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I'm fascinated by the human brain. It's a mini-universe . A mini-universe that is me. So what I'm fascinated by is the same entity that is doing the fascinating, which is to say... me . Go figure. I can't. There's no way I can get outside of my brain and look upon it objectively. Nobody can, not even supposedly elevated mystics and meditators. Show me someone without a working brain and you're showing me someone dead . However, neuroscientists, psychologists, psychiatrists, and other scientifically-minded students of the human brain know a lot about its structure and functions. I've read quite a few books about the brain written by people expert in modern neuroscience. But the book I'm reading now is appealingly different. It was recommended in a comment on one of my posts. Whoever did so, thank you (I've forgotten who you are) because I'm really enjoying "The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Weste...

unstable The universal September numerology forecast indicates that is going to be a very unstable time and it is best not to make any major decisions . .. Read the rest for the #5 below. The number information in italics is for the current month's universal forecast. To find your own personal month: add your month and day of birth and the current month and year together like in the example below. Example: Feb 3, September 2012 2+3+9+2+0+1+2=19=1+9=10=1+0= 1 #1 – New Energy September brings new energy and you are off to a new start that could in the end turn out to be only temporary, but nevertheless an unexpected opportunity. You have a strong sense of beginning even if the goal is not in sight yet. You are restless and have the urge to move. Don't be surprised by an event that comes your way that you will remember for a long time. Most challenges will come from others this month. #2 – Be Very Patient September will turn out to be a frustrating time requir...

A rather quirky Stress Reduction organization has taken the distasteful, and I must assume dishonest, step of making claims about Steve Job's rebirth. Many people only became aware that the Apple leader was a BUddhist when he died last year after a prolonged battle with cancer. According to the Wall Street Journal, the Dhammakaya Group in Thailand is now claiming that "Mr. Jobs has been reincarnated as a celestial warrior-philosopher .. and he's living in a mystical glass palace hovering above his old office at Apple's Cupertino, California headquarters." The WSJ pointed out that the widespread grief many felt after Jobs' passing took an odd form, when some of hisadmirers in Malaysia "gathered on a tropical island and in a religious ceremony each took a bite from an apple before flinging the fruit into the sea in a bid to speed up his reincarnation." Now, over in Thailand, Phra Chaibul Dhammajayo, who is the abbot at the Dhammakaya Temple n...

Post written by Leo Babauta. When I set out to convert my unhappiness with my life into happiness, about 7 years ago, I had some ideas about how to do it. I was going to get out of debt and lose weight and get a better job and declutter my house and get into shape and become productive and write a book. And I actually did all those things and much more. It was great. They changed my life, and I'm very happy now. Those things, however, didn't get me happiness. What I learned is that I already had all I needed for happiness, but it was buried beneath my insecurities, my discontent with my life, my loathing of my body and myself. I already had it, but it was all covered up. Happiness is the uncovering of what you already have. You have all you need for happiness, right now. You don't need to change anything about yourself, or your life. You just need to see what's already there. Let me show you what I found out about myself, and how I became happy. Chan...

"The virtues of free enterprise can become distorted by greed & delusion." ~Allan Lokos Technorati Tags: Buddha Buddhist Buddhism Meditation Dharma Read More @ Source

New research shows that teenage cannabis use causes lasting damage. As well as the physiological damage, Buddhism suggests that drugs are  about avoiding experience rather than engaging with mindfully with it  Some of the parents I know with teenage children who use cannabis are fairly relaxed about what's happening. 'It isn't doing any harm', one tells me. 'Alcohol's much worse.' Others would really like their children to stop but are at their wits end. It's OK, they say, but not in the house, not on weekdays, or only after you've done your homework. I don't envy them and no doubt the scientific study reported this week will fuel their worries. It finds that, true to the stoner stereotype, cannabis users have problems with memory, attention and processing information. Most worryingly, the IQs of people who start using cannabis before eighteen drop by an average eight percent, and the damage persists even if they later stop. The cannabis ...

"An open beginner's mind is a powerful tool for developing patience." ~Allan Lokos Technorati Tags: Buddha Buddhist Buddhism Meditation Dharma Read More @ Source

It doesn't matter how many Dharma centers a person attends, or how many Buddhist chat forums they've contributed to, the overarching tenor of modern Buddhism in the West is materialism.  Buddhism in the West only wears an Asian robe.  Beneath the robe is the heart of a materialist.   One of the cardinal tenets of materialism, going back to the time of Gautama, is the nonbelief in a spiritual absolute which survives the death of the human being; which is unconditioned.  This dogma appears in Buddhism as the doctrine of 'no self'.  Oddly, this dogma arises, supposedly, from statements made by the Buddha which simply cannot be construed as no self.  Here is one example. "Bhikkhus, form is nonself [ anattâ , lit. not the self].  What is nonself should be seen as it really is with correct wisdom thus:  'This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.'  Feeling is nonself... Perception is nonself ... Volitional formations are nonself ... Consciousn...

At the end of a daylong meditation workshop, Pam, a woman in her late sixties, drew me aside. Her husband, Jerry, was near death after three years of suffering from lymphoma. "I wanted so much to save him," she told me. "I looked into ayurvedic medicine, acupuncture, Chinese herbs, every alternative treatment I could find, tracked every test result . . . We were going to beat this thing." She sat back wearily in her chair, shoulders slumped. "And now I'm keeping in touch with everyone, giving updates, coordinating hospice care. If he's not napping I try to make him comfortable, read to him . . ." I responded gently, "It sounds like you've been trying really hard to take good care of Jerry . . . and it's been very busy." At these words, she gave me a smile of recognition. "Hmm, busy. That sounds crazy, doesn't it?" She paused. "As far back as I can remember I've really been busy. But now . . . well, I jus...

Interesting documentary on Buddhism in the world. Read More @ Source

I like the idea of oneness. But I'd hate the reality of it, oneness plain and simple. Well, more accurately I couldn't hate absolute oneness if it existed, because there wouldn't be any me to feel hate. Or anything else, since there's no room for two in One. Thus it's impossible for anyone to experience oneness. "Anyone" and "oneness" are two separate entities. So whenever someone talks about how the cosmos is One, they're referring to an abstraction, not reality. Nothing wrong with this. Abstractions can be fun to intellectually play around with. That's a big part of what philosophizing is all about: thinking about the nature of "good," "truth," and other high-flying abstract notions. (I consider "God" to be another abstraction.) The world we all live in, though, clearly is composed of separate things. Manyness rules. Yet also interconnectedness, which is the practical form of Oneness. You and ...

Post written by Leo Babauta. Today through Aug. 31, I'm opening membership registration for the Zen Habits Sea Change Program — and with this membership comes three special opportunities. For those new to the Sea Change Program, it's my monthly membership program that offers occasional mini-courses on different topics (meditation, mindful eating, and procrastination so far), along with live video webinars, a member forum, articles, videos and more. So there's a wealth of useful content already in the program, but in the next three months, I'm offering three things to all members: The Uncover Your Awesomeness Course (Sept-Nov) The Sea Change Monthly Challenge The Writers & Bloggers Challenge & Seminar Because the membership content has grown, I've increased the price a little, to $ 26.99 a month. If you subscribed before and the unsubscribed, you'll unfortunately need to subscribe again at a higher price. Uncover Your Awesomeness Co...

In the Buddha's day, many people got enlightened quickly. Some people would say this is because the Buddha was such a great teacher, and to some extent that's got to be true. What better than to have an expert around? But most of the monks and nuns and householders would have had very little contact with the Buddha. After all, he couldn't be everywhere! What they did have, that was every bit as helpful as the presence of the Buddha, was the belief that enlightenment was possible. Having the Buddha around was helpful, perhaps, not so much because he was a "personal trainer" who was around to say just the right thing. It was more that he was a living example of what was possible. And as a result of the confidence this brought about, people awakened. Even when people at the time of the Buddha talked about getting awakened in future lives, they didn't talk in terms of the "countless lifetimes" that the Mahayana later came to regard as being necessa...

by vrkrebs Article by catya Living in stress-filled world can really rob you of the simple joys of life. Instead of looking on the brighter side of all aspect, all that would register in your periphery are misery and melancholy. You may have tried all possible stress relief methods - from costly therapies to addicting medications and nothing seems to be effective? Don't despair, there is always the sweet alternative - chocolate. The delectable sensation of chocolate and its delicious sweetness have been a part of human diet. Outdoor camping wouldn't be considered as satisfying without a sip on a handy mug filled with hot chocolate. Isn't a box of chocolate enough to appease a person? Everybody is sure to enjoy it even once in a while. What better way to celebrate an important occasion ...

Lizzie Fuhr, Fitsugar: Meditation may sound like a far-out concept for a woman who considers herself straightlaced, but there's nothing strange about relieving daily pressures and moving forward with a healthier outlook. If you're a little skeptical of sitting down to meditate, know that it doesn't have to be all about aligning your chakras and chanting a mantra! A few minutes of deep contemplation and breathing in your own style can shift your relationship with the day and keep you in better shape. It lowers stress levels: You may think that meditation isn't real science, but studies have shown a correlation between meditation … Read the original article » Read More @ Source

Things keep changing. The clock ticks, the day unfolds, trees grow, leaves turn brown, hair turns gray, children grow up and leave home, attention skitters from this to that, the cookie is delicious but then it's all gone, you're mad about something for awhile and then get over it, consciousness streams on and on and on. Many changes are certainly good. Most people are glad to put middle school behind them. I'm still happy about shifting thirty years ago from single to married. Painkillers, flush toilets, and the internet seem like pretty good ideas. It's lovely to watch grass waving in the wind or a river passing. Fundamentally, if there were no change, nothing could happen, reality would be frozen forever. I once asked my friend Tom what he thought God was and he said "possibility." On the other hand, many changes are uncomfortable, even awful. The body gets creaky, and worse. We lose those we love and eventually lose life itself. Families drift apart,...

by michaelcardus Article by Li Ming Wong Photic is the latest stimulation tools that incorporate, working with some of the groundbreaking brain adornment programs. These PS tools combine unique features that exploit a series of strategies that guide you to relax. Photic stimulators employ tools that attach to the eyes. Once these tools are attached, it enables you to visualize the flashes that appear across your monitor screen. The flashes fascinate your medulla oblongata, i.e. your brain. Silvery electric rhythmic impulses transmit frequencies of light bolts that epistolize to your brainwaves, which is where you get your hunches. That is you have the ability to think when these brainwaves are properly working. These flashing lights choreography across your monitor screen. The strobe ru...

Pop Buddhism seems, more than often, confused about nirvana.  It's a subject hardly taken up in a Dharma center.  One gets the impression that modern Buddhists are more interested in meditation than learning about nirvana.   Not atypical for pop Buddhism, in Stephen Batchelor's book, Buddhism Without Beliefs , nirvana is all but ignored except two minor references.  Ironically, this particular book is heralded as a primer; as a work that has captured the essence of Buddhism.  This is rather odd since a general understanding of nirvana is pivotal, even for the curious, otherwise Buddhism makes no sense.   Lacking a general understanding of nirvana, what pop Buddhism gives the general public is a procrustean treatment of Buddhism which serves the interests of Western materialism; not Buddhism.  What is chopped off in the modern Procrustean bed is nirvana and with it the transcendent which Buddhism aims at. It is not an oversimplification to assert that 'nirvana' ...

by martapiqs Article by By John B Galt Debt reduction is not only easier now than ever before it has become the most important aspect of our lives. Debt reduction is part of personal finance -- no doubt about that. Debt reduction is an admirable goal and worthy of our energy and attention if we want a secure financial future. Debt reduction is about making a choice to get out of debt as quickly as possible. Debt Reduction is really big now because of the over spending that many Americans have done in the past. Debt Debt reduction services are a booming business, and as with any booming business sector, many of the people promising help are merely out to make a quick buck. Debt reduction agencies can help reduce the amount a person owes, or allow the indebted more time to pay the money t...

by Tygress13 Article by Charlene J. Nuble There is a surprisingly rising number of different breast reduction herbal pills that are being distributed across the market. The trend is an effective and clear indicator that there is an increasing number of women with such a problem. That is not, however, typical especially during these times that women are more conscious about vanity and improving sex appeal. Patronage of breast reduction herbal pills is rising because many women realize that it is not always advantageous to own extremely sized breasts. As you can observe, hugely clinging breast parts could almost always cause pain and stress in the neck and in the back. Women with big pairs of breasts also complain about greater incidences of harassment and indecent stares and advances whe...

by Cornell Fungi Article by Darlene Siddons STRESS ERASER - What Causes Stress Listing the causes of stress is tricky to say the least. A stress condition can be real or perceived, and it is solely dependant on the individual. Some of the basic common reasons are: Life's Situations Attitude Could by your genes Smoking Work Commuting Finances Low self esteem Regardless of the cause, stress starts certain changes in the body that are designed to give it a quick burst of energy, the body goes through the following changes when faced with a stressful situation: -The adrenal glands release adrenaline and stress hormones that trigger certain organs to go into action. -Your breathing becomes faster and more shallow which creates the body to take in more oxygen. -The liver releases more blood s...

by familymwr Article by aseya Stress and depression are two of the things in modern life that you have to deal with at one point or another. The former is an everyday thing, one that can stem from something as difficult as social anxiety to something as mundane as tripping over your own shoelaces. The latter, depression, is not quite as easy to develop in the clinical sense, but most people will end up experiencing a point in their lives that comes dangerously close to being depressed. For the most part, these two problems are considered to be threats to one's physical and mental health. However, recent studies show that these two conditions also have nasty side effects on one's intelligence. According to recent findings, it is untrue that the human brain ceases production of neurons an...

by Daneel Ariantho Article by Adrian Hardy If stress and anxiety has a significant influence on your life that you constantly feel anxious, unhappy, depressed or sick then it is time to do something about it. The good news is that recognizing that you have to do something about it is one of the most important battles that you have to win. Most people ignore stress, thinking that it is an acceptable part of life and something that must be endured. Whilst this is true to some extent, there comes a time when too much stress is bad for you. This will be apparent when your mind and body start to tell you these things by getting depressed, anxious or sick. There are various different methods that you can use to reduce stress from your life, but before you rush into anything it makes sense to ...

by familymwr Article by Richard Rspad Can't get to sleep at night? Rolling around in the sheets? Wake up in the morning feeling like you need to go back to sleep? Your stressed and Spokane spas are your answer. Mention the relaxation and rejuvenation aspects of Spokane spas and it can sound like a bunch of hippie mumbo jumbo. It isn't. Your body gets out of whack over time like a car slowly going out of tune. If you don't tune it back up, the body can eventually break down just like a car. To take care of it, time at a spa is well spent. Treatments are designed to release the stress in your body. Back hurt? Tight hamstrings are often the cause and spas know how to get things fixed. Trust me. Try just one session and you will notice an immediate difference. One of the top Spokane spas is...