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Posted By Sensei on January 7th, 2010

“We must become the change we want to see in the world”.
Mohandas Gandhi

 

You are in category: Meditation

The Four Noble Truths

Posted By Sensei on December 10th, 2009
Buddha Shakyamuni, public domain picture by Heinrich Damm

Buddha Shakyamuni

1. Dukkha, “The truth of the existential suffering”.
Inherent in human life and suffering existential: it afflicts man because impermanence of life situation that comes with it from birth and because of its birth deep in “samsara.”
This existential suffering is revealed and is perceived not only when one sees the inevitability of sickness, old age and death, but even when one is forced into contact with what one does not like such as, contacts, connections, relationships, interactions with persons, things or events that we dislike.
But not only in these cases: the existential suffering is revealed and is perceived even when you are forced to separate from what you love, like when one is deprived of visions, sounds, smells, tastes and tactile sensations desirable, pleasing, attractive, or as when one is unable to obtain contacts, connections, relationships, interactions with people, things or events are responsible for his own good, its well-being, his ease, his freedom from slavery, or finally, where one should be subjected to the forced separation mother, father, brothers, sisters or friends, classmates, family, loved.
The frustration of desires is one of the most common perceptions of “dukkha”, the so-called “existential suffering”.
More generally, the finding that it is done in the “First Noble Truth is that there is in human life suffering associated with existential impermanence of all things, the fact that everything is destined to end.

2. Samudaya: “There is a source of the existential suffering”
Existential suffering is not the fault of the world, nor of fate or a deity, neither happens by chance.
Originates within us from the pursuit of happiness in that which is transitory, driven by desire (trsna, in Pali: ‘ta’ has’ or ‘brama’) for what is not satisfactory.
It occurs in three forms of kamatrsna or ‘desire for sensual objects; bhavatrsna or’ desire to be ‘vibhavatrsna or’ desire not to be.

3. Nirodha: “There is the emancipation from existential suffering”
To experience the emancipation from suffering existential need to let go trsna, attachment to things and people, the scale of values deceptive so what is temporary and more desirable.

4. Magga (Pali) or Marga (Sanskrit): “there is a path of practice for emancipation from existential suffering”.
It is the spiritual path to be taken to move closer to Nibbana.
It is called the “Noble Eightfold Path”.

Meditation for Calm - Breathing in 4 Steps

Posted By Sensei on April 16th, 2009
Bodhidharma, by Yoshitoshi, 1887.

Bodhidharma, by Yoshitoshi, 1887.

Who is so lucky to be never particularly agitated or anxious?
Sometimes, unfortunately, we happen to face even more critical situations, such as panic attacks, anger, or emotional states characteristic of depression.

If we are able to recognize the occurrence of certain body-mind situations we are already well advanced.
The second step is to try to control these negative emotions positively with, for example, a simple breathing exercise:

  1. inhale slowly with the nose counting (within our mind) to 5 and focusing on breath and numbers
  2. hold the breath by counting to 5 and focusing on the numbers and the beat of our heart (which soon will be felt calm and deep)
  3. exhale slowly through the lips just opened up and counting up to 5 with the mind
  4. withhold the emptiness of our lungs again counting to 5
  5. repeat to 1 up to a full and satisfactory calm

It’s important that we focus on the numbers, the breath and the heartbeat. In doing so we prevent our minds to think otherwise. This is because it is already hard enough to count, to feel your heart and control your breathing.

When your mind will continue to think of others and especially to thoughts that trigger negative emotions do not be discouraged. View by posting these thoughts pass and deflect attention firmly taking to control the breath, counting and feel your heart.

In repeating the exercise we can lengthen each phase counting slowly or counting up to 6, 7, and how far we want.

External links

http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meditazione
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meditation