Rantings on Enthusiastically Perseverance

Enthusiastic Perseverance/Joyful Effort

Once again I take my info from The Six Perfections Part one of Bodhicitta.com. 

Firstly, what does perseverance mean? I looked it up because I wanted to clarify my definition. Even though English is my native language, I have learned that sometimes a meaning of a certain word is not  precisely as I imagined it to be.

According to my online dictionary, perseverance is "steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success." It's also, in theological terms, a "continuance in a state of grace leading finally to a state of glory." This is very interesting to me.

Judith Ragir emphasizes "steadfastness" in some of her lectures.  When I first listened to every one of her lectures, I didn't realize it had to do with one of the Six Perfections.

The meaning of enthusiastic perseverance and joyful effort, according to the article The Six Perfections Part 1, is to be "pleased to perform virtuous actions."

Why would I gladly perform any actions regularly? Because, as the teaching states,  if we have great perseverance and do not get upset, there is nothing we cannot achieve. And, it will bring us to enlightenment.

The more I read about persistence, the words that jump out at me are "understanding hardships" and "obstacles as opportunities for enlightenment." In either one of Dalai Lama's readings or Judith Ragir's lectures, I learned not to hate hardships but to love them, to look at them as the reasons we're are on the path that we are on. 

I can understand this now. I recently became in contact with an old friend. Back in our youth I wanted very much to be his girlfriend. Although we only remained friends, I often wondered what life would have been like if I had been with him instead of my current husband. Would I have been happier? Perhaps because I wouldn't have been bombarded with negativity. That idea could be a fantasy.

What would my spiritual path look like since he's not religious or heavily spiritual?  Not sure. Then I thought of all the things I love which I received through my husband. I would have missed out on the music, Bollywood movies, living in a foreign country and most importantly, my two daughters. 

I also love the path I'm on spiritually. Therefore, even with all the depression I suffered for so long, I see those terrible days as the means to get me where I am today.  Without those challenges/opportunities, I wouldn't have looked for solutions to my depression.  No drugs, no psychiatric treatment, just lots of faith and good friends who guided me.

Would I have been on the same path with the other man?  I don't know.  His personality is completely opposite from my husband.  I will never know what I missed out not being with him. But my current opportunities for spiritual growth in my past, present and future are enormous. So in this moment, I'm happy to have this chance for growth. Even though there is still some problems,  I see them as growing pains which will pass if I put my effort into my spiritual growth. 

A friend of mine recently told me, "In one year from now, things will be different." I don't know if they will be good or bad. But with joyful perseverance and steadfastness, the challenges that are occurring in my life can be overcome.

My serenity is directly proportional to my level of acceptance.

Those who really seek the path to enlightenment dictate terms to their mind. They then proceed with strong determination.--The  Buddha

Teachings of the Dalai Lama

As luck would have it, the lesson I got today from Practicing Spirituality with His Holiness the Dalai Lama is about being patient. He wrote that "there are four  qualities of patience and tolerance" to practice daily.  These come from his book "How to Practice."

• If someone pushes you around, you should be tolerant, patient.
• If someone shows anger to you, you should not respond with anger.
• If someone hits you, you should not strike back.
• If someone embarrasses and insults you, you should not answer back.

In a nutshell: "Develop a strong desire to refrain from harming others either physically or verbally no matter whether you are embarrassed, insulted, reviled, pushed, or hit."

These are not easy for me.  It's a habit for me to often respond with anger when I'm yelled at. I'm working hard not to take things personally when someone pushes me around, embarrasses or insults me.  When these things happen I try to think that the problem is within them; the anger is inside them; they are really feeling subconsciously an issue from their past; or a need isn't being met.  Then I look at my actions to see what I did to trigger that anger or the reason for the insult.

I also think the slogan "Take time to think the thing through" when someone is upset with me also applies.  It gives me the opportunity to examine what is going on, what they are really anger at, what need of theirs isn't getting met, what need of mine isn't getting met, and how best to handle it.

The practice of not responding as suggested by the four qualities listed above are wonderful.  I do think that we also benefit by reexamining our thoughts and perceptions and working to change those, too.

I decided to write the four qualities down and put them where I can easily read them regularly.  Hopefully that will help me along with the other inside work I'm currently doing regarding the six perfections.


"True change is within; leave the outside as it is."

Practicing Patience

I was taught that one way to practice patience is to empathize. If we empathize with the person who wronged us, we can look at them through their eyes with compassion.

Another way to practice is to realize that when we have problems with "enemies or non-living things," most likely it is our karma from past lives that is creating these problems. Therefore, we can look at the problem as karma, accept it and move on. Another way to to practice the patience is thinking about the dharma: understanding the meanings and looking at the teachings deeply through meditation.

Part 2 of the Six Perfections claim that there are three types of patience:

1. Patience when we are harmed by others -- not reacting with anger to those who have harmed us.

2. Patience when we are suffering -- thinking of our suffering coming from our past negative actions or retains. Therefore it's best to accept them and not create more negative karma. Retaliation only creates more suffering for ourselves by way of new bad karma.

3. Patience of keeping concentration -- that is, to continue meditating and concentrating on the dharma without allowing yourself to become distracted.


We are in charge of our attitudes.

Dry Fasting

Have you heard of dry fasting?  I never did either until about 6 years ago. A person on the Raw Food Support forum was practicing it daily until about 12 noon.  I thought he was crazy to do that.  I couldn't imagine not eating breakfast.

Later I heard the term "delaying meals" until around 11:00 AM or 12:00 noon was a great way to cleanse the system.  You could do this daily with no ill effects.  The morning, I was told, was when our body did a lot of cleansing.    

A few years went by and the book Quantum Eating by Tonya Zavasta came out and once again, the idea of dry fasting came up. This time, as Tonya suggests, you stop eating in the early afternoon and break your fast in the morning, say around 6:00 AM or so.  I never read the book, but have heard some really positive remarks regarding it.  It's on my list of books to get once I'm back in the States.

So, a couple of years ago, I decided to delay my first meal each morning until noon or there a bouts for 90 days.  What I noticed was that my tongue changed from having a white coating to being red.  I considered it a great success;  there was no more weird taste in my mouth, I could taste food better and I didn't need to use as many spices for flavoring my meals. 

Right now, I decided to go another month of morning dry fasting.  Although many raw food gurus suggest to stop eating meals around 6:00, I tend to eat later.  My last meal ends around 9:00. Therefore, I'm usually fine by 12:00 noon. I've been delaying my first meal each morning for a week now and notice my latest canker sore is going away quicker and never got as bad as some of the others. I've been getting canker sores regularly for about a month.

So why am I getting canker sores?  I believe it could be another means of detox.  I haven't had them in years and I find it interesting that even though my diet hasn't changed in the last 5 years, they are appearing with a vengence.  I don't believe in the idea that they come from lack of nutrition.  It's just another method of detox.

So, hopefully, the new dry fast will help relieve me of them once and for all. Only time will tell.

You can't speed up your recovery, but you sure can slow it down.
Situations I fear are rarely as bad as the fear itself.

Cliff notes from Sylvia Boorstien's book "It's easier than you think"

 

I made these cliff notes a couple of years ago as part of my morning reflections and meditation. I highly recommend reading her book in order to get an even deeper meaning of living.

The Four Noble Truths

1. Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.
2. The cause of suffering is craving. Craving anything is suffering.
3. Liberation is possible. The end of suffering is possible.
4. Freedom from suffering is through the Eightfold Circle

The Eightfold Circle

1. Right Understanding
2. Right Aspiration
3. Right Action
4. Right Speech
5. Right Livelihood
6. Right Effort
7. Right Concentration
8. Right Mindfulness

1. Right Understanding
~Means believing, even a little bit, that even though life is inevitably disappointing it is still possible to be happy.
~What ever we are feeling and experiencing at the moment is impermanent. That doesn't diminish the experience, it enhances it.
~All things are transient

2. Right Aspiration
~ Choice is possible i.e. happiness or sadness
~Daily action:
    Behave in a way that stretches the limits of conditioned responses.
    Every situation is an opportunity to practice.
~Buddhists call this cultivation of non-hatred, non-greed and non-delusion.
~Everything is transitory so why not aspire to joy?

3. Right Action
~Every single act we do has the potential of causing pain, and every single thing we do has consequences that echo way beyond what we can imagine.
~Act carefully
~Everything matters.

4. Right Speech
~People can make suggestions and observations in a way the other person can hear and use them without feeling diminished. (e.i. NVC)
~Intention: Why am I saying this?
~Pause before speaking,
~60 second pause.
~Think think think.
~The Seven T's -- Take Time To Think The Thing Through.

5. Right Livelihood
~Organizing one's financial support so that it's non-abusive, non-exploitive, and non-harming.

6. Right Effort
~Practice wholesome feelings (friendliness, compassion, generosity, empathy, etc.) and encourage them to grow.
~Notice unwholesome feelings and discourage them.
~We have a choice about our mind states.
~Every mind moment conditions the next.
~Discourage or replace unwholesomeness with wholesomeness

7. Right Concentration
~The ability to let the attention become absorbed in one single thing.
~A sense of ease, balance, and relaxation.
~Concentration practice strengthens and softens the mind.

8. Right Mindfulness
~The aware balanced acceptance of present experience.
~Practice each minute to remain calm and alert throughout the whole range of body and mind states that present themselves--all the while not doing anything to change the experience but rather discovering that experience is bearable.



Develop a mind that clings to nothing. -- Diamond Sutra

It is not a matter of can or cannot; it's a mater of will or will not. Everything is a choice. Choose wisely.

Prayer for loved ones

Here's a prayer for all our loved ones.

 

Thank you for the many blessings

Heavenly Creator,
Thank  you for the many blessings you have so graciously given me, my family, my friends, and all my loved ones.
May we all be filled with peace and happiness with the intention of goodwill and compassion for all beings.
May we all live with ease, kindness, tenderness, wisdom, and mercy.
May we all be healed, both physically and emotionally.
May we all enjoy our successes, and rejoice in the successes of others.
May we all know forgiveness, both in forgiving others as well as being forgiven.
May our words and actions be thoughtful, empathetic, helpful to all,
and compassionate toward each other.
May we listen and speak only from the heart without guilt or blame.
May we be giving and generous, for we have been blessed.
May we all be willing to accept your will and not ours while being open to seeing that your will is best for us.

Lord, as I humbly ask for these many blessings for myself and my all my loved ones,
please help keep me humble, guiding me throughout the day to always do your will, not mine.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord,
Amen.
--Mona Dresbach

Patience is accepting God's timing in life.

Patience is the ability to allow things to work.


Painting by

By Kelem133

Litany of Patience

Since I'm working on patience, I found the Episcopal Litany of Patience.

Here's a small sample:

FROM HOLY WRIT ....

Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him
Ps. 37:7

I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. Psalm 40:1

Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
Ecclesiastes 7:8

Lot's of opportunities have come up to practice patience every day.  This is a good reminder for me to practice every moment.

Rabbi Simon Jacobson

 One of the other things I listen to is a series of Jewish teachings.  I figure Jesus was Jewish, so I would like to learn more about his faith. I go to Passover with friends yearly, and respect their traditions. 

I listened to Rabbi Jacobson in an interview a couple of weeks ago and now receive his newsletter.  This week, he wrote a very good article on when things go badly. He discusses Jacob's story about how he was almost killed by his brothers who sold him into slavery.  Rabbi Jacobson's outlook is wonderful and helps to put these times into perspective.

He started with a series of questions:

Do you think you know where your life is headed?

Do you feel that your losses and disappointments in life give you good reason to be resigned?

Do you feel that the hurt in your life has dampened (or killed) your trust and hope in a brighter future?

Do you feel your childhood scars have left you for damaged goods?

Does fear and insecurity drive many of your decisions?

Do you feel that you will never find true love in your life?

I encourage you to read the article.  It can help change your perspective if you answered yes to several of these questions.

Practicing Spirituality with the Dalai Lama continues

At the end of each lesson on "Practicing Spirituality with the Dalai Lama," there's a suggested activity. Usually something to journal, but occasionally something you actually do.  I haven't been doing this very well, so I thought I would start.

Let's see, I'm almost half way through the lessons, so I'll combine a couple of them. However, I encourage you to take the class yourself to get the full benefits; it's really worth taking.

One lesson is about seeing everyone as your mother. If I look at all people I meet, I can imagine that they were once my mother, father, brother, and sister at one time or another.  I can look at them with love. Right now, a man is painting the outside of a house across the street from me. He's listening to loud Panamanian tipico music which I understand the appeal, but it's not really to my liking.  I can look at him in kindness anyway because he could have been a loving family member in the past. 

I am trying to get this. But sometimes it's a bit hard for me.  Because my tradition does not believe in reincarnation, this is something that I really don't know much about.  Part of me thinks it makes lots of since. Also, I don't know if I've been reincarnated 1000's of times as Buddhists claim; I'm just taking it on faith that it's true.  So I can imagine that each person has been a part of my life one way or another in other reincarnations, but not my parent.  I can understand how a person who is my friend today could have been my enemy in another life and visa versa.  Well, that's why I'm still searching. I don't have the answers.  

The lesson I received recently seems to touch on a subject I hold dear: that is, making a scheduled commitment and sticking to it.  I know sometimes I plan on meeting someone and I forget because life gets crazy. Then there's people who I want to schedule time with and they continue to put me off by telling me "we'll get together. Don't you worry about it. I'll let you know." These are the one's I know I will not get together with.  They will always be too busy, something will always come up. 

The other issue is, most of the people I want to get together with are elderly and could cross over any time.  I know too many people who have died over the last several years.  You never know when your time comes.  It's best to just do it than to be sorry you didn't get your chance because the person is now gone. Or maybe you're the one who is gone.

So, unless you make specific time for something that you feel committed to, you will always have other obligations.--The Dalai Lama

Picture above is called  Reincarnation, Art Print by John K. Nakata

Patience, the third Perfection

There are times when I don't have patience at all. There are times when I have lots of patience. It depends on the situation and how it will affect others.

Everyone in Panama is late for everything. You would think after 12 years of living here, I would be used to that. But no. I still have in my Stateside trained head that it's rude to be late and that it is best to start events and meetings on time. This is not the Panamanian way.  Very few events start on time. Very few people show up early so the event can start on time. Most people wander in whenever they happen to arrive.

Patience will be a challenge for me to practice. "Patience means having a tranquil mind with the antagonist, and compassion for him."  Can I be compassionate to those who are continually late and who are not bothered by it? I can understand the cultural differences and how unpredictable the traffic can be at times.

According the the article "The Six Perfections Part 1" patience is learning to stop the angry thoughts before they disturb the mind.This is another area in which I would like lots of work.

Lucky for me the article has a method for following patience.  However, the method sounds more like learning the benefits of patience as a way to encourage oneself to develop patience.

Why would I want to require patience?  One good reason is to create good karma, "to have less enemies in this and future lifetimes," to die without worry, to be "reborn in the upper realms such as those the gods," for happiness in this lifetime and in future lifetimes.

Anger is a really ugly behavior, even if it's justified. The article states that it is "the worst of the non-virtues."  I know of one person who doesn't get angry.  Everyone else I know gets angry at some time or another, some more often than others. What I'm gathering from the article, when we get angry, that anger destroys any "merits we have created in a hundred eons."

Yet, those who are antagonistic are here to help us practice patience by becoming our teacher.  It is suggested that we think of the shortcomings of anger when it arises and replace that anger with patience.

As we all know, there is no peace in anger. There is no serenity, happiness or  beauty. There is only restlessness, suffering, pain, hatred. It that what I want? No. I choose serenity, happiness, peace and beauty.  What do you choose?

More next time.


Our perspective will change our perception. Our perception will change our experience. Our experience IS our life.

Serenity isn't freedom from the storm; it is peace within the storm.

Physical health

I seem to have gotten deep into the spiritual realm of my journey.  I'm also looking into the physical aspect of health.  I'm still exercising at least four times a week. I've revised it to better match my goals. 

I want to build the muscles in my arms, so twice a week I work out with the P90X Shoulders and Arms work out DVD.  I want to be limber because I notice that most elderly people are stiff. I notice that I am stiff in the morning but limber up a bit as the day progresses.  Therefore, I chose to work the P90X X Stretch DVD and two days of my modified version of Bikram Yoga. I'm no way as limber as the pictures, so I do my best in poses that work for me.  I also included a couple of other stretches. 

I seemed to have slacked off on the Liamgong.  Hopefully I can get back to it this week.

Food-wise, I'm still mostly eating a raw food diet.  It's the time of year when I get invited to functions and I don't want to be rude by not eating. I was invited to one party and the hostess made a vegetarian dish just for me.  It was cooked, but I figured she had it prepared out of kindness. She was so excited that she had remembered I didn't eat meat that I couldn't refuse. 

I was surprised when I read in my tenth lesson from Practicing Spirituality with His Holiness the Dalai Lama that not all Buddhist monks are necessarily vegetarian. The reason is because, they go out asking for alms, which include food. Whatever they get is what they eat without complaint.  The idea is to practice contentment.  I want special food, namely uncooked, for health reasons. Society doesn't live like that, so what interpretation my friends have on my diet is what I get. They always try in earnest to bring me something so I won't be left out.  Like the monks in the Dalai Lama's example, I choose to be content with the food and not cause anxiety for any misconception on their part. Therefore, I have eaten rice without meat which was especially made with me in mind.  How could I hurt the feelings of my hostess?  I can easily detox it out with a short fruit fast.


3 A's = Affection (Thoughtfulness), Attention (Listening), Appreciation (Gratitude)

Often times it happens, we live our lives in chains, and we never even know we have the key

Adding the Second Perfection: Ethics

 

I first learned about the Precepts several years ago from Judith Ragir.  I even wrote the first 5 precepts on a post-it and put it up next to the toilet roll so I can read them regularly.
OK. I know that's kind of a weird idea but I got it from the class I was taking with Sylvia Boorstein.

I've also found there are several ideas of what the precepts are. Here are two. One comes from buddha net but I'm not sure where I got the other.

The Five Precepts in positive terms are as follows:

I undertake the training precept to:

1. Act with Loving-kindness;
2. Be open hearted and generous;
3. Practice stillness, simplicity and contentment;
4. Speak with truth, clarity and peace;
5. Live with mindfulness.

The second one is more descriptive:

1) To undertake the training to avoid taking the life of beings. This precept applies to all living beings not just humans. All beings have a right to their lives and that right should be respected.

2) To undertake the training to avoid taking things not given. This precept goes further than mere stealing. One should avoid taking anything unless one can be sure that is intended that it is for you.

3) To undertake the training to avoid sensual misconduct. This precept is often mistranslated or misinterpreted as relating only to sexual misconduct but it covers any overindulgence in any sensual pleasure such as gluttony as well as misconduct of a sexual nature.

4) To undertake the training to refrain from false speech. As well as avoiding lying and deceiving, this precept covers slander as well as speech which is not beneficial to the welfare of others.

5) To undertake the training to abstain from substances which cause intoxication and heedlessness. This precept is in a special category as it does not infer any intrinsic evil in, say, alcohol itself but indulgence in such a substance could be the cause of breaking the other four precepts.

I found it interesting that in the Mahayana tradition, one is a strict vegetarian. Not because it's a precept, but to strengthen the first precept of not killing.


For more info go to Plum Village and check out the 5 mindfulness training page.

Humble people don't think less of themselves, they just think of themselves less.

The deception of others is nearly always rooted in the deception of ourselves.

Six Perfections part 2 of Giving

 

Here I am trying to practice compassion and when given a perfect opportunity to do so, I did just what I didn't want to do.  I treated someone unkindly which was not really my intention.  So, I practiced metta towards that person. It was someone I most likely won't see again, but still, at least I can send him blessings.

The second part of giving tells about how it's not just things which we give to others.  And it's not just the act of giving.  It's the "the strong decision to give freely, without avarice."  It's the attitude, our state of mind, the strong desire to give to others, to help others. 

The act of giving has more to do with the purity of mind than what is being given. Author Geshe Rabten Rinpoche names four categories of giving:

1. The giving of property: giving our things freely and willingly
2. The giving of Dharma: giving with a pure mind
3. The giving of refuge: Helping those in danger
4. The giving of active love: Wishing to give happiness to all beings.

Romans 12: 20
But there is another text: 'If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; by doing this you will heap live coals over his head

You have to give it away in order to keep it.

Just for today I will exercise my soul in three ways: I will do somebody a good turn, and not get found out; if anybody knows of it, it will not count. I will do at least two things I don't want to do just for exercise. I will not show anyone that my feelings are hurt; they may be hurt, but today I will not show it.

jokes

I listen to talks by Rabbis sometimes.  Today, Rabbi Y Y Jacobson told some jokes in an interview about relationships. This interview won't be available long, so I hope you get to listen to it by the end of the weekend.

Here's one of the jokes he told.

Two Sides to the Family

A bar mitzvah boy, preparing his bar mitzvah speech, asked his mom about their ancestry. Mom spoke of her illustrious background, all the way back to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

“And where did they come from?”

 

"From Adam and Eve."

 

"And they?"

 

“G-d created them.”

 

The boy wrote it down and then went to dad. “Where do we come from?” asks the boy.

 

“Ah, we come from the apes. After millions years of evolution we evolved into humans.”

 

The confused boy comes running back to his mom. “Mom, you said we come Adam, Eve and G-d. Dad says we come from the apes…”

 

“No contradiction here, son,” she said. “I was talking about my side of the family. He was talking about his side of the family.”

 

 

La Buscadora Six Perfections part 2, week 1

All the following information and quotations comes from "The Six Perfections Part 1" in the sections named "The Divisions of Generosity."  Please click here to read the full article. As you can tell, I like lists.

1. The Generosity of Dharma: teaching and saying mantras and prayers 
2. The Generosity of Fearlessness: saving beings from danger
3. Material Generosity: a physical and mental generosity

Material Generosity is divided into 3 sections:

1. necessity: to become enlightened
2. possessions: to be regarded as belonging to others which we return to the rightful owner
3. object: who is our teacher in generosity to whom we also show gratitude.

The types of mind to be abandoned are:

1. wrong views: thinking that being generous is useless
2. pride: Thinking that we are the teachers instead realizing that the beggar is our teacher
3. dependence: expecting to receive something in return for our generous act.
4. discouragement
5. partiality: being generous to all, including "enemies"
6. self-interest: letting go of the result keeping in mind that "possessions are trivial, and think[ing] of the benefits of enlightenment which are received by practicing generosity."
7. fear: abandoning the fear of becoming poor and being without.
8. maliciousness: detach from unkind thoughts of the one to whom we are giving.

While practicing generosity, we should not…
 1. … give inferior items to show how generous we are.
 2. … compel others into doing "non-virtuous actions"
 3. … practice with partiality and therefore be equal with our giving
 4. … use stolen items with which to be generous.
 5. … "practice generosity with the intention of harming a third party."
 6. … verbally abuse or reprimand anyone for any reason
 7. … "break the precepts"
 8. … accumulate possessions first.

If those are what we aren't supposed to do, what do we do?

"We should practice generosity:

    * without harming others.
    * by bearing difficulties and troubles as they arise.
    * by our own hand, with respect for the object.
    * with sincere words.
    * with a pleased and smiling face."

As you can see there's a lot more to being generous than one might expect.  My idea was to practice with a good nature and a smile; sharing would come from the heart. I highly recommend reading the rest of the article to get even more out of it.  You can find the link here.

I find that if I read these lists throughout the day, I will remember them. In this way, I can put theses ideas to use. Please post a comment and let me know you came to visit. I would love to hear from you.

We surrender to win;
    we give away to keep;
we suffer to get well;
    we die to live.

What I am is Gods gift to me.
    What I make of myself is my gift to Him.

La Buscadora Six Perfections part 1, week 1

I learned by exploring the internet that  the Ten Perfections come from the tradition of the Theravadin tradition which is predominant in southern Asia and the Six Perfections come from the Mahayana tradition which is found in Tibet and northern Asia.  With that in mind, I decided to stick with the Mahayana tradition since my classes are with the Dalai Lama.  With 11 weeks left in the class, I want to make sure I'm not getting any conflicting information. 

Other differences include:

Therefore, my main source of information and quotes comes from Bodhicitta.net.

The meaning for generosity is as follows:

"Practicing generosity means having the will to dedicate body, possessions and merits to others, and making the actions of body and speech with such virtuous impulse."

Giving has not been a very easy thing for me to do. I don't like to let go of something.  Actually, I like receiving and getting better. Thus, generosity is a good practice for me.

Generosity is willing to give from the heart, to release that to which we cling.  Not only do we cling to material items, but we also cling to our body which we will leave in the end anyway.

According to the article, which was written my Lama Zopa Rinpoche, practicing the other perfections  while practicing the six perfections is of utmost importance.  For example, by breaking the virtues of our body, speech and mind, we will begin to suffer.  We practice patience to those who "speak harshly or show displeasure" from our generosity is important.  "Without patience, there is the danger of ganger destroying the merits." Joyful perseverance is needed to continue our practice of generosity so we don't become lazy. Concentration by thinking about the benefits of generosity and the consequences of not being generous.  Finally, wisdom is used to discern "what should be practiced and what should be abandoned, lest the practice be made incorrectly, with corrupt actions.

In summary, today I will practice generosity with the other perfections in mind: virtues, patience, joyful effort, concentration, and wisdom.

Take an action, then let go of the results.

We know what to do, but do we do what we know?

Learning compassion through giving

I checked my stats and since I haven't had any traffic in over a week, I figure I can just write whatever I want.  However, I will continue on my journey whether I have readers or not. For this is a self searching process that I'm willing to share with those who are interested. Also, if you visit, please don't just lurk.  I would love to hear from you.

As I go through the class with the teachings of the Dalai Lama, I find I'm really drawn to learning about Compassion.  I found teachings of compassion through the Ten Perfections on line. 

I know I wrote about practicing the Six Perfections below. Seems like there's as many differences in Buddhism as there are in Christianity. The Ten Perfections I got from audiodharma.org are:

1. Generosity (Dana)
2. Virtue (Sila)
3. Renunciation (Nekkhamma)
4. Wisdom (Panna)
5. Energy/Vigor (Viriya)
6. Patience (Khanti)
7. Truthfulness (Sacca)
8. Resolve (Adhitthana)
9. Lovingkiness (Metta)
10. Equanimity (Upekkha)

Whereas the Six Perfections are listed as:

1. Giving
2. Ethics
3. Patience
4. Joyous effort/perseverance
5. Consentration
6. Wisdom

I'm looking into Generosity/Giving for the next couple of weeks.  What I have learned  so far, it's about sharing willingly.  That is, it's best "performed when the giver is 'delighted before, during, and after giving.'"

It's giving without expecting anything in return. The intention behind Dana is to give "out of good will or desire for someone else's well being."

How does fit with Christianity?

Jesus asks us to be giving in the same way God freely gives to us. Here are some examples.

Matthew 10:8
Freely you received, freely give.

Matthew 10:12
12  "As you enter the house, give it your greeting.   13  "If the house is worthy, give it your blessing of peace.

Matthew 19:21 NAS
Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."

Matthew 20:4 NAS
  4  and to those he said, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.'

Mark 10:21 NAS
Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, "One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."

Luke 6:30 NAS
30  "Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back.   31  "Treat others the same way you want them to treat you. 

Luke 6:38 NAS
38  "Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure -pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return."

We see that giving is something God wants us to do.  Give away our material items and follow God.  God also wants to give to us if we only have faith and believe.

The practice:
For the next 2 weeks, practice the art of sharing and generosity. Journal how you feel before, while and after you give.

There are many paths up the mountain;
    the view from the top is the same.


There is only one corner of the universe I can be certain of improving, and that's my own self.

This weeks recipe: Layered Zucchini Tabouli and Hummus Salad

I eat lots and lots of bananas every day, usually in the form of green smoothies.  However, I was out of bananas yesterday and the ones I found at the store were not quite ripe. In search of something to eat, I came across a Raw Tabouli recipe by Ani Phyo, a wonderful raw food chef whose dishes are quite tasty.

Of course, because I live in Panama, buckwheat for sprouting has been impossible to find. Therefore, I used zucchini that was in my fridge as a substitute.  In doing so, I came up with a delightful salad that is easy to make. This dish can be served two ways, as a roll or as a layered salad.  I enjoyed them both.  My measurements are imprecise because I really don't measure much when I prepare food. 

Layered Zucchini Tabouli and Hummus Salad

Layer 1:
Shredded romaine lettuce or leave it whole for a wrap.

Layer 2:
Raw Zucchini Tabouli

1 1/2 cups gartet zucchini
1/4 cup chopped fresh spearmint or mint
1 small tomato, diced or diced soaked dried tomato
1/2 cup cucumber.
squeeze of half a lemon or more to taste
1 -3 Tbs. Olive oil (prefer 1 Tbs but the original recipe asks for more)
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 cup olives (my favorite are black olives)

Mix together and set aside. You may chill 1/2 hour before serving.

Layer 3:
Raw Cucumber Hummus

1 cups almonds (the original recipe suggested to soak them)
1/3 cups or more tahini
1/2 cucumber, peeled and chopped
1-2 cloves garlic or pinch of granulated garlic (I can no longer handle garlic so I opt for the granulated. You may prefer the cloves.)
Juice of 1/2 lemon or to taste
1/4 cup fresh spearmint or mint

Process in the food processor with an S blade.

Putting it together
For layered salad:

Place on a plate a layer of chopped romaine lettuce or other lettuce of choice.
Next place a layer of the Zucchini Tabouli.
Top with the Raw Cucumber Hummus.

Serve and enjoy.

It's never too late to be what you might have been.

Live for today. Yesterday’s history. Tomorrow’s a mystery.

Compassion

The lesson from my e-class suggested taking on a practice such as cheerfulness, calmness or compassion.  I chose compassion.  As I do with everything else, I decided to see what I could find online about compassion.

I went to Audio Dharma Talks  to hear what I could find on compassion and listened to a series which had 2 wonderful guided meditations.  I also found this article on compassion and Bodhicitta.  In it, I learned there are 6 perfections: giving,  ethics, patience, joyous effort/perseverance, concentration and wisdom. Through the practice of these 6 perfections, one develops compassion. 

Because I'm also a Christian, I wanted to find Bible verses that would match the perfections and I found many.

Here are two:

Matthew 10:8
Freely you received, freely give.

Colossians 3:12-17
  12  So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;  13  bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever  has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.  14  Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.  15  Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.  16  Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.  17  Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

I really like Colossians because not only does is talk about compassion, patience, and wisdom, kindness, humility, gentleness, being thankful, and unity are also mentioned. Those are also qualities that are important to relationships. Christian behavior is clearly spelled out in Colossians. And it corresponds with the ethics of Buddhism; at least that's how I see it.  What do you think?

True religion is the life we lead, not the creed we profess.

Principles above personalities.

Radical Forgiveness

This week I started taking an ecourse on the works of the Dalai Lama.  You can find the course here. I got my first email Monday and chose two out of 10 saying by the Dalai Lama as my intention for the course.  They are:

"It is the enemy who can truly teach us to practice the virtues of compassion and tolerance."
— Oceans of Wisdom

"Help others and, if you cannot help them, at least do not harm them."
— The Path to Bliss

I find that changing the word "enemies" to "difficult people" helps. I don't think I have enemies.  But I do have a few difficult people in my life.  They are loved ones who trigger hurtful feelings, guilt, anger, frustration, and other negative reactions.  Therefore, my intention is to see them as my teachers and learn from them.  I've heard of doing this before when I first learned about Radical Forgiveness. 

Radical forgiveness is a concept that everything that happens to us is for some lesson which will help us grow spiritually, even if we don't  understand what the lesson is.  Each problem that we have or in which we continue to find ourselves has to do with a particular spiritual lesson we've set ourselves up to learn. Once we learn it, that problem doesn't return.  Or if it does, we no longer see it as a problem, but just as part of life.  You can get free work sheets on his site and use those. I've used them several times for various situations and found them quite effective. The other thing Tipping suggests, are these four steps:

1. Say to yourself: O my goodness, look what I created.
This is to realize that what happened was preordained before we where born.
It is also a recognition that we have had a hand in on a spiritual level although we don't know the reason.

2. Say: I  notice my judgments and my feelings  but I love myself anyway.
We are human and we will likely feel angry, guilty, frustrated, bewildered, etc. in some situations.  We then recognize our feelings and love ourselves for who we are.

3. Say: I am willing to see perfection in this situation.
The emphasis is on the word "willing" because it's not important to believe.

4. Say: I choose peace.
This will wrap it up and get on with doing that which needs to be done regarding the situation.

Once we've done these, then we can deal with the situation more calmly and level headed.

 Hope you can test this and see if it works for you like it did for me.


Forgiveness is the final form of love.

God speaks to us all a little differently, hoping we'll tell each other.

Workout week 2, 5 Precepts and 10 Virtues

Now that I decided to stop doing the Plyometrics workout, I can concentrate on the other four: Kenpo, Shoulders and Arms, X Stretch, and Core Synergistics.  Those are still my morning workouts, alternating them 4 days a week. Saturdays are my sleep in days, so I do about a half hour of stretching.  Of course, I'm still doing Liangong about 4-5 days a week in the evening while watching Oprah. 

I have noticed how weak my thighs are and am working strengthening them.  They are getting slightly stronger in the time I've been doing Liangong.  My knees usually hurt when I go up stairs. However, last Friday as I went up and down the stairs several times at the school in which I teach, I observed how painless it was.  Now I am motivated to work even harder on strengthening them more. I have a long ways to go before the muscles begin to grow.

Now that my Mindfulness class has come to an end, I am looking forward to taking a class about studying with the Dalai Lama. I don't remember the name of the class exactly, but it has 40 lessons coming 3 times a week. That will be almost a 14 week course.

Sylvia taught the top 5 precepts and the 10 virtues in our last week.  I first learned about the precepts from Judith Ragir.  Both women explain them in easy to understand language which I like.  Judith suggests  taking on one precept at a time for a certain amount of time such as a month or a year before taking on another one. Sylvia suggested to write them on an index card, placed strategically on the bathroom mirror for easy daily reading.   I like that idea and therefore, they are on the tiled wall just above the toilet paper roll to remind myself daily about their intentions. The post-it didn't stick to the mirror.

The five precepts are:

1. I undertake the precept to abstain from harming living beings.

2. I undertake the precept to abstain from taking anything not freely given.

3. I undertake the precept to speak wisely, not exploiting or abusing.

4. I undertake the precept to express my sexuality wisely, not exploiting or abusing.

5. I undertake the precept to keep my mind clear of confusion.

The 10 virtues are:

1. Generosity
2. Morality
3. Renunciation
4. Wisdom
5. Energy
6. Patience
7. Truthfulness
8. Determination
9. Lovingkindness
10. Equanimity

I listen for direction now.

If you keep doin' what your doin' you'll keep gettin' what your gettin'

My favorite olives and Tapenade

The other day I was really hungry. Knowing there wasn't much in the house to eat, I looked in the cupboards and fridge, noticed two kinds of olives, capers, walnuts, and sun dried tomatoes.  OK. I would make a tapenade.  It was fabulous!

I'm a black olive fan. I eat them daily. My father used to cure olives when I was a child.  We used to go olive hunting in the outskirts of Fresno.  Back in the 1960's, olive groves were easily found.  We would gather a bucket of spotted imperfect green which were bitter if you tried to eat them. 

He would then clean them, put them in a large container, and soak them in a lye mixture until the lye soaked all the way to the pit. I remember standing by him, watching him carefully tip the heavy container of olives as the water flowed into the gutter. He would then refill the container with fresh water  to continue the soaking process to leach out the lye. 

After a week or so, (I don't remember how long because I was a child and time meant little to me then) he would start cutting an olive to check for traces of lye. I remember my mouth watering, anxiously waiting for the day when he would check the olive with his pocket knife, look up at me, grin and tell me they were ready to eat.  The succulent flavors and texture were delightful.  They are still my favorite olives. My father hasn't cured olives in years since the groves have been plowed down and replaced with houses, offices, and shopping centers.

Over the years, I have gone through a phases where I ate all kinds of olives: Greek, green, Napa Valley Bristol (my favorite is the smoked kind), and those specialty olives found in grocery stores nowadays.  I loved green olives on pizza when I ate cooked food and enjoyed them in my salad.  However, lately the flavors are too strong, to overwhelming for me. So I stick to black olives which have a mild flavor. 

Yet, I still enjoy tapenade once in a while.  Although I didn't measure everything, these amounts are close to what I used.

Tapenade with walnuts and sun dried tomatoes
by La Buscadora

1 15 oz can of black olives
2 - 4 Tbs. of sliced green olives (to taste)
4 Tbs. walnuts
2 Tbs. capers
1 tsp. or to taste sage
black pepper

2 Tbs. sun dried tomatoes (I use Bella Sun Luci Sun Dried Tomatoes with Italian Herbs, Julienne cut. They're in oil, so drain the oil a bit before adding.)

Put all ingredients except tomatoes into the food processor and process to desired consistency.  Add the sun dried tomatoes and pulse a couple of times.  I like them to be a bit chunky.

Enjoy as a spread, dip, part of your salad or stuffed in tomatoes. Of course, whichever you choose is just a Tapenade delivery devise.

Happiness is part of the journey, not some distant destination.

If I have the courage to begin, I have the courage to succeed.

Images are from international.stockfood.com

Continuing week 1 work outs

10/14/10

Found out my Ab Ripper DVD isn't an m3p therefore didn't work.  So my husband is going to look into it and see what it is, if we can download a needed program, or if it's just bad.  So, today I worked on Plyometrics. 

Plyometrics is not easy for someone with knee problems and weak legs.  I did modified versions of all the exercises this morning.  I couldn't believe how uncoordinated I now am.  I used to be a ballet dancer with extremely strong legs and coordinated. No problem.  It will take as long as it takes to strengthen my legs again providing that I continue the P09X workouts for several months.

Meditation: This morning's meditation was really relaxing.  Sylvia sent an audio mediation which matched yesterday's lesson on the Seven Factors of Enlightenment.  I loved it! She didn't use the bell afterward so I was able to continue for several more minutes when she was finished. 

The Seven Factors are:
1. Concentration
2. Rapture
3. Calm
4. Investigation
5. Equanimity
6. Energy
7. Mindfulness.

10/15/10

No matter what my husband did, the Ab Ripper DVD didn't work. That's OK. The Core Synergistics workout is quite the workout for my abs. I'm just now no longer sore.

I started up again on the Shoulder's and Arms DVD today.  I really like that one.  I think I'll skip the Plyometrics DVD. It's really hard on my knees.  Maybe I'll try it again after my thighs build up.

Meditation: For the last two days I listened to the audio Sylvia made for Wednesday. It's a guided meditation which I love.  She made it in a way so when it's over, you can continue meditations.  What I did, was bring in my timer and still meditated my 20 minutes.

Emotion: What I've also noticed is that I've been emotionally charged the last couple of days. After much deliberation, I think it's my ego trying to return to the state of depression and sadness, which I was my usual state only a few years ago.  Since I choose happiness, my ego has been fighting me. The change has been slow.

Well, that's it for now. Hope you decide to follow me. Please feel free to make comments. I would love to hear about your journey, too.

W H Y = Whine, Holler, Yell.

Courage is the ability to change the familiar.

I don't get to the computer that's online for as long as I like, so I decided to do a little diary on my computer and then transfer it over when I have a chance. Below is what I wrote a couple of days ago.

10/11/10
Workout:  Today I did the first workout on Core Synergistics.  What a tiring workout.  Over the last couple of years, off and on, I've been doing some yoga and some walking. Currently my regular practice is Laingong plus isometrics.  Those last two helped with the X Stretch and the Arms and Shoulders workout, but not Core Synergistics.  The P09X workouts are serious.  I can see why my skin is now a bit saggy and my muscles tighten easily.  I did only a part of each exercise the best I could but tired easily. I know I will build up to it.  How? Because when I used to run, I quickly built up to running more and walking less; that was only at the beginning of this year. 

Tomorrow: Kenpo

Spiritual: I'm up to 20 minutes of meditation right now.  I first sit and consciously relax my whole body.  Then I concentrate on my breath.  I notice that my breath is now shallower than when I started and there's a short rest time between. 

The class on wise effort taught me there are four things to notice:
the presence in the mind of wholesome states, cultivate them,
the absence in the mind of wholesome states, cultivate them,
the presence in the mind of unwholesome states, eliminate them,
the absence in the mind of unwholesome states, determine to keep them out.

In order to do this, one must always be aware of what one is thinking, to make moment to moment choices in what we are contemplating.

Wholesome states:
peacefulness,
benevolence,
patience,
tolerance,
compassion,
empathic joy

Unwholesome states:
anger,
lust,
jealousy,
envy,
resentment,
bitterness.

Emotional healing: So how does this help me emotionally? How do keep my unwholesome states at bay?  Well, the following is what has worked for me:

1. look to see what my part is in the situation.  If I have to, I ask God to help me see the situation clearly and how I could have contributed to the problem or how I could have allowed the problem to grow.  Also, to ask for God's help.  If you don't believe in God, then whatever higher power you have will work.

2. I talk to someone who I trust to get a clearer view. Sometimes just talking about it helps me see the situation clearer without all the emotions attached. In this way I can look at what needs of mine were not being met and what needs the other person was trying to meet.

3. Make amends where I was at fault. I did this recently with someone who I saw as insensitive.  The truth is, I was feeling sad about my situation. Plus, I know how she likes to joke and I also know she has a big heart.  So, I apologized for my reaction to her 'joke.'  She in turn apologized for her 'joke' and informed me of her intention which was really kind.  She just did it a way that didn't come across well.

Revvell suggests to write everything; all your feelings, all your thoughts, whatever comes to your mind.  This is also a good way to vent out feelings. By the end of the writing which could be 3 or 4 pages, emotions move out of the way for discernment and solutions.

I'm sure there are many other ways to help rid unwholesome thoughts. What do you do?  I would love to hear and learn from you, too. 


***
10/12/10
Kenpo:  What a workout!  This was my first time to do it. I had to watch the DVD well before  attempting some of the movements. I still got confused and had to concentrate really hard on what I was doing to get it right.  Since I don't run anymore, I tired easily.  That's OK.  I figure in a couple of weeks I'll tire less and less which will enable me to complete all the reps.  One item they all wore was a heart rate monitor.  I don't own one. I'm debating whether or not to get one.  I may look into it.

Tomorrow: Day off from working out.

Thursday: Ab Ripper.  And I'm still sore from the Core Synergistics workout.  Hope I'll be able to move tomorrow.

Meditation: I really would like to get a more gentle timer. I jump every time it goes off.  Twenty minutes today.  I drifted here and there, but always gently bringing myself back to my breath. Like yesterday, I gazed at the gentle bright lights I saw behind my eyelids.

Emotional health: Still thinking about the 5 hinderances: lust, aversion,  torpor, restlessness, doubt.  I looked the words up in the Thesaurus on  my computer to get a better understanding of their meaning so I could be better aware of when they popped up. What I understand, is when one of them arises, just stay with it gently like I would the breath and relax; then let it go.  I had the opportunity to practice that last night.  What I did was first walk around the house ranting in my head, going through all the tools I've collected over the last five years, finally ending on just noticing the emotion with detachment. When I released it I felt calmer, nevertheless I had a headache the rest of the night.

F A I T H = Finding Answers In The Heart.

The Seven T's -- Take Time To Think The Thing Through.

Photo called Redon.bouddha off wikapedia

Work outs and a recipe

Work outs. I'm still doing Liangong 18 exercises in the evening. I notice that my thigh muscles are getting stronger.  I have knee problems and have been avoiding knee bends and the like. So I'm being really careful with those particular exercises.

I've also been thinking about doing weight baring exercises because I have thin bones and want to build them up. Then I remembered that my daughter gave me a bunch of work out DVDs.  They are Tony Horton's extreme body workout. I did the Shoulders and Arms DVD today. So far, I'm not hurting. But I probably will tonight.  I have 6 of his DVDs and at this point plan to rotate them.  I figure I'll decide at some point which DVD I want to focus more on. 

My program for physical heath at this time:
Liangong
Extreme body workout
Raw food with lots of greens

I'm still eating 1-2 green smoothies a day and a salad at night.  For snack I tend to go for the nuts or nut dips. I made a great one which I modified from The Complete Book of Raw page 148. They are Mary Hydman's Savory Neat Balls.  Here's my version.

1-2 stalks chopped celery
1/2 cup leeks
1/2 -1 cup carrots
1 cup almonds, soaked and well drained
3/4 cup walnuts, soaked and well drained
1 teaspoon Celtic salt (optional)
2-3 teaspoons shoyu or to taste (I leave out the salt and use more shoyu)
pinch sage
pinch thyme

Put all ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth.  Taste and adjust spices.
Form into patties or balls and dehydrate until desired texture. 

I dehydrated them the first time and they were great.  This time, I didn't and am using it as a spread.   I also like to put a dab on sliced cucumbers with a couple of olives and a touch of homemade hot sauce.  Another thing I did was make a leek sauce/dressing and use that to dip the dehydrated patties in.

Hope you enjoy them! Until next time!

It’s hard to be hateful when you’re being grateful.

The joy is in the journey, so enjoy the ride.

Addition to my food program

As one who eats mostly raw and living foods, I tend to eat high in fat.  Twice I did a week cleans with no fat for 10 days.  I decided, after eating almost a whole jar of nuts in one sitting that I wanted to cut back on the nuts and fat. I felt sluggish all day. 

Then I also realized, after listening to Matt Monarch being interviewed by Revvell on Rockin Radio, I decided to go back to Norman Walker's way by drinking more juice.  Smoothies are easier, and I don't plan on cutting them out.  I plan on making juice when I want to eat nuts. 

I started that yesterday and made a glass of juice instead of eating a handful of nuts.  I think this is a good transition for me.  I've been eating living foods long enough to where my absorption has greatly improved.  I felt pleasantly full until dinner.  I still notice I have emotional eating habits and hope juicing will help correct that as well as writing.

Writing is a great way to get out the junk in your mind.  If we just write for 15 minutes a day, whatever comes to our mind, whatever emotions we are feeling, the good, the bad and the ugly, we help alleviate the negative emotions we carry within our subconscious.  We become free from dramatic reactions by replacing them with calmer, better thought out actions.

Another practice I took on, Liangong, is working out for me. I enjoy the 18 exercises and am beginning to notice some of the knee bending exercises are getting easier.  I have knee trouble from walking up and down six flights of stairs daily back in my early 40's.  It was my way of exercising at the time. Unfortunately, I had the wrong shoes on and injured my knees.  This has put a limit on some of the exercises I would like to do. 

Then of course, now that I live in a hot, humid climate, I have a difficult time working out because the heat in unbearable.  Liangong seems to be perfect for me right now because it's slow, yet works the muscles and joints.

LETGO = Leaving Everything To God Okay?

Trust god.........clean house........help others

Mindfulness: first 2 days

Yesterday was the first day of the Mindfulness class which was awesome.  I loved the introduction of the class and the first lesson.  Sylvia says " Mindfulness is the balanced, ongoing attention to what is happening (physically and mentally), including the mind's perceptions and reactions, to what is happening."  You can still sign up for the class if you haven't already.   If you're already in the class, please comment so I know who you are.

I am to meditate for 10 minutes twice a day.  I have practice Centering Prayer off and on for around 20 years. However, I seem to practice more off than on.  Therefore, for me to choose a sacred word is automatic. My word yesterday for my morning meditation was "trust." I choose trust because it's a word that has come up continually especially when talking about God and faith and seems to jump at me.  Even though my mind wandered, I was always able to easily bring it back to "trust" in the way Father Keating taught.

Then, I reread the instructions and realized I am to concentrate on my breathing, to feel it enter my nostrils, to feel it go drown my throat, how my chest expands, and the sensations when it exits my body.  That is what I concentrated on during my second meditation last night.  Again, my mind wandered, but I gently brought it back to my breath.

Also, yesterday I listened to Judith Ragir's talk on mindfulness which is really great.  I had heard it before, but it's been at least a year or two.  She discusses several kinds of mindfulness. I guess I subconsciously implanted in my habits what I heard years ago because I noticed during her talk that I occasionally do those things she said.  One is paying close attention to what I do. That is to say, I would think: I'm walking, I'm sitting, etc.  I would do this in hopes that I would become more aware. It could be from the lecture she did on Koans which I loved. "When you're done eating breakfast, you go to the sink and wash the dish."

I'm really looking forward to this class and will try to tell you my experience with it. I hope you take it with me because you will get so much out of it, if you're into learning about mindfulness.

The other thing that happened to me is I was putting together a phone list for a group in which I belong.  At the end, I added a couple of quotes at the end. I chose ones for Hope.  Later, when I opened the thought for the day that I receive, it was on  Hope and included the same quote that I used on the phone list email.  I don't believe in coincidence.  I believe it was God/the Universe working.

Hope sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible.

HOPE = Heart Open Please Enter
Image is from Understanding Mindfulness.

The Novena comes to an end

Today is the last day of the Novena.  I wish I could have put more of what I experienced on the blog as I was going through it. Once I have access to the web regularly, I will be able to post more often.

What I want to do now is to write a summary of what I went through, my feelings and what I learned.

One thing the Novena called for is to write my intention. I've been wanting to move back to California for several years now. My parents are elderly and I have grandchildren I want to see regularly.  So my intention is that I become a loving part of my grandchildren's lives. I want to hug them, talk to them, listen to them, hear their laugh, laugh with them, feed them, play with them, read to them, see their accomplishments, hear their sorrows, and be with them on a regular basis.  My heart aches to be with them regularly and for them to know me.  I don't want to be a stranger, I want to be a loving grandmother that they will cherish all their lives.

I went through periods of joy, sadness, serenity, and a whole array of emotions.  I asked God if my sadness was my ego trying to take over the times of serenity and joy. I have a history of depression and I have heard that our ego/subconscious tries to return us to what it's used to.  To break through that, I've learned to trust and praised God.  We get what we focus on.  Therefore, if I focus on praising and blessing God, my life becomes blessed.  To quote the reflection: "Making a blessing over life is the best way of turning our life into a blessing."

Along with the Mindfulness class beginning tomorrow, I will search the Bible for praises that I can work on to keep my mind on praising God.  I planned on continuing with the Examen for the full month of September, so I will be practicing it until Thursday and give a summary of my experience then.  At this point, I admit I enjoy doing it. I enjoy writing each night about my day, my feelings and how the Holy Spirit plays a role in my daily life.

G.O.D. = Giver Of Desires


SWAT = Surrender Willingness Acceptance Trust

Green smoothie for the day

The only fresh fruit I had in the house this morning were oranges and 3 bananas.  I drink a green smoothie every morning for breakfast and here's this morning's most excellent recipe.  I enjoyed every drop!

Green and Orange Juice Smoothie

3 fresh juiced oranges with pulp
3 bananas  
1 head of Romaine Lettuce or greens of your choice (about 3 - 4 cups)

Blend.  Enjoy!

Happiness is part of the journey, not some distant destination.

Mindfulness e-course!

I have always had a deep affection for Buddhism.  A friend introduced me to Spirituality Practice web site where you can get lots of different kinds of e-courses on spirituality.  My friend also knows how much I love Buddhism. So she gave me the gift of taking The Liberating Promise of Mindfulness with Sylvia Boorstein. Class begins on Sept. 27 and runs through to Oct. 22.  In that case, my spirtitual practice will be mindfulness.  Who knows what I'll be doing at the end of Oct. I was planning on the spirituality of Hildegard of Bingham, but that can wait. I'm really looking forward to learning more about Mindfulness.

I used to study Buddhism a lot and even practiced Metta meditation quite a bit.  I still do that when waiting in lines or for people.  I also own one of Sylvia's books, It's Easier than You Think or some similar title. My friend who gifted the class to me has it right now.  I bought it when it came out way back in the 1980's I think. 

So, if you want to join me and others for this class, please do.  I think it will be a blast.


I am grateful for this minute.  My eternity may be in it.

Novena

Starting today, I'm going to be praying the Novena for the next 9 days. This is in addition to my nightly  Examen.  I just found the site online and will learn more about it as I go.  The Novena is about praying for a specific intention for 9 days. My intention is to move back to California, hopefully between Fresno and the Trinity Alps.  The Bay Area would be perfect or anywhere close to it would be acceptable.  You can find the outline of the prayers and readings here.

PRAY = Put Recovery Around You

A spiritual awakening is our greatest gift.

Trying to keep the Examen alive for myself

I've been practicing the Examen nightly since starting this blog. First I tried it as I liad down before falling asleep.  But my mind kept drifting and I think I would fall asleep only to wake up trying to remember where I was.

A new approach was needed.  I found a blank book that I bought probably 7 years ago or more and started writing it down.  This seems to be working out better.  I first write a bit about the day, then I go through the Examen, writing everything. It takes 3-4 pages but that's OK.  That's what the book is for.

I decided writing it would be good because I listen to Revvell on Rawkin Radio and she was talking about writing and how it releases emotions and helps you heal emotionally.  So far, by doing this I was surprisingly didn't go into a depression after learning my husband didn't get a job I really wanted him to get. I somehow believe that God will find a job for him that will match his personality and the location will be really wonderful for us.  In the past, I would have obsessed about how I wanted to move back to California and would have become greatly depressed, blaming God and others for the disappointment. I don't feel this way. I don't know if it's because of working the steps, doing the Examen, or what.  I am greatful for the release of depression and obsession. 

For me, writing the Examen is working really well.  I love it and feel more serenity each day.

God's will can provide what I need for eternity.

Prayers may seem unanswered, but never are.

A change of taste

Here's my latest on the food front.  Since my illness a few weeks back, I noticed that I can't eat anything with any kind of heat. That is pepper, chili, garlic, onion, etc.  Forget the spices.  My tongue isn't going for them. They really burn and I can't take it. 

So, this means my salads are now different and lighter. I still love my bell pepper salad dressing, but I'm now using less spices in it.  I put in a bit of basil, a pinch of salt and a tsp. or so of extra virgin olive oil and that's it. The bell pepper has so much flavor it doesn't need much else. This is a change because before my illness I loved adding garlic, balsamic vinegar, etc to it. Now I can't even think about it.

So this has me thinking that my last illness was a cleanse and not stress related since my taste buds have gone through this change. It is kind of like when I loved Lara bars then all of a sudden they were too strong for me and I couldn't stand all the flavor in them; they were overwhelming to my taste buds. 

This time I can't even eat my favorite olives because I can't take the strong taste. Yesterday I made what I thought was a mild version of Mediterranean Black Olive & Walnut Tapenade (pg. 288, "The Complete Book of Raw Food", second edition).  I've made this many times mixing some green olives in it and loved it.  However yesterday, I could only eat small amounts on the lettuce wrap instead of the big globs like I used to enjoy. It never occurred to me when I started eating raw how much my taste buds would change. 

What changes have you noticed in yours if you are on the raw food program?

God Calls, We Respond

This is not only the name of an article by David L. Fleming, SJ, but is also part of Ignatian spirituality.  All quotes are from Fleming's article unless otherwise stated.  I found this article through ignatianspirituality.com which has many good articles.

According to Fleming, the exercises, "the many prayer methods, rules for discernment, spiritual disciplines, and approaches to apostolic service" were developed by Ignatius to help us find out what God wants from us now.  In this way, too, God is up close and personal. God is active in our lives all the time. God is unremittingly working in our lives by "inviting, directing, guiding, proposing, suggesting."  Ignatius designed his techniques as a way for us to tune into God's plan.  In this way, we can live more connected to God's plan for ourselves and the world. 

Fleming also makes the point that Jesus invited people into his life from right were they were. That's what Jesus does today.  No matter were I am, Jesus is there inviting me into his life. It is my choice to respond or not.  I chose to respond when I feel being called. 

Ignatius spirituality tells us to follow God with "active passivity."  That is to say, "[i]t is a spirituality of attentiveness, of watching and waiting, of noticing the ebb and flow of our feelings and inner dispositions." 

Mark 10:17-21 tells a story of a rich young man wanting to follow Jesus.  When he asked what was needed of him in order to do so, Jesus, with love, told him to sell everything and follow him.  The young man walks away sadly and Jesus turns to his disciples and says, "How hard it will be for the wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!"  Giving up material things, control, our old way, and to become a follower of God's will, not ours is sometimes extremely difficult for us.  This seems like what is meant by "active passivity."  It is responding when God calls.

Update on the Examen and energy exercises

I have been practicing the Examen for the last 6 nights and my monkey mind prevails.  I continuously find myself thinking about so many other things rather than God's presence throughout the day, or what I'm grateful for, or the emotions that came up and how God may be speaking to me through them. 

So, at least a dozen times during the session, I gently bring my mind back into focusing on the Examen.  Because I've practiced several forms of meditation off and on over the years, I understand this is just what happens to our untrained minds.   I'll just keep doing my best each night. 

What I find interesting, is that I was really exited the first couple of nights. I had really good days filled will lots of joy, laughter and serenity.  Then Saturday, I felt off balanced, like something was wrong.  I had fallen a week earlier and injured my left ankle which really bothered me. My ankle is just slightly swollen and I had been driving; I drive a stick shift.  So, with an irritated ankle, I felt out of sorts, even a bit sad and upset for being injured.  When I did the Examen, I couldn't come up with anything regarding it, so I decided to just turn the healing over to God.  I'll do my part and stay off of it as much as possible and let God take care of the results.

Due to this injury, my exercise program at this time consists of isometrics that can be done while sitting and stretching.  Also started using "The  Energy Medicine Daily Routine" which is by Donna Eden.  I heard her in an interview last month and thought what she  did was interesting and downloaded this exercise routine for free.  I don't know if you can find it on her website or not but you can find a short version of what I have at Donna's link here.  You could also try LearnEnergyMedicine.com. 

According to Donna, your well-being will improve and your positive energy field will improve with the cumulative effects of these simple exercises. I remember learning a couple of these a tai chi class I took in Berkeley about 12 years ago. They are easy and only take about 10 minutes a day.   That, I can deal with.

Lack of split ends

I stopped dying my hair about 2 years ago.  The last time I cut my hair really short was 2 1/2 years ago.  I used to get spit ends all the time.  They'd start showing up about 6 weeks after my hair cut. My hair was really dry, even though I was eating lots of fruit and juicy foods.  So, when I quit dying my hair, I figured I would be more gray than I was. I have gray hair along the sides, but not so much in the back.


About the same time I quit dying my hair, I started washing it with baking soda and rinsing it with a capful of vinegar in a cup of water.  I put the baking soda in my hand and wet it making a thick paste.  Then I wet my hair and gently massage the paste into my scalp first, then work it gently to the ends.

I've been doing this for 2 years now. And now my hair is soft, no split ends, even after not having a trim in over 5 months.  This is a big change for me.