"Every billboard, every message from television, radio," says Diana Winston, "is telling us to consume." But does that mean that Winston — the Director of Mindfulness Education at the Mindful Awareness Research Center at UCLA — thinks we should give up on holiday gift-giving entirely?
"I'm not saying that," she says. "But probably the thing that people want more than anything is you. Supplement your presents with presence. That's one of the greatest gifts you can give another person."
Learn more about how to do that and how to make the holidays meaningful for children (and your inner child as well) in "Have a happy, greed-free holiday," a new interview published on Mindful.org.
Learn the basics of Zen meditation in less than five minutes. Clear, step-by-step meditation instruction, as practiced at the Hazy Moon Zen Center of Los Angeles. Learn how to meditate in person by taking our class at the Hazy Moon: www.hazymoon.com Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com Visit out website: www.hazymoon.com This video teaches you how to meditate as taught in the tradition of Zen Buddhism. These meditation techniques, known as Zazen, have been passed down generation after generation from the Shakyamuni Buddha. Transcript Hazy Moon Zen Center: Meditation Instruction "The Zazen I speak of is not learning meditation. It is the manifestation of ultimate reality." - Dogen At the Hazy Moon, we practice classical meditation as taught by the Shakyamuni Buddha and his successors, passed down from India to China, to Japan, to America. The form is simple and enduring. To begin, you will need a quiet room, comfortable clothes, and a cushion. Choosing Your Position. Sit on the forward third of your cushion. The lower body will form a tripod - knees on the ground and the base supported with a cushion, bench or chair. Choose a position you can sustain for comfort and stability. For the full lotus position, place your right foot on your left thigh, and your left foot against your right thigh. The half lotus position places the right foot on the left thigh and the left foot on the floor against the right thigh. In burmese, both feet are on the floor, tucked against each leg ...Video Rating: 4 / 5
Photo: Florence Delahaye Sister Chan Khong is best known as Thich Nhat Hanh's closest collaborator, but she's also a dedicated activist and gifted teacher in her own right. Andrea Miller profiled her in the May 2012 Shambhala Sun magazine, and the entire piece is now online here . "People think that engaged Buddhism is only social work, only stopping the war," Chan Khong says. "But, in fact, at the same time you stop the war outside, you have to stop the war inside yourself." Over her lifetime, Sister Chan Khong has learned the importance of not making peace, but rather being peace, being understanding, being love—and to embody this way of being twenty four hours a day. The key, she tells the Shambhala Sun, is to practice mindfulness. "When your body and mind are not one, you do not see deeply," she says. Read the rest of "Path of Peace: The Life and Teachings of Sister Chan Khong" here . And browse our entire May 2012 issue o...
Homepage » News » His Holiness the Dalai Lama Concludes Teachings to Taiwanese Devotees » October 5th 2012 Dharamsala, India, 4 October 2012 (Samuel Ivor, The Tibet Post International) - Concluding His teachings on Atisha's "Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment" given at the request Taiwanese disciples, His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet culminated the fourth day (October 4th 2012) with a series of vows, blessings and future guidance to the gathering of devotees. The Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment, by Atisha Dipam karashrijnana (982-1054), was further examined and translated by one of the greatest spiritual leaders of our time. Drawing upon the central and final verses of the text, His Holiness cross-examined and explained key points during the teaching, which was held in the main temple in Dharamshala, India. During the teaching, the Dalai Lama re-iterated that the cultivation of Bodhisattva (enlightened existence) should be done gradually, over ti...
The relationship between the mind and the body is a fundamental part of Dharma practice. As Anyen Rinpoche , founder of the Orgyen Khamdroling Dharma Center, explains, reflecting on the mind-body connection through mindfulness and self-discernment can help ground you and reconnect you in your own practice — which we all can use from time to time. Click here to read "Examining the Body-Mind Connection Through Mindful Self-Reflection," an excerpt from his book Momentary Buddhahood . Anyen Rinpoche, along with John Tarrant and Polly Young-Eisendrath, will be leading " Getting Off the Emotional Rollercoaster ," a weekend program — coming soon, from July 19 to 21 — co-presented by the Shambhala Sun Foundation at Omega Institute this summer. The program will be held at Omega's Rhinebeck, NY, campus and will explore emotions and how to work with them in everyday life. During the weekend, participants will learn to cultivate a sense of calm and spaciousness, make ...
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