Sunday, March 13, 2016
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
February 25, 2016: The Science of Self-Talk by Eric W.
Research in this area started while Holmes and Head were investigating the self image of anorexic and bulimic patients. The distorted self image of these patients became obvious. Lori Osachi developed a self help technique of self talk, which you can hear about in an NPR October 14, 2013 talk on YouTube.
Ethan Kross, is a psychologist who sort of accidentally ran a Stop light and then found himself berating himself with "Ethan, you are an idiot," and then resolved in his mind to drive more carefully. Being a psychologist the way he talked to himself in his mind aroused his interest and he began to wonder why he called himself by his first name. His research since 2010 has cast some light on the nature of our self-talk and has shown there are good and bad ways to engage in this self-talk.
February 18, 2016: Paul Presents Abhi Dharma
On this date, Paul N. presented an understandable summary of a book by Thich Nhat Hanh, published in 2003 , under the title Understanding Our Mind, This book was republished in 2005 under the title, Transforming At the Base. Both books are identical. In both of these identical books, Thi, as he likes to be called, presents a unique and contemporary version of 50 verses on the nature of consciousness taken from the 5th century teachings of Vasubandhu and the teachings of the. Avatamsaka Sutra. Paul redialy states that this books is not an easy book, but he feels the first 8 sections are approachable.
Paul told hus how he fell into reading and following Thich Nhat Hanh as a mentor. He calls it an act of laziness. He was a member of Quality Paperback Book Club and just didn't send the card back, so a book shipped automatically. That book was Thi's book, Peace in Every Step. Then he saw him in a presentation in Chicago. he became convinced that Thi lives and talks the Dharma in a way Westerners can understand.
Ahbi Dharma is the expression used to include the body of basic teachings that are Buddhism. In this book, Transformation at the Base, Thi focuses on directly experiencing a recognition, an embracing, and a deeper understanding of the nature of our feelings and perceptions. Thi uses a model that views our consciousness as a field, where every kind of seed has been planted seeds of suffereing, sorrow, and fear as well as seeds of happiness and joy. If we can learn how to nourish and water the seeds of joy and somehow transform the seeds of suffering and fear, then the only seeds that flourish and flower are those of understanding, love and compassion. These 50 verses are a kind of path of practice to accomplish this task.
February 4, 2016: Bake Off
More to come later:
Gary shared this quote and the name of a book that might be useful:
Gary shared this quote and the name of a book that might be useful:
Dear group, below
please find the quote i shared on thursday. it is a quote used
by Joseph Campbell that i found in his book, "Myths to Live
By." it is from the Bhadaranyaka Upaniad (as he titles it).
This that people say:
"Worship this
god! Worship that
god! - one god after
another! All this is
his creation indeed! And
he himself
is all the gods...
He is
entered in the universe even to
our
fingernail-tips, like a razor in a
razorcase,
or fire in firewood. Him those
people see
not, for as seen, he is incomplete.
When
breathing, he becomes "breath" by
name; when
speaking, "voice"; when seeing,
"the eye";
when hearing, "the ear"; when
thinking,
"mind": these are but the names of
his acts.
Whoever worships one or another
of these -
knows not; for he is incomplete in
one or
another of these.
One should
worship with the thought
that he is
one's self, for therein all these
become one.
This Self is the footprint of that
All, for by
it one knows all - just as,
verily, by
following a footprint one finds
cattle that
have been lost...
Enjoy! the
book i was referring to is a book about improving your
meditation experience called, "The Mind Illuminated," by
Culadasa. I thought Sky might get something out of this.
December 17, 2015: Discussion of "What Can Be Done About Terrorism?"
This week was basically open. We had planned to talk about the upcoming holidays, but as sometimes happens with this group -- the discussion viered off into a quite intense consideration of terrorism, the fears that this country is under regarding this threat, and what we as individuals can do to deal with this fear. Some attendees thought that the practice of mindfulness in whateveer individual way we do this can only help. And perhaps with a larger group of people practicing there is hope for a change in our world that will preclude terrorism. However. a significant number of the group felt we can do little to change this threat. We have to just learn to deal with the fear in some ways. Buddhist ideology may help with that. A more in detail may follow about our discussions.
After this meeting, Eric Olsen sent this link which adds to our understanding of this disturbing threat and how to deal with it.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
After reading and listening to this short video, a few of the conclusions we reached in our discussion are supported. Indeed, when society grows restless and stressed (like an over population of rats in a colony) violence increases. But only the small number of 1% of this stressed population needs to practice meditation and the stressed society experiences decrease in violence, in war like populations, peace initiatives take hold. So basically this group that meets every Thursday morning is adding to the collective consciousness. We are peacemakers. We just need to spread our practices.
After this meeting, Eric Olsen sent this link which adds to our understanding of this disturbing threat and how to deal with it.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
After reading and listening to this short video, a few of the conclusions we reached in our discussion are supported. Indeed, when society grows restless and stressed (like an over population of rats in a colony) violence increases. But only the small number of 1% of this stressed population needs to practice meditation and the stressed society experiences decrease in violence, in war like populations, peace initiatives take hold. So basically this group that meets every Thursday morning is adding to the collective consciousness. We are peacemakers. We just need to spread our practices.
December 10, 2015: Tai Chi and Qi Gong by Dan Ferber
We have a member who practices Tai Chi and Qi Gong and has agreed to teach us some basic and practical Tai Chi and Qi Gong movements. We all participated and found Dan's gentle and thorough instructions easy to follow. After the session, another friend of a member appeared and Dan and this friend incidentally performed a wonderful demonstration of Push Hands and some of the more advanced forms of Tai Chi.
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