To the dumb question ‘Why me?’, the cosmos barely bothers to return the reply ‘Why not?'”
Tuesday 31 July 2018
MANSON Non-neediness means that you respect yourself AND others.”
Non-neediness means that you respect yourself AND others.”
ARLS Why should we feel anger at the world? As if the world would notice!”
Why should we feel anger at the world? As if the world would notice!”
AURELIUS PLKB “Is it your reputation that is bothering you? But look at how soon we’re all forgotten. The abyss of endless time that swallows all. The emptiness of all those applauding hands.
“Is it your reputation that is bothering you? But look at how soon we’re all forgotten. The abyss of endless time that swallows all. The emptiness of all those applauding hands.
AURELIUS Nowhere you can go is more peaceful, more free of interruptions, than your own soul.”
Nowhere you can go is more peaceful, more free of interruptions, than your own soul.”
AURELIUS You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do, say, and think.”
You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do, say, and think.”
FRANKL Man is the being who created the gas chambers, but man is also the being who entered those gas chambers upright, the [Jewish prayer] on their lips.”
Man is the being who created the gas chambers, but man is also the being who entered those gas chambers upright, the [Jewish prayer] on their lips.”
FRANKL Losing someone you love spares them from losing you.”
Losing someone you love spares them from losing you.”
FRANKL What you have experienced, no power on earth may take from you.”
What you have experienced, no power on earth may take from you.”
FRANKL Even in suffering, each man is unique and alone in the universe.”
Even in suffering, each man is unique and alone in the universe.”
FRANKL “Without suffering and death, human life cannot be complete.”
“Without suffering and death, human life cannot be complete.”
FRANKL It is this spiritual freedom – which cannot be taken away – that makes life purposeful and meaningful.”
It is this spiritual freedom – which cannot be taken away – that makes life purposeful and meaningful.”
BLY MIDDLE WAY Do not identify with either opposite but instead rejoice that they exist.”
Do not identify with either opposite but instead rejoice that they exist.”
BLY We cannot discover our genius until we have been wounded.”
We cannot discover our genius until we have been wounded.”
WATTS Trying to figure out the meaning of the universe is like trying to explain music in words. You just have to listen to it, get with it, and go with it.”
Trying to figure out the meaning of the universe is like trying to explain music in words. You just have to listen to it, get with it, and go with it.”
WATTS At the time of our death, the universe will, supposedly, be going on as usual, but for each individual it will be as if it had never happened at all; and even that is saying too much, because there won’t be anyone for whom it never happened. All of a sudden it will strike you that this nothingness is the most potent, magical, basic, and reliable thing you ever thought of, and that the reason you can’t form the slightest idea of it is that it’s yourself.”
At the time of our death, the universe will, supposedly, be going on as usual, but for each individual it will be as if it had never happened at all; and even that is saying too much, because there won’t be anyone for whom it never happened. All of a sudden it will strike you that this nothingness is the most potent, magical, basic, and reliable thing you ever thought of, and that the reason you can’t form the slightest idea of it is that it’s yourself.”
WATTS “The individual is the universal, and the moment eternity.”
“The individual is the universal, and the moment eternity.”
WATTS “Do you suppose that God takes himself seriously?”
“Do you suppose that God takes himself seriously?”
VONNEGUT -PISTOL Stop, appreciate small things, and ask, “If this isn’t nice, what is?””
Stop, appreciate small things, and ask, “If this isn’t nice, what is?””
DE BOTTON Happiness is good for the body, but it is grief which develops the strengths of the mind.”
Happiness is good for the body, but it is grief which develops the strengths of the mind.”
DE BOTTON There are two methods by which a person may acquire wisdom, painlessly through a teacher, or painfully via life.”
There are two methods by which a person may acquire wisdom, painlessly through a teacher, or painfully via life.”
SACKS It is the fate of every human being to be a unique individual, to find his own path, to live his own life, to die his own death.”
It is the fate of every human being to be a unique individual, to find his own path, to live his own life, to die his own death.”
BILLINGS If the average longevity of an advanced technological society is a few hundred years and two are situated 1,000 light years apart, then even if one discovered the other and sent a message, when the message was received, the society that sent it might no longer exist.”
If the average longevity of an advanced technological society is a few hundred years and two are situated 1,000 light years apart, then even if one discovered the other and sent a message, when the message was received, the society that sent it might no longer exist.”
FIGHT CLUB One day you’re thinking and hauling yourself around, and the next, you’re cold fertilizer.
One day you’re thinking and hauling yourself around, and the next, you’re cold fertilizer.
PALAHNIUK It’s easy to cry when you realize that everyone you love will reject you or die. On a long enough time line, the survival rate for everyone will drop to zero.”
It’s easy to cry when you realize that everyone you love will reject you or die. On a long enough time line, the survival rate for everyone will drop to zero.”
BRADBURY “Books contain everything we are afraid that we might forget.”
“Books contain everything we are afraid that we might forget.”
PERRY “Life, of course, is the ultimate freedom, a human existence being the prerequisite for having any meaningful freedoms at all. But life is also a burden.
“Life, of course, is the ultimate freedom, a human existence being the prerequisite for having any meaningful freedoms at all. But life is also a burden.
FROMM “There is only one meaning of life: the act of living itself.”
“There is only one meaning of life: the act of living itself.”
BECKER“Man transcends death by finding a meaning for his life, some kind of larger scheme into which he fits. Spirituality is not a simple reflex of hunger and fear. It is an expression of the will to live, the burning desire of the creature to count, to make a difference on the planet because he has lived, has emerged on it, and has worked, suffered, and died.”
“Man transcends death by finding a meaning for his life, some kind of larger scheme into which he fits. Spirituality is not a simple reflex of hunger and fear. It is an expression of the will to live, the burning desire of the creature to count, to make a difference on the planet because he has lived, has emerged on it, and has worked, suffered, and died.”
EPICTETUS “Nothing that makes up your body will perish.”
“Nothing that makes up your body will perish.”
EPICTETUS “You may put me to death, but to injure me is beyond your power.”
“You may put me to death, but to injure me is beyond your power.”
WARNER You are not a person living in a time and a place. You are the person and the time and the place all rolled into one.”
You are not a person living in a time and a place. You are the person and the time and the place all rolled into one.”
ANNE FRANK As long as this exists and I may live to see it, this sunshine, the cloudless skies, while this lasts, I cannot be unhappy.”
As long as this exists and I may live to see it, this sunshine, the cloudless skies, while this lasts, I cannot be unhappy.”
KLOSTERMAN “There is an unbreachable chasm between the subjective and objective world.”
“There is an unbreachable chasm between the subjective and objective world.”
BAKEWELL “The only consolation is to have had something, rather than nothing.”
“The only consolation is to have had something, rather than nothing.”
Kierkegaard: “It is perfectly true, as philosophers say, that life must be understood backwards. But they forget the other proposition, that it must be lived forwards.
Kierkegaard: “It is perfectly true, as philosophers say, that life must be understood backwards. But they forget the other proposition, that it must be lived forwards.
ALLEN-A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts.
A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts.
ALLEN -“Self-control is strength. Right thought is mastery. Calmness is power.”
“Self-control is strength. Right thought is mastery. Calmness is power.”
The Turkey Problem: “A turkey will be fattened up over the course of 2 or 3 Thanksgivings and will develop a false sense of stability.”
The Turkey Problem: “A turkey will be fattened up over the course of 2 or 3 Thanksgivings and will develop a false sense of stability.”
Anger is often relative to the sense of helplessness versus the wish for control.” NUSSBAUM
Anger is often relative to the sense of helplessness versus the wish for control.”
The mortality rate of homeless people is four times higher than that of housed people.”
The mortality rate of homeless people is four times higher than that of housed people.”
“I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.” ― Jorge Luis Borges
“I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.”
― Jorge Luis Borges
― Jorge Luis Borges
MORE THAN JUST A - Carrots are loaded with vitamins such as: manganese, potassium, B1, B2, B3, B6, vitamin C and can boost collagen
Carrots are loaded with vitamins such as: manganese, potassium, B1, B2, B3, B6, vitamin C and can boost collagen
REASONABLE ALTRUISM OVER SELF CHERISHMENT
Often, we are taught that in order to be happy, we need to give priority to taking care of ourselves and, perhaps, a very few near and dear ones. Even some Buddhist groups hold the belief that it is important to limit their efforts to personal practice. Such views can discourage practitioners from becoming engaged on behalf of those in need in the wider world. But in fact, as His Holiness continues to remind us, when we care for others, we will feel happier, less afraid, less alone, and more empowered.
BODHICHITTA EFFECT
When we act on our wish to share our riches such as knowledge, insight, happiness or wealth with others who are less fortunate, we are acting with the motivation of Bodhicitta. As we act with the intention to help others to be more at ease, healthy, or safe, we notice that we become happier and more confident in ourselves. At the same time, we notice a growing desire to continue working for the wellbeing of others. Our longing for connection, and to see others well and happy becomes intertwined with our own happiness, a sense of meaning, and purpose. I call this the “Bodhicitta Effect.”
Anxious people have higher verbal IQs, research finds.
Anxious people have higher verbal IQs, research finds.
1910- PAT G FTHR BORN, One of the core problems that led to the Mexican Revolution of 1910 was ownership of land
One of the core problems that led to the Mexican Revolution of 1910 was ownership of land
OCS The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.
- The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.
OCS If you trip and fall, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you are going in the wrong direction
If you trip and fall, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you are going in the wrong direction
OCS-A good teacher opens the door for you, but you must enter the room by yourself.
- A good teacher opens the door for you, but you must enter the room by yourself.
OCS-Always safeguard peace and quiet. When the time is right, the flowers will bloom.
- Always safeguard peace and quiet. When the time is right, the flowers will bloom.
OLD CHINESE SAYING OCS- The goal of life is to die young, but as late as possible
The goal of life is to die young, but as late as possible
JFK The greater our knowledge increases the more our ignorance unfolds.
The greater our knowledge increases the more our ignorance unfolds.
Epinephrine Lowers Mortality in Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest — But at What Cost?
Ali S. Raja, MD, MBA, MPH reviewing
In a randomized placebo-controlled trial, mortality was lower in patients treated with epinephrine, but more of those who survived after epinephrine had severe neurological impairment.
TERESHKOVA "Hey sky, take off your hat, I'm on my way!"
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Monday 30 July 2018
When Rowling started writing the series in 1990, she could not possibly have imagined that the books would go on to sell tens of millions of copies worldwide, and go on to make her the richest woman in Britain (ahead of the Queen).
When Rowling started writing the series in 1990, she could not possibly have
imagined that the books would go on to sell tens of millions of copies worldwide,
and go on to make her the richest woman in Britain (ahead of the Queen).
FORD
Web site: www.ford.com
Founded: 1903
Country of origin: USA
Brand fact 1: Ford was launched from a converted wagon factory, with US
$28,000 cash from 12 investors.
Brand fact 2: In 1914, Ford doubled pay to US $5 a day, and cut shifts from
9 hours to 8, setting high employee standards.
Brand fact 3: Malcolm X used to be an assembly worker at Ford.
KELLOGGS
Web site: www.kelloggs.com
Founded: 1906
Country of origin: USA
Brand fact 1: Kellogg products are manufactured in 19 countries and
marketed in more than 160 countries around the world.
Brand fact 2: Kellogg is the world’s leading producer of cereal, with
projected annual sales of more than US $9 billion.
Brand fact 3: In 1906, Kellogg’s put a full-page ad in the July issue of the
Ladies’ Home Journal. This resulted in sales leaping from 33 cases to 2,900
cases per day.
HEINZ
Web site: www.heinz.com
Founded: 1869
Country of origin: USA
Brand fact 1: The Heinz brand was valued at over $7 billion in 2004.
Brand fact 2: Heinz sells 650 million bottles of ketchup each year.
Brand fact 3: Heinz makes 11 billion packets of ketchup and dressings each
year. That’s at least two packets for every person on earth.
NESCAFE
Web site: www.nescafe.co.uk
Founded: 1938
Country of origin: Switzerland
Brand fact 1: 3,000 cups of Nescafe are drunk every second.
Brand fact 2: Nescafe is owned by Nestle, the number one food producer.
Brand fact 3: Nescafe was the staple drink of the US armed forces during
World War II.
LOREAL
Web site: www.loreal.com
Founded: 1907
Country of origin: France
Brand fact 1: L’Oreal is the world leader in cosmetics.
Brand fact 2: L’Oreal develop more than 3,000 formulas each year.
Brand fact 3: 3.3% of L’Oreal sales are invested in cosmetics and
dermatology each year.
Brand fact 4: L’Oreal sells 85 of its products every second
SONY
Web site: www.sony.net
Founded: 1946
Country of origin: Japan
Brand fact 1: Sony’s first product was a rice cooker.
Brand fact 2: Before the Walkman became a worldwide brand name it was
introduced as Soundabout in the United States, Stowaway in the UK and
Freestyle in Australia.
Brand fact 3: Sony Playstation 2 dominates the game console market with
70% of global sales.
ADIDAS
Web site: www.adidas.com
Founded: 1928
Country of origin: Germany
Brand fact 1: Adidas produces approximately 60 new footwear designs
each year.
Brand fact 2: The company spends 13% of total group sales on marketing.
Brand fact 3: Adidas is the second largest company in the sporting goods
industry.
Hoover and Xerox – the brand becomes so associated with its innovation that its name becomes synonymous with the product
Hoover and Xerox – the brand becomes so associated
with its innovation that its name becomes synonymous with the product
BEAND
14. Advertiser brands 243
79 Kraft: the household brand 245
80 Absolut Vodka: the advertising brand 247
81 Benetton: the colour brand 250
82 Calvin Klein: the sex brand 254
83 The Gap: the easy brand 256
84 Diesel: the ironic brand 259
15. Distribution brands 263
85 Avon: the resilient brand 265
86 Hertz: the credibility brand 267
87 Domino’s Pizza: the home-delivery brand 269
88 Dell: the direct sales brand 273
89 Amazon: the e-shopping brand 275
16. Speed brands 279
90 Reuters: the objective brand 281
91 FedEx: the ‘first’ brand 283
92 Zara: the speed-to-market brand 285
93 Hello Kitty: the cute brand 287
94 Google: the search brand 289
95 CNN: the information brand 292
96 Hotmail: the viral brand 294
17. Evolution brands 297
97 Bacardi: the Caribbean brand 299
98 HSBC: the acquisition brand 301
99 Intel: the educating brand 303
100 Samsung: the rising brand
BRANDS
9. Responsibility brands 155
51 Johnson & Johnson: the crisis management brand 157
52 Ben & Jerry’s: the caring brand 160
53 Seeds of Change: the goodness brand 165
54 Cafédirect: the fair-trade brand 168
55 MAC: the cause brand 171
56 Hewlett-Packard: the employees’ brand 174
10. Broad brands 177
57 Yamaha: the ignored brand 179
58 Caterpillar: the rugged brand 181
59 Virgin: the elastic brand 183
11. Emotion brands 187
60 Apple: the cult brand 189
61 Harley-Davidson: the masculine brand 192
62 Zippo: the longevity brand 194
63 Jack Daniel’s: the personality brand 196
64 Chrysler: the romance brand 199
65 Guinness: the timeless brand 201
12. Design brands 205
66 IKEA: the democratic brand 207
67 Audi: the advancement brand 211
68 Bang & Olufsen: the improvement brand 213
69 Muji: the minimal brand 215
70 Vespa: the beautiful brand 218
71 Converse: the heritage brand 220
72 Volkswagen: the longevity brand 222
13. Consistent brands 225
73 Coca-Cola: the ultimate brand 227
74 Nivea: the continuity brand 231
75 Hard Rock Café: the memorabilia brand 233
76 Clarins: the expertise brand 235
77 Campbell’s soup: the uniformity brand 237
78 Budweiser: the targeted brand
BRANDS
Streamlined brands 67
23 Cosmopolitan: the revolutionary brand 69
24 Nokia: the streamlined brand 71
25 Toys ‘R’ Us: the contraction brand 73
26 Subway: the focus brand 75
5. Muscle brands 77
27 IBM: the solution brand 79
28 Wal-Mart: the scale brand 83
29 McDonald’s: the service brand 85
30 Nike: the sports brand 90
31 Starbucks: the postmodern brand 96
32 Microsoft: the dominance brand 100
6. Distinction brands 105
33 Pepsi: the differentiation brand 107
34 Hush Puppies: the casual brand 110
35 Timex: the durability brand 112
36 Evian: the purity brand 114
37 Duracell: the longer-lasting brand 117
38 Danone: the health brand 119
39 Heineken: the export brand 121
7. Status brands 123
40 Rolex: the superior brand 125
41 Courvoisier: the mystery brand 127
42 Louis Vuitton: the desirable brand 130
43 Moët & Chandon: the vintage brand 133
44 Burberry: the heritage brand 135
45 BMW: the defining brand 137
46 Gucci: the exclusive brand 139
47 Tiffany & Co: the sparkling brand 141
8. People brands 145
48 Oprah Winfrey: the saviour brand 147
49 Jennifer Lopez: the superstar brand 150
50 David Beckham: the icon brand
BRANDS
Pioneer brands 31
11 Heinz: the trust brand 33
12 Kellogg’s: the familiarity brand 35
13 Colgate: the total brand 37
14 Ford: the volume brand 39
15 Goodyear: the leadership brand 41
16 Gillette: the shaving brand 43
17 Kleenex: the disposable brand 45
18 Wrigley: the new thinking brand 47
3. Distraction brands 51
19 MTV: the youth brand 53
20 Harry Potter: the story brand 55
21 Barbie: the escapist brand 59
22 Disney: the nostalgic brand
BRANDS
Heinz: the trust brand 33
12 Kellogg’s: the familiarity brand 35
13 Colgate: the total brand 37
14 Ford: the volume brand 39
15 Goodyear: the leadership brand 41
16 Gillette: the shaving brand 43
17 Kleenex: the disposable brand 45
18 Wrigley: the new thinking brand
12 Kellogg’s: the familiarity brand 35
13 Colgate: the total brand 37
14 Ford: the volume brand 39
15 Goodyear: the leadership brand 41
16 Gillette: the shaving brand 43
17 Kleenex: the disposable brand 45
18 Wrigley: the new thinking brand
You don’t prolong life much by adopting long life as your goal. Nor do you learn much about the sources of longevity by asking very old people how they did it. Medical interventions don’t have a large overall impact on life expectancy – medicine is to health what fire control is to forest management. The most important influences on life expectancy are environment and general health. We extend our lives most effectively, not through hypochondria, but by caring for our bodies and ourselves in a comprehensive, holistic manner.
You don’t prolong life much by adopting long life as your goal. Nor do you learn much about the sources of longevity by asking very old people how they did it. Medical interventions don’t have a large overall impact on life expectancy – medicine is to health what fire control is to forest management. The most important influences on life expectancy are environment and general health. We extend our lives most effectively, not through hypochondria, but by caring for our bodies and ourselves in a comprehensive, holistic manner.
Although we crave time for passive leisure, people engaged in watching television reported low levels of contentment. Csikszentmihalyi’s systematic finding is that the activities that yield the highest for satisfaction with life require the successful performance of challenging tasks. These moments are encountered as frequently in work as outside it, and they constitute the state of mind which Csikszentmihalyi describes as flow. “Flow tends to occur when a person’s skills are fully involved in overcoming a challenge that is just about manageable.”
Although we crave time for passive leisure, people engaged in watching television reported low levels of contentment. Csikszentmihalyi’s systematic finding is that the activities that yield the highest for satisfaction with life require the successful performance of challenging tasks. These moments are encountered as frequently in work as outside it, and they constitute the state of mind which Csikszentmihalyi describes as flow. “Flow tends to occur when a person’s skills are fully involved in overcoming a challenge that is just about manageable.”
Boeing’s 737, with almost 4,000 planes in the air, is the most successful commercial airliner in history.
Boeing’s 737, with almost 4,000 planes in the air, is the most successful commercial airliner in history.
OBLQTY
Before the canal, anyone looking for the shortest traverse from the Atlantic to the Pacific would naturally have gazed westward. The south-east route was found by Vasco Nunez de Balboa, a Spanish conquistador who was looking for gold, not oceans.
////////////////George W. Bush speaks mangled English rather than mangled French because James Wolfe captured Quebec in 1759 and made the British crown the dominant influence in Northern America
///////////////The Germans defeated the Maginot Line by going round it, while Japanese invaders bicycled through the Malayan jungle to capture Singapore, whose guns faced out to sea. Oblique approaches are most effective in difficult terrain, or where outcomes depend on interactions with other people. Obliquity is the idea that goals are often best achieved when pursued indirectly.
/////////////////
////////////////George W. Bush speaks mangled English rather than mangled French because James Wolfe captured Quebec in 1759 and made the British crown the dominant influence in Northern America
///////////////The Germans defeated the Maginot Line by going round it, while Japanese invaders bicycled through the Malayan jungle to capture Singapore, whose guns faced out to sea. Oblique approaches are most effective in difficult terrain, or where outcomes depend on interactions with other people. Obliquity is the idea that goals are often best achieved when pursued indirectly.
/////////////////
MIFU Experiencing the mind while breathing in, he trains himself. Experiencing the mind while breathing out, he trains himself. Making the mind tranquil and fresh while breathing in, he trains himself. Making the mind tranquil and fresh while breathing out, he trains himself. Concentrating the mind while breathing in, he trains himself. Concentrating the mind while breathing out, he trains himself. Releasing the mind while breathing in, he trains himself. Releasing the mind while breathing out, he trains himself. Ānāpānasati Sutta
Experiencing the mind while breathing in, he trains himself. Experiencing the mind while breathing out, he trains himself. Making the mind tranquil and fresh while breathing in, he trains himself. Making the mind tranquil and fresh while breathing out, he trains himself. Concentrating the mind while breathing in, he trains himself. Concentrating the mind while breathing out, he trains himself. Releasing the mind while breathing in, he trains himself. Releasing the mind while breathing out, he trains himself. Ānāpānasati Sutta
MIFU10 PRACTICES FOR STAGE TEN Stage Ten is ideal for doing any type of Insight practice. You can do Close Following, the Meditation on Arising and Passing Away, Choiceless Attention, the Meditation on Dependent Arising, Realizing the Witness, or anything else. Your mind is also in a perfect state to practice the luminous jhānas as well. Through these practices, Insight accumulates and matures, and the experience of Awakening quickly follows
PRACTICES FOR STAGE TEN
Stage Ten is ideal for doing any type of Insight practice. You can do Close Following, the Meditation on Arising and Passing Away, Choiceless Attention, the Meditation on Dependent Arising, Realizing the Witness, or anything else. Your mind is also in a perfect state to practice the luminous jhānas as well. Through these practices, Insight accumulates and matures, and the experience of Awakening quickly follows
Stage Ten is ideal for doing any type of Insight practice. You can do Close Following, the Meditation on Arising and Passing Away, Choiceless Attention, the Meditation on Dependent Arising, Realizing the Witness, or anything else. Your mind is also in a perfect state to practice the luminous jhānas as well. Through these practices, Insight accumulates and matures, and the experience of Awakening quickly follows
MIFU10 As equanimity grows stronger in meditation, the mind outside of meditation grows less prone to grasping, less compelled to pursue pleasant experiences, and less repelled by unpleasant experiences.
As equanimity grows stronger in meditation, the mind outside of meditation grows less prone to grasping, less compelled to pursue pleasant experiences, and less repelled by unpleasant experiences.
MIFU10 As with the goals for the other adept Stages, all you have to do is keep practicing and śamatha will last longer each time after you get up. You don’t need to do anything new
As with the goals for the other adept Stages, all you have to do is keep practicing and śamatha will last longer each time after you get up. You don’t need to do anything new
MIFU10 PRACTICE GOALS FOR STAGE TEN All five factors of śamatha are present in Stage Ten. Each time you sit, you quickly enter a state where attention is stable, mindfulness is powerful, and the unified mind rests in a state of joy accompanied by tranquility and equanimity. However, these quickly fade when you rise from the cushion. Your goal for this Stage is to reach a point where śamatha persists between sittings, permeating your everyday life. This is the one real change left in the perfection of śamatha. Then, śamatha becomes the “normal” condition for the adept meditator. The distinction between meditation and non-meditation largely disappears
PRACTICE GOALS FOR STAGE TEN All five factors of śamatha are present in Stage Ten. Each time you sit, you quickly enter a state where attention is stable, mindfulness is powerful, and the unified mind rests in a state of joy accompanied by tranquility and equanimity. However, these quickly fade when you rise from the cushion. Your goal for this Stage is to reach a point where śamatha persists between sittings, permeating your everyday life. This is the one real change left in the perfection of śamatha. Then, śamatha becomes the “normal” condition for the adept meditator. The distinction between meditation and non-meditation largely disappears
MIFU10 The goal of Stage Ten is for the qualities of śamatha to persist after you rise from the cushion. Just continuing to practice regularly will cause the profound joy and happiness, tranquility, and equanimity you experience in meditation to persist between meditation sessions.
The goal of Stage Ten is for the qualities of śamatha to persist after you rise from the cushion. Just continuing to practice regularly will cause the profound joy and happiness, tranquility, and equanimity you experience in meditation to persist between meditation sessions.
Your body should feel like breeze. Only then are you really healthy.
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Did you ever notice that the first piece of luggage on the carousel never belongs to anyone?" -- Erma Bombeck
Did you ever notice that the first piece of luggage on the carousel never belongs to anyone?"
-- Erma Bombeck
-- Erma Bombeck
VASCO DA GAMA
He sailed in 1497, doubled the Cape and crossed the Indian Ocean, arriving at Calicut in 1498. After a short stay he once more set sail and reached Lisbon in 14.99. He went out to Calicut again in 1502 and in 1524, the last time with the title of Viceroy. He died at Cochin in 524. and fourteen years later his body was taken home and buried with great pomp in his native country."
"Self-knowledge –especially of how we find ourselves in willpower trouble –is the foundation of self-control."
"Self-knowledge –especially of how we find ourselves in willpower trouble –is the foundation of self-control."
WIPED PM
For every willpower mistake, we’ll conduct a kind of autopsy: when we give in to temptation or put off what we know we should do, what leads to our downfall? What is the fatal error, and why do we make it? Most important, we will look for the opportunity to save our future selves from this fate. How can we turn the knowledge of how we fail into strategies for success?"
Because distraction, temptation, impulse control and procrastination are such universal human challenges,"
Because distraction, temptation, impulse control and procrastination are such universal human challenges,"
"For most of us, the classic test of willpower is resisting temptation, whether the temptress is a doughnut, a cigarette, a clearance sale or a one-night stand."
"For most of us, the classic test of willpower is resisting temptation, whether the temptress is a doughnut, a cigarette, a clearance sale or a one-night stand."
RODIN I choose a block of marble and chop off whatever I don't need."
I choose a block of marble and chop off whatever I don't need."
GOLOK TBT-When you have subdued an opponent, A thousand more are still to be overcome. Instead, crush your negative emotions, Which are the enemies dwelling in your mind. Minling Terchen Terdag Lingpa,
When you have subdued an opponent,
A thousand more are still to be overcome.
Instead, crush your negative emotions,
Which are the enemies dwelling in your mind.
A thousand more are still to be overcome.
Instead, crush your negative emotions,
Which are the enemies dwelling in your mind.
Minling Terchen Terdag Lingpa,
"In fact, the development of these three powers –I will, I won’t and I want –may define what it means to be human."
"In fact, the development of these three powers –I will, I won’t and I want –may define what it means to be human."
WP MUSCLE EVOLVED
"Yes, for you, the (almost) modern human, there are all sorts of new ways to get into trouble with the time-tested instincts of appetite, aggression and sex."
"Even in the Stone Age, the rules for how to win friends and influence people were likely the same as today’s: cooperate when your neighbour needs shelter, share your dinner even if you’re still hungry,"
WP X SUCCESS
"People who have better control of their attention, emotions, and actions are better off almost any way you look at"
WP X SUCCESS
"Self-control is a better predictor of academic success than intelligence (take that, SATs), a stronger determinant of effective leadership than charisma, and more important for marital bliss than empathy"
OLD PFC
"prefrontal cortex mainly controlled physical movement: walking, running, reaching, pushing –a kind of proto-self-control."
PFC X NEW FN X ATTN
As the prefrontal cortex grew, it took on new control functions: controlling what you pay attention to, what you think about, even how you feel. This made it even better at controlling what you do."
WIPED X PFC
"When it’s easier to stay on the couch, your prefrontal cortex makes you want to get up and exercise. When it’s easier to say yes to dessert, your prefrontal cortex remembers the reasons for ordering tea instead."
THE TEMPORARY PHINEAS GAGE IN ALL OF US
Most of us don’t have to worry about ill-timed railroad explosions robbing us of our self-control, but we all have a little Phineas Gage in us. The prefrontal cortex is not always as reliable as we’d like. Many temporary states –like being drunk, sleep-deprived or even just distracted –inhibit the prefrontal cortex, mimicking the brain damage
MORE LIKELY TO BINGE FOODS WHEN ON CALL, D/OFF SLOTH MAY BE PROBLEM
"Even when our brains are well rested and sober, we aren’t fully out of danger."
PFC X EAT SPEND SLOTH ANGER ESSA
"When we watch our willpower fail –spending too much, eating too much, wasting time and losing our tempers –well, it can make a person wonder if he has a prefrontal cortex at all."
KLUGE EVOLVED
"So as humans required new skills, our primitive brain was not replaced with some completely new model –the system of self-control was slapped on top of the old system of urges and instincts
ONE MIND, 2 PERSONS
"Some neuroscientists go so far as to say that we have one brain but two minds –or even, two people living inside our mind. There’s the version of us that acts on impulse and seeks immediate gratification, and the version of us that controls our impulses and delays gratification to protect our long-term goals. They’re both us, but we switch back and forth between these two selves."
HI PRICE EQUALS PHYSICAL PAIN
"“Buy it!” Then you check out the price tag: £ 199.99. Before you saw the outrageous price, you would have needed some serious prefrontal cortex intervention to shut down the spending impulse. But what if your brain registers an instinctive pain response to the price? Studies show that this actually happens –the brain can treat a hefty price tag like a physical punch to the gut. That instinctive shock is going to make the job easy for your prefrontal cortex,"
227 FOOD RELATED DECISIONS MADE EVERY DAY BY SELF
"For example, one study asked people how many food-related decisions they made in one day. What would you say? On average, people guessed fourteen. In reality, when these same people carefully tracked their decisions, the average was 227. That’s more than 200 choices people were initially unaware of –and those are just the decisions related to eating."
ON CALL BINGES
"When your mind is preoccupied, your impulses –not your long-term goals –will guide your choices."
AL END SLOTH X ALES
"This week, commit to watching how the process of giving in to your impulses happens. You don’t even need to set a goal to improve your self-control yet. See if you can catch yourself earlier and earlier in the process, noticing what thoughts, feelings, and situations are most likely to prompt the impulse. What do you think or say to yourself that makes it more likely that you will give in?"
WIPED
Or you could do something a lot simpler and less painful: meditate. Neuroscientists have discovered that when you ask the brain to meditate, it gets better not just at meditating, but also at a wide range of self-control skills, including attention, focus, stress management, impulse control and self-awareness. People who meditate regularly aren’t just better at these things. Over time, their brains become finely tuned willpower machines."
"Or you could do something a lot simpler and less painful: meditate. Neuroscientists have discovered that when you ask the brain to meditate, it gets better not just at meditating, but also at a wide range of self-control skills, including attention, focus, stress management, impulse control and self-awareness. People who meditate regularly aren’t just better at these things. Over time, their brains become finely tuned willpower machines."
"Or you could do something a lot simpler and less painful: meditate. Neuroscientists have discovered that when you ask the brain to meditate, it gets better not just at meditating, but also at a wide range of self-control skills, including attention, focus, stress management, impulse control and self-awareness. People who meditate regularly aren’t just better at these things. Over time, their brains become finely tuned willpower machines."
Sunday 29 July 2018
INNOVATION BRANDS
1. Innovation brands 5
1 Adidas: the performance brand 7
2 Sony: the pioneer brand 11
3 Hoover: the synonymous brand 13
4 Xerox: the research brand 15
5 American Express: the integrity brand 17
6 L’Oréal: the individuality brand 19
7 Durex: the safe brand 23
8 Mercedes-Benz: the prestige brand 25
9 Nescafé: the instant brand 27
10 Toyota: the big-picture brand
1 Adidas: the performance brand 7
2 Sony: the pioneer brand 11
3 Hoover: the synonymous brand 13
4 Xerox: the research brand 15
5 American Express: the integrity brand 17
6 L’Oréal: the individuality brand 19
7 Durex: the safe brand 23
8 Mercedes-Benz: the prestige brand 25
9 Nescafé: the instant brand 27
10 Toyota: the big-picture brand
VPSNA
I'm a middle-class kid from Western Canada. I have a loving, supportive family. I couldn't ask for better friends. Ninety percent of Maslow's pyramid has been taken care of for as long as I could remember, leaving me to arrogantly believe it's my responsibility to improve this world, even if I have no idea how to do so.
BDHA BODYSCAN 32
These are the thirty-two parts of the body (with Pali translations *):
- Head hair, Body hair, Nails, Teeth, Skin
(Kesa, Loma, Nakkha, Danta, Taco) - Flesh, Sinews, Bones, Bone Marrow, Kidneys
(Masam, Naharu, Atthi, Atthiminjam, Vakkam) - Heart, Liver, Diaphragm, Spleen, Lungs
(Hadayam, Yakanam, Kilomakam, Pihakam, Papphasam) - Large Intestine, Small Intestine, Stomach, Feces, Brain
(Antam, Antagunam, Udariam, Kerisam, Mattagunam) - Bile, Phlegm, Pus, Blood, Sweat, Fat
(Pittam, Semhan, Pubbo, Lohitam, Sedo, Medo) - Tears, Grease, Saliva, Mucus, Oil of the Joints, Urine
(Assu, Vasa, Kelo, Singhanika, Lasika, Muttam)
MF9
Meditating on the mind itself involves bringing
attention and awareness together in a completely open
state. Essentially, you’re fusing attention and
awareness.
attention and awareness together in a completely open
state. Essentially, you’re fusing attention and
awareness.
MORNING PAGES
"Reading through my notes after journaling made me realize that my psyche was a real mess and that I needed to do something about it. The author Julia Cameron is famous for promoting what she calls “morning pages”: you sit down after waking up and write three full pages without interruption until you are finished."
M Skin Cancer Risk Is Especially High in Organ Transplant Recipients
Skin Cancer Risk Is Especially High in Organ Transplant Recipients
We can always choose to perceive things differently. You can focus on what's wrong in your life, or you can focus on what's right." -- Marianne Williamson
We can always choose to perceive things differently. You can focus on what's wrong in your life, or you can focus on what's right."
-- Marianne Williamson
-- Marianne Williamson
mf9
For the intensity of pīti to calm, you need to be able to
sustain it until the intensity peaks and starts to subside,
giving way to tranquility and equanimity.
sustain it until the intensity peaks and starts to subside,
giving way to tranquility and equanimity.
MIFU9 The resulting śamatha has five qualities of mind: fully stable attention, powerful mindfulness, joy, tranquility, and equanimity.2
The resulting śamatha has five qualities of mind: fully stable
attention, powerful mindfulness, joy, tranquility, and equanimity.2
attention, powerful mindfulness, joy, tranquility, and equanimity.2
MIFU9
The goal of Stage Nine is the maturation of meditative joy that
produces tranquility and equanimity. As you continue to practice,
simply abiding in the state of meditative joy will cause profound
tranquility and equanimity to arise.
produces tranquility and equanimity. As you continue to practice,
simply abiding in the state of meditative joy will cause profound
tranquility and equanimity to arise.
VIPASSANA X GAMMA WAVES X RESILIENCE BRB
Studies of vipassana use electroencephalograms (those swimmer cap things with the electrodes attached) to measure brain activity. Specifically, they measure gamma waves, the messengers between the neurons. Vipassana meditators exhibit a very rare occurrence: extremely high gamma wave synchrony. It feels like all your cylinders are firing at once, or as David Dobbs described it beautifully in the Scientific American, “like numerous ropes turning precisely together.” Davidson has found that emotionally stronger people, that is those who bounce back from bad news rather than dip into depression and anxiety, have stronger gamma wave connections between the left prefrontal cortex (PFC) and the amygdalae. Weaker people, he found, have fewer signals between the PFC and the amygdalae. Vipassana, he surmised, could help rebuild and strengthen those connections.
MIFU FA X OM
During a ten day course, you learn two types of meditation: fixed attention and open monitoring. When your mind is concentrated—and when you’re not talking or looking at a phone, you’d be amazed how sharp it gets—you begin mentally scanning your entire body and observing the sensations that come and go without moving or reacting. It's tediously difficult because, even with a sharp mind, your thoughts still take you away to other places or you want to react to the pain in your body that comes from sitting cross-legged all day. This is just the loopy habit pattern of the mind. But slowly—and from my experience nothing happens quickly at a vipassana—your mind and body start to comply, and this compliance, this arduous changing of habits, has had repercussions in almost every area of my life. It’s created a kind of buffer between things happening and me reacting, and over time and with continuous practice, the buffer has become stronger.
Vipassana is a type of mental training that Davidson says gives you “The wherewithal to pause, observe how easily the mind can exaggerate the severity of a setback, note that it is an interesting mental process, and resist getting drawn into the abyss."
Vipassana is a type of mental training that Davidson says gives you “The wherewithal to pause, observe how easily the mind can exaggerate the severity of a setback, note that it is an interesting mental process, and resist getting drawn into the abyss."
VIPASSANA X REWIRING
Richard Davidson is professor of psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin who has studied vipassana. He describes what happens during those ten days as a kind of “rewiring”.
At a spiritual level, vipassana, which comes from the Pali word meaning to see things as they really are, is intended as a way of purifying the mind of all defilements. I
At a spiritual level, vipassana, which comes from the Pali word meaning to see things as they really are, is intended as a way of purifying the mind of all defilements.
Drink plenty of water. The AHS suggests that men who drank 5 or 6 daily glasses of water had a substantial reduction in the risk of a fatal heart attack –60 to 70 percent–compared to those who drank considerably less.
Drink plenty of water.
The AHS suggests that men who drank 5 or 6 daily glasses of water had a substantial reduction in the risk of a fatal heart attack –60 to 70 percent–compared to those who drank considerably less.
Put more plants in your diet. Nonsmoking Adventists who ate 2 or more servings of fruit per day had about 70 percent fewer lung cancers than nonsmokers who ate fruit once or twice a week. Adventists who ate legumes such as peas and beans 3 times a week had a 30 to 40 percent reduction in colon cancer. Adventists women who consumed tomatoes at least 3 or 4 times a week reduced their chance of getting ovarian cancer by 70 percent over those who ate tomatoes less often. Eating a lot of tomatoes also seemed to have an effect on reducing prostate cancer for men.
Put more plants in your diet.
Nonsmoking Adventists who ate 2 or more servings of fruit per day had about 70 percent fewer lung cancers than nonsmokers who ate fruit once or twice a week. Adventists who ate legumes such as peas and beans 3 times a week had a 30 to 40 percent reduction in colon cancer. Adventists women who consumed tomatoes at least 3 or 4 times a week reduced their chance of getting ovarian cancer by 70 percent over those who ate tomatoes less often. Eating a lot of tomatoes also seemed to have an effect on reducing prostate cancer for men.
1900 A light dinner early in the evening avoids flooding the body with calories during the inactive parts of the day. It seems to promote better sleep and a lower BMI.
A light dinner early in the evening avoids flooding the body with calories during the inactive parts of the day. It seems to promote better sleep and a lower BMI.
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