Bedtime Process - Video

Morning Process - Video

Notes:

When you awaken in the morning, sit with a pencil and paper and as if you were addressing someone who can orchestrate anything that you can imagine, jot down things you would like them to work on today. It’s almost as if you have a staff that is at your beck and call. Ask for things such as:

• Bring me ideas
• Help me rendezvous with other like minded people
• Help me be aware of my power
• Guide me to thoughts that are in harmony with my core desires
• Bring me evidence of how this all works in comfortable, humors, delicious ways

Write these and then ponder on these statements for three days in a row and watch the universe knock itself out to supply your wishes. And because you’ve asked for them so recently you will recognize them.

Your job is to decide what you want.

with love & gratitude cyf

How Buddhism can help blacks

© MasterLu - Fotolia.com

By Maya Rock

Buddhism in America is on an upswing. A 2008 Pew poll estimated that there are 1.6 million Buddhists in America. The Dalai Lama’s face is instantly recognizable and several of his books, with titles such as Becoming Enlightened, have been bestsellers. Mainstream Western doctors and monks alike acclaim the benefits of meditation, the cornerstone of most forms of Buddhism. I see some connections between the Buddhist philosophies and black culture and have been keen to explore what Buddhism offers to black people.

What drew me to Buddhism was one powerful word: suffering. All over Buddhist literature there are acknowledgements that human existence is suffering. Suffering, according to Buddhism, is a fact of daily life. It’s not only the big losses - like the loss of a person - that affect us, it’s the small things, such as being cut in line or being chastised by a supervisor. Suffering occurs because of our attachment to the ‘phenomenal world’ - everything from our favorite songs, magazines, books, hairstyles, shoes, to our most cherished beliefs, attitudes and opinions. Buddhism teaches that it’s only when we rid ourselves of these attachments that we can truly be at peace.

Buddhism’s frank acceptance of the existence of suffering resonates with the black experience. Choyin Rangdrol, one of the few African-American teachers of Buddhism, said in an interview, “When I discovered that it was possible to avoid becoming ensnared in the mentality of an angry black man by applying Buddhism, I felt I had found a great treasure not just for me but also for my people.”

Author Alice Walker echoes Rangdrol’s thoughts. In The Best Buddhist Writing of 2007, she relates a typically horrific anecdote from the 19th century about the son of a black woman and white farmer who was shot by his father and a group of white men for riding a horse that was “too fine.” Walker explains that the typical Buddhist reaction is to offer compassion to every one involved, rather than taking the familiar way out which is to punish the perpetrators of the crime.

Buddhism doesn’t just speak to healing from history. It can ease the pain of those suffering right now. The reluctance of Buddhism to demonize criminals makes it a natural fit for prisoner conversion. It is well known that many blacks find God and Allah in prison. Many also find Buddha.

Jay Jarvis Masters is a black Buddhist on death row. He has been featured in O Magazine and has written two books entitled Finding Freedom: Writings from Death Row and That Bird Has Wings: The Autobiography of an Innocent Man. He believes that Buddhism can speak to those trapped behind bars. “A lot of people in [prison] are coming around,” he is quoted as saying. “They don’t see Buddhism as a religion; they see it as a kind of meditation, or relaxation. A lot of prisoners have been on death row for a long time now. They are restless. They want to learn patience. They want to learn to sit with their thoughts, or better yet, without them. There’s an absolute need for some kind of spiritual life.”

One doesn’t have to be behind bars to benefit from Buddhism. One of the most famous black Buddhists, Tina Turner, practices a brand of Buddhism called Soka Gakkai. Soka Gakkai, which does not promote meditation, has been viewed skeptically by other Buddhist sects. It rests largely on the chanting made famous by Angela Bassett in What’s Love Got To Do With It? Chanting is said to reward through the law of attraction. So you can chant for a new car, a new house and so forth. Tina Turner, however, used it to escape from a physically abusive marriage. Jazz musician Herbie Hancock is another noted Soka Gakkai practicioner and says that chanting inspires him.

Almost all forms of Buddhism prize meditation as a response to dealing with emotions no matter how justified they seem. It asks us to consider that everyone who reacts in anger feels that his or her anger is justified. When you sit and meditate, you begin to perceive the transience and ephemeral nature of your thoughts and emotions. You realize that you don’t have to follow them.

In this day and age, ideas, thoughts, religions, and even emotions, flash ever more rapidly across the globe through the Internet. Bombarded by stimulation from the outside and our own reactions from the inside, we may feel overwhelmed. Buddhism invites all people to take a break from those feelings and to discover calmness within. There is much that black people can gain from Buddhism.

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http://www.thegrio.com/2009/11/how-buddhism-can-help-blacks.php

Russell Simmons on The Power Inside

Here’s a very short but powerful 1 min video with CEO Russell Simmons talking about your power within.

32 Keys About Life - Day 32 Meditation

Meditation

Meditation has long been known in Eastern religions as a way to reduce tension and attain peace of mind. There are variations some of which might not be suitable to everyone or if practiced in the extreme. This topic is worth studying if you are having trouble breaking the anxiety and stress habits.

Some basic meditating might easily replace stress and tenseness with peace of mind and relaxation.

An over simplified effort might be:

• Find a quiet place by yourself.
• Get in a relaxed position.
• Rest your eyes downward, almost closed, not tight.
• Breathe slowly and naturally.
• Do not think about anything else except what you are doing.
• Do this for 15-20 minutes.

When lying wide awake in bed, or taking a calming break, try fixing your eyes and thoughts on an insignificant mark on the wall, a small glittery area, or perhaps a shadow. Keep staring at this and think of nothing else. As your eyes wander off bring them back to the object. With practice this will often send you off to a dreamy, peaceful state. (This is not advised while on the job or in the classroom.)

“Meditation has been defined as the cessation of active eternal thought” - Helena Blavatsky (1831-1891)

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You can buy the full 32 Days from Ken N McIsaac here.