Thursday, June 23, 2016

Words Are Energy

by Madisyn Taylor

Each word we speak has a life of its own, a vibratory signature that creates waves into the expanse of the universe.

When we speak or write, we use the vehicles of words to carry meaning, as well as energy, from ourselves to another person or group of people. We may be speaking to our baby, our boss, or to an audience of 500 people. We may be writing a love letter, a work-related memo, or an entry in our own diary. Whatever the case, each word we speak or write has a life of its own, a vibratory signature that creates waves in the same way that a note of music creates waves. And like musical notes, our words live in communities of other words and change in relation to the words that surround them. When we are conscious of the energy behind our words, we become capable of making beautiful music in the world. If we are unconscious of the power of words, we run the risk of creating a noisy disturbance.

Some of us know this instinctively, while others come to this understanding slowly. Most of us, though, speak without thinking at least some of the time, blurting out our feelings and thoughts without much regard for the words we choose to express them. When we remind ourselves that our words have an impact on the world at the level of energy, we may find within ourselves the desire to be more aware of our use of language.

A fun way to increase our sensitivity to the power of words is to simply make a list of our favorite words and notice the energy they contain. We can write them down and post them where we can see them, or we can speak them aloud, feeling them reverberate in our bodies and in the air around us. This is like learning to consciously play an instrument that we have been playing unconsciously for most of our lives, and the effect can be startling and delightful. As we grow more comfortable and confident playing the instrument of language, we will begin to compose beautiful messages, creating positive energy every time we write or speak. 



Wednesday, June 22, 2016

The Chant of Metta




 Aham avero homi May I be free from enmity and danger
abyapajjho homi May I be free from mental suffering
anigha homi May I be free from physical suffering
sukhi attanam pariharami May I take care of my own happiness

Mama matapitu May my parents
acariya ca natimitta ca teacher, family, and friends
sabrahmacarino ca fellow Dhamma farers

avera hontu be free from enmity and danger
abyapajjha hontu be free from mental suffering
anigha hontu be free from physical suffering
sukhi attanam pariharant may they take care of their own happiness

Imasmim arame sabbe yogino May all meditators in this place
avera hontu be free from enmity and danger
abyapajjha hontu be free from mental suffering
anigha hontu be free from physical suffering
sukhi attanam pariharantu May they take care of their own happiness

Imasmim arame sabbe bhikkhu May all monks in this place
samanera ca and novice monks
upasaka – upasikaya ca laymen and laywomen disciples
avera hontu be free from enmity and danger
abyapajjha hontu be free from mental suffering
anigha hontu be free from physical suffering
sukhi – attanam pariharantu May they take care of their own happiness

Amhakam catupaccaya – dayaka May our donors of the four supports: clothing, food, medicine and lodging

avera hontu be free from enmity and danger
abyapajjha hontu be free from mental suffering
anigha hontu be free from physical suffering
sukhi – attanam pariharantu May they take care of their own happiness

Amhakam arakkha devata May our guardian devas
Ismasmim vihare in this monastery
Ismasmim avase in this dwelling
Ismasmim arame in this compound

arakkha devata May the guardian devas
avera hontu be free from enmity and danger
abyapajjha hontu be free from mental suffering
anigha hontu be free from physical suffering
sukhi – attanam pariharantu may they take care of their own happiness

Sabbe satta May all beings
sabbe pana all breathing things
sabbe bhutta all creatures
sabbe puggala all individuals (all beings)
sabbe attabhava – pariyapanna all personalities (all beings with mind and body)
sabbe itthoyo may all females
sabbe purisa all males
sabbe ariya all noble ones (awakened beings)
sabbe anariya all worldlings (those yet to attain awakening)
sabbe deva all devas (deities)
sabbe manussa all humans
sabbe vinipatika all those in the woeful planes
avera hontu be free from enmity and dangers
abyapajjha hontu be free from mental suffering
anigha hontu be free from physical suffering
sukhi attanam pariharantu may they take care of their own happiness

Dukkha muccantu May all being be free from suffering
Yattha-laddha-sampattito mavigacchantu May whatever they have gained not be lost
Kammassaka All beings are owners of their own Kamma

Purathimaya disaya in the eastern direction
pacchimaya disaya in the western direction
uttara disaya in the northern direction
dakkhinaya disaya in the southern direction

purathimaya anudisaya in the southeast direction
pacchimaya anudisaya in the northwest direction
uttara anudisaya in the northeast direction
dakkhinaya anudisaya in the southwest direction

hetthimaya disaya in the direction below
uparimaya disaya in the direction above

Sabbe satta May all beings
sabbe pana all breathing things
sabbe bhutta all creatures
sabbe puggala all individuals (all beings)
sabbe attabhava – pariyapanna all personalities (all beings with mind and body)
sabbe itthoyo may all females
sabbe purisa all males
sabbe ariya all noble ones (awakened beings)
sabbe anariya (those yet to attain awakening)
sabbe deva all devas (deities)
sabbe manussa all humans
sabbe vinipatika all those in the woeful planes

avera hontu be free from enmity and dangers
abyapajjha hontu be free from mental suffering
anigha hontu be free from physical suffering
sukhi attanam pariharantu may they take care of their own happiness

Dukkha muccantu May all beings be free from suffering
Yattha-laddha-sampattito mavigacchantu May whatever they have gained not be lost
Kammassaka All beings are owners of their own kamma

Uddham yava bhavagga ca As far as the highest plane of existence
adho yava aviccito to as far down as the lowest plane
samanta cakkavalesu in the entire universe
ye satta pathavicara whatever beings that move on earth

abyapajjha nivera ca may they be free of mental suffering and enmity
nidukkha ca nupaddava and from physical suffering and danger

Uddham yava bhavagga ca As far as the highest plane of existence
adho yava aviccito to as far down as the lowest plane
samanta cakkavalesu in the entire universe
ye satta udakecara whatever beings that move on water

abyapajjha nivera ca may they be free of mental suffering and enmity
nidukkha ca nupaddava and from physical suffering and danger

Uddham yava bhavagga ca As far as the highest plane of existence
adho yava aviccito to as far down as the lowest plane
samanta cakkavalesu in the entire universe
ye satta akasecara whatever beings that move in air

abyapajjha nivera ca may they be free of mental suffering and enmity
nidukkha ca nupaddava and from physical suffering and danger.


Source: http://www.wildmind.org/metta/special-lovingkindness-meditations/lovingkindness-chant

Tuesday, June 7, 2016

11 Steps Toward Daily Mindfulness

By

By becoming more aware of our thoughts, feelings, and body sensations, from moment to moment, we give ourselves the possibility of greater freedom and choice; we do not have to go down the same old “mental ruts” that may have caused problems in the past.

The aim of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is to increase awareness so that we can respond to situations with choice rather than react automatically. We do that by practicing to become more aware of where our attention is, and deliberately changing the focus of attention, over and over again.

1. When you first wake up in the morning: before you get out of bed, bring your attention to your breathing. Observe five mindful breaths.

2. Notice changes in your posture. Be aware of how your body and mind feel when you move from lying down to sitting, to standing, to walking. Notice each time you make a transition from one posture to the next.

3. Use any sound as the bell of mindfulness. Whenever you hear a phone ring, a bird sing, a train pass by, laughter, a car horn, the wind, the sound of a door closing—really listen and be present and awake.

4. Throughout the day: take a few moments to bring your attention to your breathing. Observe five mindful breaths.

5. Whenever you eat or drink something, take a minute and breathe. Look at your food and realize that the food was connected to something that nourished its growth. Can you see the sunlight, the rain, the earth, the farmer, the trucker in your food? Pay attention as you eat, consciously consuming this food for your physical health. Bring awareness to seeing your food, smelling your food, tasting your food, chewing your food, and swallowing your food.

6. Notice your body while you walk or stand. Take a moment to notice your posture. Pay attention to the contact of the ground under your feet. Feel the air on your face, arms, and legs as you walk. Are you rushing?

7. Bring awareness to listening and talking. Can you listen without agreeing or disagreeing, liking or disliking, or planning what you will say when it is your turn? When talking, can you just say what you need to say without overstating or understating? Can you notice how your mind and body feel?

8. Whenever you wait in a line, use this time to notice standing and breathing. Feel the contact of your feet on the floor and how your body feels. Bring attention to the rise and fall of your abdomen. Are you feeling impatient?

9. Be aware of any points of tightness in your body throughout the day. See if you can breathe into them and, as you exhale, let go of excess tension. Is there tension stored anywhere in your body? For example, your neck, shoulders, stomach, jaw, or lower back? If possible, stretch or do yoga once a day.

10. Bring mindfulness to each activity. Focus attention on daily activities such as brushing your teeth, washing up, brushing your hair, putting on your shoes, doing your job.

11. Before you go to sleep at night: take a few minutes and bring your attention to your breathing. Observe five mindful breaths.


Source: http://www.mindful.org/11-steps-toward-daily-mindfulness