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I just had a great meditation session. I hadn't been able to relax and concentrate this well in a while. A great ending to the day. Now I'm off to watch "Watchmen" on DVD.
Have a great night everyone!
:bigclap: Woo hoo! I had a pretty good one last night too. Hope you have a great weekend!
My day was great. I found this wonderful online forum called newbuddhist.com. It's a supportive online environment for people who are beginning to explore Eastern spirituality. It's a very informative website full of smart people, but the best part is that it's not a shark tank like that Catholic forum* I used to frequent was.
:bigclap:
* Oh my Dharma, are Catholic forums ever chock full o' nuts! I told those people that I wanted to be a nun and they told me that I wasn't a Catholic or even a Christian because I didn't actively participate in the pro-life movement. The Muslim forums (I had a Muslim phase as well) were just as insane; the moderators threatened to ban me because I forgot to put PBUH (peace be upon him) after Muhammad's name in my first post. Not to say that Buddhists are perfect, but I'm really glad that I got out of that...that...world.
Palzang, I read that story in the first book i got about Buddhism LOL. I like that story, it makes me feel good when bad things happen Thanks for reminding me
I'm thinking of changing my hairstlye LOL. I'll maybe grow my hair again.... although not past my shoulders, if I'm going to look rubbish I want to make it look like a don't try to look not-rubbish to not... oh I'm confused
All the best,
Jellybean
You should try the bald look. It's really in right now.
My day was great. I found this wonderful online forum called newbuddhist.com. It's a supportive online environment for people who are beginning to explore Eastern spirituality. It's a very informative website full of smart people, but the best part is that it's not a shark tank like that Catholic forum* I used to frequent was.
:bigclap:
* Oh my Dharma, are Catholic forums ever chock full o' nuts! I told those people that I wanted to be a nun and they told me that I wasn't a Catholic or even a Christian because I didn't actively participate in the pro-life movement. The Muslim forums (I had a Muslim phase as well) were just as insane; the moderators threatened to ban me because I forgot to put PBUH (peace be upon him) after Muhammad's name in my first post. Not to say that Buddhists are perfect, but I'm really glad that I got out of that...that...world.
As I see it the whole Catholic position is a control. Why else would they eternally condem that one can never be free from sin, and that man is seperate from God (source).
Original sin because my original perception is that I am seperate from other. Plllease!
As I see it the whole Catholic position is a control. Why else would they eternally condem that one can never be free from sin, and that man is seperate from God (source).
Original sin because my original perception is that I am seperate from other. Plllease!
oh, and we'll see you again next sunday.
I don't want to get into that debate. :winkc:
When I was talking to the Catholics, I never gave the impression that I was pro-choice, just apolitical. I said that I didn't think that God intended me to be involved in politics (it wears me out more than anything!) This provoked a storm of rants about my "Christian duties" and my alleged lack of devotion to the "Mother Church."
My day has been great, I rose early this morning and went for a 4 mile with an Urban Dharma podcast on my ipod. My wife and I visited a coffee shop and watch the world go by while we relaxed with our cofees. This evening at the martial arts club I attend we will be grading the juniors, there will be many smiling faces when they receive their new belts.:)
I am having a rough day. I woke up feeling guilty about spending too much money this weekend and about not getting more chores done. Did a pretty good job at being with the guilt for a moment, acknowledged that my guilt is based on clinging to other people's standards and expectations, and that these little mistakes will be forgotten once I adhere better to my budget and cut the STUPID GRASS. So I was feeling better on my morning commute.
Then I arrived at work and found out through a friend's facebook post that an old, dear friend committed suicide this weekend. The details were gruesome and very sad. I'm alone at work today and therefore can't take too much time in the bathroom, which is where I usually go to pause and be with my feelings. I'm hoping that some spiritual reading this afternoon, along with some alone time on my commute and meditation at home will help, and I know that it will as long as I make it important rather than avoiding this pain.
I do hope that everyone else is having a good day, and I'm confident that I'll have a better one tomorrow.
No thanks Palzang... It looks terrible, ooh, I mean great on you though
Sorry to hear about your friend treeluvr :-/
Newbuddhist.com? Ugh, don't like the sound of that I'd much prefer the Catholic and Muslim forum Seriously though, how up-your-religion's-arse can you get? :-/
So sorry to hear about your friend, TreeLuvr I had a similar experience, finding out about the death of a classmate in an internet forum. He had died a few years ago and I was just finding out, and it haunted me. It's hard to find out that way. I hope that you may find time to grieve in peace.
Today was pretty easy for me. I'm getting the hang of disciplining seventh period without remorse, which is great practice. Also, my friend has found out about a possible physics position at a good school. I am both enticed by this and intimidated. I have never been confident in my physics skills and I am certainly not confident in my teaching skills yet! Still, it's something I will at least interview for. The worst thing that can happen will be that they reject me and I go back to my plan of being unemployed and getting a math credential, which is just fine with me!
Sorry to hear about your friend TreeLuvr. It must have been awful to have to find out that way. Stay strong and let yourself grieve and feel his loss, so that you will eventually heal and keep plowing along.
My day has been pretty routine-like. Meditation is being very "productive" lately, as I seem to be using it to create a stronger "link" with my body these days. The sessions seem shorter lately too for some reason.
My science teacher's recently had a divorce and is changing her name I'm mainly sad for her because she has to change her nice last name into a horrid one, that is shared by out hairy music teacher (she also has a terrible fashion sence mi' darlin's (listen to me lol!) ). Anyways, the class gone-out-with-every-person-in-the-school-and-despite-being-extremely-self-centred-who-says-she-hates-herself-because-she-thinks-if-you-like-yourself-your-homosexual-which-the-very-word-frightens-her-and-has-no-brains said, I mean screeched, "miss! You gettin' married? Awwww!" Clearly it was going from Mrs to Miss and Mrs B looked like she wanted to do something to Little Miss girl-who-I-decribed... I know I had strong views about that girl btw, so please don't anyone have a go at me, I'm practising having nice thoughts so much sometimes I just smile at someone and dream of beating them to death with a newspaper... but not that often LOL! My teacher said she'd become a PE teacher if she had to teach something else anyway.
Thanks everyone for your words. I did have some opportunity last night to sit with my thoughts and pains, and had a great meditation. Lightwithin, I'm also trying to use my meditation specifically to gain a stronger link with my body right now. Hadn't realized how easy it is to dissociate from our bodies, but I've sure done so for quite a few years.
Zachaa, go for the physics job! You're right, the worst that can happen is that you'll be right where you are now. It sounds like you're gaining more confidence in your teaching skills, and that's awesome!
Hope everyone else is having a great week! My spirit feels lifted today. I'm planning a nature walk with my boss's wife after work and then dinner with a guy friend at IHOP - YES!!!!! I flippin' love IHOP.
Sorry, I can't reply to all these entries. But I have one of my own:
I'm not gonna map out my day here, bit by bit. However, after a rather energizing Gita class/meditation, I had an appointment with my opthamologist. All went well, as far as my eyes go.
But anyway, before I got that good news, sitting in the waiting room for people with enlarging pupils (as my own were being dilated), I started up a conversation with a man. He resembled Walter Brennan of The Real McCoy and really was a kindly seeming old fellow. Well, he was upset over something he had read about the new health care bill raising "our taxes" by $150 a month to pay for long-term care for people who could not afford it —or something along those lines.
Anyway, I was just interested in listening to him, offering very few of my own opinions, except a leading question about the general soundness of the idea of Social Security and Medicare. He agreed they were good programs. Meanwhile the room had filled up with people 70 and older (I'm in South Carolina.). One by one, he assesses the presidents from Hoover on to Reagan...
Well, anyway, by then some people were talking amongst themselves how they eschewed political discussions. I paid them little notice.
Well, here's the meat: I ask the man what he thinks of Mr. Obama.
Not a favorable reply.
Next I ask him about what he thought of George W. He said he didn't think much of him either.
But the man had an audience of people themselves demonstrating contempt for the President. He said that the country would be better off if someone would shoot the President. I replied in amazement that he couldn't actually mean that. He said that, yes, he did, but not to worry —because he would not do it himself.
It was very clear to me that people in the room seemed to be in agreement.
The man went on and on about how "He" (the President) was out of control, not knowing what to do, flying to California and to all different points in the country for no reason. He also employed the man-without-proof of U.S. citizenship argument (unable to produce a birth certificate after two years)...
I was glad to be recalled into the exam room again.
All this was very scary to me —all this emotional garbage. Certainly if the President were to come to harm this country might even be on the brink of an utter uncivility that could cripple us for years. I will not use the term civil war, simply because by very definition war can never be civil.:)
Does this condition (of being susceptible to being easily swayed by emotional garbage) impact denizens of our kind of world more than it did earlier generations who were not so overwhelmingly "programmed" by the sorts of things we are? In other words, do we modern peoples have a lower threshold separating the intolerable from the acceptable than did our ancestors, simply because we are much fussier about how things must be? After all, we have gotten used to a certain lifestyle, and dern anybody who might threaten to change it to our possible disadvantage!
Anyhow, as I ramble on, it grieves me that people can speak thus in public. True, it's better than living in a totalitarian society like Hitler's where people, if they had any suspicions, were not free to share them freely lest they and those they love be harmed or killed. However, through meditation and prayer, people should strive to reach depths where "problems" can disintegrate and where their beings can be restored to a more wholesome grounding.
I ask, with Socrates, how can a human life without deep reflection be worth living at all? If our politics be built on sheer emotions and not sound principles and goodwill, we shall surely perish.
I had a great day today.
Went to the beach and flew kites. It's been a while and I had forgot about the simplicity of flying from one side of the beach to the other, doing big lazy loops and feeling the sun and wind on my shoulders. Actually it's kind of meditative.
Hope everyone had a good weekend.
I ask, with Socrates, how can a human life without deep reflection be worth living at all? If our politics be built on sheer emotions and not sound principles and goodwill, we shall surely perish.
Your story was interesting. I live and grew up in VA, so I have seen a ton of this stuff.
The people who really care, who have sound principles and goodwill, are out trying to actively change things. Those who sit around discussing, debating, declaring their political views, and completely unaccepting any other views - they're just pissed off at life and want to find other things to whine about. I am the same way sometimes. Will whine constantly about my parents moving away just because I'm really ticked off at myself for being so dependent on them.
***********
I had a great weekend! Stayed home and relaxed but still got a ton of stuff accomplished around the house. Had some great meditations, did some reading, and had a few moments of complete, uninterrupted wholeness.
The school day today was probably the worst one this year. It was awful and it was all I could do to keep it together.
However, I DID keep it together. So I am proud of that and the fact that when I got home, I let it slide away and am now able to enjoy my evening, for the most part.
I wanted to post here about what happened yesterday but got sidetracked. I realize that dwelling on the past isn't a good idea, but this is a good dwelling, I promise!
Yesterday was insanely busy and I didn't have a chance to meditate at my usual time. After the evening chores I realized I had time before my wife got home so I jumped (well, technically I sat) at the opportunity. I've only been meditating for a few weeks, so calming my mind is like trying to teach a small puppy to sit still. Come to think of it, my mind is much like a small puppy...overexcited, running all over the place, peeing on the furniture, it's not pretty.
Anyhoo, after a few minutes of focusing on my breath my mind quieted down and I could feel my pulse....the blood going to my head, to my fingertips....the heart beating in my chest....it was extremely peaceful. Or maybe I was having a stroke. In either case, it was a great end to the day
Today is the day after the second best day of my life. I suppose that makes it a 'pretty good' day, whether it's raining outside or not.
Master your anger over animals such as dogs when they don't do as you wish, and then begin to think of humans in the same perspective. We are a process, more advanced but still a process. A man born to English parents will speak English. A man born in China will speak either Mandarin or Cantonese. There is no 'thing' to be angry with; let go.
Today, I had a 10.6 mile bike ride while listining to a dharma talk and I have to say that it energized me alot and at the end of my ride I was not tired at all the only reason I stoped was because it was getting dark out.
I don't like Obama either, or Bush, or England's prime minsters, I don't like Brown, Cameron ect. ect. There's just so much I disagree on, war, waste of money, cheep, very harmful fuel, tridant, fox hunting ect.
Grim, I love the description of your mind as a puppy! I feel the same way and now I have a humorous way to think about it.
My days have been pretty great. There's a lot of stressors creeping in to my life but I'm meeting them with acceptance and moving more fluidly through all the day-to-day bulljunk. Today, I saw an amazing sunrise and felt very blessed and connected with the sun's energy.
That description of your mind as a puppy and your meditative-ish sesion made me laugh
I have mixed views about the sun. On the good side it helps my food grow as well as all the other beautiful plant and the animals that feed on them, or the animals that feed on the veggie ones, or the animals that get strength from the sun like flying arthropods and herptiles. On the down side I don't like the weather too hot :-/
I have mixed views about the sun. On the good side it helps my food grow as well as all the other beautiful plant and the animals that feed on them, or the animals that feed on the veggie ones, or the animals that get strength from the sun like flying arthropods and herptiles. On the down side I don't like the weather too hot :-/
All the best
NickiD
Ahhh, Nicki, that's the thing! The sun is the source of life for us, it's life energy. And one of the first things we learn from the sun is that too much can burn us or make us uncomfortable. We can lay and bask in the warmth for a while, but at some point we'll need to balance that out with some shade or we'll wind up with sun blisters.
Very much like all other things in life. Moderation and balance are the keys.
I don't like Obama either, or Bush, or England's prime minsters, I don't like Brown, Cameron ect. ect. There's just so much I disagree on, war, waste of money, cheep, very harmful fuel, tridant, fox hunting ect.
Dogs are everything people aren't; loyal.
All the best
NickiD
Ah, your post reminded me at this citation I read somewhere lately:
"A dog is the only thing on Earth that loves you more than he loves himself."
Today was a mixed day. At this point there are challenges in life and self doubt creeping in. I will not give up. I'm feeling pretty good as I write this. Who would've thought that learning to make the most of each day would be one of the hardest things to do in life. Keep going everyone!
Who would've thought that learning to make the most of each day would be one of the hardest things to do in life. Keep going everyone!
Isn't it wild how that seems to be so true? We're given such a gift and so many of us take it for granted, myself included most of the time!
Thanks for your encouragement, and the same to you!
I had an amazing day yesterday, and then arrived home to find that my daylilies had finally bloomed! That was a major exercise in patience. All the others in the area bloomed a month ago, and I was so worried that I'd done something to mess mine up! This is my first summer really trying to take care of my plants. Turns out I just had to be patient :-)
Isn't it wild how that seems to be so true? We're given such a gift and so many of us take it for granted, myself included most of the time!
Thanks for your encouragement, and the same to you!
I had an amazing day yesterday, and then arrived home to find that my daylilies had finally bloomed! That was a major exercise in patience. All the others in the area bloomed a month ago, and I was so worried that I'd done something to mess mine up! This is my first summer really trying to take care of my plants. Turns out I just had to be patient :-)
yeah it's strange eh? We know we could go at any moment, we know that even if we live till we're old that's still not a long time, we know we're only passing through life like travellers, but still, we worry about things that don't really matter.
Today was a good day. I've been trying to keep things balanced and making time for meditation and I feel optimistic about the future. I still feel fear, self doubt and other such emotions but I feel good that I'm doing something about that by meditating. I was speaking to a friend yesterday who's really stressed out and going through a hard time because of some dispute, so I guess it could be worse.
You know, I find myself always thinking. Even when I go to bed I have thoughts on my mind, and sometimes I just try to stop thinking and observe whatever I'm doing. I've noticed that I think of things that make me feel comfortable to block out the reality of what's going on. I don't mean anything bad happening but just something like eating for example. Instead of just concentrating on eating I'm thinking about stuff. Just observing the moment makes me feel anxious, bored and uncomfortable at times but I feel like every second I do that I'm training myself and becoming stronger. I have to remember that the meditation session is much less important than being aware throughout the rest of the day when I'm not sitting down in the meditation posture in peace and quiet.
Have a good day to everyone.
By the way treeluvr87, I don't know a lot about plants but I've been growing an aloe vera plant for a few months. It's getting nice and big now.
I wanted to post here about what happened yesterday but got sidetracked. I realize that dwelling on the past isn't a good idea, but this is a good dwelling, I promise!
Yesterday was insanely busy and I didn't have a chance to meditate at my usual time. After the evening chores I realized I had time before my wife got home so I jumped (well, technically I sat) at the opportunity. I've only been meditating for a few weeks, so calming my mind is like trying to teach a small puppy to sit still. Come to think of it, my mind is much like a small puppy...overexcited, running all over the place, peeing on the furniture, it's not pretty.
Anyhoo, after a few minutes of focusing on my breath my mind quieted down and I could feel my pulse....the blood going to my head, to my fingertips....the heart beating in my chest....it was extremely peaceful. Or maybe I was having a stroke. In either case, it was a great end to the day
Really laughing out loud! That was pretty priceless, Grim. Thanks.
By the way treeluvr87, I don't know a lot about plants but I've been growing an aloe vera plant for a few months. It's getting nice and big now.
Hi ero-sennin,
It's really good to have a live aloe close at hand for burns of any sort. Maybe it's only me but I've had almost miraculous experiences with the healing of very bad burns using the goopy sap found inside the aloe. I used to cut off the older 'leaves' (what are the pointy things called anyway?) at the bottom of the plant since they were usually on their way out anyway and leaving them on the plant just sucks energy from it that would be better used for the new growth. I split the pointy 'leaf' and cut a piece big enough to cover the burn and wrap the plant piece up with the burn with lots of surgical gauze and tape. When I'd unwrap it the next day I was always freaked out at how much it had healed. It also took away all the pain from the burns. In my humble opinion, I think the aloe originates from where it does (the desert) for a reason. For me, it's the absolute best cure for burns of any kind. I love aloe. Your post has reminded me that I need to get one for our new house.
My day was so crappy that I won't bore you all with the details. I'm going swimming tomorrow so it's bound to be a better day.
I finally pluck up courage to tell my boyfriend that we need to talk and hopefully all's not lost yet since he was asking what was it about and asked me not to give him a surprise (which hopefully meant that he's nervous about anything turning bad for the relationship). Still trying to remain calm by detaching myself from the millions of emotions in me so that I can talk to him calmly in a clear mind tomorrow. Attachment to emotions can really cause a wreck in your life =/
Yeah I have an aunt who drinks the juice from the plant. One glass everyday. She claims it's good for her health.
Yesterday was a good day. Well I planned to get some work done so I kind of felt bad that I ended up going to a friends house for some drinks while watching the world cup so didn't get anything done, but what the heck.
Just lost my post because I'm using Chrome for the first time (just checking it out) and it logged me out because I forgot to tick the 'Remember Me' box.
Hi ero-sennin,
I know quite a few people who swear by aloe juice. I tried it once but I just couldn't stand the smell/flavour. It was a real 'health food store' drink and my palate is still just too accustomed to madly over-processed foods and drinks. *sigh*
I had an excellent day yesterday. I hung out and swam with my nephew, his wife, and their two daughters (4 and12) and we had a blast. We just moved into a new house, a lovely little bungalow and it has an above-ground pool. Yaaaayy!! I was very careful not to get sunburned so I'm okay this morning.
By the end of the afternoon yesterday there were very high levels of pain and I got a bit scared because I haven't had those levels in a while. But I went for a long walk (about an hour and a half) last night which was really, really challenging at first but got better and easier as I went along. I think that's why I was able to get out of bed this morning.
I saw a show on PBS at the end of last year about the newest research and findings into chronic back pain caused by injury and contrary to what a lot of health care practitioners were advocating, 'pushing through' the pain with the right physiotherapies, skills, and guidance seems to be doing the most to help people. It makes perfect sense to me since that's what my body naturally wants to do at times. In fact, there are times when the only relief I can get is by walking. Not sitting, not lying down. Just walking and walking and walking.....
I don't have a physiotherapist anymore (insurance won't pay) but I've been like this for 6 years now so I know my body and functional abilities pretty well and I'm doing a good job, I think, of 'pushing through' the pain by walking. It's really helping and I'm going to slowly and very, very carefully increase the intensity of my exercise in the hopes that it will help. It's better than sitting on my rear all day, that's for sure.
So that's where I'm at. Hope everyone else is doing well.
Yes thank you Brigid. Today I've been into Scunthorpe and bought some jeans, two DVDs called Mall Cop and Coraline and two CDs by Scouting For Girls and Lady Gaga LOL. Then my mum and I went to see my brother at his friend's mum's house- they're moving. I held a beautiful westy and when my mum's had her operation we might get one because she'll have more time to train her when off sick. When we got home my Jack Russell could smell we'd betrayed her :eek: I've just finished watching Coraline
Well I'm half way through a week of nightshifts which means 7 days and nights of mental exhaustion. The reading suffers when I'm on nights, I only get to read a page and I start nodding so I find it easier to listen to Dharma talks on the ipod when I'm out running, I find the tiredness empties my mind and lets the Dharma in. I've just started marathon training this week so I'm out running a lot at the moment so thats a good bit of Dharma I'm getting too.:D Hope you're all a great week.
Sorry to here about the nightshifts :-/ but you never know, just as an unhealthy plant can grow from a healthy seed, vice versa, if you get my jist (I like da metaphorez)
I have had a great day. Today I went to the Yeunten Ling institute in Huy, Belgium. It's an Tibetan Buddhism institution. We got a tour through the castle and the area, had a meal and a teaching from Lama Karta (great and nice guy). I listened carefully to his teaching and had an opportunity to ask him a few questions.
I also bought two books for ten euro's. A great inspirational day!
School's out!!!!!! Now my major focus will be wedding planning- only a month and a few days to go!
All this talk about aloe is making me think about a trip to the local pharmacy- I got a bit sunburned on my face whilst doing the paper airplane experiments outside those last few days. I put on sunscreen the first day but not the other because it started out all overcast and cloudy... and then transformed later to a cloudless sunny day! Argh! I searched the Cabinet of Wonders as well as the bathroom storage and didn't find any. Oh, well- a walk to the pharmacy will be a great way to test my new Tevas.
I have had a great day. Today I went to the Yeunten Ling institute in Huy, Belgium. It's an Tibetan Buddhism institution. We got a tour through the castle and the area, had a meal and a teaching from Lama Karta (great and nice guy). I listened carefully to his teaching and had an opportunity to ask him a few questions.
I also bought two books for ten euro's. A great inspirational day!
What an awesome opportunity! I just found out about a sangha nearby that I wasn't aware of; today I plan to do some research on the facility. Still nothing anywhere near my home or my commute, but I'm enjoying the research and hope to visit a sangha for a meditation session soon. The closest that I've become aware of is in Richmond, a little over an hour from my home.
Life has been great lately. I went on a backpacking trip on Saturday and planned to stay overnight, but my tent pole snapped on top of the mountain and so I had to hike back out and drive four hours back home. But I still managed to take some time up top the mountain to meditate and reflect.
Comments
All the best
Nickidoodle
:bigclap: Woo hoo! I had a pretty good one last night too. Hope you have a great weekend!
:bigclap:
* Oh my Dharma, are Catholic forums ever chock full o' nuts! I told those people that I wanted to be a nun and they told me that I wasn't a Catholic or even a Christian because I didn't actively participate in the pro-life movement. The Muslim forums (I had a Muslim phase as well) were just as insane; the moderators threatened to ban me because I forgot to put PBUH (peace be upon him) after Muhammad's name in my first post. Not to say that Buddhists are perfect, but I'm really glad that I got out of that...that...world.
You should try the bald look. It's really in right now.
Palzang
I was told the same thing!
Individually pro-life,politically pro-choice.
Educate don't legislate!!
As I see it the whole Catholic position is a control. Why else would they eternally condem that one can never be free from sin, and that man is seperate from God (source).
Original sin because my original perception is that I am seperate from other. Plllease!
oh, and we'll see you again next sunday.
I don't want to get into that debate. :winkc:
When I was talking to the Catholics, I never gave the impression that I was pro-choice, just apolitical. I said that I didn't think that God intended me to be involved in politics (it wears me out more than anything!) This provoked a storm of rants about my "Christian duties" and my alleged lack of devotion to the "Mother Church."
I can't imagine that happening on newbuddhist.
Then I arrived at work and found out through a friend's facebook post that an old, dear friend committed suicide this weekend. The details were gruesome and very sad. I'm alone at work today and therefore can't take too much time in the bathroom, which is where I usually go to pause and be with my feelings. I'm hoping that some spiritual reading this afternoon, along with some alone time on my commute and meditation at home will help, and I know that it will as long as I make it important rather than avoiding this pain.
I do hope that everyone else is having a good day, and I'm confident that I'll have a better one tomorrow.
Sorry to hear about your friend treeluvr :-/
Newbuddhist.com? Ugh, don't like the sound of that
All the best
Nickidoodle
Today was pretty easy for me. I'm getting the hang of disciplining seventh period without remorse, which is great practice. Also, my friend has found out about a possible physics position at a good school. I am both enticed by this and intimidated. I have never been confident in my physics skills and I am certainly not confident in my teaching skills yet! Still, it's something I will at least interview for. The worst thing that can happen will be that they reject me and I go back to my plan of being unemployed and getting a math credential, which is just fine with me!
My day has been pretty routine-like. Meditation is being very "productive" lately, as I seem to be using it to create a stronger "link" with my body these days. The sessions seem shorter lately too for some reason.
Have a good night everyone.
My science teacher's recently had a divorce and is changing her name
All the best
NickiD
Zachaa, go for the physics job! You're right, the worst that can happen is that you'll be right where you are now. It sounds like you're gaining more confidence in your teaching skills, and that's awesome!
Hope everyone else is having a great week! My spirit feels lifted today. I'm planning a nature walk with my boss's wife after work and then dinner with a guy friend at IHOP - YES!!!!! I flippin' love IHOP.
All the best
NickiD
I'm not gonna map out my day here, bit by bit. However, after a rather energizing Gita class/meditation, I had an appointment with my opthamologist. All went well, as far as my eyes go.
But anyway, before I got that good news, sitting in the waiting room for people with enlarging pupils (as my own were being dilated), I started up a conversation with a man. He resembled Walter Brennan of The Real McCoy and really was a kindly seeming old fellow. Well, he was upset over something he had read about the new health care bill raising "our taxes" by $150 a month to pay for long-term care for people who could not afford it —or something along those lines.
Anyway, I was just interested in listening to him, offering very few of my own opinions, except a leading question about the general soundness of the idea of Social Security and Medicare. He agreed they were good programs. Meanwhile the room had filled up with people 70 and older (I'm in South Carolina.). One by one, he assesses the presidents from Hoover on to Reagan...
Well, anyway, by then some people were talking amongst themselves how they eschewed political discussions. I paid them little notice.
Well, here's the meat: I ask the man what he thinks of Mr. Obama.
Not a favorable reply.
Next I ask him about what he thought of George W. He said he didn't think much of him either.
But the man had an audience of people themselves demonstrating contempt for the President. He said that the country would be better off if someone would shoot the President. I replied in amazement that he couldn't actually mean that. He said that, yes, he did, but not to worry —because he would not do it himself.
It was very clear to me that people in the room seemed to be in agreement.
The man went on and on about how "He" (the President) was out of control, not knowing what to do, flying to California and to all different points in the country for no reason. He also employed the man-without-proof of U.S. citizenship argument (unable to produce a birth certificate after two years)...
I was glad to be recalled into the exam room again.
All this was very scary to me —all this emotional garbage. Certainly if the President were to come to harm this country might even be on the brink of an utter uncivility that could cripple us for years. I will not use the term civil war, simply because by very definition war can never be civil.:)
Does this condition (of being susceptible to being easily swayed by emotional garbage) impact denizens of our kind of world more than it did earlier generations who were not so overwhelmingly "programmed" by the sorts of things we are? In other words, do we modern peoples have a lower threshold separating the intolerable from the acceptable than did our ancestors, simply because we are much fussier about how things must be? After all, we have gotten used to a certain lifestyle, and dern anybody who might threaten to change it to our possible disadvantage!
Anyhow, as I ramble on, it grieves me that people can speak thus in public. True, it's better than living in a totalitarian society like Hitler's where people, if they had any suspicions, were not free to share them freely lest they and those they love be harmed or killed. However, through meditation and prayer, people should strive to reach depths where "problems" can disintegrate and where their beings can be restored to a more wholesome grounding.
I ask, with Socrates, how can a human life without deep reflection be worth living at all? If our politics be built on sheer emotions and not sound principles and goodwill, we shall surely perish.
Went to the beach and flew kites. It's been a while and I had forgot about the simplicity of flying from one side of the beach to the other, doing big lazy loops and feeling the sun and wind on my shoulders. Actually it's kind of meditative.
Hope everyone had a good weekend.
Peace be with you.
Your story was interesting. I live and grew up in VA, so I have seen a ton of this stuff.
The people who really care, who have sound principles and goodwill, are out trying to actively change things. Those who sit around discussing, debating, declaring their political views, and completely unaccepting any other views - they're just pissed off at life and want to find other things to whine about. I am the same way sometimes. Will whine constantly about my parents moving away just because I'm really ticked off at myself for being so dependent on them.
***********
I had a great weekend! Stayed home and relaxed but still got a ton of stuff accomplished around the house. Had some great meditations, did some reading, and had a few moments of complete, uninterrupted wholeness.
However, I DID keep it together. So I am proud of that and the fact that when I got home, I let it slide away and am now able to enjoy my evening, for the most part.
I'm so sorry to hear this! I hope things will look up soon for you. Please feel free to send me a pm to vent or anything.
Yesterday was insanely busy and I didn't have a chance to meditate at my usual time. After the evening chores I realized I had time before my wife got home so I jumped (well, technically I sat) at the opportunity. I've only been meditating for a few weeks, so calming my mind is like trying to teach a small puppy to sit still. Come to think of it, my mind is much like a small puppy...overexcited, running all over the place, peeing on the furniture, it's not pretty.
Anyhoo, after a few minutes of focusing on my breath my mind quieted down and I could feel my pulse....the blood going to my head, to my fingertips....the heart beating in my chest....it was extremely peaceful. Or maybe I was having a stroke. In either case, it was a great end to the day
Master your anger over animals such as dogs when they don't do as you wish, and then begin to think of humans in the same perspective. We are a process, more advanced but still a process. A man born to English parents will speak English. A man born in China will speak either Mandarin or Cantonese. There is no 'thing' to be angry with; let go.
Namaste
Dogs are everything people aren't; loyal.
All the best
NickiD
My days have been pretty great. There's a lot of stressors creeping in to my life but I'm meeting them with acceptance and moving more fluidly through all the day-to-day bulljunk. Today, I saw an amazing sunrise and felt very blessed and connected with the sun's energy.
I have mixed views about the sun. On the good side it helps my food grow as well as all the other beautiful plant and the animals that feed on them, or the animals that feed on the veggie ones, or the animals that get strength from the sun like flying arthropods and herptiles. On the down side I don't like the weather too hot :-/
All the best
NickiD
Ahhh, Nicki, that's the thing! The sun is the source of life for us, it's life energy. And one of the first things we learn from the sun is that too much can burn us or make us uncomfortable. We can lay and bask in the warmth for a while, but at some point we'll need to balance that out with some shade or we'll wind up with sun blisters.
Very much like all other things in life. Moderation and balance are the keys.
Happy Friday, everyone!
All the best
NickiD
Ah, your post reminded me at this citation I read somewhere lately:
"A dog is the only thing on Earth that loves you more than he loves himself."
~ Josh Billings ~
And I agree with Mr B
All the best
me
Isn't it wild how that seems to be so true? We're given such a gift and so many of us take it for granted, myself included most of the time!
Thanks for your encouragement, and the same to you!
I had an amazing day yesterday, and then arrived home to find that my daylilies had finally bloomed! That was a major exercise in patience. All the others in the area bloomed a month ago, and I was so worried that I'd done something to mess mine up! This is my first summer really trying to take care of my plants. Turns out I just had to be patient :-)
yeah it's strange eh? We know we could go at any moment, we know that even if we live till we're old that's still not a long time, we know we're only passing through life like travellers, but still, we worry about things that don't really matter.
Today was a good day. I've been trying to keep things balanced and making time for meditation and I feel optimistic about the future. I still feel fear, self doubt and other such emotions but I feel good that I'm doing something about that by meditating. I was speaking to a friend yesterday who's really stressed out and going through a hard time because of some dispute, so I guess it could be worse.
You know, I find myself always thinking. Even when I go to bed I have thoughts on my mind, and sometimes I just try to stop thinking and observe whatever I'm doing. I've noticed that I think of things that make me feel comfortable to block out the reality of what's going on. I don't mean anything bad happening but just something like eating for example. Instead of just concentrating on eating I'm thinking about stuff. Just observing the moment makes me feel anxious, bored and uncomfortable at times but I feel like every second I do that I'm training myself and becoming stronger. I have to remember that the meditation session is much less important than being aware throughout the rest of the day when I'm not sitting down in the meditation posture in peace and quiet.
Have a good day to everyone.
By the way treeluvr87, I don't know a lot about plants but I've been growing an aloe vera plant for a few months. It's getting nice and big now.
Hi ero-sennin,
It's really good to have a live aloe close at hand for burns of any sort. Maybe it's only me but I've had almost miraculous experiences with the healing of very bad burns using the goopy sap found inside the aloe. I used to cut off the older 'leaves' (what are the pointy things called anyway?) at the bottom of the plant since they were usually on their way out anyway and leaving them on the plant just sucks energy from it that would be better used for the new growth. I split the pointy 'leaf' and cut a piece big enough to cover the burn and wrap the plant piece up with the burn with lots of surgical gauze and tape. When I'd unwrap it the next day I was always freaked out at how much it had healed. It also took away all the pain from the burns. In my humble opinion, I think the aloe originates from where it does (the desert) for a reason. For me, it's the absolute best cure for burns of any kind. I love aloe. Your post has reminded me that I need to get one for our new house.
My day was so crappy that I won't bore you all with the details. I'm going swimming tomorrow so it's bound to be a better day.
All the best
Me
Yeah, it definitely does. It can't make a decent martini either. *sigh*
At the minute I'm watching a series called Walking With Beasts on BBC THREE
All the best
Jellybean
Yeah I have an aunt who drinks the juice from the plant. One glass everyday. She claims it's good for her health.
Yesterday was a good day. Well I planned to get some work done so I kind of felt bad that I ended up going to a friends house for some drinks while watching the world cup so didn't get anything done, but what the heck.
Hi ero-sennin,
I know quite a few people who swear by aloe juice. I tried it once but I just couldn't stand the smell/flavour. It was a real 'health food store' drink and my palate is still just too accustomed to madly over-processed foods and drinks. *sigh*
I had an excellent day yesterday. I hung out and swam with my nephew, his wife, and their two daughters (4 and12) and we had a blast. We just moved into a new house, a lovely little bungalow and it has an above-ground pool. Yaaaayy!! I was very careful not to get sunburned so I'm okay this morning.
By the end of the afternoon yesterday there were very high levels of pain and I got a bit scared because I haven't had those levels in a while. But I went for a long walk (about an hour and a half) last night which was really, really challenging at first but got better and easier as I went along. I think that's why I was able to get out of bed this morning.
I saw a show on PBS at the end of last year about the newest research and findings into chronic back pain caused by injury and contrary to what a lot of health care practitioners were advocating, 'pushing through' the pain with the right physiotherapies, skills, and guidance seems to be doing the most to help people. It makes perfect sense to me since that's what my body naturally wants to do at times. In fact, there are times when the only relief I can get is by walking. Not sitting, not lying down. Just walking and walking and walking.....
I don't have a physiotherapist anymore (insurance won't pay) but I've been like this for 6 years now so I know my body and functional abilities pretty well and I'm doing a good job, I think, of 'pushing through' the pain by walking. It's really helping and I'm going to slowly and very, very carefully increase the intensity of my exercise in the hopes that it will help. It's better than sitting on my rear all day, that's for sure.
So that's where I'm at. Hope everyone else is doing well.
All the best
Jellybean
All the best
I also bought two books for ten euro's. A great inspirational day!
All this talk about aloe is making me think about a trip to the local pharmacy- I got a bit sunburned on my face whilst doing the paper airplane experiments outside those last few days. I put on sunscreen the first day but not the other because it started out all overcast and cloudy... and then transformed later to a cloudless sunny day! Argh! I searched the Cabinet of Wonders as well as the bathroom storage and didn't find any. Oh, well- a walk to the pharmacy will be a great way to test my new Tevas.
A wedding Zachaa? Are you getting married? If so congratulations!
All the best
What an awesome opportunity! I just found out about a sangha nearby that I wasn't aware of; today I plan to do some research on the facility. Still nothing anywhere near my home or my commute, but I'm enjoying the research and hope to visit a sangha for a meditation session soon. The closest that I've become aware of is in Richmond, a little over an hour from my home.
Life has been great lately. I went on a backpacking trip on Saturday and planned to stay overnight, but my tent pole snapped on top of the mountain and so I had to hike back out and drive four hours back home. But I still managed to take some time up top the mountain to meditate and reflect.