Why Learn to Meditate?

The purpose of meditation is to make our mind calm and peaceful. If our mind is peaceful, we will be free from worries and mental discomfort, and so we will experience true happiness; but if our mind is not peaceful, we will find it very difficult to be happy, even if we are living in the very best conditions. If we train in meditation, our mind will gradually become more and more peaceful, and we will experience a purer and purer form of happiness. Eventually, we will be able to stay happy all the time, even in the most difficult circumstances.
Usually we find it difficult to control our mind. It seems as if our mind is like a balloon in the wind – blown here and there by external circumstances. If things go well, our mind is happy, but if they go badly, it immediately becomes unhappy. For example, if we get what we want, such as a new possession or a new partner, we become excited and cling to them tightly. However, since we cannot have everything we want, and since we will inevitably be separated from the friends and possessions we currently enjoy, this mental stickiness, or attachment, serves only to cause us pain. On the other hand, if we do not get what we want, or if we lose something that we like, we become despondent or irritated. For example, if we are forced to work with a colleague whom we dislike, we will probably become irritated and feel aggrieved, with the result that we will be unable to work with him or her efficiently and our time at work will become stressful and unrewarding.
Such fluctuations of mood arise because we are too closely involved in the external situation. We are like a child making a sandcastle who is excited when it is first made, but who becomes upset when it is destroyed by the incoming tide. By training in meditation, we create an inner space and clarity that enables us to control our mind regardless of the external circumstances. Gradually we develop mental equilibrium, a balanced mind that is happy all the time, rather than an unbalanced mind that oscillates between the extremes of excitement and despondency.
If we train in meditation systematically, eventually we will be able to eradicate from our mind the delusions that are the causes of all our problems and suffering. In this way, we will come to experience a permanent inner peace, known as “liberation” or “nirvana”. Then, day and night in life after life, we will experience only peace and happiness.

By training in meditation, we create an inner space and clarity that enables us to control our mind 



WELCOME

I know that I have been posting a lot of pics lately, with little explanations from me to go with them. I have people who share some of their arsenal of tools against negativity with me and I get excited and post them quickly so that they can be shared. This particular one is short of awesome. I hope you get inspired or get something positive from it. Best regards. God Bless



WOMEN

A TO ZEN OF LIFE
Avoid negative sources, people, places and habits.
Believe in yourself.
Consider things from every angle.
Don't give up and don't give in.
Everything you're looking for lies behind the mask you wear.
Family and friends are hidden treasures, seek them and enjoy their riches.
Give more than you planned to.
Hang onto your dreams.
If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door.
Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
Keep trying no matter how hard it seems.
Love yourself.
Make it happen.
Never lie, steal or cheat.
Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.
Practice makes perfect.
Quality not quantity in anything you do.
Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
Stop procrastinating.
Take control of your own destiny.
Understand yourself in order to better understand others.
Visualize it.
When you lose, don't lose the lesson.
Xcellence in all your efforts.
You are unique, nothing can replace you.
Zero in on your target, and go for it
Dalai Lama b. 1935

 GIVE THANKS TO THOSE WHO REKINDLE YOUR SPIRIT

MEDITATION
You do not need to leave your room. Remain sitting at your table and listen.Don't even listen, simply wait. Do not even wait, be quite still and solitary.The world will freely offer itself to you to be unmasked, it has no choice,it will roll in ecstasy at your feet.
Franz Kafka 1883 - 1924

BY a 15 yr. old school student
who got an A+ for this entry
(TOTALLY AWESOME)!
Since the Pledge of Allegiance
And The Lord's Prayer Are not allowed in most
Public schools anymore....Because the word 'God' is mentioned.....
A kid in Arizona wrote the attached NEW School prayer:

"New Pledge of Allegiance"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now I sit me down in school
Where praying is against the rule
For this great nation under God
Finds mention of Him very odd.
If scripture now the class recites,
It violates the Bill of Rights.
And anytime my head I bow
Becomes a Federal matter now.
Our hair can be purple, orange or green,
That's no offense; it's a freedom scene..
The law is specific, the law is precise.
Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice.
For praying in a public hall
Might offend someone with no faith at all..
In silence alone we must meditate,
God's name is prohibited by the state.
We're allowed to cuss and dress like freaks,
And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks...
They've outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible.
To quote the Good Book makes me liable.
We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen,
And the 'unwed daddy,' our Senior King.
It's 'inappropriate' to teach right from wrong,
We're taught that such 'judgments' do not belong..
We can get our condoms and birth controls,
Study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles..
But the Ten Commandments are not allowed,
No word of God must reach this crowd.
It's scary here I must confess,
When chaos reigns the school's a mess.
So, Lord, this silent plea I make:
Should I be shot; My soul please take!
Amen


If you aren't ashamed to do this, Please pass this on..
Jesus said, 'If you are ashamed of me, I will be ashamed of you before my Father.'

MEDITATION

Did you know that people who meditate are much happier and healthier than everyone else? It‘s true. And they have greatly extended life spans, too. As a matter of fact, there have been numerous studies showing that meditation dramatically reduces, and even reverses disease of all types—including cancer.

But the benefits of meditation don‘t stop there. Studies also show that experienced meditators—those who are able to achieve the deepest levels of meditative states— are able to tap into dormant levels of brain function they never thought possible—levels of function that exist in each and every one of us—resulting in increased intelligence and moving us closer to answering life‘s mysterious questions.
                                                 

Upon closer examination of meditators‘ brains, they consistently show to function at a superior level than the average person‘s on every single test, measurement, and assessment generated among the scientific community. In fact, if you do your homework, you‘ll discover that many of history‘s greatest inventors, philosophers, and scientists received their revolutionary, future—changing ideas during their daily meditation sessions.
Just imagine what you could do if you had access to these deep levels of meditation!

One of the reasons meditators experience greater levels of happiness and health is because meditation significantly increases the brain‘s production of several euphoric chemicals—the same chemicals that flow through your bloodstream on those days when you‘ve never felt better. Even more, meditation allows these euphoric brain chemicals to be produced constantly.
Meditators also sleep much better than those who don‘t meditate. As a matter of fact, they have shown to need fewer hours of sleep every night because their minds and bodies are completely refreshed and rejuvenated during their highly pleasurable meditation sessions. Meditation is many times more powerful than sleep.

Meditation is also known for providing its practitioners with superior mental and emotional health, it rids our minds of subconscious layers of anger, depression, anxiety, fear, phobias, and sadness, and produces a perfect mental and emotional balance.