6/24/2005
Who are you?
You've probably spent most of your life trying to figure out who you are and you still don't know. Why can't you truly see what this means?
6/21/2005
How the world can change.
I hear a lot about the world undergoing some transformation of consciousness where people are becoming more spiritually enlightened than at any time. Whether that is true or not I cannot say. I do know the bookshelves seem to be littered with more spiritual and self-help books than at any time I can remember. The simple reality is that the consciousness of the world can change but it has to be done one individual at a time.
Have you ever asked yourself why, with all of our scientific knowledge and supposed understanding, our primary activity on the planet is tribal warfare? If the group consciousness were really radically changed then this would not be allowed to take place. George Bush exists as a thought construct backed up by the thought construct of millions of people behind him. It is a certain set of beliefs held by many that allow a George Bush to exist. If the thought patterns of individuals had not been constructed in a certain way he would have no power. This thought pattern has no objective reality and it holds no truth. It is a group consciousness that lacks compassion, understanding and the ability to see things as they really are. It is madness just like all other thought constructs are. It is a way of separating the world into us vs. them. Good and bad. Black and white. It is an overly simplistic view of the human condition and does not conform to reality.
To change the world millions of people have to wake up and throw away their religious books and start seeing reality. When I say see reality I mean what you see before your mind separates experience into this and that. Before your mind labels or throws the religious spin of your upbringing on what you are seeing. There is no fundamental religious person alive that has any sort of awakening because all of their knowledge comes from a book or a pulpit. We all have to start seeing in a new way. This is the true way to freedom. If all of your thoughts about the world come from a book or a preacher you are just a computer program. You have no true freedom. You are only thinking like you have been told to think and separate reality into something that doesn't exist. If you really want to see just look right here right now. It is already in front of your face.
Have you ever asked yourself why, with all of our scientific knowledge and supposed understanding, our primary activity on the planet is tribal warfare? If the group consciousness were really radically changed then this would not be allowed to take place. George Bush exists as a thought construct backed up by the thought construct of millions of people behind him. It is a certain set of beliefs held by many that allow a George Bush to exist. If the thought patterns of individuals had not been constructed in a certain way he would have no power. This thought pattern has no objective reality and it holds no truth. It is a group consciousness that lacks compassion, understanding and the ability to see things as they really are. It is madness just like all other thought constructs are. It is a way of separating the world into us vs. them. Good and bad. Black and white. It is an overly simplistic view of the human condition and does not conform to reality.
To change the world millions of people have to wake up and throw away their religious books and start seeing reality. When I say see reality I mean what you see before your mind separates experience into this and that. Before your mind labels or throws the religious spin of your upbringing on what you are seeing. There is no fundamental religious person alive that has any sort of awakening because all of their knowledge comes from a book or a pulpit. We all have to start seeing in a new way. This is the true way to freedom. If all of your thoughts about the world come from a book or a preacher you are just a computer program. You have no true freedom. You are only thinking like you have been told to think and separate reality into something that doesn't exist. If you really want to see just look right here right now. It is already in front of your face.
6/14/2005
From "The Power of Intention"
Change the way you look at things and the things you look at will change.
6/09/2005
Charity Case
The person who gives to charity,
with thoughts of being charitable
is the worlds biggest charity case.
with thoughts of being charitable
is the worlds biggest charity case.
6/08/2005
Starting a Meditation Practice
There are numerous studies on the benefits of meditation. It has been shown to help people with anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, nervousness, lack of focus etc. I did a quick google search on "medical benefits of meditation" and got 661,000 results. I know from my own experience that a regular practice makes a tremendous difference in quality of life.
I've come up with a few easy pointers to get you started on a regular meditation practice.
1. Make it easy
I'm going to make this very simple. This will also make it more enjoyable. Stick with the method I give you for at least one month. Then if you feel you would like to learn more ways to practice check out any number of books, websites, etc. Or check back here as I'll post various methods I've found enjoyable. Also, don't worry about where you are going to practice. You don't need a special room, special robe, special spot, or any extra trappings. All you need is the desire to start. The easier it is in the beginning the more likely you will be to stick with it and reap the greatest benefits.
2. Dedicate time daily
You should make time to sit twice daily. However, you must sit at least once a day. Meditation is like any skill, it gets better with regular practice. Try to stick to the twice daily schedule but don't beat yourself up if you can only sit once. The first week limit your time to 10 minutes. Week two fifteen minutes. Week three 20 minutes. Week four 30 minutes. After week four, add ten minutes weekly until you can sit for 1 hr. 40 minutes to 1 hour is perfect but I still sometimes only get 10 minutes if it's a hectic day. Just go with the flow and remember that a few minutes is better than none.
3. Choose a sitting postures
Choose a sitting posture. I don't reccomend lying down as it facilitates sleepiness. Here are some sitting postures to choose from: http://www.mkzc.org/beginzen.html
4. Do the count
At first start with counting the breath. Count 1 on the in breath and 2 on the out breath up to 10. Then start back at one. If your mind wanders just start back at 1. After one week of this abandon the counting and soley focus on following the breath in and out. For the eyes, look down at the floor in front of you with an unfocused gaze.
5. Don't try to turn off your thoughts
Thoughts will come and go. Don't try to repress thinking but don't engage it either. If you find your mind projecting to the future or past simply let the thought pass without hanging on. Imagine your thoughts are clouds passing in the sky, none more or less important than any other.
These steps should help you with starting a regular practice. If there are anyquestions feel free to post a comment or email me.
I've come up with a few easy pointers to get you started on a regular meditation practice.
1. Make it easy
I'm going to make this very simple. This will also make it more enjoyable. Stick with the method I give you for at least one month. Then if you feel you would like to learn more ways to practice check out any number of books, websites, etc. Or check back here as I'll post various methods I've found enjoyable. Also, don't worry about where you are going to practice. You don't need a special room, special robe, special spot, or any extra trappings. All you need is the desire to start. The easier it is in the beginning the more likely you will be to stick with it and reap the greatest benefits.
2. Dedicate time daily
You should make time to sit twice daily. However, you must sit at least once a day. Meditation is like any skill, it gets better with regular practice. Try to stick to the twice daily schedule but don't beat yourself up if you can only sit once. The first week limit your time to 10 minutes. Week two fifteen minutes. Week three 20 minutes. Week four 30 minutes. After week four, add ten minutes weekly until you can sit for 1 hr. 40 minutes to 1 hour is perfect but I still sometimes only get 10 minutes if it's a hectic day. Just go with the flow and remember that a few minutes is better than none.
3. Choose a sitting postures
Choose a sitting posture. I don't reccomend lying down as it facilitates sleepiness. Here are some sitting postures to choose from: http://www.mkzc.org/beginzen.html
4. Do the count
At first start with counting the breath. Count 1 on the in breath and 2 on the out breath up to 10. Then start back at one. If your mind wanders just start back at 1. After one week of this abandon the counting and soley focus on following the breath in and out. For the eyes, look down at the floor in front of you with an unfocused gaze.
5. Don't try to turn off your thoughts
Thoughts will come and go. Don't try to repress thinking but don't engage it either. If you find your mind projecting to the future or past simply let the thought pass without hanging on. Imagine your thoughts are clouds passing in the sky, none more or less important than any other.
These steps should help you with starting a regular practice. If there are anyquestions feel free to post a comment or email me.
6/02/2005
ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION
Anxiety and depression seem to be the two most common afflictions in our society today. The T.V. ads won't let us forget this. Depression is now called a disease and I'm sure that anxiety will not be far behind. I would like to first start out by saying that depression is not a disease (1,2) is not related to a chemical imbalance and neither is anxiety. There is no test in existence that can demonstrate or determine a chemical imbalance (2,3). This is a popular myth that has been so ingrained in our psychology that it is hard to imagine there is not some truth to it. However, those with a vested interest in selling you pills, namely “big pharma”, have perpetuated the myth. But enough about that. What I would like to discuss is the origin and nature of these two emotions and how to overcome their negative psychological and physiological aspects. Both anxiety and depression arise from incorrect views of the past, present or future states of being.
Depression is the result of feeling of sadness, guilt, helplessness, hopelessness, etc. These feelings result when the mind views the past as undesirable and tries to project it into the present. The depressed person is overly focused on what the past has been and often projects this into an imagined future resulting in more of the same.
Anxiety as defined by dicitonary.com: A state of apprehension, uncertainty, and fear resulting from the anticipation of a realistic or fantasized threatening event or situation, often impairing physical and psychological functioning. Again the mind takes an imagined situation of some future event and regresses it into the present moment.
The simple fact is that neither of these emotions has any substantiality other than what your mind is giving them right now. You can defeat these negative emotions by establishing a regular meditation practice. I used to suffer from some anxiety before I would engage in wrestling matches. Most of this would be rising blood pressure and rapid heart beat. When I had established a regular meditation practice I found that I could relieve all the anxiety by simply following my breath and returning to the present moment. All of the anxiety disappeared. It was only if I was thinking of the performance that I would get the emotion back. I have found that a regular meditation practice is necessary to be able to defeat these emotions effectively. Our minds are simply too scattered in the regular state and for most people returning to the present is a daunting task. The reason is because all of their lives they have either regressed to the past or projected into the future and very rarely do they get to the here and now. However, if you do not have a regular meditation practice, returning to the present by focusing only on your breathing will alleviate any power negative emotions that you are experiencing. If you cannot focus on the breath without being involved in some mind state then repeat a simple mantra while focusing on the breath. On the in breath say 'right here', on the out breath say 'right now'. The words are said silently in your head as you focus on the breath. On my next post I will share how to establish a regular meditation practice.
1.http://www.centerforconsciousliving.com/nf_depression.html 2.http://www.schaler.net/wtjan182003.html 3.http://www.freedominla.org/issue08i2/page04.htm 4.http://members.fortunecity.com/siriusw/Biochemical-Imbalance.htm
Depression is the result of feeling of sadness, guilt, helplessness, hopelessness, etc. These feelings result when the mind views the past as undesirable and tries to project it into the present. The depressed person is overly focused on what the past has been and often projects this into an imagined future resulting in more of the same.
Anxiety as defined by dicitonary.com: A state of apprehension, uncertainty, and fear resulting from the anticipation of a realistic or fantasized threatening event or situation, often impairing physical and psychological functioning. Again the mind takes an imagined situation of some future event and regresses it into the present moment.
The simple fact is that neither of these emotions has any substantiality other than what your mind is giving them right now. You can defeat these negative emotions by establishing a regular meditation practice. I used to suffer from some anxiety before I would engage in wrestling matches. Most of this would be rising blood pressure and rapid heart beat. When I had established a regular meditation practice I found that I could relieve all the anxiety by simply following my breath and returning to the present moment. All of the anxiety disappeared. It was only if I was thinking of the performance that I would get the emotion back. I have found that a regular meditation practice is necessary to be able to defeat these emotions effectively. Our minds are simply too scattered in the regular state and for most people returning to the present is a daunting task. The reason is because all of their lives they have either regressed to the past or projected into the future and very rarely do they get to the here and now. However, if you do not have a regular meditation practice, returning to the present by focusing only on your breathing will alleviate any power negative emotions that you are experiencing. If you cannot focus on the breath without being involved in some mind state then repeat a simple mantra while focusing on the breath. On the in breath say 'right here', on the out breath say 'right now'. The words are said silently in your head as you focus on the breath. On my next post I will share how to establish a regular meditation practice.
1.http://www.centerforconsciousliving.com/nf_depression.html 2.http://www.schaler.net/wtjan182003.html 3.http://www.freedominla.org/issue08i2/page04.htm 4.http://members.fortunecity.com/siriusw/Biochemical-Imbalance.htm
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