DENIZ & Koruyucu Melegi

yourbeautifulmind: mind like a sky Meditation comes alive...

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 20:21:29 +0300

mind like a sky

Meditation comes alive through a growing capacity to release our habitual entanglement in the stories and plans, conflicts and worries that make up the small sense of self, and to rest in awareness. In meditation we do this simply by acknowledging the moment-to-moment changing conditions - the pleasure and pain, the praise and blame, the litany of ideas and expectations that arise. Without identifying with them, we can rest in the awareness itself, beyond conditions, and experience what my teacher Ajahn Chah called jai pongsai, our natural lightness of heart. Developing this capacity to rest in awareness nourishes samadhi (concentration), which stabilizes and clarifies the mind, and prajna (wisdom), that sees things as they are.

We can employ this awareness or wise attention from the very start. When we first sit down to meditate, the best strategy is to simply notice whatever state of our body and mind is present. To establish the foundation of mindfulness, the Buddha instructs his followers “to observe whether the body and mind are distracted or steady, angry or peaceful, excited or worried, contracted or released, bound or free.” Observing what is so, we can take a few deep breaths and relax, making space for whatever situation we find.

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many thanks for the image to goodmemory

yourbeautifulmind: boredom? It is difficult to imagine anything...

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 20:20:53 +0300

yourbeautifulmind:

boredom?

It is difficult to imagine anything more inherently boring than sitting still for an hour with nothing to do but feel the air going in and out of your nose. You are going to run into boredom repeatedly in your meditation. Everybody does. Boredom is a mental state and should be treated as such. - Bhante Henepola Gunaratana.

image by Alex (algo).

many thanks for this post to ombuddha

yourbeautifulmind: yantra This Yantra is concerned with...

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 20:20:20 +0300

yourbeautifulmind:

yantra

This Yantra is concerned with astronomy and with astrology, palmistry, chemistry, medicine with the science of the knowledge of interplanetary rhythms and their integral relations with human organism. - Calico Museum of Textiles.

yourbeautifulmind: in harmony Happiness is when what you...

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 20:19:56 +0300

yourbeautifulmind:

in harmony

Happiness is when what you think, say and do are in harmony. - Mahatma Gandhi

many thanks for this post to svaha3

yourbeautifulmind: time for art Art enables us to find...

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 20:19:16 +0300

yourbeautifulmind:

time for art

Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time. - Thomas Merton

many thanks for the image to haute faves deux

yourbeautifulmind: feel like running? It is always the simple...

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 20:18:42 +0300

yourbeautifulmind:

feel like running?

It is always the simple things that change our lives. And these things never happen when you are looking for them to happen. Life will reveal answers at the pace life wishes to do so. You feel like running, but life is on a stroll. - Donald Miller

many thanks for the image to goodmemory

yourbeautifulmind: wishes Wishes of one’s old life wither and...

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 20:18:14 +0300

yourbeautifulmind:

wishes

Wishes of one’s old life wither and shrivel like old leaves if they are not replaced with new wishes when the world changes. And the world always changes. Wishes get slimy, and their colors fade, and soon they are just mud, like all the rest of the mud, and not wishes at all, but regrets. The trouble is, not everyone can tell when they ought to launder their wishes. Even when one finds oneself in Fairyland and not at home at all, it is not always so easy to remember to catch the world in it’s changing and change with it. - Catherynne M. Valente in The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making

many thanks for the image to tinywhitedaisies

yourbeautifulmind: existence of the soul The existence of a...

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 20:17:45 +0300

yourbeautifulmind:

existence of the soul

The existence of a soul that survives the death of the physical body is a tenet of most religious teachings, and it is likely that a majority of human beings believes in a soul, in one form or another. Modern science, however, despite its impressive accomplishments in elucidating the workings of the world, has not shown that the soul exists; many scientists would probably say that the weight of scientific evidence is against its existence. This is one of the major factors that maintain the divide between science and religion. For some, either science or religion is simply not true. For others, such as some scientists who hold religious beliefs, both are true, but refer to completely separate realms of truth about the world. But this is an illogical dichotomy, and to hold it implies a serious limitation of human reason. Another option, accepting that there is one world and that all truths about it must be related, is to say that science simply has not achieved the development and subtlety necessary to encompass spiritual questions, such as the existence of God or of the soul.

by Christian Wertenbaker, THE MATERIALITY OF THE SOUL: A provocative new theory on the nature of the soul, Parabola, Winter 2012/2013.

image: A small portion of the Carina Nebula, one of the largest seen star-birth regions in the galaxy. Towers of cool hydrogen laced with dust rise from the wall of the nebula. The image captures the top of a three-light-year-tall pillar of gas and dust that is being eaten away by the brilliant light from nearby bright stars. The pillar is also being pushed apart from within, as infant stars buried inside it fire off jets of gas that can be seen streaming from towering peaks like arrows sailing through the air.

many thanks for this post to parabola magazine

yourbeautifulmind: a path to happiness When it comes to the...

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 20:17:00 +0300

yourbeautifulmind:

a path to happiness

When it comes to the future, there are three kinds of people: those who let it happen, those who make it happen, and those who wonder what happened in the past. - John M. Richardson, Jr. quotes

work by Andy Goldsworthy

many thanks for the image to calmingcalamity

yourbeautifulmind: what not to worry about People should not...

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 20:16:32 +0300

yourbeautifulmind:

what not to worry about

People should not worry as much about what they do but rather about what they are. If they and their ways are good, then their deeds are radiant. If you are righteous, then what you do will also be righteous. We should not think that holiness is based on what we do but rather on what we are, for it is not our works which sanctify us but we who sanctify our works. - Meister Eckhart

many thanks for the image to stable

yourbeautifulmind: don’t blame the circumstances People are...

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 20:16:04 +0300

yourbeautifulmind:

don’t blame the circumstances

People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don’t believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can’t find them make them. - George Bernard Shaw

many thanks for the image to oneseventwoseven

yourbeautifulmind: three passions Three passions, simple but...

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 20:15:29 +0300

yourbeautifulmind:

three passions

Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my life: the longing for love, the search for knowledge, and unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind. - Bertrand Russell

many thanks for the image to uruouru

yourbeautifulmind: the mystery of life The mystery of life is...

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 20:14:58 +0300

yourbeautifulmind:

the mystery of life

The mystery of life is not a problem to be solved but a reality to be experienced. - Art Van Der Leeuw

image a and quote source here

yourbeautifulmind: change your perspective and start all over...

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 20:14:30 +0300

yourbeautifulmind:

change your perspective and start all over again

Failure is simply an opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently. - Henry Ford

many thanks for the image to mfhn

yourbeautifulmind: watch the world And above all, watch with...

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 20:14:06 +0300

yourbeautifulmind:

watch the world

And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. - Roald Dahl

image by Mitchell Kanashkevich: Monks in a classroom, Tibetan refugee camp, Bylakuppe, India

many thanks for the image to noornalini

yourbeautifulmind: close to truth Fear is a natural reaction to...

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 20:13:31 +0300

yourbeautifulmind:

close to truth

Fear is a natural reaction to moving closer to the truth. - Pema Chodron

The famous Buddha Head at Wat Mahathat Temple, Thailand (by M. Buijs).

many thanks for the image to visitheworld

yourbeautifulmind: enhanced awareness Be aware of your...

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 20:12:38 +0300

yourbeautifulmind:

enhanced awareness

Be aware of your breathing. Notice how this takes attention away from your thinking and creates space. - Eckhart Tolle

yourbeautifulmind: the inner nature of humankind Peace is the...

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 20:12:08 +0300

yourbeautifulmind:

the inner nature of humankind

Peace is the inner nature of humankind. If you find it within yourself, you will then find it everywhere. - Sri Ramana Maharshi

many thanks for this post to meditations in wonderland

yourbeautifulmind: when life throws you lemons… Five Ways to...

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 20:11:29 +0300

yourbeautifulmind:

when life throws you lemons…

Five Ways to Deal Effectively with Adversity by Angie Miller

One thing we can always count on is that life is unpredictable. Our circumstances often change unexpectedly, and our coping skills are put to the test. Resilience, the ability to recover from adversity, trauma, or hardship, is a trait that gives us the ability to “bounce back.” For many of us, being resilient doesn’t come naturally. We resist change and situations that have potential to disrupt our lives. But reality is that we all face adversity. Divorce, job loss, moving, illness, and other hardships require strong coping skills and effective strategies to move forward in a positive direction. Whether you’re naturally resilient or you strive for predictability, the following five strategies were designed to help you cope effectively with life’s challenges.

1. Establish or maintain a healthy support system. Having a supportive community that includes family and friends is pivotal, especially when times are uncertain. Maintaining connections with people you trust gives you a safe place to be heard and express your fears and concerns. Their willingness to help will foster the sense of security you need to get through difficult times.

2. Allow opportunity for growth. No matter how difficult or tragic a situation, time has the power to heal. With time we gain clarity and perspective and soon discover that even the most devastating situations lead to self discovery. Hardships help us grow in unexpected ways, and through them we’re able to appreciate what is good and true in our lives.

3. Accept change as a natural part of life. Despite our best intentions and best laid plans, life is unpredictable. The more we accept this the healthier our attitude and ability to adjust. Ultimately, the more capable we are of growing and evolving to meet life’s demands.

4. Respond with action. As tempting as it is to crawl under the covers when adversity strikes, taking action and facing the situation will empower you. Once you take that first step, every step gets a little easier. Pretending that problems will go away or detaching yourself emotionally will only prolong the inevitable… at some point you will have to deal with the situation.

5. Nurture your mind, body, and spirit through exercise. Exercise acts as a natural drug and increases serotonin levels in much the same way that Prozac does. Increased serotonin levels elevate your mood and give you a natural mental boost. Exercise reduces anxiety, stabilizes your emotions, and helps free you from disabling thoughts. There is no better time to exercise then when stress is at its peak and emotions are heightened.

In the end, remember that we’re all affected by challenges of varying degrees throughout our lives. What matters is that we have the tools to cope effectively. Practice these strategies and you’ll be able to turn adversity into an opportunity for growth and self discovery.

article source here

image source here

yourbeautifulmind: the greatest blessing A mind unruffled by...

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 20:11:04 +0300

yourbeautifulmind:

the greatest blessing

A mind unruffled by the vagaries of fortune, from sorrow freed, from defilements cleansed, from fear liberated - this is the greatest blessing. - Gautama Buddha

many thanks for the image to livingalifeinflower