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.