Zen From the Little Kid’s Book

Posted by :admin On : November 2, 2010
0

Category: Daily Meditation, East Asian Philosphy & Cultures, Mind-Body Medicine

Tags:, , , ,

zen-shorts-by-jon-j-muth

The other night, my 5 year-old son brought his new book “Zen shorts” written by Jon J Muth to me for reading, And the word “zen” just caught my attention, hmmm, Zen for kids?

With the beautiful watercolor images, while I was reading it for my two kids, I have found this also really good to the grown ups, yes I am also touched and felt of “Zen.”

One of the stories told here is actually my favorite among many zen stories simple but quietly striking teaching for your mind deep. I like to enjoy this with you and maybe your little ones.

“The heavy load”, story goes….

Two traveling monks reached a town where there was a young woman waiting to step out of her sedan chair. The rains had made deep puddles and she couldn’t step across without spoiling her silken robes. She stood there, looking very cross and impatient. She was scolding her attendants. They had nowhere to place the packages they held for her, so they couldn’t help her across the puddle.

The younger monk noticed the woman, said nothing, and walked by. The older monk quickly picked her up and put her on his back, transported her across the water, and put her down on the other side. She didn’t thank the older monk, she just shoved him out of the way and departed.

As they continued on their way, the young monk was brooding and preoccupied. After several hours, unable to hold his silence, he spoke out. “That woman back there was very selfish and rude, but you picked her up on your back and carried her! Then she didn’t even thank you!”

“I set the woman down hours ago,” the older monk replied.
“Why are you still carrying her?”

Now the question goes to you all,
“Do you think you have carried it long enough?”

We carry many things, many worries and angers etc…don’t you feel that heavy load still on the body, which creates the enormous amount of the burden physically and emotionally as well? Now take a deep breath and hold a bit and exhale through your mouth with ‘haaa’ sound – with that out-breath, unload all the weights.

The very unique and special power of Zen story is that it gives you continually thinking mind a temporary stop and in turn the space…the emptiness and then every one has a different question and answers rising – there is no one right question nor answer.

Be alert and mindfulness, move and live your breath always…

The Wisdom of Prajanaparamita Heart Sutra

Posted by :admin On : August 26, 2010
0

Category: Daily Meditation, East Asian Philosphy & Cultures, Mind-Body Medicine

Tags:, , , ,

The Childhood Memory of The Heart of the Prajnaparamita

Anyone who grew up in the Buddhist culture or family remembers this sutra, When I was little boy, my mother and grandmother took me to the Buddhist temple in the mountain for the special occasions; the birthday of Buddha or the commemorative day of the ancestors, and I heard this and sometimes sang this together without knowing the meaning – such a good memory, which always made me feel so good.

The bodhisattva Avalokita, while moving in the deep course of the Perfect Wisdom, shed light on the five aggregates and found them equally empty. After this penetration, he overcame all pain.

“Listen, Sariputra, form is emptiness, emptiness is form, form does not differ from emptiness, emptiness does not differ from form. The same thing is true with feeling, perception, mental functioning, and consciousness.

“Here, Sariputra, all dharmas are marked with emptiness; they are neither produced nor destroyed, neither defiled nor immaculate, neither increasing nor decreasing. Therefore, in emptiness there is neither form, nor feeling, nor perception, nor mental functioning, nor consciousness; no eye, or ear, or nose, or tongue, or body, or mind; no form, no sound, no smell, no taste, no touchable, no object of mind, no realm of elements (from sight to mind-consciousness), no interdependent origins(from ignorance to death and decay), no extinction of death and decay, no suffering, no origination of suffering, no extinction, no path, no wisdom, no attainment.

“Because there is no attainment, the bodhisattva, basing on the Perfection of Wisdom, finds no obstacles for his mind. Having no obstacles, he overcomes fear, liberating himself forever from illusion and assault and realizing perfect Nirvana. All Buddhas in the past, present, and future, thanks to this Perfect Wisdom, arrive to full, right, and universal Enlightenment.”

“Therefore one should know that the Perfect Wisdom is a great mantra, is the highest mantra, is the unequaled mantra, the destroyer of all suffering, the incorruptible truth. A mantra of Prajnaparamita should therefore be proclaimed. It is this: ‘Gone, gone, gone to the other shore, gone together to the other shore. O Awakening! All hail!”

This is translated from the Chinese by Thich Nhat Hanh.

I wish you also have a deep peace and wisdom from this and enjoy it!

How Laughter Helps Your Health and Mood

Posted by :admin On : August 18, 2010
0

Category: Daily Meditation, Mind-Body Medicine, To The People

Tags:, , ,

One day, I visited the other doctor’s office, urologist with my collegue, In doctor’s office, everyone seemed to look so serious, no laughter heard, no smiley face seen and so quiet, I was sitting there about 10 minutes and couldn’t stay any longer, luckily we took up soon, asking my MD collegue “why are they so serious and all tense there?”

Why is that? Why should we do that? Here is the close relation between laughter and your health and I really want you to laugh and smile more and be happy and healthy at your home and in my office.

What happens in your body and mood, When you laugh.

Laughter reduces the level of stress hormones like cortisol, epinephrine (adrenaline), dopamine and growth hormone. It also increases the level of health-enhancing hormones like endorphins, and neurotransmitters. Laughter increases the number of antibody-producing cells and enhances the effectiveness of T cells. All this means a stronger immune system, as well as fewer physical effects of stress.

The relation between laughter and heart health

A study shows humor and laughter is the best medicine for the heart.
Laughter, along with an active sense of humor, may help protect you against a heart attack, according to a recent study by cardiologists at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore. The study, which is the first to indicate that laughter may help prevent heart disease, found that people with heart disease were 40 percent less likely to laugh in a variety of situations compared to people of the same age without heart disease.

Also, in East Asian Medicine, the energy of Heart is closely related to laughter(joy -xi)

O.k. further more, let’s laugh out for 10 minutes! Could you finish 10 minutes?

Yes, laughing need to move and work on the diaphragm, the abs and the shoulder and so on, and helps to release the tensions on the body and you really feel relaxed afterwards, I did this 20 minutes (this was a huge work-out.) and back then my 2 year old son followed me.
Every parent knows how frequently your kids or babies laugh loud and smile and dance as if their energy doesn’t know the shortage or discharge. Then how about the grown-ups?

As we grow old, should we look serious and worrisome? And does it make you feel better and your life any better? What happened to us then and now?

It seems like we are getting old and forgetting how to laugh and smile, and probably just poker face or petrified facial muscle is developing.

I watched the news about “Indian laughter club” at the TV a while ago, what they do is they regularly get together like several hundreds or more in the plaza of town and everyone starts laughing for 10 – 20 minute, just watching and hearing them
practice this hilarious mind exercise – actually physical exercise as well- makes me laugh, yes, the laughter is also contagious. ha ha ha ha ha ….

Do you remember the movie Patch Adams? One comedian doctor and all serious looking doctors…I wish I could be funny like him.

My conclusion today is : If you remember the benefit of laughter and like my story of it, let’s have some time today to laugh 10 minutes, how about 2 or 3 times? If it’s difficult, just fake it until you make it. Or tonight watch some comic books or comedies really funny ones since laughter is contagious, invite some friend.

Afterwards you will feel a lot better, you will forget why you were so worried and tense and be less stressful – if you were stressful.