As S explained he was already on the path of conversion to Islam, and did not want to make such a life- changing transition under duress or pressure. He explained that he had needed to meet with an Imam, and had subsequently chosen an Islamic name to mark his adopted identity. (The one he chose belonged to one of his favorite soccer players.) S explained that he was impressed by his wife’s commitment to loving others, and by the respect she showed to everyone she met. He felt a strong sense of…
the room people could stay and chat while drinking tea. Over tea, I briefly interviewed a girl named Laura (she was not comfortable disclosing her last name) that was sitting next to me during the service. I first asked her why she came to these Buddhist meditation services, to which she responded that she had been coming for a few years now, she felt it was a way to disconnect with the rest of the world and relax. I then asked her how she found out about this temple that was located in Chapel…
Clearly, from a totally different period and culture, this Hope Dionysus is a roman sculpture. Roman sculptures were well known for being realistic yet very much stylized in terms of proportion. And as well there were hints of colors as stated by Gisela M. A. Richter and Lindsley F. Hall, “The statement of ancient writers and the actual traces of color on extant Greek and Roman sculptures were too strong evidence to admit of…
Perceiving and understanding past lives for the purpose of spiritual growth and overcoming conflicts has been utilized for centuries. It doesn't matter if you are a believer in reincarnation or not. It doesn't matter if you view the imagery as mere subconscious metaphor. The process of past life regression can be extremely beneficial, even when nothing else has worked for a particular problem. You can experience a productive and successful past life regression by following these tips. 1)…
were introduced to Japan. In 805, the Tendai sect came to be which branched off more important sects. The Jodo sect was founded by Honen. This sect was popular because it was attainable by all classes of people. Its simple theories attracted most of their followers. The principle is that when believing in the Buddha then a prosperous life will follow. The Zen sect was founded in 1175 and was introduced from China. The sect was found most popular by military classes because of the…
In my opinion, mindfulness meditation, both formal and unformal, is an innocuous counseling approach one could use with those afflicted with depression and/or anxiety, and I feel it would be prudent for me as a future therapist to develop. According to our book, formal training in meditation gives individuals that are depressed the potential to experience positive emotions by reducing rumination and psychological distress enabling them to appreciate pleasant everyday occurrences and improving…
of my own experiences at Buddhist institutions. Through my personal meditations at the Land of the Medicine Buddha from 2014- present, I have begun to learn how to practice silencing my mind in order to be more present and mindful of my current state. I have begun to live more morally and compassionately through my own desire to live a well conducted and disciplined life. However, I by no means felt like I had the ideology understood when I took on furthering my Buddhist research and knowledge.…
Throughout life, I have always heard the phrase, “Be mindful,” but only understood it as something to do before you speak, so when seeing the podcast’s title “ Mindfulness, Suffering, and Engaged Buddhism”, I wanted to know how mindfulness would be described. Not to mention, I had just finished an essay on dharma in my history class where I had to compare and contrast Buddha’s interpretation of dharma versus King Ashoka’s. When I saw that Thich Nhat Hanh was a follower and teacher, I wanted to…
HOW OFTEN SHOULD I MEDITATE? Once a day, or more if you wish. Some people meditate in the morning before breakfast and have another session just before they sleep. Meditation may seem like a chore at first, but learn to enjoy it and look forward to it every day. See it as an opportunity, rather than an item on your to-do list, to spend some intimate moments with yourself. Cultivate meditation as a habit that you’d do naturally every day, like brushing of your teeth. HOW LONG DO I NEED TO…
Doing Time, Doing Vipassana is a documentary that explores the use of a meditation technique named Vipassana in one of India’s most harshest prisons as a means of rehabilitation for the prisoners. The filmmakers spent a lot of time inside the Tihar Central prison in New Delhi where they interviewed the inmates and the jail officers along with the woman who introduced the Vipassana meditation technique to the prison, a woman named Kiran Bedi, a former General of Prisons in India. The film…