Monday, February 25, 2013

How to obtain a peaceful state of mind!

These are my notes from a teaching by Geshe Doga on 16th February 2013 at Drol Kar Buddhist centre (please NOTE: this is not what was said but is more what came to me when sitting in the class)

www.drolkarbuddhistcentre.org.au:

Consider the importance of having a peaceful state of mind!

To be in the right environment is not enough. It is essential to consider how to achieve the clear state of mind!

We all have a general notion that we want to be happy, but what is the main cause of happiness?

First you need to realize that a clear and calm state of mind is essential! So when we really think about it and look inside ourselves, we see that the important fact is to discard the negative and cultivate the positive.

Most important is to find the inner wisdom inside ourselves. These days there is far too much focus on external conditions. In Tibet there are thousands of nuns and monks practising with very strong devotion. I went to Tibet in 2012 and saw them with my own eyes. They certainly have the right external conditions being in a nunnery or monastery. But do they achieve enlightenment? I don't know?

The fact is that any person in today's society can do it by observing the  body and it's sensations.

A bodily sensation of craving leads to desire which is a negative reaction that needs to be avoided!

A bodily sensation of aversion leads to not wanting it. Wanting it to go away! An example would be when you meet an annoying person and feel aversion to him/her and just want him/her to go away. The fact is that he/she is creating the opportunity for you to train your mind in not reacting to your body's sensations. Observe how your breathing changes and becomes rapid. How your heart beats faster and you get a feeling of being angry with this person. The solution is to be aware of these sensations - observe them and to not react to them. It takes practice and you have to be very patient with yourself. The whole situation gives you an opportunity to practice the third Paramita - Patience.

Another important tool that will help you to obtain a peaceful state of mind is mindfulness meditation. To have a successful session the most important preparation is to focus your motivation. Why meditate? The purpose is to make the mind serviceable. A distracted mind needs to be transformed into a focused mind, that is calm and can be used in a wise way. The mind that is distracted and deluded leads to nothing but problems. If you stay calm and recognize the negative in the moment it is about to arise - you can train your mind to transform it into positive.

I wish you success in your practice.

Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu!

I pay homage to my teachers Jampa Drolma, Geshe Doga,  Geshe Sonam Thargye, Jakob Leschly, Alan Wallace, SN Goenka (on video) and his assistant teacher and last but not least Khyentse Norbu who designed the online buddhist teaching program that I attend at www.siddharthasintent.org. My limited understanding of Buddhism comes from listening to my teachers, reading books and then contemplating. My favourite little book is written by Walpola Rahola and is available online. Just copy and paste the link below into your browser.

http://www.dhammaweb.net/books/Dr_Walpola_Rahula_What_the_Buddha_Taught.pdf


High cholesterol and what to do!

A few weeks ago I had my cholesterol tested and was told that it was slightly high. What to do? I investigated different remedies and decided to introduce some changes into my diet. After consulting my book  'The Healing Remedies Sourcebook'  Click here to see the book I decided to eat porridge for breakfast every day and have a daily drink of barley water. The many benefits of the barley water (according to the book) were very interesting. It can be used to:

1. ease a cough
2. treat cystitis
3. promote normal functioning of the heart and is able to stabilise blood pressure
among other things.

But most interestingly it is a traditional remedy for constipation and diarrhea. How this works will need to be investigated.

I knew that barley water was used in the olden days BUT I did not know that it had so many benefits!

 If I keep up my intake of oats and barley water I am hoping that my cholesterol levels will get better.

Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu!