Quiz: Will Online Book Marketing Help Sales
Janet returned from the U.K. (over my protests) and we eventually moved from Johnstown to Winchester, Virginia, hoping for a better chance for employment, even though none of these small Appalachian towns could offer much. Winchester was only an hour's drive from the Bhavana Society and Bhante G, who was just over the line in West Virginia and a couple of hours from my mother's nursing home in Pennsylvania, so we were able to deepen our practice and at the same time keep an eye on Mom.
It is a tradition in Thai theravada Buddhism to cultivate compassion, loving kindness, and mindfulness through many spiritual practices of prayer and meditation. The art of Thai massage is no exception. Thai massage without compassion and mindfulness is like a car without a driver.
MZC: So you train and become a monk. What was your experience as you began to meditate regularly and to follow the precepts? What was it like to become so close to your teacher, U Silananda?
You know the conditionality of things; one of the great problems of Mexico is the drug trafficking. But the consumer in the U.S. and Canada is part of it; it's all inter-related. You are part of that chain.
Ramkhamhaeng introduced the first Thai letters. During his regime, the kingdom expanded and spread over a large area from Martaban (now Myanmar) to Luang Prabang (present day Laos) and down to the Malay Peninsula. The kingdom was larger than modern day Thailand.
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, Theravada.vn 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.
BN: I changed my life. Before I had only read, but when you meet with a teacher and stay close to a teacher, well that is the great change. I turned around. I felt a transformation by practicing and learning from my teacher. I discovered an inner happiness and peace. I felt I found an opportunity to know what the Buddha taught. I stayed with my teacher until he died; even after I came to Mexico, I used to accompany my teacher when he traveled. I stayed with him for almost 20 years.
