On Being Happy - A Buddhist Story

 

 

  Picture of Buddha's first sermon - from Wikipedia

Clients come to see me for a variety of reasons.  Recently, however, clients come in and talk about how they feel, and they talk about how they are not happy.  The best teaching story about happiness that I have read comes from Buddhist teachings.  

Here is a story about happiness.

"Once I was staying with my mother in London. At the time she was the housekeeper for a very wealthy Canadian who lived in a luxury flat just off Hyde Park. They all went off for a while, and I had the flat to myself. There I was in London, living in this luxurious flat with two huge colour television sets and all the food I could possibly eat! I had enough money for whatever I wanted, lots of records, lots of everything. But I was so bored!  I told myself, "Please remember this. If you are ever tempted to think that physical comfort gives happiness, remember this." 

But then, another time I was staying in a cave, not my cave but another cave, which was very small. It was so small that you couldn't stand up in it, with a tiny box you could only just sit in, and that was the bed as well. It was full of fleas, so I was covered in flea bites. You had to go half a mile down a very steep track to bring up water. There was also almost no food at all, and it was hot. But I was in bliss. I was so happy. It was a very holy place, and the people there were wonderful. Although from a physical point of view the situation was difficult, so what! The mind was happy. I remember that whole place as being bathed in golden light. Do you see what I mean?"   from Ani Tenzin Palmo, from "Reflections on a Mountain Lake: Teachings on Practical Buddhism'

Each person reading this story will have a different take away, and that is a good thing.  What I hope that everybody understands from this story is that our happiness stems from how happy we are at the time we examine our happiness.

As the last line of the "Loving Kindness" Meditation says, "May you be happy!"

Many blessings,

Judy

Some Thoughts About Karma

 

A while ago, a reader asked me to write more about karma.  Here are some quotes about karma that come from Buddhism.

I started learning and practicing Buddhism several decades ago.  And, I am still learning as there are so many nuances to the Buddhism way of life.

The online Dictionary.com defines karma as:

kar·ma

NOUN

1. (in Hinduism and Buddhism) the sum of a person's actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existence.

   
   

I translate this as meaning that how you manage yourself in your past lives will determine how you are treated and regarded in this lifetime.  Many think that karma is only about past evil deeds coming back to haunt them in this life.  However, past life kindnesses and closing of loops of bonds with people are also part of the clearing of karma.  More about this in a later post.

Some thoughts:

"I am the owner of my karma. 

I inherit my karma. I am born of my karma. I am related to my karma.  
I live supported by my karma. 

Whatever karma I create, whether good or evil, that I shall inherit."

The Buddha, Anguttara Nikaya V.57 - Upajjhatthana Sutta

Many blessings,

Judy 

Feverfew - A Healing Herb

 If you were out in the wild, and could not get to a doctor, would you know what plants could help you with various ailments?  Probably not!  If earthquakes or tornados or some other natural disaster cut you off from getting your regular medications, could you use a plant to substitute what you are missing?  Folks all over the world that are in places of natural disaster are facing some of these questions.  

Feverfew picture from www.migraine-facts.co.uk

 

 

 

  

 

We are so close to spring that one can almost smell it in the air!  Many folk are now planning their gardens and/or planting seeds into containers to be transplanted to the garden.  More and more folks are planting herbs not just for flavouring food, but also for use in healing.  There is an old saying that goes “For any malady that man doth know, God has caused a plant to grow!”  Essentially, for each known illness, there is a plant that holds a cure.

One plant that grows very well in North America is feverfew. It has some very specific uses.  Feverfew seems to help:

1.  headaches and migraines by reducing blood vessel spasms and by depressing the release of serotonin and prostaglandins which cause migraines.

2.  control the redness in irritated skin, due to inflammation.

3.  relieve stomach aches.

4.  treat menstrual cramping.

5.  reduce fever from colds, pneumonia, and flu.

www.plantcare.com

 

 

This sounds like a plant that we should all be growing.  I suggest that you add it to your flower bed or flower pot or garden this spring.

Remember that before you eat or drink any herb, you should check with your doctor to see if this plant is good for you and to see if it works with or against any medication that you are taking.  Some herbs counter the effects of medication so do be careful!

Many blessings,

Judy