Noble Truth 4

The path to the cessation of suffering.There is a path to the end of suffering - a gradual path of self-improvement. It is the middle way between the two extremes of excessive self-indulgence (hedonism) and excessive self-mortification (asceticism); and it leads to the end of the cycle of rebirth. The latter quality discerns it from other paths which are merely "wandering on the wheel of becoming", because these do not have a final object. The path to the end of suffering can extend over many lifetimes, throughout which every individual rebirth is subject to karmic conditioning. Craving, ignorance, delusions, and its effects will disappear gradually, as progress is made on the path.

Noble Truth 3

The cessation of suffering is attainable.

The cessation of suffering can be attained through nirodha. Nirodha means the unmaking of sensual craving and conceptual attachment. The third noble truth expresses the idea that suffering can be ended by attaining dispassion. Nirodha extinguishes all forms of clinging and attachment. This means that suffering can be overcome through human activity, simply by removing the cause of suffering. Attaining and perfecting dispassion is a process of many levels that ultimately results in the state of Nirvana. Nirvana means freedom from all worries, troubles, complexes, fabrications and ideas. Nirvana is not comprehensible for those who have not attained it.

Noble Truth 2

The origin of suffering is attachment.

The origin of suffering is attachment to transient things and the ignorance thereof. Transient things do not only include the physical objects that surround us, but also ideas, and -in a greater sense- all objects of our perception. Ignorance is the lack of understanding of how our mind is attached to impermanent things. The reasons for suffering are desire, passion, ardour, pursuit of wealth and prestige, striving for fame and popularity, or in short: craving and clinging. Because the objects of our attachment are transient, their loss is inevitable, thus suffering will necessarily follow. Objects of attachment also include the idea of a "self" which is a delusion, because there is no abiding self. What we call "self" is just an imagined entity, and we are merely a part of the ceaseless becoming of the universe.

Noble Truth 1

According to the Buddhist tradition, the Buddha first taught the four noble truths in the very first teaching he gave after he attained enlightenment, as recorded 

Life means suffering.

To live means to suffer, because the human nature is not perfect and neither is the world we live in. During our lifetime, we inevitably have to endure physical suffering such as pain, sickness, injury, tiredness, old age, and eventually death; and we have to endure psychological suffering like sadness, fear, frustration, disappointment, and depression. Although there are different degrees of suffering and there are also positive experiences in life that we perceive as the opposite of suffering, such as ease, comfort and happiness, life in its totality is imperfect and incomplete, because our world is subject to impermanence. This means we are never able to keep permanently what we strive for, and just as happy moments pass by, we ourselves and our loved ones will pass away one day, too.

Koi Fish Meaning

Koi Fish meaning in Japan is good fortune or luck they also are associated with perseverance in adversity and strength of purpose, the Koi fish symbolize good luck, abundance and perseverance.
Symbolic in Buddhism is to represent courage.
Today the fish are considered to be symbolic of advancement materially and spiritually.
According to Japanese legend, if a koi fish succeeded in climbing the falls at a point called Dragon Gate on the Yellow River, it would be transformed into a dragon. Based on that legend, it became a symbol of worldly aspiration and advancement.
Another legend states that the koi climb the waterfall bravely, and if they are caught, they face their death on the cutting board bravely like a samuri. In Japan, the word koi refers primarily to the wild variety. As a result, many of the country's symbolic meanings for the fish refer to the wild variety instead of the fish species as a whole. One of the primary reasons the fish is symbolic in Japanese culture is because it is known for swimming upstream no matter what the conditions are. These fish are even said to swim up waterfalls. This is viewed as an absolute show of power because they will continue to swim upstream as if on a mission. They cannot be distracted or deterred by anything. Koi's swimming downstream are considered bad luck.
Koi were developed from common carp (in ancient China and was later transferred to Korea and Japan, and are still popular there because they are a symbol of love and friendship.
Colorful Nishikigoi (Koi) have been divided into some 70 varieties according to different color patterns, but taxonomically they all belong to one species-Cyprinus Carpio Linne (1758). Carpio-the name of the island where the goddess of love, Venus, was born and brought up-means fecundity. The name “Carpio” is apt as Koi are fertile; each spawn on an average about 100,000 eggs every time. It is therefore significant and proper that “Koi” sounds the same as Koi meaning “love” in Japanese.

Symbols of strength and masculinity in Japan, Koi are know there as the "warrior's fish". Each year in the month of May, beautiful koinobori (streamers) in the shape of Koi are flown form poles in celebration of the Boy's Day Festival. The streamers symbolize the Japanese parents hope that their sons will demonstrate courage and strength, like that of the nishikigoi. The koi fish is a popular symbol for the family, - black koi for father, flame red koi for mother, blue and white for boy, and pink and red for girl.

Soup with a Fork

This was read to us at Theory class tonight and it was so powerful it spoke the words I need to hear I felt compelled to share it with as many people as I can 

We create big problems for ourselves by not recognizing mind energies when they arrive dressed up in stories. They are like the neighbor’s children disguised as Halloween ghosts. When we open the door and find the child next door dressed in a sheet, even though it looks like a ghost, we remember it is simply the child next door. And when I remember the dramas of my life are the energies of the mind dressed in the sheet of a story, I manage them more gracefully. Here’s an exercise to show that it’s the mind state, not the event itself, that determines our experience:

FIRST SCENARIO 
You’ve been in a relationship, and the relationship has gone sour. You and your partner are both disappointed that the relationship hasn't worked out and dismayed and angry with the other person for not having lived up to your expectations. You meet for one last day to try to talk things over. You go to the beach to get away from it all, and, as the day goes on, each of you remembers more and more painful ways in which the relationship has failed. You feel exhausted and angry. On the drive back to the city, because both of you are hungry, you stop at a restaurant for dinner. Your partner eats the soup with a fork. You think to yourself, “This is even worse than I thought! This idiot eats his soup with a fork!” 

SECOND SCENARIO 
You fall totally in love. The other person loves you with equal passion. You go to the beach for the day. You lie in the sun, you read Rilke, you splash in the waves, you make love. On the drive back to the city, you are both hungry so you stop in a restaurant. Your partner eats the soup with a fork. You think to yourself, “What a cute idea! Eating the soup with a fork!” 

I think this is what people mean when they say, “We create our own reality.” I used to have trouble with that idea when I first heard it in the seventies. Hard as I try, I cannot create the reality of the sun rising tomorrow in the west, and I cannot create the reality of the people I know with illnesses being miraculously cured. But one reality I can create—the point of view I bring to any experience

It's Easier Than You Think: The Buddhist Way to Happiness

by Sylvia Boorstein

A Key for Unlocking the Human Brain

Deep in the mind we hold the mystery's to all knowledge.

Practicing some technique that allows quieting the mind and stilling the body has been a fundamental part of most spiritual traditions. And their benefits are said to be many and varied. But for a long time, these reports have mostly come from those who actually practice such techniques and the religious or philosophical texts that promoted them.

It was until very recent times that science began to look into the veracity of such claims and attempted to understand both the physiological as well as the psychological effects that such practices have on those who practice those techniques.

In an effort to compile the most important findings from such research, and increase our acceptance and understanding of the positive effects that meditation has on our body and minds, Dr Shanida Nataraja published a book called, The Blissful Brain.

Community

I am and we are........... the moment is truly enriched by the wonderful people in this world,  we all make the world a better place and everyone has there role, some are hard roles and some are gentle and kind loving roles, with out the kindness and love that we feel or share with one another life can feel so cold and empty,  thankfully all we have to do is look around us to realize all the wonderful people that share our world provide such a incredible network of  friendship and support deeply alive and vibrant.

I know I am deeply grateful for all the the people that are my world and the friendship they provide and there continued presence in this world

Enlightenment

The English term enlightenment has been used to translate several Buddhist terms and concepts, most notably bodhi, kensho and satori

Kensho and Satori are Japanese terms used in Zen traditions. Kensho means "seeing into one's true nature." Ken means "seeing", sho means "nature", "essence
Bodhi literally means "to have woken up and understood" and refers to the particular form of understanding or knowledge that the Buddha attained upon his awakening. This knowledge is an understanding into the causality by which sentient beings come into existence, as well as the operations of the mind which keep sentient beings imprisoned in craving, suffering and rebirth. Bodhi is thus the understanding of the way to liberate oneself from this imprisonment.

In this awakening it is realized that observer and observed are not distinct entities, but mutual co-dependent.

In the Vanapattha Sutta  the Buddha describes  the jungle of life, and the attainment of awakening. After destroying the disturbances of the mind, and attaining concentration of the mind a meditative state , he attained three knowledge's 

1. Insight in his past lives
2. Insight in the workings of Karma and Reincarnation
3. Insight in the Four Noble Truths

Insight in the Four Noble Truths is here being called awakening

The four noble truths are:

1. The truth of dukkha (suffering, anxiety, dissatisfaction)
2. The truth of the origin of dukkha
3. The truth of the cessation of dukkha
4. The truth of the path leading to the cessation of dukkha

Awakening or enlightenment  is also being described as reaching Nirvana, the extinction of the passions whereby suffering is ended and no more rebirths take place.The insight arises that this liberation is certain:

Knowledge arose in me, and insight: my freedom is certain, this is my last birth, now there is no rebirth

Allow the Dream to unfold

“There are two kinds of people in the world: those who are dreamers and those who are being dreamed.” 
― Alberto Villoldo, Dance of the Four Winds: Secrets of the Inca Medicine Wheel

How many of us have ever had a dream that felt so real that even after we woke up and long afterward it felt like we were still in a dream?

Ever notice how many people refer to something in life they wish for as a dream yet we all seem to know a dream as a series of thoughts, or emotions occurring during sleep.

"Dreams are the seeds of change. Nothing ever grows without a seed, and nothing ever changes without a dream." ~ Debby Boone

Our dreams can be colorful and quite, special and vague, deep and  shallow, all at the same time and none of the above, when we walk from a daily routine and do our normal job we sometimes find our self DAY DREAMING, we might drift off with out falling asleep and experience a Waking dream thinking about far off places and wonderful adventures, and what is that, were is it taking you, why did it really happen?

From a different perspective a dream can feel like we step outside or bodies and receive downloaded information in the form of a mini movie watching yourself or a chain of events occurring in a pattern telling a story and why would we experience something like this, is our subconscious telling us something or is there other things occurring to allow brain to have this moment of prime time drama in our cranium?

   One of my favorite quotes, "Dreams are the stepping stones to reality"

Nietzsche wrote ,"Man believes that he was discovering a second real world in a dream state and here is the origin of everything metaphysical.

Regardless Of Outcome

There Are No Wrong Decisions

 For every force, there is a counter force. For every negative there is a positive. For every action there is a reaction. For every cause there is an effect. 

Many of us have a hard time making decisions. We fear that if we choose the wrong partner, then we'll be stuck in an unhappy relationship. Or, if we make the wrong financial decision, we'll make a bad investment. Yet, there are no wrong decisions. Perhaps we could, at times, make different choices regarding our relationships, personal pursuits, careers, or the right color of paint we should buy for our bedroom. Yet, regardless of the outcome, we always gain valuable experience or insights from any choice we make.

Making a decision is always better than making no decision at all. At least we had the courage to decide, take a chance, and make a move in a particular direction. We can't take action unless we make a decision first. And, a decision is never wrong because we always gain something from it - whether we get what we thought we intended or learn a valuable lesson. Sometimes, we need to follow through on a decision to realize that we don't really want what we thought we did.

For instance, maybe you always wanted to live in a big city, so you leave family, friends, and a secure job in a small town to move across the country. However, once you get there, you find out that you don't really like city life. You never could have known that unless you tried it. So, you move back home, all the more appreciative of small town living. Rather than constantly wondering what else is out there, you are now able to fully embrace your surroundings and the direction your life there is taking. Your decision to move to the city did work out - just not in the way that you envisioned. While our decisions may not always lead us to what we thought we wanted, we always end up with what will ultimately make us happiest. Being able to make decisions is one of life's privileges. Exercise your right to fearlessly decide. 

Confidence

"Confident people don't always feel confident. They simply act as if they are"

The Eastern traditions say that doubt is one of the biggest obstacles to the profound discovery of enlightened awareness. The sparkle of ecstatic conviction in the eyes of a saint expresses the liberating joy and fearlessness that are testimony to powerful spiritual self-confidence. Unfortunately, madmen, monsters, and megalomaniacs from the East and the West also gain their power from absolute self-confidence. But that’s not a confidence that comes from knowing that mystery which is ungraspable. More often than not, it’s a confidence that comes from fear, from overwhelming arrogance, from the puny ego, or from ethnocentric pride. It’s a confidence that comes from a desire for power and an aspiration to dominate. The kind of spiritual confidence I’m speaking about comes from a very different source and from a very different part of the self.

Some people claim that absolute conviction of any kind is dangerous and should never be trusted. But the kinds of people who make those assertions are hypocrites. They are hypocrites because they stubbornly express an absolute conviction in their own perspective while simultaneously proclaiming to others the futility of such a position!

Spiritual confidence is the heaviest anchor in the midst of the unending storm that is life and death. It is an unshakable confidence in the inherent rightness of being here—confidence in the rightness of finding oneself in the very middle of the life process, even in all its chaos and complexity. Having this kind of confidence is of the utmost importance for anyone who is convinced that they deeply care about the way things are—and even more so for the bold and courageous warrior who wants to create something truly new, who would dare to be the one to step forward, to stand for and bear witness to that which is higher.

It’s especially important to have this kind of confidence in times like these when there is so much turbulence and individual and collective insecurity about survival. Without this kind of confidence as a constant reference point, we may find ourselves at times without the emotional, psychological, or spiritual resources to fight the good fight. And those who care more than anything else about the perennial quest to transform the world into a powerful reflection of that which is sacred cannot afford to allow even a moment of doubt or fear to overshadow their soul. Why? Because that may be the one moment that counted the most! In other words, we can’t afford not to have spiritual self-confidence if we want to change the world.

The kind of powerful conviction that I am referring to fills one’s heart with a love that is not dependent on external circumstances for its fullness. It’s a love that is unshakable, unmoving, and indestructible. Such love—a love that transcends yet simultaneously embraces the world—is what compels human beings to evolve, from their own deepest depths, and to become better citizens of our world and our cosmos. Knowing the mysterious source of that love is knowing before thought that life is good. That inherent goodness is who we really are. And that’s what we discover in deepest revelation.

Have confidence in that and change the world.

Become friends with yourself and your thoughts

Plenty of people ask me how to meditate.

I think a better question would be why I meditate.

Meditation is about letting go of the normal world and associated thoughts that constantly invade the senses and mind. Meditation is about just being instead of doing. Meditation is about becoming friends with yourself and realizing that separation from the ego brings freedom and happiness.

We bombard ourselves with thoughts beginning with I. I need to pay the bills. I need to lose weight. I need to buy a new something. I should be eating better.  Probably 80% of these thoughts are constantly and annoyingly repeating themselves from one day to the next.  It seems to be a constant struggle. Meditation trains you to quiet the mind and look at life from new perspective. By calming the mind, you begin to distance yourself from all that mindless chatter and begin to think with more clarity. Meditation reduces snap decisions and trains you to look at yourself and your thoughts with a friendly curiosity. Instead of being overwhelmed with sudden angry thoughts, you become more inquisitive about your thoughts. Most importantly meditation slows down and relaxes the mind. Don’t we all want that? Don’t we want to exercise the body and the mind?

By practicing meditation, you will find that it affects your whole day. Decisions are made with more clarity. Peacefulness resides in the background of you at all times. You realize that struggling with thoughts all the time was a waste of time.  Life will throw you curve balls all the time. It isn't easy sometimes. But the more you are able to quiet your thoughts and stop labeling and twisting them, the easier it becomes.

So step out of all those thoughts of desire, dislike, fear, and ego. Don’t let them control you. You can learn to control them.  Soon you will see yourself changing and become friends with yourself and your thoughts. You will chase your thought less often, become less judgmental and see the world with more clarity.

Following your breath throughout the day, you will be living in the present moment more often. This is the ultimate goal of course, because the more you live in the moment, the more you give your life your fullest attention. Don’t you want to be aware of life and all it has to offer? I certainly hope so. I know I do 

Be well Be happy Be in the moment

The Still point

At the still point of the turning world. Neither flesh nor fleshless;

Neither from nor towards; at the still point, there the dance is,

But neither arrest nor movement. And do not call it fixity,

Where past and future are gathered. Neither movement from nor towards,

Neither ascent nor decline. Except for the point, the still point,

There would be no dance, and there is only the dance.

I can only say, there we have been: but I cannot say where.

And I cannot say, how long, for that is to place it in time.

The inner freedom from the practical desire,

The release from action and suffering, release from the inner

And the outer compulsion, yet surrounded

By a grace of sense, a white light still and moving.......

from Burnt Norton, The Four Quartets, T.S.Eliot

Healing states of mind

When your thoughts keep leaping from worry to worry, your body responds by tightening and tensing, especially in certain key places like the throat, the heart, the solar plexus, and the belly. When the discomfort gets intense enough, you register it as an emotion — fear, perhaps, or anger or sadness. Popular culture has been designed to seduce you into searching outside yourself for happiness and satisfaction. In such a confusing and compelling world, even the most rudimentary gesture of self-awareness can seem like a challenge of monumental proportion, designed to seduce you into searching outside yourself for happiness and satisfaction. In such a confusing and compelling world, even the most rudimentary gesture of self-awareness can seem like a challenge of monumental proportions.

Take a few minutes right now to turn your mind around and pay attention to what you’re sensing and feeling. Notice how much resistance you have to shifting your awareness from your external focus to your simple sensate experience. Notice how busily your mind flits from thought to thought and image to image, weaving a story with you as the central character.

Using contemplation for greater insight

Although concentration and receptive awareness provide enormous benefits, ultimately it’s insight and understanding — of how the mind works, how you perpetuate your own suffering, how attached you are to the outcome of events, and how uncontrollable and fleeting these events are — that offer freedom from suffering. And in your everyday life, it’s creative thinking — free from the usual limited, repetitive patterns of thought — that offers solutions to problems. That’s why contemplation is the third key component that transforms meditation from a calming, relaxing exercise to a vehicle for freedom and creative expression.

After you've developed your concentration and expanded your awareness, you eventually find that you have access to a more penetrating insight into the nature of your experience. You can use this faculty to explore your inner terrain and gradually understand and undermine your mind’s tendency to cause you suffering and stress. If you’re a spiritual seeker, you can use this faculty to inquire into the nature of the self or to reflect upon the mystery of God and creation. And if you’re a person with more practical concerns, you may ponder the next step in your career or relationship or contemplate some seemingly irresolvable problem in your life.

Samaghi

When you meditate, you calm your mind by making it one-pointed rather than scattered and distracted. 

Many spiritual traditions teach their students concentration as the primary meditation practice.
Just keep focusing your mind on a mantra, symbol, or visualization,  and eventually you’ll attain what’s called absorption, or samadhi. 


sa·ma·dhi n. (pl. -dhis) [HINDUISM] & [BUDDHISM] a state of intense concentration achieved through meditation. 

In this absorption, the sense of being a separate “me” disappears, and only the object of your attention remains. Followed to its natural conclusion, the practice of concentration can lead to an experience of union with the object of your meditation.
Become one with everything become one with the universe, be it one thing or all things, find the still point and breath into it and become one with all.
In this relaxed or oneness state everyday struggles seem so small and meaningless the events that normally gave us great difficulty roll off our backs like rain rolling off a leaf.

  When we can allow our life struggles to not impede our progress we truly can accelerate our path and direction in life and nothing becomes unattainable.

So find the still point be in the still point be alive and free, its our true nature and where we were meant to BE

Peace out

Guided path

Simple though it may be, meditation has tremendous subtlety and depth, the benefits of meditation are vast and very rewarding.

If you’re interested in pursuing this further.

If you wish to learn more.

I offer classes and a guided meditation at a local Milwaukee center information on events there can be obtained at the meetup page or you can contact me for private one on one experience at my 
Email, jackjpickett@gmail.com 
helping people is something that means a great deal to me, if I can assist find your path  path let me know 

Meditation is greatly rewarding in many ways and how ever you choose to pursue a  meditation path, seeking a guide as you take your first steps to help you start this journey a guide is a very smart way to begin

The beginnings of the meditative mind

If, as the old saying goes, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, then the journey of meditation begins with the cultivation of awareness, or attention. 
In fact, awareness is the mental muscle that carries you along and sustains you on your journey, not only at the start but every step of the way. 
No matter which path or technique you choose, the secret of meditation lies in developing, focusing, and directing your awareness. 
In meditation, you can use awareness in different ways. To begin with, you can increase your powers of awareness by developing concentration on a particular object. 
Then, when you've stabilized your concentration, you can, through the practice of receptive awareness, expand your awareness to illuminate the full range of your experience.

Getting in the Meditation Frame of Mind

The great thing about meditation is that it’s actually quite simple. Just sit down, be quiet, turn your attention inward, and focus your mind. That’s all there is to it, really.

You can consider the practice of meditation to be a journey of sorts

with many alternative routes to your destination, there are many basic skills you need to know to get you there — and points of interest on this guided tour and of course some detours that may advertise the same benefits but that don’t really deliver.

Here are a few of the many meditation techniques that have been developed over the centuries and that continue to be used.

Repetition of a meaningful word or phrase, known as a mantra

 
Mindful awareness of the present moment 
Following or counting your breath 

Paying attention to the flow of sensations in your body 

Cultivation of loving kindness, compassion, forgiveness, and other healing emotions

Concentration on a geometric shape or other simple visual object

Visualization of a peaceful place or a healing energy or entity

Reading and reflecting upon inspirational or sacred writings

Gazing at a picture of a holy being or saint

Contemplation of nature

Chanting praises to the Divine

You may have no interest in lofty states and experiences like enlightenment or union. Perhaps you find yourself drawn to Meditation simply because you want to reduce your stress or enhance your healing process or deal with your emotions.

In the end if you feel better more relaxed at ease and at peace with the world around you then a beautiful incredible goal has been achieved and when we achieve such a goal our life's are so much better and we affect the world that we interact with making the world a better place 

Peace

Namaste