Tag Archives: Mindfulness & Awareness

Why Do We Suffer?

November 14, 2011 3:55 am \

Four Noble Truths

Suffering Exists

Have you noticed?  Suffering exists.  In myriad forms.

From the minor irritations we encounter each and every day to overwhelming states of anxiety, depression, envy, and countless others.   In macro forms like war, cruelty, hunger, poverty, and addiction.

Another word for suffering is frustration. Or discontent.  The continual feeling of subtle dissatisfaction that underlines our life.  Even when we have it good, we’re still trying to make it better.

So how can we end suffering?  The first step is to understand it.

Continue Reading →

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The Ultimate in Self Care

October 23, 2011 6:08 am \

Mind, meditation, and the ultimate self care

I’m delighted to have a guest post today at the Deva Coaching blog as part of Sandi Amorin’s fabulous month-long series on self-care.

Here’s a taste of my article:

“There’s nothing good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” – Shakespeare in Hamlet

The ultimate way to care for your self is to make friends with you own mind.

Why?  Because the mind is the creator of happiness and the creator of suffering; the creator of goodness and the creator of harm.  How you experience your world – your internal world and the external one – all depends on how you perceive.

Who’s the Boss?

Simply said, there are three avenues through which we create happiness or suffering for ourselves and others:  the body, the speech, and the mind.  But which one is the boss?

I’ll let you in on the secret right away.  It’s the mind that’s running the show.

You might say, “Hey, wait a minute.  I suffer because my body hurts. Isn’t it the body that’s the culprit?”

Please continue reading at the Deva Coaching blog.  I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments there.  Did I get it right?  Is this really the ultimate in self-care?  I would really appreciate it if you shared a link to the post there too.  With love and gratitude, Sandra

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Making Friends with the Real World

September 29, 2011 5:50 pm \

Here’s a taste of my latest post at the What Meditation Really Is Blog.

“In the practice of meditation, having developed a sense of trust in oneself, slowly that expands its expression outward, and the world becomes a friendly world rather than a hostile world. You could say that you have changed the world: you have become the king or queen of the universe.

On the other hand, you can’t exactly say that, because the world has come toward you, to return your friendship. It tried all kinds of harsh ways to deal with you at the beginning, but finally the world and you begin to speak with each other, and the world becomes a real world, a completely real world, not at all an illusory world or a confused world. It is a real world. You begin to realize the reality of elements, the reality of time and space, the reality of emotions—the reality of everything.”

-Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche

It’s easy to unwittingly use meditation as an escape from the real world.

Especially in these busy and chaotic times.  We seek peace. We seek respite.  Meditation can become a safe, cozy cocoon, where you attempt to withdraw to drown out the tornado of life….

Please continue reading at the What Meditation Really Is Blog.  And, I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments there.

If you like the article, please share the link using the share buttons at the What Meditation Really Is site.  Thanks very much for your support.  With love, Sandra

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