~ "The bonds of our hearts create a society in which people can feel secure" ~
"Instead of giving space to prejudices,
We should encourage and support each other.
The bonds from heart to heart
Will create a society, in which people can feel secure.
“Is everything alright?”, “Are you well?”
“Please give your best!”
Let us always send words of encouragement.
When hearts are connecting
New energy will be created.
This energy will surely open a new path.
The act of encouraging others
Will generate courage in ourselves.
Encouragement changes the
Person in front of us,
As well as ourselves.
What is important is
To bring relief to people’s hearts,
To strengthen and exhilarate them.
Even though we cannot meet,
A word or sentence on the phone
Can help to tear down the walls in front of us.
Sometimes, a short written message
Can change the life of others.
Just to listen patiently
To what the other person has to say,
Can relieve their heart.
Listening to someone is itself
A concrete realization of what Buddhism teaches
And will help to take away sorrows and to give joy.
Encouragement gives security, hope and courage
To the people.
It elevates life-state
And draws out the power not to be defeated by anything.
Listening is an act to inspire the spirit of others.
One’s own heart that seeks for the happiness of others
Is the essence of encouragement."
Tentative translation from Daisaku Ikeda, Seikyo Shimbun 01 March 2020 -
SGI-UK: www.sgi-uk.org
‘Trust through friendship. Peace through trust.’
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Thoughts on Winter season ~ resting and awaiting the returning light ~ :
Of the three Gunas (qualities), TAMAS governs this time of year with Nature's release back the earth & stillness~ its attributes of heaviness & solidity can help us to pause, re-set & re-charge but too much of this heavy & dull aspect can get us down, aka the WINTER BLUES. Regular, balanced practice helps to counter this, keeping alight the Summer's RAJA energy ~ our bright inner sparkle & fire/Agni in our belly ~ & help establish us in the balance of SATTWA, calm & peacefulness, equanimity, gratitude & joy ~ to keep our inner flame shining steady & bright throughout the dark & twinkling nights back into the light of Spring !
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Buddhism teaches, " 'If you light a lantern for another, it will also brighten your own way.' Please be confident that the higher your flame of altruistic action burns, the more its light will suffuse your life with happiness. Those who possess an altruistic spirit are the happiest people of all. "Daisaku Ikeda
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"If the spirit of many in body but one in mind prevails among the people, they will achieve all their goals, whereas if one in body but different in mind, they can achieve nothing remarkable." from the Gosho 'Many in Body, One in Mind', The writings of Nichiren Daishonin p.618 - www.sgi-uk.org
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Someone recently asked what I meant by living yoga as a way of life, here are five causes that can transform your yoga from a "life style" to a "way of life." Max Strom, yoga teacher - mailout July 09
The Five Causes
1. We practice gratitude daily remembering that the human heart cannot hold gratitude and negative emotions at the same time.
2. We reach out to those we have harmed, either personally or by hand-written letter, offering apology. We practice forgiving others as a mode of healing.
3. Our career is a major factor in our practice of transformation, so we infuse our highest ideals into our work and workplace, always looking for win-win events. We hold firm that the end never justifies the means.
4. We take a vow of non-violence in word and deed and clear truth toward our romantic partner.
5. We never treat others as servants and avoid enabling others to behave as royalty. We behave with humility.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"There are many people, many lives, on this planet, too numerous, in fact to count. From this great multitude, we wondrously find ourselves together with those in our families - as parents and children, as brothers and sisters, as husbands and wives. If we do not live joyfully and cheerfully in the company of those with whom we share this profound bond, what is life for? "
Daisaku Ikeda, Buddhism for you: Love ~ (www.sgi-uk.org)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ Breathing in, I calm my body. Breathing out, I smile. Dwelling in the present moment I know this is a wonderful moment ~ Calming, Smiling, Present moment, Wonderful moment ~
Thich Nhat Hahn, Being Peace
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
'The secret to doing anything perfectly is to practice & to become,' Master Fwap continued. 'That is all that there is to it, really. You must practice to learn about something. You must practice to get a feeling, a sense of the range of possibilities & the possible experiences that something can afford you.'
~ Surfing the Himalayas, Conversations and travels with Master Fwap, Rama-Dr Frederick Lenz
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
You are what your deep, driving desire is. As your desire is, so is your will. As your will is, so is your deed. As your deed is, so is your destiny.
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 4.5 Translated by Eknath Easwaran
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“Yoga chitta vrtti nirodhah" "To still the restless mind (and thus find peace)" or “Yoga is restraining the activities of the mind” or "Yoga is the ability to direct the mind exclusively toward an object and sustain that direction without any distraction"
(Patanjali Yoga Sutras, book 1, sutra 2)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Today I rededicate my life towards world peace
To be strong so that nothing can upset the peace of my mind
To talk health, happiness and hope to every person I meet
To make my friends feel that there is something good and beautiful in them
To think only the best, work towards doing and expect only the best
To be as happy about the success of others as I am about myself
To forget about past mistakes and press forward to greater achievement in the future
To give so much time to improve myself, I have no time to criticize others
To be too strong for fear, too kind for anger, too happy for worry
To lift my heart each day so that the Mystic Law may show forth in my life.
Buddhist quote - (no specific source for this quote & have come across variations which bow to different major religious streams - i.e Christian...
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“On ne voit bien qu’avec le coeur, l’essentiel est invisible pour les yeux”.
“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye.”
Antoine de Saint Exupery – Le Petit Prince
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Optimism is hope. It is not the absence of suffering. It is not always being happy and fullfilled. It is the conviction that though one may fail or have a painful experience, somewhere, sometime, one can take action to change things ".....
- Martin Seligman in 2001, author of Authentic Happiness
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness concerning all acts of initiative and creation. There is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. All sort of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issue from the decision, raising in one's favour all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now.
Goethe
