qualities of awareness, kindness, and wisdom. The experience developed within the Buddhist tradition over thousands of years has created an incomparable resource for all those who wish to follow a path — a path which ultimately culminates in Enlightenment or Buddhahood.

Because Buddhism does not include the idea of worshipping a creator god, some people do not see it as a religion in the normal, Western sense. The basic tenets of Buddhist teaching are straightforward and practical: nothing is fixed or permanent; actions have consequences; change is possible. Thus Buddhism addresses itself to all people irrespective of race, nationality, or gender. It teaches practical methods (such as meditation) which enable people to realise and utilise its teachings in order to transform their experience, to be fully responsible for their lives and to develop the qualities of Wisdom and Compassion.

There are around 350 million Buddhists and a growing number of them are Westerners. They follow many different forms of Buddhism, but all traditions are characterised by non-violence, lack of dogma, tolerance of differences, and, usually, by the practice of meditation .

Source: The Friends of the Western Buddhist Order

One Safe Place written by Marc Cohn & Paul Galdston

How many roads you’ve traveled
How many dreams you’ve chased
Across sand and sky and gravel
Looking for one safe place

Will you make a smoother landing
When you break your fall from grace
Into the arms of understanding
Looking for one safe place

Life is trial by fire
And love’s the sweetest taste
And I pray it lifts us higher
To one safe place

How many roads we’ve traveled
How many dreams we’ve chased
Across sand and sky and gravel
Looking for one safe place

Sung by Marc Cohn on YouTube

Click here for more about Marc

Quote of the Week

". . . the most fundamental harm we can do to ourselves is . . . not having the courage and the respect to look at ourselves honestly and gently."

~ Pema Chodron

Pema Chodron is an American Buddhist nun and resident teacher at Gampo Abbey, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, the first Tibetan monastery in North America established for Westerners. She has authored many bestsellers, including Comfortable With Uncertainty, The Wisdom of No Escape, Start Where You Are, and When Things Fall Apart. Click here for more information.

Quote of the Week

"That things are changed, and that nothing really perishes, and that the sum of matter remains exactly the same, is sufficiently certain."

~ Francis Bacon 1561-1626
British Philosopher, Essayist, Statesman

First Chakra

The word chakra is Sanskrit for wheel or disk and according to tradition signifies one of seven basic energy centers in the body. It is widely thought that keeping the energy in the chakras unblocked and balanced can help support good health and internal harmony (see May 6, 2006 post: What are the Chakras?).

Focusing on the First Chakra may help release blocked energy in the base of the spine and pelvic regions.  Meditating on the First Chakra may also help generate a sense of stability and a more grounded state of being.

The First Chakra is located on the perineum at the bottom of the pelvis, between the thighs and behind the genital area.  Also known as the "Root Chakra," this energy center flows out of the sacral nerve plexus and is associated with the color red.

Bring your attention to the First Chakra and imagine energy flowing out from its center, radiating outward and downward into the ground.  If you can picture the color red in your mind’s eye, see the chakra energy as a vivid red as it swirls outward to include the base of the spine and the genital area and then radiates downward.  Imagine a strong sense of connection to the ground underneath you and to the Earth.  Allow yourself to feel supported by the First Chakra energy as it connects to the Earth.

Continue working with the grounding, stabilizing energy of the First Chakra until you are ready to end your meditation or to shift to another focus.

~ A.G.R

Quote of the Week

"Your capacity for loving another person depends entirely on your capacity for loving yourself, for taking care of yourself."

~ Thich Nhat Hanh

Quote of the Week

"An idea that is developed and put into action is more important than an idea that exists only as an idea."

~ Buddha

The Hand of Buddha Art Poster Print by Hugh Sitton

Habitat by Heather Haley

We plan like architects to bring the outdoors
in, parrot like realtors the charms of a tree
house, for up on this hill, birdsong

is tangible. We always get
what we want, camouflaged in our mossy
cabin, high above the threshold

of discovery. Open sky. 360-degree view.
Proximity to water. Reliable food sources. Plenty
of nesting material. Gravel flies

from under the foot of a rabbit
fleeing a resident eagle. Ravens and stellar jays
battle over kibble, shit bomb the deck.

They want in. Past the windowpanes
that trick them. Frenzied. Talons flashing,
they enter through a door in the firmament.

I guide them outside, stunned at the feel
of wing bones. Banging hearts. A hummingbird
goes stillborn in the cup of my hands,

then, buzzers off, leaving a tang
in my throat, a ring of ruby dust
on my finger, incriminating as pollen.

 
Heather Haley Poetry

Quote of the Week

"In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer."

~ Albert Camus

Spiritual Economicsby Eric Butterworth

Paperback: 218 pages
Publisher: Unity Books; 3rd edition (February 2001)

Eric Butterworth reminds us in straightforward, non-theological language that we have the power and the means within us to live abundantly.  In this book you will learn to work with the flow of life instead of against it, develop a prosperous attitude about money, health and love, and maintain your inner focus on affluence.

This powerful little book proves that good things do indeed come in small packages.  Eric Butterworth has a unique and highly effective approach to supporting the development of prosperity consciousness.  Each chapter is filled with inspiring quotes from Jesus to Walt Whitman to Ralph Waldo Emerson.  Butterworth illustrates in many practical ways that the common problem of need stems from lack of awareness rather than lack of abundance.

Summer Stars by Carl Sandburg

Bend low again, night of summer stars.
So near you are, sky of summer stars,
So near, a long arm man can pick off stars,
Pick off what he wants in the sky bowl,
So near you are, summer stars,
So near, strumming, strumming,
So lazy and hum-strumming.

Native American Prayer

Give thanks for unknown blessings already on their way.

Second Chakra

The word chakra is Sanskrit for wheel or disk and according to tradition signifies one of seven basic energy centers in the body. It is widely thought that keeping the energy in the chakras unblocked and balanced can help support good health and internal harmony (see May 6, 2006 post: What are the Chakras?).

Focusing on the Second Chakra may help release stored energy to the rest of the body.  Meditating on the Second Chakra may also help generate a sense of security and a more vibrant sexuality.

The Second Chakra is located in the center of the lower abdominal area, just below the navel.  Also known as the "Hara," Japanese for abdomen or belly, it is considered by many Eastern philosophers and teachers to be our center of gravity and a source of health, vitality and energy.  It is associated with the kidneys, bladder, adrenal glands and reproductive organs and with the color orange.

Bring your attention to the Second Chakra and imagine energy radiating forward from the lower spine, flowing through the lower abdomen and projecting outward through the front of the abdominal wall.  Imagine yourself being guided forward by this energy.  If you can picture the color orange in your mind’s eye, see the chakra energy as a vivid orange as it projects forward from the lower spine through the abdomen and outward, sending vital energy to the internal organs, glands and genital area.  Envision yourself moving through your life with a strong sense of connection to Second Chakra, or Hara, energy, filling you with vitality and a sense of security.

Continue working with the vitalizing energy of the Second Chakra until you are ready to end your meditation or to shift to another focus.

~ A.G.R

Quote of the Week

"The summer night is like a perfection of thought."

~ Wallace Stevens

A Summer Picture

Quote of the Week

"What seems to us as bitter trials are often blessings in disguise."

~ Oscar Wilde

Peace Light

Disciple: Oh wise and all knowing one, take me to the realm of perfect peace.
Master: If I take you to that realm, it will no longer be peaceful.

Acupressure Point: Middle Palace (Lu 1)

According to the theory of Acupressure, the
Middle Palace Point (Lu 1) can be helpful in opening or expanding the breathing, and may be helpful in relieving coughs and upper back/shoulder tension. Lu 1 is also associated with support for grief, depression or feelings of emptiness (see December 17, 2008 post: What is Acupressure?). 

Location: On the top of the chest, under the shoulder, locate the depression under the end of the clavicle, next to the muscle. Lu 1 is one thumb width under this point, slightly to the side.

Press into the point gradually and gently with the middle fingertip.  Once you have reached a depth that may feel slightly uncomfortable, hold the fingertip at that depth for 1 minute as you breathe slowly and deeply. 

Another approach is to feel the point on both the left and right sides (same location) to determine if one side is more sensitive or painful than the other.  If so, apply gradual pressure for one minute on the less sensitive or painful point, then continue with pressure for one minute on the more sensitive or painful point.

You can also apply a massaging motion for an additional minute by gently moving three fingertips in a small circular motion on and around the point.

Breathing slowly and gradually deeper as you are able during the entire touching of Lu 1 is recommended for maximum benefit.

Caution: This acupressure information is not a substitution for qualified medical advice. If you don't know what is causing pain or other symptoms, consult a medical doctor before you start treating yourself.

Tao Te Ching - Chapter 46

The Tao Te Ching contains 81 chapters of ancient wisdom.  This one discusses contentment:

Chapter 46

When the world follows the Tao,
horses run free to fertilize the fields.
When the world does not follow the Tao,
war horses are bread outside the cities.

There is no greater transgression
than condoning peoples’ selfish desires,
no greater disaster than being discontent,
and no greater retribution than for greed.

Whoever knows contentment will be at peace forever.

Source: Tao Te Ching - A Translation for the Public Domain by j.h.mcdonald 1996 

Note: There are many translations of the Tao Te Ching, some of which are copywrited.  This translation is for the public domain.

When the mind is at peace P'ang Yun (Layman P'ang)

When the mind is at peace,
the world too is at peace.
Nothing real, nothing absent.
Not holding on to reality,
not getting stuck in the void,
you are neither holy nor wise, just
an ordinary fellow who has completed his work.

~ from The Enlightened Heart: An Anthology of Sacred Poetry, by Stephen Mitchell