Hair Removal - Select From Nine Methods
After a brief conversation, our Thai massage session began with my careful examination of tightness and weakness throughout the whole body. I thoroughly worked through and tested all major muscle groups and joints for any irregularity. Harvey's body was stiff with many holding patterns, or areas of chronic tension, especially around the hips, and the chest.
I don't like the word "rebirth." I prefer to use the word "relinking." In the Abidhamma, we learn that what exist are conditions. Mind is a reality. Because mind is within material, it doesn't move from one place to another. Perhaps this is difficult. Matter is something which moves, occupies space. One characteristic of mind is that it does not move. What makes mind arise is the existence of conditions, the laws of conditionality. That's why the term "relinking" is more appropriate to understand that when we die, we are "reborn." It's not that some mind is reborn in another. Another mind arises and it is related to the previous mind according to certain conditions.
theravada MZC: Did you go to Burma? What was your impression of the monks there? As a visitor, I can feel a sense of tranquility here in the monastery; I see that people are practicing sitting and walking meditation. There's a tangible quality one can feel when people come together to focus on understanding themselves with openness, with a sense of freshness.
Allocate a special space, seat, and time of day just for meditation. Although you can meditate anywhere and at any time, consistency ensures a greater likelihood of success. Begin with sitting for 15 minutes a day. First thing in the morning or just before bed are good times when external disturbances are likely to be minimal. You decide what works best for your life. If it feels appropriate after some time, you can gradually increase the duration of your practice to 30, 45 or 60 minutes.
Even if one does not turn to meditation for self-realization, the practice holds innumerable benefits. Meditation can reduce stress and therefore fortify the immune system. It also improves mental concentration and memory. In addition, one may notice an increased capacity to stay calm, peaceful, relaxed for oneself and others, even under trying circumstances. With practice, one attains a balance of mind to face the ups and downs of life with ever-increasing skillfullness. We all want to be happy and to reduce suffering. Over time, one discovers that meditation makes this possible.
The Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering: The things we most desire are the instances that cause the most suffering. This is because when we are denied these desires, we suffer through frustration. This can be expressed through the common craving to achieve wealth, as well as abundant success.
Before I left for the Southern Hemisphere, however, I needed a place to practice for awhile, to get back on track, and I knew the perfect place; at Bhante Gunaratana's monastery outside of Washington, DC. The Bhavana Society (bhavana in Pali translates as mental development) is tucked away in the picturesque hills of West Virginia just down the road from Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Bhante Gunaratana is the founder of Bhavana, a Sri Lankan monk who has been in robes for almost seventy years, and a world recognized meditation teacher.
There are many different religious concepts related to the Buddhist religion, but the main teachings deal with the Four Noble Truths; the Noble Eightfold Path; as well as the Five Precepts. Basic moral guidelines are presented through the Five Precepts, while the Noble Eightfold Path deals with the spiritual growth of a Buddhist. The Four Noble Truths offer insight into the main ideas associated with the Buddha's teachings.
