Sometimes you need many words to grasp a topic. Sometimes 3+4+4 are enough.
The only way to have a friend is to be one. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Stressed in – Chilled out
ZEN
Lucky me, just yesterday I could attend a teaching by Lama Kelzang. “How to train your mind?” and “How to get a good friendship with the mind?” were his initial questions. According to Lama Kelzang, our mind is funny or even interesting. It”™s like a camera, it takes many pictures. Maybe, it”™s even like a CCTV, always active on a subtle level, even in our sleep.
If our mind takes nice pictures, we are in peace. If our mind is overloaded we get crazy and suffer. Craziness or harmony, peace or bullshit; it”™s the mind which picks between suicide or Buddha.
How can we be more stabilized? How do we become best friends with our mind? First, it”™s about compassion. Second, we need wisdom. When we are more balanced, we transform ourselves in a more relaxed person. So how do we get there?
Through formal and informal meditation, we give a full education to our mind. Yes, there are many methods. Think of a potato. You can cook it, make French fries, salad or chips from it. But at the end, it”™s a potato. When you are more relaxed, you have more compassion with you, your surroundings and even with your sickness. Oh and don”™t smile, when you don”™t feel like it!
Compassion is no theory. Remember: “Anger is really painful!” If you transform your angry mind, which is most probably full of fears, into compassion, something can change. “This anger is really important for me right now!” Sounds strange? Maybe, but this can also be a starting point for your journey of compassion, your very own compassion project.
Imagine yourself like a network hub of compassion. The more you open, the more you can send out. “When you are stronger, your lines get stronger!” When we suffer, everybody else suffers; our partner, our friends and family. How can we recharge our compassion battery?
“How many people work for one potato to get it on your plate?” Everybody is contributing a lot. Think like; everybody wants to support you! Everybody? What do you do with the person who throws bad words at you? Ask yourself: what”™s my weak point?
If you manage to remove the borders around you, the more you become like at home. And you relax, when you are home.
Compassion alone is already a fine thing. If you team it up with wisdom, you rock! With wisdom, you have compassion at the right moment which is very effective. “Wisdom we need. And clarity.” Remember: everybody wants to benefit to you. So how do we apply wisdom?
“No judgment, no expectations, no conception.”
Remember the shouting person? After the loud acoustic waves did hit you, go into your room, sit down, relax and say “wow”. Hint from Lama Kelzang; if you can”™t go into “your room”, e.g. at work, go to the toilet and lock the door. Wisdom is knowing clearly. If you are right into an emotional discussion, it”™s very hard to say, who is right or wrong. Remember: “Only you go with YOUR ideas.” Try to give up anything and just see what is happening (at least for a moment).
Here”™s a tiny summary, how to rest your mind:
“When it”™s all so easy, why do we do it wrong all the time?” The answer is: Habit. Meditation on the one side and everyday life on the other side have to come together. We fail, that”™s normal. If we start with 1% meditation in our everyday life and slowly increase it to 2, 3, 4, 5% – we experience more peace and more harmony. Nobody can steal it!
“Why are there so many meditation techniques?” Having only one meditation technique would make us crazy. Imagine: one doctor would have the same patient for 10 hours a day. Crazy! Finally, become a deeper explorer. If meditation techniques 1, 2, 3, 4 did not work, go out and get some fresh air!
Thanks Lama Kelzang. Namaste!
Some say, time is a healer. Maybe time is also a teacher. What did 2012 teach you?
Let me recall some of my lessons learned:
On top of all this, visit yourself. Check frequently, how you are doing. You also invest enough money in your car services, right?
Hope this is useful for you. Have a great 2013! Namaste
Recently I was lucky to attend a teaching about body speech mind by Khenpo Tsündu Tarching. Here”™s my tiny summary for you:
“Is everybody in good health? Yes? Good. Because no health, not good for anybody.”
We are tired after a five minutes”™ walk. We have become so lazy. We do this and that and waste so much time. Remember, you never get again, again this life. What”™s right or wrong ”“ you decide. Engage with your body speech mind.
Always watch yourself: who am I?
Our true nature of mind is full of wisdom. Disturbing emotions always lead to trouble.
Tsündu Tarching”™s opinion is “the more religions, the more benefits”. On the bright side, it leads to more communication about religion, on the dark side, it creates human suffering. Try to remove bad thoughts; they will poison every action from the start of your bad intention until your final action.
“All mistakes come from misunderstandings.” Khenpo Tsündu Tarching
“So what is Buddhism” somebody asked. His answer: “It”™s a way of life, a message, a description of phenomena.”
And remember: whatever you are looking for, it”™s only for this life!
Namaste
November aka Movember is the second last month of each year. Some might already fear – OMG – Christmas is near!
After 10 months of stress, what about taking part in a global movement which gives you, and others, a daily reminder what is one of the most important things in life: your health.
Movember is about showing the world, that you care about your-self. Yes, it started to be a men’s thing only BUT these days fine ladies are also taking part in Movember!
If Movember 2012 sounds like something for you, have a look and maybe you like to donate something via my account directly to Movember:Â http://mobro.co/chrisremspecher
/edit: and here’s the final mustache result on the last day of Movember 2012:
Thank you and namaste!
.Chris
You have a plan. You have a map. And sometimes blocked paths are a gift.
In most cases, you get something like a pre-warning, a sign, a phone call, a bad feeling in your stomach. Since many of us are busy and stressed, we tend to overlook those hints and suddenly we are totally surprised by blocked paths.
What can you do now?
Remember: blocked paths can also be a gift. They force you to stop, recalculate your life, change. Namaste
The past is gone, the future is uncertain – what will you do with your remaining time? Lift your-self!
Thankfully the guys at Lift.do did create an app (currently for iPhone only) to help you to track and improve your habits.
“The mind is everything. What you think you become.” Buddha
Thoughts form actions, repeated actions create habits and habits build your character. Are you happy with your current state of mind?
Since you might not be the only one with some not-yet designed future potential, have a look at the uplifting community over at Lift. Improving your habits is much more fun and effective with your pals around!
Clear blue sky is mainly, well, clear and blue. Let’s say it looks like how we imagine a peaceful mind, no cloudy thoughts, no stress ”“ all good.
”žKnock on the sky and listen to the sound“ ZEN saying.
In pictures, a plain blue sky can look boring or empty. Have you ever seen sun rays cutting through the clouds like a samurai sword slices a tomato? A wow-feeling, right?
Next time your head is clouded with worries and pseudo feelings, knock on the sky and listen to the sound. Move your brain cells, focus on bright thoughts and beam your clouds away!