10/10/08:
"That is one day
I refuse to pray."
TM is the way. I will teach this tai chi business--after I learn it (--and I think I know qi gong without having it taught to me. I am being prescribed drugs against my will. I hope these doctors get it right.
Ability to practice intellectually, spiritually, and of course bodily through exercise.
"If we are attached to our goal of winning liberty, we shall not hesitate to adopt bad means." --The Bhagavad Gita According to Gandhi. (--I don't know if this is a misquote or what. Have I been abusing the system? Has the system been abusing me? What is "bad?")
"Nonviolence can become a mood rather than a power, a congratulatory way one thinks about oneself."
Left hand practice
dalailama.org.au
If you never know truth then you never know love? How do you find truth? How do you find love?
Modern Day Morality --we will sort that out.
10 Tips to Stress Less [from Mental Health Association (QLD) Inc.]
1. Be at peace
2. Look on the funny side
3. Just have a good laugh (--redundant, but so true)
4. Delegate some of your work
5. Do lunch
6. Hug your dog, kiss your cat
7. Accept a compliment and give one back
8. Be daring--do something you have always wanted to do, but were afraid. Take that step.
9. Make your own decisions and achieve some new goals for yourself.
10. Relax into reading.
10/11/08:
What am I fighting for?
FREEDOM-- women and children's rights, gay rights, weed, Love, enlightenment
UTOPIA--Modern Day Morality, humility, kindness, education (especially awareness), bliss (and joy)
The rains have come. In remembrance of our ancestors. Who are my personal heroes?
Gandhi, Picasso, Einstein, Newton, Thoreau, Dali, MLKJ, Marie Curie, Copernicus, Freud, Karl Jung, Maslow (--... many more, in a way. How many great people can you vibe with? What about them makes them great? We have to respect the living Greats, too. I am not calling myself great.)
"When I think about the turn my life has taken."
"A promise is a promise..
can't say you gonna just to compromise."
-- India.Arie
Rules were meant to be flexy.
(--Okay, after this, I stopped writing dates and just started note taking/writing out my drugged thoughts. Don't hate.)
I am in the perfect position to provide awareness education. This can be done through the internet, which has overcome place and time, in a way. Freelance consulting, with my other legs, is my, and our, ultimate destiny. :)
Intending for positivity is the ultimate healing. Belief in yourself, combined with a true all natural diet (all things in moderation), plus hard, sweaty exercise, and taking calculated risks, will truly lead to self-awareness. (I don't care if that last sentence sucked.) The steps after that lead to spiritual awakening. We can all be gods. I believe in Humanity, and it is up to you to believe in me.
300 in our social circle, apparently, but again, rules were meant to be broken.
New development
Existing development
Individuals
Action Groups
Organizations
Coalition
"The way of the warrior is resolute acceptance of death." --Miyamoto Musashi, 1648
As a child, you understand your true joy, but environment forces you in a direction that chases money (or fame/success/the like). Money (greed) is the last neutral motivator (key) for Humanity to overcome. The wrath you may face from the implosion of Wall Street is indication of your stage in internal growth. Get the F over it, and realize that moderation and understanding that your level of wealth is still many, many times greater than the poorest man on earth, still remains key. (--I was def drugged while writing this.) To What? Inner peace, which can lead to Joy, which can lead to Bliss--that is, if you seek it. There are many shortcuts in life, smoking cannabis being one of them, but we still are faced with the question--are shortcuts good or bad? In my case, I believe the shortcuts I have taken in the name of The Greater Good have gifted me a position to make effective change. People truly believed I was Jesus? (--I hope and don't think it's me imagining that) Sorry to shatter your beliefs, but now that you are enlightened, let's start fixing the real problems. After all, the pace of a team is set by the weakest member. So,
RISE UP.
"Our established culture has developed a chemically intensive society. There are over 100,000 different manufactured chemicals in production." (source unknown)
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No worries n Nothing to Prove.
No Envy no hate No grudge
Unconditional Love
No cluttered mind... find 1 thing
you love with passion and focus on that one thing...
Don't worry about everything else...
God will take care of it...
Relax just love as long as u live...
God is...
I will pray for you
--Adam Nasoff (probably more drugged than I was)
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Random page in the Gita (according to Gandhi) I flipped to @ 13:07, p 97
(34) The masters of knowledge who have seen Truth will impart to thee this knowledge. Learn it through humble homage and service and by repeated questioning.
"Buddhism is a practical religion devoted to conditioning the mind through normal daily life in such a way as to lead to peace, tranquility, happiness, wisdom, and perfect freedom. As a plan of living which derives highest benefit from life, it is sometimes referred to as "Humanistic Buddhism." (WIB-- What Is Buddhism? Published By: International Buddhist Assoc. of Queensland Foguangshan Chung Tian Temple)
"All living beings possess identical Buddha Nature and are able to achieve enlightenment through practice."
"The Buddha taught that all sentient beings are on a continuous cycle of life, death, and rebirth for unlimited lifetimes until they finally attain enlightenment (--what I hope 6,000,000,000 people can achieve). Buddhists believe that people's births are associated with the consciousness derived from the memories and the karma of their past lifetimes. 'Karma' is a Sanskrit term which means "action, work, or deed."
The use of Buddhist images in places of worship should be viewed as symbolic and not idol worship--reminders of their respective qualities, or enlightened ones who have taught us the way of liberation.
According to Buddhism, there is true and lasting happiness, and everyone has the potential to experience it. True happiness (Bliss) lies deep in our mind, and ways to access it can be practiced by anyone. Utopia can be achieved.
Delusions (or the negative keys to life)--jealousy, anger, desire, pride, etc.--stem from our misunderstanding of reality and habitual clinging to the way we see things. Why is society so change averse?
"Human life is precious, and yet we have attained it."
The Dharma is precious, and yet we have heard it.
It we do not cultivate ourselves in this lifetime, then when will be have the chance again?
Life is beautiful. We can truly create Heaven on Earth.
You can call me a bodhisattva, but I would rather be called Human.
We pray East because that is the direction in which energy flows (right around).
Buddha--This is a title rather than a name. The root "budh" means "to be aware or completely conscious of." Buddha refers to one who is fully enlightened.
At the age of 35, around 600BC, he realized that the way of release from the chain of rebirth and death was through wisdom and compassion -- "the middle way."
(--I do not stop about this utopia, peace, and freedom shiat. Wow. This could possibly have been the longest manic episode ever. I'm definitely touching the tail end of it now. Psycho-sis.)
The swastika pointing counter-clockwise was an auspicious sign in ancient India, Persia, and Greece, symbolizing the sun, lightning, fire, and water flow. It has been used by Buddhists for over 2000 years to represent virtue, goodness, and the purity of the Buddha's insight upon reaching enlightenment. Hitler chose to reverse its direction and used it to symbolize the superiority of the Aryan race.
"It is a fact that life cannot be free of suffering--we suffer from aging, diseases, and death." How do we overcome Human-made suffering? All suffering stems from this attachment to "self," or to be more exact, it is the "consciousness" that takes temporary shelter in the existing body which acts like a house only.
Death is merely the separation of body and consciousness. If we understand this, there is no point in grieving, instead we should help the patient to a positive rebirth, or symbolically move to a new house.
In Buddhism, what we commonly take as "soul" is actually an integration of the eight consciousnesses.
5 senses
6th is mental sense or conscious mind which forms conceptions out of the messages received from the 5 senses.
7 is the thought center that thinks, wills, and reasons (manas).
8th is consciousness or storehouse (alaya).
Death is the process of having these 8 parts of consciousness leaving the body in sequence--this generally takes 8 hours to complete. When consciousness (alaya) leaves the body, this is the actual time of death. (--abortion?) In these scenarios, it's helpful and highly appreciated to not disturb the patient before death and at least 8 hours after breathing stops. Aid with a calm and peaceful mind, or provide support with spiritual practices including chanting.
Nick Nichols -- Writing on the wall, Monday October 13 2008 GC Bulletin
"The fact is, not everyone can own a house, and capitalism never works unless it has a downtrodden class to 'enslave'. ... This is the harsh reality and a cornerstone of capitalist ideology." Again, the systems are in place, and this time around, intelligance should mark the elite. "The irony now is that amid this capitalist crisis, we are turning to socialist action to mend our severely stressed financial system."
From Nat Geo, September 1995 "Hawaii's Vanishing Species"
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The plight of endemic species has become so dire that conservationists call Hawaii the endangered species capital of the nation.
... Although its islands represent just 2/10 of the 1% total (.2%) US land area, 3/4 of the nation's extinct plants and birds once lived only in Hawaii.
... Remote oceanic islands like Hawaii are more vulnerable to ecological invasion than any other land masses.
... "Hawaiian species didn't need such defense mechanisms; some plants lost their thorns, some birds lost their ability to fly. It makes sense: A plant that mutated and didn't spend energy mail and oil could spend more energy making bigger fruits or flowers." -- Ed Misaki, at the time, manager of the Nature Conservancy on Molokai, one of the least developed of Hawaii's seven inhabited islands.
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Let us not forget that native plants and animals contain genetic information that could lead to new foods and medicines. Start creating this genetic Ark. JIC. Things are looking pretty bleak.
"Body confidence and personal empowerment is a big issue for Australian (and all) women." -- Ricky Lee
In a way, life is a game; but
we only get one shot as (who?) Eminem said.
Music as a medium for world peace?
Through Gen Y, which may be led by the X's.
Risk and readiness
Live your life a quarter mile at a time;
Don't overhaul yourself.
Take a breather when you reach a hundred miles an hour.
Find the rhythm through your feet
Listen to the beat.
-Kyle Sutherland (fellow crazy at the Robina campus)
From The Australian Worldwide, Tuesday October 14, 2008:
"If conservation biologists had to name the most significant threat to native rainforest species today, they would, without hesitation, indict the feral pig." --Elizabeth Royle
What does this pig represent?
The World
Bank president Robert Zoellick understands that our current financial crisis is a man-made catastrophe. "He said the World Back and the International Monetary Fund must ensure that as governments in industrialised countries dealt with domestic matters, they did not step back from their commitment to provide billions in aid to poor countries." Aid flows must be maintained. How? Join the cause; join the movement.
The matter I worry about most is how the financial receivers in their respective countries deal with this cash flow (for example, the local liaison with the orphanage the Peace and Freedom Student Movement was sponsoring had abused this source of financial support). VFP (Volunteers For Peace) is a great example of how this financial cycle should flow. How do we employ good hearted locals? What about finding ambassadors to serve as charity receivers per region/state/country? Not for profits are, as we know, businesses, tambien.
Buddha is the Pali word for the Fully Enlightened One. Out of deep compassion the Buddha taught people the way to end suffering and gain enlightenment. Dharma refers to Buddha's teaching to over desire, ill will, and ignorance in order to liberate people from the cycle of Birth and Death.
"There are many ways to enter upon the Buddhist path, not just one way. The way that you choose will depend upon your interests and inclinations. There are, however, 2 things that must be present in whichever way you choose; the first is sincerity and the second is reverence. This fact will never change until the end of time. Anyone who wants to make progress toward enlightenment must understand this. If this is not understood, you will be like a tree without roots or a bird without wings. And if this is so, how can you ever expect to grow or to fly?" --Master Ying Kuang
Thought - Word - Action (with positivity)
"The idea of Buddha exceeds divine power; you are in charge of your own destiny.
The idea of pure land can achieve the ideal of human rights; foster the state of equality.
If you can enjoy the Buddha's teachings, you can resolve things.
If you observe the Buddha's teachings, you can live at ease" --Ven. Master Hsing Yun
"A truly cultivated person never sees the fault of others." --Master Hui Nang, the sixth patriarch of Ch'an
Food For Thought: 10 of Life's Common Concerns from FCTT:
1. Wealth and poverty
The distinctions of rich and poor, coarse and fine, or fame and rejection had no bearing on his (Buddha's) inner peace. Money can solve many problems, but it can create new ones. It is one thing to be poor in a monetary sense, it is quite another to be lacking spiritually. The store of treasure within our hearts and minds is inexhaustible, and it is up to us to mine this internal wealth. If we know how to apply the treasure within, we are wealthy in the truest sense of the word.
2. Gain and loss
In a way, life is a like a see-saw that goes up and down (--aka this idea of riding on the wave of life). Throughout our lives, we are continuously faced with gains and losses. While it is easy to say that we should not be carried away at times of triumph or become overwhelmed in times of defeat, there are few of us who can truly live accordingly. Regarding life's gain or loss, the Heart Sutra says it well.
3. Repentance
We are only Human, and we are bound to make mistakes. The important thing is to be repentant of our mistakes. There is a Buddhist saying that captures the power of repentance well. "Lay down the slaying knife; immediately become a buddha."
All the wrongs I have committed in the past
Arise from beginning less greed, hatred, and delusion.
What I have committed with my body, speech, and thought,
All these I now repent.
We live in an age of laying blame.
a) Be honest with your mistakes, and be determined not to repeat them.
b) Sincerely ask the buddhas and bodhisattvas for strength.
A field that is not cultivated will not yield a harvest. If the field is then tilled and fertilized, crops will grow and weeds will not take root. Repentance also involves clarifying deluded thought.
4 Universal Vows
To aid all living beings without limit,
To sever all delusion without end,
To master all Dharma methods and means however numerous,
To realize the supreme buddha way.
4. Headaches and heartaches
Physically, we all have to face aging, sickness, and death. Mentally, we have to deal with problems arising from greed, hatred, and delusion. Our afflictions all stem from one cause--the attachment to self. Meditative concentration (--??)
5. How to handle the demands of life?
Life is so packed with deadlines and schedules that every second counts. There is an art to managing time. We have to apportion our time so that we are able to balance the material demands and spiritual needs. We have to look out for ourselves, yet we should also have other's well-being in mind. We must work for the present as well as the future. If we can strike a balance in all these areas, we are managing our time well.
6. How do we find peace?
In Buddhism, hope is powered by two forces.
a) The strength of vows.
b) The support and guidance of the Triple Gem
7. Separation
Parting is such sweet sorrow. Separation from our loved ones is one of the eight sufferings we all have to endure.
When there is life, there is also death;
When there is union, there is also separation.
We should treasure our relationships while they last and let go of them when separation becomes inevitable.
8. Handling wealth
Some people look at wealth as the ultimate measure of success and the solution or all problems. Our wealth, regardless of its size, will not last forever. Buddha once said that our wealth does not belong to us but to five masters: flood, fire, theft, corrupt government, and prodigal sons.
We came into this world empty handed, and we will leave the world the same way. (--I think this is a good reason why we should live life to its fullest potential.)
9. Sickness
Whether we are rich or poor, young or old, we all get sick. Very often, we are handicapped not so much by our physical ailments but by our mental morose. 3 suggestions:
a) Remain positive (hello)
b) Approach health holistically
c) Be at ease with our circumstances
10. Life and death
How should we look at it? The Buddha teaches us that life is without beginning and without end. Life is the culmination of causes and conditions, and as such, it is continually changing. The Pure Land practice of mindfulness of Amitabha Buddha is a direct and suitable method for many of us, but it is by no means the only method.
I think this is my favorite excerpt out of all this business.
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Rebirth can happen in one lifetime. Changes in nature are also manifestations of rebirths. Rebirth is also like an oil lamp. When one oil lamp is exhausted, another is lit. These lamps, burning one after another, serve to shatter the darkness of the world. While the forms are different, the flame of life is inextinguishable and the lamp of wisdom never stops burning.
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Our physical bodies are the illusive combination of the 5 aggregates--form, feeling, perception, mental formation, and consciousness--and the 4 great elements--earth, water, fire, and wind.
galaxy -- sun -- atom
7 types of consciousness
visual, sound, smell, taste, touch, mental, mana (aka ego)
overcome fear and take calculated risks
passivity, assertiveness, aggression
From FCTT:
Where can one find a life or a world which truly exists without change? Everything in the universe can only be found in perceptions and interpretations. When the unwholesome seeds from the past mature, we become afflicted and are tempted to commit non-virtuous acts, which in turn become unwholesome seeds for the future. When the wholesome seeds from the past mature, our hearts are pure and noble, our minds are clear and intelligent and we perform virtuous deeds which become wholesome seeds again in the Alaya consciousness. In the teachings of the Mind-only School, it is said, "Seeds give rise to actions, then actions turn into new seeds." The psychological motives of all human behaviors are explained through this model. The process of transforming a deluded mind into our true mind is described in Buddhism as "converting consciousness into wisdom". The Mind-only School classifies the psychological responses of Humans into 51 categories and refers to them as "the attributes of the mind". These include--
1. 5 basic psychological functions --mental and physical contact, attention, feeling, identification, and analysis.
2. 5 deliberately created mental conditions: aspiration, comprehension, memory, concentration, and wisdom.
3. 11 wholesome psychological states: trust, diligence, humility, remorse, no greed, no hatred, no ignorance, tranquility, attentiveness, qua(something), and no harm.
4. 6 root afflictions: greed, hatred, ignorance, arroance, doubt, and incorrect view.
5. 20 unwholesome psychological states: anger, hostility, irritation, conceit, deceit, flattery, arrogance, malice, jealousy, stinginess, no remorse, no regret, no trust, laziness, insensitivity, apathy, agitation, forgetfulness, incorrect percecption, and heedlessness.
6. 4 neutral states of mind: remorse, sleepiness, applied though, and sustained thought
In Buddhism, the root cause of Human suffering, and other problems, is identified as the mind.
4 Noble Truths
12 Links of Dependent Origination
6 Paramitas
4 Encompassing Principles
If we can tame the beast in our mind, we will become the master of our mind and capable of fostering superior virtues and merits.
In one sutra, it says that our mind has 3 poisons, 5 hindrances, 10 defilements, 88 impediments, and 84,000 aggravations--all capable of impending our wisdom.
The affliction of ignorance can only be cured by wisdom
greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance, doubt
Living a life with treath, beauty, virtue, will lead to whole love
thoughtfulness, filial piety, sincerity, honesty, innocense, purity, loving-kindness, forgiveness, joyfulness, charity, reverences, quanimity, forbearance, contrition, repentance, thankfulness, widsom, compassion, enlightenment
3 levels of human psyche: conscious, individual unconscious, collective unconscious (y what about the collective conscious?)
Although we live in a time of abundant resources brought about by rapid economic growth and technological advances, we are extremely lacking in spirituality. When the body and mind are squeezed and harmed by various pressures from the external environment, and we are unable to adjust or adapt to them, mental disorders usually result such as anxiety or depression.
greed--anger--ignorance
The Karma Sutra
We create our own karma
Body--killing, stealing, sexual misconduct
Speech--lying, frivolous talk, slander, harsh speech, which can lead to argument
Mind--greed, hatred, delusion
+, -, and neutral karma (keys to life, perhaps?)
Law of Cause and Effect
1. Karma is self-created, not created by god.
2. Karma has equal opportunity; there is no favoritism
3. Karma gives us hope and a bright future
4. Good begets good. Evil begets evil.
Law of 12 causes
8 types of consciousness--each being a separate reality.
Karma is absorbed by the alaya
6 Directions
5 Precepts
To salute the earth below means treating others kindly, not only people, but also animals and the lowest creatures alike, without discrimination. Also do not kill, steal, commit adultery, utter false speech, or partake of any intoxicant.
Work and earn your living diligently, take good care of your wealth, and at the same time to avoid being avaricious and use your wealth properly (--not even sure what that's supposed to mean).
Money should be divided into four portions (this can be part of this donating 10% thing):
1. Support of family (I am so speaking to my soul family here)
2. Expansion of business
3. Helping the poor and needy people of society
4. Saved for emergencies
1. Do not do any evil (see, hear, say)
2. Do practice all the wholesome.
3. Purifity your mind from defilements.
The ultimate goal is to achieve nirvana in this present life.
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These are more like notes to self, but I figured this was a good place to put them.
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