The concepts of "No Self" and "Emptiness" in Buddhism could be difficult to comprehend for many lay people, as well as monks and nuns. This is not surprising, for humans have different levels of Dharma practice, understanding, and insight. What's more, understanding these concepts also evolves as one grows spiritually. No wonder His Holiness the Dalai Lama said that, of 84,000 methods the Buddha taught, those for the highly skillful are much different from those for beginners or intermediate practitioners. Sometimes the two ends of the continuum might seem completely different, even opposite.
Many years ago, a monk, in a casual talk with me, raised the question:"If there is no self, then who practices the Dharma, and who attains Enlightenment?" His doubt revealed his level of understanding of "No Self," even though he had received Buddhist training since he was very young. Because we have been thinking the conventional way too long, it is not easy for us to get rid of that way of thinking. We are trapped in the cycle of "I"-"Mine", "You"-"Yours", "S/he"-"Hers/His", "We"-"Ours" and "They"-"Theirs." Our view is shrouded by a thick veil which prevents us from seeing "No Self."
Buddhism teaches us the right way to view ourselves and everything around us. Physically and mentally, humans are a combination of many factors or elements which, under the right conditions, exist as they appear to, and which continuously undergo some micro-transformation or changes from moment to moment. Nothing is static or remains the same all the time. Nothing exists by itself; instead, it depends on multiple factors for its existence. Hence, it is nothing. No Self. Impermanence. Interdependence. Interconnectedness.
Phenomena have no ultimate reality. On a coarse level, a mountain may look stable, or remain the same today and tomorrow, as it did yesterday. But on a very subtle level, its particles are changing from one instant to the next. Nothing remains the same; no two consecutive instants are alike. The impermanence of phenomena depends on external causes and conditions.
Our perception of time, too, is illusory. What is the past? It is not a reality; it has no substance. What is the future? Future projections and anticipations do not have a reality, either. Only the present is what we are experiencing here and now, but it does not last. We are in a paradoxical situation: the illusive present moment constitutes a border between a past and a future which have no concrete reality, for the past no longer exists, and the future has not yet happened. Thus, perceived phenomena exist from the standpoint of their designation, or the names and the concepts we attach to them. (Stril-Rever, pp. 90-91)
The Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra, which is usually chanted every day and night in Buddhist temples, is all about Emptiness at both the micro and the macro levels: No suffering. No cause of suffering. No end of suffering. No Path. No Enlightenment. Nothing.
By declaring that phenomena are empty of intrinsic existence, we are declaring not their non-existence, but their interdependence, and their absence of a stable reality. (Stril-Rever, p. 91)
From this right view there arises an immense, boundless space of peace and tranquility, filled with love and compassion for everything and every being. Why? Because there is no distinction, "One in All and All in One" on a constant, endless move: Buddha Nature.
Source:
The Dalai Lama: My Spiritual Journey.(New York, NY: Harper Collins, 2010). Collected by Sofia Stril-Rever, and translated by Charlotte Mandell.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
A Musician Who Teaches Us Love and Kindness - Part 2
One outstanding value in Trinh Cong Son's antiwar music is its humanity. All the songs in this category, which he composed between 1960s and 1970s, during the most violent phases of the Vietnam War,reveal not only Trinh's melancholy and compassion for his fellow countrymen in the senseless war, but also his immense loving kindness toward humans for their losses and sufferings.
Trinh was born when World War II broke out, and when Vietnam was still fighting against the French domination. He grew up in Hue after Vietnam regained its independence from Japanese fascism and French colonists. As a teenager and a young adult, he was haunted by the death of his father and his elder brother, and later had to witness many war atrocities, especially during the Tet Offensive in 1968 (when he was 23), and the notorious Red Summer of 1972 (when he was 33). His "Bai Ca Cho Nhung Xac Nguoi" (A Ballad for the Corpses)is a graphic description of Hue and its vicinity after the attack, with dead bodies scattered all over, in front of a temple, on the steps of the church, under the ditches along the roads, on the house roofs or hidden among farmlands of corn and potato plants. In many of his antiwar songs, such as "Nguoi Con Gai Vietnam Da Vang" (The Tan-Skin Vietnamese Girl), "Dai Bac Ru Dem" (The Shrapnels' Night Lullaby), "Ca Dao Me" (A Ballad for Mom), one can find the images of war and war victims from all walks of life: wounded women, mothers crying over bodies of their children, or waiting for their sons who never come back, a corpse in a coffin which was exploded into pieces by a mine buried in the road during a funeral procession (hence, "a person who died twice"), a night street sweeper apprehensively listening to the echo of far-off shrapnel explosions, the lonely homeless old man in the park, a naked little boy shocked by bomb explosions, as well as multiple images of huge swords, barbwires, grenades, shrapnels, claymore mines, and lines after lines of military trucks carrying ammunition and soldiers to the fronts....
Trinh pointed out the barbaric and ferocious aspects of the war, and chose not to side with neither the North nor the South, just as he refused to enlist to become a soldier. He had friends on both sides, but he remained a neutral witness, and found the only way to reassure himself in composing antiwar songs and getting drunk, in order to chase away the haunted ideas about loneliness, death and human sufferings. Sometimes he expressed his longing for peace and national reunification. Once he described national helplessness through the image of a chained slave seeking for peace and freedom, leaving both the North and the South behind.
According to Khanh Ly, Trinh had explained and shared with her the circumstances in which he created his antiwar songs, their meanings and implications. Khanh Ly herself also admitted that Trinh's antiwar songs, specifically those in the collection "Ca Khuc Da Vang" ("Songs for the Tan Skin People") were her favorites. In her own writings and in public interviews, she said Trinh's advice to her about the meaning of life has become a compass which guides her throughout her life: In life we only need a good and kind heart, even if it will soon be gone and blown away by the wind.
It has been ten years since Trinh passed away; yet his legacy of kindheartedness remains a great inspiration to all of us. As long as there are wars on earth, Trinh's antiwar message in his songs continues to have priceless values to peace-loving people all over the world.
Trinh was born when World War II broke out, and when Vietnam was still fighting against the French domination. He grew up in Hue after Vietnam regained its independence from Japanese fascism and French colonists. As a teenager and a young adult, he was haunted by the death of his father and his elder brother, and later had to witness many war atrocities, especially during the Tet Offensive in 1968 (when he was 23), and the notorious Red Summer of 1972 (when he was 33). His "Bai Ca Cho Nhung Xac Nguoi" (A Ballad for the Corpses)is a graphic description of Hue and its vicinity after the attack, with dead bodies scattered all over, in front of a temple, on the steps of the church, under the ditches along the roads, on the house roofs or hidden among farmlands of corn and potato plants. In many of his antiwar songs, such as "Nguoi Con Gai Vietnam Da Vang" (The Tan-Skin Vietnamese Girl), "Dai Bac Ru Dem" (The Shrapnels' Night Lullaby), "Ca Dao Me" (A Ballad for Mom), one can find the images of war and war victims from all walks of life: wounded women, mothers crying over bodies of their children, or waiting for their sons who never come back, a corpse in a coffin which was exploded into pieces by a mine buried in the road during a funeral procession (hence, "a person who died twice"), a night street sweeper apprehensively listening to the echo of far-off shrapnel explosions, the lonely homeless old man in the park, a naked little boy shocked by bomb explosions, as well as multiple images of huge swords, barbwires, grenades, shrapnels, claymore mines, and lines after lines of military trucks carrying ammunition and soldiers to the fronts....
Trinh pointed out the barbaric and ferocious aspects of the war, and chose not to side with neither the North nor the South, just as he refused to enlist to become a soldier. He had friends on both sides, but he remained a neutral witness, and found the only way to reassure himself in composing antiwar songs and getting drunk, in order to chase away the haunted ideas about loneliness, death and human sufferings. Sometimes he expressed his longing for peace and national reunification. Once he described national helplessness through the image of a chained slave seeking for peace and freedom, leaving both the North and the South behind.
According to Khanh Ly, Trinh had explained and shared with her the circumstances in which he created his antiwar songs, their meanings and implications. Khanh Ly herself also admitted that Trinh's antiwar songs, specifically those in the collection "Ca Khuc Da Vang" ("Songs for the Tan Skin People") were her favorites. In her own writings and in public interviews, she said Trinh's advice to her about the meaning of life has become a compass which guides her throughout her life: In life we only need a good and kind heart, even if it will soon be gone and blown away by the wind.
It has been ten years since Trinh passed away; yet his legacy of kindheartedness remains a great inspiration to all of us. As long as there are wars on earth, Trinh's antiwar message in his songs continues to have priceless values to peace-loving people all over the world.
A Plea for Life Style and Cultural Change
Hans Joachim Schellnhuber (http://www.pik-potsdam.de/institute/director/cv)has warned us about the seriousness of climate change, and told us to re-examine our culture or way of living, and make a revolutionary turnabout for the better of all. I agree with him that this is probably the most challenging task humans have ever had. Unless we started to change our materialistic life style, and our culture of increasing individualism and consumerism, life on earth would face annihilation within the next 100 years or even sooner.
The Fukushima disaster is not unpredictable. Tragically, it could have been preventable and avoidable. Industrialists and capitalists have wielded power with politicians, and together they ignored the risks, and sacrificed long-term disastrous consequences for short-term monetary gain, only to protect their own special interest groups. The Japanese people have never wanted to risk their lives for such nuclear power plants.
There is nothing new. In fact, crimes like that have happened again and again for centuries, ever since the Industrial Revolution! Stop stealing life from our children and grandchildren, future inhabitants on planet earth!
The Fukushima disaster is not unpredictable. Tragically, it could have been preventable and avoidable. Industrialists and capitalists have wielded power with politicians, and together they ignored the risks, and sacrificed long-term disastrous consequences for short-term monetary gain, only to protect their own special interest groups. The Japanese people have never wanted to risk their lives for such nuclear power plants.
There is nothing new. In fact, crimes like that have happened again and again for centuries, ever since the Industrial Revolution! Stop stealing life from our children and grandchildren, future inhabitants on planet earth!
Monday, March 28, 2011
A Musician Who Teaches Us Love and Kindness
One of the greatest musicians of contemporary Vietnam, Trinh Cong Son was born in Lac Giao, Daklak (now Lac Duong District, Ban Me Thuot) on the highlands in Central Vietnam on February 28, 1939. He grew up in Minh Huong, Vinh Tri (Huong Tra), Hue, and attended French schools in Hue and later in Saigon. He graduated from Lyceé J.J Rousseau with a focus on philosophy. In 1961 he had to enroll in the Teacher College in Qui Nhon to avoid participating in the Vietnam War. After graduation he taught at an elementary school in Blao (Bao Loc), Lam Dong.
According to recent research and discovery by Nguyen Dac Xuan, Trinh began composing as a teenager. His early songs were Sao Chieu (Afternoon Stars) (before 1957), Hoa Buon (Melancholy Flowers), and Uot Mi (Tearful Eyelashes, 1958). Together with his first long composition Da Trang Ca, Sao Chieu and Hoa Buon were performed at a music festival on the Teacher College campus in Qui Nhon in 1963. When Trinh passed away, he had written about 500-600 songs, the majority of which were completed between 1960s and 1970s, the most violent periods in the Vietnam War. Joan Baez dubbed him the Bob Dylan of Vietnam for his moving antiwar songs. He was frequently criticized by both sides of the Vietnam governments at that time, who felt displeased and uncomfortable with the lyrics in many of his antiwar songs. After the country’s reunification in 1975, his family fled to Canada. Trinh refused to leave Vietnam. He was sent to a re-education camp for four years, where he said that he spent his time planting rice amid the mine-fields. In the end, his status was reinstated and honored by the Vietnam communist government. Many officials even expressed their respect to him with flowers. His melancholy songs about love and postwar reconciliation earned new acceptance and popularity in his later years.
There are at least two singers whose names are often associated with Trinh Cong Son: Khanh Ly, and Hong Nhung. Khanh Ly helped popularize Trinh’s music in the early years. They often performed together at Van Café, and on university campuses in South Vietnam. It was Khanh Ly who helped to introduce and popularize Trinh Cong Son’s music to Japan and many other regions in the world. Hong Nhung appeared much later in his music, towards the end of his life.
On April 1, 2001 Trinh died at the age of sixty-two from diabetes, liver and kidney failure in Saigon, or Ho Chi Minh City, South Vietnam. Hundreds of thousands of people attended his funeral, making it a spectacular event in Vietnam history.
Until now, ten years after his death, his music remains very popular among both the old and the young, in Vietnam as well as in remote areas in New Zealand and Hawaii.
Trinh was an outspoken critic of the war, and his songs appealed to Vietnamese soldiers on both sides of the 17th latitude during the War, because the lyrics pointed out the atrocity and senselessness of the War, and the endless suffering of its pitiful victims. Trinh's friends and family converted an artists' meeting place in Ho Chi Minh City into a permanent memorial to the singer. His songs were mostly romantic, and many singers of Vietnam's young generations say he is their main source of inspiration.
Trịnh’s songs can be classified into three main categories: Antiwar or Love for Homeland Songs (Ca khuc da vang, Kinh Viet nam, Ta phai thay mat troi, Phu khuc da vang, from 1965 to 1972), Romantic or Love Songs (from 1957 to 1990s), and Human Destiny (from 1960s to 1990s). He also wrote poems and participated in two art exhibitions in 1989 and in 1990. He was the hero in the movie “Land of Sorrows,” and had written lyrics and composed music for some other Vietnamese movies. He won many national and international awards for the songs he wrote before and after 1975. On March 17, 2011, a street in Hue was named after him.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinh_Cong_Son
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1260527.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1255872.stm
http://www.trinh-cong-son.com/
http://www.trinh-cong-son.com/tcsjapan.html
http://www.trinh-cong-son.com/ontapes.html
http://www.trinh-cong-son.com/thovan.html
http://www.trinh-cong-son.com/tranh01.html
http://www.writeopenstory.com/Stories/Story1283.html
According to recent research and discovery by Nguyen Dac Xuan, Trinh began composing as a teenager. His early songs were Sao Chieu (Afternoon Stars) (before 1957), Hoa Buon (Melancholy Flowers), and Uot Mi (Tearful Eyelashes, 1958). Together with his first long composition Da Trang Ca, Sao Chieu and Hoa Buon were performed at a music festival on the Teacher College campus in Qui Nhon in 1963. When Trinh passed away, he had written about 500-600 songs, the majority of which were completed between 1960s and 1970s, the most violent periods in the Vietnam War. Joan Baez dubbed him the Bob Dylan of Vietnam for his moving antiwar songs. He was frequently criticized by both sides of the Vietnam governments at that time, who felt displeased and uncomfortable with the lyrics in many of his antiwar songs. After the country’s reunification in 1975, his family fled to Canada. Trinh refused to leave Vietnam. He was sent to a re-education camp for four years, where he said that he spent his time planting rice amid the mine-fields. In the end, his status was reinstated and honored by the Vietnam communist government. Many officials even expressed their respect to him with flowers. His melancholy songs about love and postwar reconciliation earned new acceptance and popularity in his later years.
There are at least two singers whose names are often associated with Trinh Cong Son: Khanh Ly, and Hong Nhung. Khanh Ly helped popularize Trinh’s music in the early years. They often performed together at Van Café, and on university campuses in South Vietnam. It was Khanh Ly who helped to introduce and popularize Trinh Cong Son’s music to Japan and many other regions in the world. Hong Nhung appeared much later in his music, towards the end of his life.
On April 1, 2001 Trinh died at the age of sixty-two from diabetes, liver and kidney failure in Saigon, or Ho Chi Minh City, South Vietnam. Hundreds of thousands of people attended his funeral, making it a spectacular event in Vietnam history.
Until now, ten years after his death, his music remains very popular among both the old and the young, in Vietnam as well as in remote areas in New Zealand and Hawaii.
Trinh was an outspoken critic of the war, and his songs appealed to Vietnamese soldiers on both sides of the 17th latitude during the War, because the lyrics pointed out the atrocity and senselessness of the War, and the endless suffering of its pitiful victims. Trinh's friends and family converted an artists' meeting place in Ho Chi Minh City into a permanent memorial to the singer. His songs were mostly romantic, and many singers of Vietnam's young generations say he is their main source of inspiration.
Trịnh’s songs can be classified into three main categories: Antiwar or Love for Homeland Songs (Ca khuc da vang, Kinh Viet nam, Ta phai thay mat troi, Phu khuc da vang, from 1965 to 1972), Romantic or Love Songs (from 1957 to 1990s), and Human Destiny (from 1960s to 1990s). He also wrote poems and participated in two art exhibitions in 1989 and in 1990. He was the hero in the movie “Land of Sorrows,” and had written lyrics and composed music for some other Vietnamese movies. He won many national and international awards for the songs he wrote before and after 1975. On March 17, 2011, a street in Hue was named after him.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinh_Cong_Son
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1260527.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1255872.stm
http://www.trinh-cong-son.com/
http://www.trinh-cong-son.com/tcsjapan.html
http://www.trinh-cong-son.com/ontapes.html
http://www.trinh-cong-son.com/thovan.html
http://www.trinh-cong-son.com/tranh01.html
http://www.writeopenstory.com/Stories/Story1283.html
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Rebirth and Reincarnation
Thirty years ago when I took the five precepts to become a Buddhist, I did not believe in rebirth and reincarnation yet. These concepts were then too difficult for me to understand, and I had not read nor learned enough about them from Buddhist texts or from real life. Recently I have had more opportunities to study Tibetan Buddhism, mainly from His Holiness the Dalai Lama's teachings. I also learned more about cases of rebirth and reincarnation in the world. My doubt has gradually dissolved and disappeared, and my belief in the existence of multiple realms and universes has grown substantially. The story of Arthur Flowerdew from Norfolk, England, cases of children remembering their previous lives which Dr. Ian Stevenson of the University of Virginia collected and studied, and many other cases in various countries in the world have convinced me that there is rebirth and reincarnation, and that, as the Dalai Lama explained, there is a continuity of mind or consciousness in its most subtle level from one life to the next.
In the Buddhist tradition, we know that on the night of His enlightenment, the Buddha acquired three varieties of knowledge and the first of these was the detailed knowledge of His past lives. He was able to recollect the conditions in which He had been born in His past lives. Besides the Buddha, His prominent disciples (Ananda, for example)were also able to recollect their past lives. Similarly, throughout the history of Buddhism, saints, scholars and meditators have been able to recollect their past lives.
Death is only a transitional period, a small change in the endless cycle of Samsara. Death is inevitable and simple, just like changing clothes, and there is nothing about it that we have to fear. Our conventional way of thinking makes us associate death with pain and suffering, and with the agony of separation from what is "mine." But death itself is not annihilation. Anyone, from a Bodhisattva to an ordinary person, is reborn from "beginningless" and will be reborn again, endlessly (Sofia, p.65). The Buddha said we have been born and we have died time and time again:
"Inconceivable is the beginning of this Samsara (the circuit of mundane existence); not to be discovered is any first beginning of beings . . . hurrying and hastening through this round of rebirths." (Samyutta-Nikaya, The Word of the Buddha)
Rebirth is part of the continuous process of change. Continuity is always there, owing to karma (Sofia, p. 65). We are not only reborn at the time of death. Look closely, and you will see that we are born and reborn at every moment. Even those few cells which last one’s entire life undergo constant internal changes. This is part of the process of birth, death and rebirth. Look at the mind too, you will find that mental states of worry, happiness and so forth are changing every moment. They die and are replaced by new states. So our physical and mental experiences are characterized by continuous birth, death and rebirth.
Buddhism teaches us that there are various realms, spheres or dimensions of existence. There are thirty-one planes of existence listed, but for our purposes, we are going to utilize a simpler scheme which enumerates six realms of existence. In general, the six realms may be divided into two groups, one of which is relatively fortunate and the other relatively miserable. The first group includes three of the six realms and they are the realm of the gods, the realm of the demigods and the realm of human beings. Rebirth in these fortunate realms is the result of wholesome karma. The second group includes the three realms that are considered relatively miserable. They are sometimes called the realms of woe, and they are the realm of animals, the realm of hungry ghosts and the realm of hell beings. Rebirth in these states of woe is the result of unwholesome karma.
The human realm (Manushya) is the most favored of the six realms because as a human being one has the motivation and the opportunity to practice the Dharma and to achieve enlightenment. One has this motivation and opportunity because the conditions conducive to practicing the path are present. In the human realm, one experiences both happiness and suffering. The suffering in this realm, though terrible, is not so great as the suffering in the three realms of woe. The pleasure and happiness experienced in the human realm is not so great as the pleasure and happiness experienced in the heavens. As a result, human beings are neither blinded by the intense happiness experienced by the beings in the heavens, nor distracted by the unbearable suffering that beings in the hells experience. Again, unlike the animals, human beings possess sufficient intelligence to recognize the necessity to look for a means to achieve the total end of suffering. It is therefore not only necessary to be born as a human being, it is also necessary to have the opportunity to practice the Dharma, to develop one’s qualities of morality, mental development and wisdom.
The Buddha spoke about the rarity and the precious nature of opportune birth amongst human beings. He used a simile to illustrate this point. Suppose the whole world were a vast ocean, and on the surface of this ocean there were a yoke floating about, blown about by the wind, and suppose at the bottom of the ocean there lived a blind tortoise which came to the surface of the ocean once every hundred years. Just as difficult as it would be for that tortoise to place its neck through the opening in that yoke floating about in the ocean, just so difficult is it to attain opportune birth as a human being.
Another comparison could illustrate the precious opportunity to be born into the realm of humans, and to be able to practice the Dharma. Just as if one were to throw a handful of dried peas against a stone wall, and just as if one of these peas were to stick in a crack in the wall, so to be born as a human being with the opportunity to practice the Dharma is similarly difficult. It is foolish to waste human existence along with the conducive conditions that we enjoy in free societies, the opportunity that we have to practice the Dharma. It is extremely important that having this opportunity we make use of it. If we fail to practice the Dharma in this life, there is no way of knowing where in the six realms we will be reborn, and when we shall have such a chance again. We must strive to free ourselves from the cycle of rebirth because failing to do so means that we will continue to circle endlessly amongst these six realms of existence. When the karma, wholesome or unwholesome, that causes us to be born in any of the six realms is exhausted, rebirth will occur, and we will find ourselves again in another realm. So now that we have the opportunity to practice the Dharma, we must do so without delay.
In Buddhism there is no belief in an abiding entity, in a substance that trans-migrates. We do not believe in a self that is reborn. This is why when we explain rebirth, we make use of examples which do not require the transmigration of an essence or a substance. For example, when a sprout is born from a seed, there is no substance that transmigrates. The seed and the sprout are not identical. Similarly, when we light one candle from another candle, no substance travels from one to the other, and yet the first is the cause of the second. When one billiard ball strikes another, there is a continuity, the energy and direction of the first ball is imparted to the second. It is the cause of the second billiard ball moving in a particular direction and at a particular speed. When we step twice into a river, it is not the same river and yet there is continuity, the continuity of cause and effect. So there is rebirth, but not transmigration. There is moral responsibility, but not an independent, permanent self. There is the continuity of cause and effect, but not permanence.
[For decades, doctors (e.g., Dr. Ian Stevenson???, Dr. Jim B. Tucker...???) at the University of Virginia Medical Center have conducted research into young children's reports of pat life memories. Researchers have studied more than 2,500 such cases, and their careful investigations have produced an impressive body of work.
"Each of us may be like a single train of thought in one large Mind....each of our minds may turn out to be small streams of consciousness that are all parts of a single larger Mind, a 'cosmic consciousness' as [Williams] James said." (p.217, Jim Tucker)
Sources:
Sylvia Cranston & Carey Williams, Reincarnation: A New Horizon in Science, Religion, and Society, (New York, NY: Julian Press, 1984).]
http://www.knowbuddhism.info/2009/03/rebirth-reincarnation-and-recognition.html
The Dalai Lama: My Spiritual Journey. (New York, NY: HarperCollins, 2010). Collected by Sofia Stril-Rever, translated by Charlotte Mandell.
Sogyal Rinpoche. The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying. (New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers, 1992).
http://www.buddhanet.net/funbud10.htm
It is not more surprising to be born twice than once; everything in nature is resurrection.
Voltaire
In the Buddhist tradition, we know that on the night of His enlightenment, the Buddha acquired three varieties of knowledge and the first of these was the detailed knowledge of His past lives. He was able to recollect the conditions in which He had been born in His past lives. Besides the Buddha, His prominent disciples (Ananda, for example)were also able to recollect their past lives. Similarly, throughout the history of Buddhism, saints, scholars and meditators have been able to recollect their past lives.
Buddhism believes in universal causation, that everything is subject to change, and to causes and conditions....When we talk of causes and conditions, there are two principal types: substantial causes, the stuff from which something is produced, and cooperative factors, which contribute towards that causation. In the case of mind and body, although one can affect the other, one cannot become the substance of the other...Mind and matter, although dependent on one another, cannot serve as substantial causes for each other. This is the basis on which Buddhism accepts rebirth.(An explanation given by His Holiness the Dalai Lama during a public teaching in New York, Oct. 1991; quoted by Sogyal, p.90)
Death is only a transitional period, a small change in the endless cycle of Samsara. Death is inevitable and simple, just like changing clothes, and there is nothing about it that we have to fear. Our conventional way of thinking makes us associate death with pain and suffering, and with the agony of separation from what is "mine." But death itself is not annihilation. Anyone, from a Bodhisattva to an ordinary person, is reborn from "beginningless" and will be reborn again, endlessly (Sofia, p.65). The Buddha said we have been born and we have died time and time again:
"Inconceivable is the beginning of this Samsara (the circuit of mundane existence); not to be discovered is any first beginning of beings . . . hurrying and hastening through this round of rebirths." (Samyutta-Nikaya, The Word of the Buddha)
Rebirth is part of the continuous process of change. Continuity is always there, owing to karma (Sofia, p. 65). We are not only reborn at the time of death. Look closely, and you will see that we are born and reborn at every moment. Even those few cells which last one’s entire life undergo constant internal changes. This is part of the process of birth, death and rebirth. Look at the mind too, you will find that mental states of worry, happiness and so forth are changing every moment. They die and are replaced by new states. So our physical and mental experiences are characterized by continuous birth, death and rebirth.
Buddhism teaches us that there are various realms, spheres or dimensions of existence. There are thirty-one planes of existence listed, but for our purposes, we are going to utilize a simpler scheme which enumerates six realms of existence. In general, the six realms may be divided into two groups, one of which is relatively fortunate and the other relatively miserable. The first group includes three of the six realms and they are the realm of the gods, the realm of the demigods and the realm of human beings. Rebirth in these fortunate realms is the result of wholesome karma. The second group includes the three realms that are considered relatively miserable. They are sometimes called the realms of woe, and they are the realm of animals, the realm of hungry ghosts and the realm of hell beings. Rebirth in these states of woe is the result of unwholesome karma.
The human realm (Manushya) is the most favored of the six realms because as a human being one has the motivation and the opportunity to practice the Dharma and to achieve enlightenment. One has this motivation and opportunity because the conditions conducive to practicing the path are present. In the human realm, one experiences both happiness and suffering. The suffering in this realm, though terrible, is not so great as the suffering in the three realms of woe. The pleasure and happiness experienced in the human realm is not so great as the pleasure and happiness experienced in the heavens. As a result, human beings are neither blinded by the intense happiness experienced by the beings in the heavens, nor distracted by the unbearable suffering that beings in the hells experience. Again, unlike the animals, human beings possess sufficient intelligence to recognize the necessity to look for a means to achieve the total end of suffering. It is therefore not only necessary to be born as a human being, it is also necessary to have the opportunity to practice the Dharma, to develop one’s qualities of morality, mental development and wisdom.
The Buddha spoke about the rarity and the precious nature of opportune birth amongst human beings. He used a simile to illustrate this point. Suppose the whole world were a vast ocean, and on the surface of this ocean there were a yoke floating about, blown about by the wind, and suppose at the bottom of the ocean there lived a blind tortoise which came to the surface of the ocean once every hundred years. Just as difficult as it would be for that tortoise to place its neck through the opening in that yoke floating about in the ocean, just so difficult is it to attain opportune birth as a human being.
Another comparison could illustrate the precious opportunity to be born into the realm of humans, and to be able to practice the Dharma. Just as if one were to throw a handful of dried peas against a stone wall, and just as if one of these peas were to stick in a crack in the wall, so to be born as a human being with the opportunity to practice the Dharma is similarly difficult. It is foolish to waste human existence along with the conducive conditions that we enjoy in free societies, the opportunity that we have to practice the Dharma. It is extremely important that having this opportunity we make use of it. If we fail to practice the Dharma in this life, there is no way of knowing where in the six realms we will be reborn, and when we shall have such a chance again. We must strive to free ourselves from the cycle of rebirth because failing to do so means that we will continue to circle endlessly amongst these six realms of existence. When the karma, wholesome or unwholesome, that causes us to be born in any of the six realms is exhausted, rebirth will occur, and we will find ourselves again in another realm. So now that we have the opportunity to practice the Dharma, we must do so without delay.
In Buddhism there is no belief in an abiding entity, in a substance that trans-migrates. We do not believe in a self that is reborn. This is why when we explain rebirth, we make use of examples which do not require the transmigration of an essence or a substance. For example, when a sprout is born from a seed, there is no substance that transmigrates. The seed and the sprout are not identical. Similarly, when we light one candle from another candle, no substance travels from one to the other, and yet the first is the cause of the second. When one billiard ball strikes another, there is a continuity, the energy and direction of the first ball is imparted to the second. It is the cause of the second billiard ball moving in a particular direction and at a particular speed. When we step twice into a river, it is not the same river and yet there is continuity, the continuity of cause and effect. So there is rebirth, but not transmigration. There is moral responsibility, but not an independent, permanent self. There is the continuity of cause and effect, but not permanence.
[For decades, doctors (e.g., Dr. Ian Stevenson???, Dr. Jim B. Tucker...???) at the University of Virginia Medical Center have conducted research into young children's reports of pat life memories. Researchers have studied more than 2,500 such cases, and their careful investigations have produced an impressive body of work.
"Each of us may be like a single train of thought in one large Mind....each of our minds may turn out to be small streams of consciousness that are all parts of a single larger Mind, a 'cosmic consciousness' as [Williams] James said." (p.217, Jim Tucker)
Sources:
Sylvia Cranston & Carey Williams, Reincarnation: A New Horizon in Science, Religion, and Society, (New York, NY: Julian Press, 1984).]
http://www.knowbuddhism.info/2009/03/rebirth-reincarnation-and-recognition.html
The Dalai Lama: My Spiritual Journey. (New York, NY: HarperCollins, 2010). Collected by Sofia Stril-Rever, translated by Charlotte Mandell.
Sogyal Rinpoche. The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying. (New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers, 1992).
http://www.buddhanet.net/funbud10.htm
It is not more surprising to be born twice than once; everything in nature is resurrection.
Voltaire
Thursday, March 24, 2011
The Mind and the Training of the Mind
In Buddhism there is a fundamental and revolutionary insight that life and death (Saṅsāra or Saṃsāra)and the cessation of life and death are in the mind, and nowhere else. Mind is the universal basis of experience --the creator of happiness and the creator of suffering, the creator of what we call life and what we call death (Sogyal, p. 46).
There are many aspects to the mind, but in the training of the mind, these two stand out:
1.The ordinary mind ("Sem" in Tibetan) which thinks, plots, desires, manipulates, indulges in waves of emotions and thoughts, and which is like a candle flame in an open doorway, vulnerable to all the winds of circumstance.... It is within the experience of this chaotic, confused, undisciplined, and repetitive ordinary mind, that, again and again, we undergo change and death (Sogyal, p.46).
2.The primodal, pure, pristine awareness, or the innermost essence of the mind ("Rigpa" in Tibetan), untouched by change or death, and hidden within Sem. This mind is the nature of everything. In Buddhism it is called "Buddha Nature." This life is a sacred opportunity to evolve and realize it (Sogyal, p. 47).
How can we train our mind, and transform it from the conventional, ordinary Sem to the pristine Rigpa?
The mind is subject to circumstantial pressures; it fluctuates with them and reacts to the impact of sensations. Material progress and high standards of living improve life, but do not lead to a transformation of the mind, the only thing that is capable of providing us lasting peace and happiness (The Dalai Lama: My Spiritual Journey, Stril-Rever, 2010, p. 88). From His own experiences, the Buddha taught us the Path to Enlightenment, and pointed out Buddha Nature within all sentient beings. As humans we must make use of every moment in our life to practice the Path diligently. It is the practice of meditation that slowly purifies the ordinary mind, unmasking and exhausting its habits and illusions, so that we can, at the right moment, recognize who we really are, and what reality actually is(Sogyal, p. 55). Meditation brings the mind home (Sogyal, p. 59).
According to Buddhist teachings, three things make all the difference between meditation as a way of bringing temporary relaxation and peace to the mind, and meditation as a powerful cause for one's own enlightenment and the enlightenment of others (Sogyal, pp. 59-61):
1. "Good in the Beginning": Each time we practice meditation, we begin with an awareness that all sentient beings fundamentally have Buddha Nature, and we inspire ourselves with the motivation to dedicate our practice and life to the enlightenment of all sentient beings.
2. "Good in the Middle": As we enter the heart of the practice, we are inspired by the realization and an awareness that all things are inherently illusory, dream-like or "empty."
3. "Good in the End": As our practice session comes to a close, we dedicate all of its merits to the long-term, ultimate benefits of all sentient beings, for their liberation from the conventional mind or the Saṃsāra, and for their attainment of Enlightenment. On a higher level, you reflect on how you(the practitioner), others (those who you dedicated your practice to), and the very act of dedication, are all illusory or empty.
Those are three sacred principles (the heart, the eye, and the life-force)of true meditation practice to accomplish complete enlightenment (Sogyal, pp.60-61).
Once an old woman came to the Buddha, and asked Him how to meditate. He told her to remain aware of every movement of her hands as she drew the water from the well. If she did, she would soon find herself in that state of alert and spacious calm called meditation (Sogyal, p. 61). Meditation is not a means of running away from the world; it is in fact a direct way to help us truly understand ourselves, and relate to life and the world (Sogyal, p. 67).
Buddhism represents a path of transforming the mind, with the aim to free ourselves from suffering and its cause. Transforming the mind involves first learning to know it, then identifying how it functions, so as to eliminate the three main mental poisons, which are greed (desire), anger (hatred), and ignorance. It is beneficial to analyze the stream of our consciousness and its variations. Understanding the ultimate nature of the mind is the foundation for the realization of the primodal purity of the mind, Buddha Nature. (Stril-Rever, p. 93).
In Buddhism phenomena are empty of intrinsic, autonomous existence. Interdependence is universal. Causality (karma)is the law that governs the world of phenomena. Once we have established the conditions for the appearance of the elements of the phenomenal world, we can proceed to an analysis of the mechanism that creates contrasting states of the mind. According to science, electrochemical processes inside the brain are the source of all our mental experiences. But physiological functioning does not account for experiences of subtle awareness. Buddhism does not restrict consciousness to the brain. Meditation and contemplation induce subtle and profound states of the mind that have the power to modify physiological processes. Consciousness is linked to our physical body, but is not limited to it. Consciousness represents a faculty of clarity and luminority that allows us to perceive and know phenomena by direct apprehension (Stril-Rever, pp. 93-95).
The natural luminosity of consciousness is the antidote to the mental poisons. By cultivating altruism, and compassion, we gradually reduce desire, hatred and pride. We must abandon negative actions, all attachment to ego, and all extremes, opinions, or concepts, in order to attain correct perception of reality. Meditation is the gradual process that acclimates us to a new vision (Stril-Rever, pp. 96-97).
In meditation, just bring your mind home, release and relax. Turn your mind inward. Rest in natural great peace. Let your body, thoughts, emotions, whatever rises, come and go. Do not cling to anything. Do not question or doubt. Just sit quietly and let your mind rest in the nature of mind (Rigpa). You do not need a specific method of meditation. If there is any meditation method and you follow it, it is only the means, not meditation itself. But remember that mind and body are interrelated, and if you create an auspicious condition (the posture of the body and the attitude of the mind), meditation and realization will automatically arise.
Sit as a mountain, with all the unshakable, steadfast majesty of a mountain. It is important to keep your back straight, like a pile of golden coins, so the inner energy can flow easily through the subtle channels of your body. Your eyes should be kept open. Beginners may find it helpful to close the eyes at first. Gradually you may look downwards (an angle of 45 degrees in front of you). If you feel sleepy, bring your gaze up. Your meditation and your gaze should be like the vast expanse of a great ocean. Do not focus on anything. Leave all senses open, but do not let your attachment enter your perception. Keep your mouth slightly open, and breathe mainly through your mouth. Rest your hands comfortably covering your knees (Sogyal, pp.62-68).
Source:
The Dalai Lama: My Spiritual Journey. (New York, NY: HarperCollins, 2010). Collected by Sofia Stril-Rever and translated by Charlotte Mandell.
Sogyal Rinpoche. The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying (New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers, 1992). ISBN 0-06-250793-1
There are many aspects to the mind, but in the training of the mind, these two stand out:
1.The ordinary mind ("Sem" in Tibetan) which thinks, plots, desires, manipulates, indulges in waves of emotions and thoughts, and which is like a candle flame in an open doorway, vulnerable to all the winds of circumstance.... It is within the experience of this chaotic, confused, undisciplined, and repetitive ordinary mind, that, again and again, we undergo change and death (Sogyal, p.46).
2.The primodal, pure, pristine awareness, or the innermost essence of the mind ("Rigpa" in Tibetan), untouched by change or death, and hidden within Sem. This mind is the nature of everything. In Buddhism it is called "Buddha Nature." This life is a sacred opportunity to evolve and realize it (Sogyal, p. 47).
How can we train our mind, and transform it from the conventional, ordinary Sem to the pristine Rigpa?
The mind is subject to circumstantial pressures; it fluctuates with them and reacts to the impact of sensations. Material progress and high standards of living improve life, but do not lead to a transformation of the mind, the only thing that is capable of providing us lasting peace and happiness (The Dalai Lama: My Spiritual Journey, Stril-Rever, 2010, p. 88). From His own experiences, the Buddha taught us the Path to Enlightenment, and pointed out Buddha Nature within all sentient beings. As humans we must make use of every moment in our life to practice the Path diligently. It is the practice of meditation that slowly purifies the ordinary mind, unmasking and exhausting its habits and illusions, so that we can, at the right moment, recognize who we really are, and what reality actually is(Sogyal, p. 55). Meditation brings the mind home (Sogyal, p. 59).
According to Buddhist teachings, three things make all the difference between meditation as a way of bringing temporary relaxation and peace to the mind, and meditation as a powerful cause for one's own enlightenment and the enlightenment of others (Sogyal, pp. 59-61):
1. "Good in the Beginning": Each time we practice meditation, we begin with an awareness that all sentient beings fundamentally have Buddha Nature, and we inspire ourselves with the motivation to dedicate our practice and life to the enlightenment of all sentient beings.
2. "Good in the Middle": As we enter the heart of the practice, we are inspired by the realization and an awareness that all things are inherently illusory, dream-like or "empty."
3. "Good in the End": As our practice session comes to a close, we dedicate all of its merits to the long-term, ultimate benefits of all sentient beings, for their liberation from the conventional mind or the Saṃsāra, and for their attainment of Enlightenment. On a higher level, you reflect on how you(the practitioner), others (those who you dedicated your practice to), and the very act of dedication, are all illusory or empty.
Those are three sacred principles (the heart, the eye, and the life-force)of true meditation practice to accomplish complete enlightenment (Sogyal, pp.60-61).
Once an old woman came to the Buddha, and asked Him how to meditate. He told her to remain aware of every movement of her hands as she drew the water from the well. If she did, she would soon find herself in that state of alert and spacious calm called meditation (Sogyal, p. 61). Meditation is not a means of running away from the world; it is in fact a direct way to help us truly understand ourselves, and relate to life and the world (Sogyal, p. 67).
Buddhism represents a path of transforming the mind, with the aim to free ourselves from suffering and its cause. Transforming the mind involves first learning to know it, then identifying how it functions, so as to eliminate the three main mental poisons, which are greed (desire), anger (hatred), and ignorance. It is beneficial to analyze the stream of our consciousness and its variations. Understanding the ultimate nature of the mind is the foundation for the realization of the primodal purity of the mind, Buddha Nature. (Stril-Rever, p. 93).
In Buddhism phenomena are empty of intrinsic, autonomous existence. Interdependence is universal. Causality (karma)is the law that governs the world of phenomena. Once we have established the conditions for the appearance of the elements of the phenomenal world, we can proceed to an analysis of the mechanism that creates contrasting states of the mind. According to science, electrochemical processes inside the brain are the source of all our mental experiences. But physiological functioning does not account for experiences of subtle awareness. Buddhism does not restrict consciousness to the brain. Meditation and contemplation induce subtle and profound states of the mind that have the power to modify physiological processes. Consciousness is linked to our physical body, but is not limited to it. Consciousness represents a faculty of clarity and luminority that allows us to perceive and know phenomena by direct apprehension (Stril-Rever, pp. 93-95).
The natural luminosity of consciousness is the antidote to the mental poisons. By cultivating altruism, and compassion, we gradually reduce desire, hatred and pride. We must abandon negative actions, all attachment to ego, and all extremes, opinions, or concepts, in order to attain correct perception of reality. Meditation is the gradual process that acclimates us to a new vision (Stril-Rever, pp. 96-97).
In meditation, just bring your mind home, release and relax. Turn your mind inward. Rest in natural great peace. Let your body, thoughts, emotions, whatever rises, come and go. Do not cling to anything. Do not question or doubt. Just sit quietly and let your mind rest in the nature of mind (Rigpa). You do not need a specific method of meditation. If there is any meditation method and you follow it, it is only the means, not meditation itself. But remember that mind and body are interrelated, and if you create an auspicious condition (the posture of the body and the attitude of the mind), meditation and realization will automatically arise.
Sit as a mountain, with all the unshakable, steadfast majesty of a mountain. It is important to keep your back straight, like a pile of golden coins, so the inner energy can flow easily through the subtle channels of your body. Your eyes should be kept open. Beginners may find it helpful to close the eyes at first. Gradually you may look downwards (an angle of 45 degrees in front of you). If you feel sleepy, bring your gaze up. Your meditation and your gaze should be like the vast expanse of a great ocean. Do not focus on anything. Leave all senses open, but do not let your attachment enter your perception. Keep your mouth slightly open, and breathe mainly through your mouth. Rest your hands comfortably covering your knees (Sogyal, pp.62-68).
Source:
The Dalai Lama: My Spiritual Journey. (New York, NY: HarperCollins, 2010). Collected by Sofia Stril-Rever and translated by Charlotte Mandell.
Sogyal Rinpoche. The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying (New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers, 1992). ISBN 0-06-250793-1
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Incontinence
Philosophers often use "incontinence" to translate the Greek term Akrasia (ἀκρασία). This concept usually refers to a lacking in moderation, continence or self-restraint, and self-control, especially related to sexual desire. It is also called wantonness.
In terms of health, incontinence refers to involuntary leakage or excretion from the body. There are urinary incontinence (any involuntary leakage of urine), fecal incontinence (the loss of regular control of the bowels), and stress incontinence (usually due to a physical stressor, such as laughing or moving a certain way). Urinary incontinence could be either overflow incontinence (when something blocks normal urinary flow, making it harder to control output), or urge incontinence (the sudden overwhelming need to empty your bladder).
Those who have incontinence relating to defecation are often socially unacceptable, and may be beset with shame and humiliation. Some do not seek medical help and instead attempt to self-manage the problem. This can lead to social withdrawal and isolation, which can turn into cases of agoraphobia. Such effects may be reduced by undergoing prescribed treatment, taking prescribed medicine and making dietary changes. There have been a number of devices developed to combat fecal incontinence, mainly produced by the lead anal researcher, Dr. Douglas Dupré Page. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fecal_incontinence.
Incontinence can be fixed in many ways without surgery. These include physical therapy to strengthen the pelvic muscles, nerve stimulation, and biofeedback.
Losing weight has also been shown to slash stress incontinence symptoms in women who are overweight or obese to begin with. Shedding just 10 or 20 pounds can cut symptom frequency in half.
Some of the drugs you take every day may be triggering incontinence or making a sensitive bladder overactive without your knowing it. Here are seven possible culprits:
1. Blood pressure-lowering drugs
Alpha-blockers; brand names Cardura, Minipress, Hytrin; generic names doxazosin mesylate, prazosin hydrochloride, terazosin hydrochloride
Alpha-blockers work to lower blood pressure by relaxing blood vessel walls. They also relax the bladder along with the blood vessels. And alpha-blockers can relax the urethra, the tube leading from the bladder to outside and the muscle at the neck of the bladder. This leaves you prone to stress incontinence, which is leakage when you sneeze, cough, laugh, run, or jump.
You can start by doing Kegel exercises to increase your ability to control the muscles of the bladder. Good muscle control might be able to overcome the relaxing effects of the alpha-blockers. But if leakage is really a problem, level with your doctor, and ask to switch medications. There are many options for controlling blood pressure, so your doctor can try using a calcium channel blocker or another class of medication that doesn't have this unfortunate effect on your bladder.
2. Hormone therapy
Oral estrogen-only or combination estrogen and progesterone pills
This came as a surprise discovery a few years ago, and experts don't know what exactly is going on. Until recently, hormone therapy was actually thought to help with incontinence, but it's now known to trigger or worsen both stress and urge incontinence.
Talk to your doctor about using topical hormones, such as estrogen and progesterone in cream form, or estrogen patches, which seem to have far fewer incidences of this side effect than oral hormone pills. In fact, for some women topical estrogen applied as a cream or patch helps prevent or lessen incontinence. You can also try progesterone-only therapy, either oral or cream, which hasn't been found to be associated with incontinence. Like so many hormone-related side effects, this one is very individual; it's important to experiment and see what works for you.
3. Antidepressants and other mental health drugs
Drugs with anticholinergic effects, which means drugs that block the neurotransmitter acetylcholine; brand names Norpramin, Cogentin, Haldol, Risperdal; generic names nortriptylene, amitriptyline, desipramine, benztropine, haloperidol, risperidone
These medications affect the elasticity of the bladder, preventing it from contracting all the way, so it doesn't fully empty. But urine continues to enter the bladder, leading to overflow incontinence, which happens when the bladder overfills and leaks without giving the signal to go.
If you think your antidepressant or another anticholinergic drug is affecting your bladder, talk to your doctor about switching to an alternative medication. Interestingly, some tricyclic antidepressants have been found to help with incontinence, so you may need to work with your prescribing doctor and try different ones until you find the one that works for you without unwanted side effects.
4. Diuretics
Any medication prescribed as a diuretic; brand names Bumex, Lasix, Aldactone; generic names bumetanide, spironolactone, furosemide, theophylline, and all the "thalazides" (such as hydrochlorothiazide), which are among the most common first-line medications for hypertension
Diuretics stimulate the kidneys to flush excess water and salt out of the body, making you have to go to the bathroom more frequently. Because your body's producing more urine, it puts increased pressure on the bladder.
If you need a diuretic to prevent hypertension, you're going to have to find work-around solutions to this problem. Though it's tempting, don't quit taking the diuretic, as you'll lose the protective effect on your heart and cardiac system. Instead, talk to your doctor about experimenting with different diuretics until you find one that doesn't stress your bladder. It may also help to take your diuretic early in the day, rather than at night when you don't want to be running to the bathroom.
5. Decongestants and antihistamines
Brand names Sudafed, Contac, Benadryl; generic names pseudoephedrine, diphenhydramine
Decongestants that contain pseudoephedrine tighten the urinary sphincter, causing urine retention, which in women is frequently followed by sudden overflow incontinence. However, in men who have leakage after prostate surgery, Sudafed can temporarily clamp down the bladder muscles, preventing leakage. Some antihistamines relax the bladder and also make you sleepy, which can cause incontinence in the elderly especially.
Try taking a different decongestant, such as loratadine (brand name Claritin), that doesn't cause bladder-related side effects.
6. Sedatives and sleeping pills
Any sedative or sleeping aid that relaxes muscles and makes you sleep deeply; brand names Ativan, Valium, Dalmane, Lunesta, Ambien; generic names diazepam, flurazepam, lorazepam, eszopiclone, zolpidem
Sedatives slow your reflexes, so you don't recognize the signal that it's time to go. Sleeping pills compound the problem by putting you into such a deep sleep that you miss the alert from your bladder to get up. Bed-wetting affects about 10 percent of incontinence sufferers, and experts estimate sleeping pills contribute to the problem in many cases.
Instead of sedatives and sedative-based sleeping pills, try natural remedies for anxiety and sleep. Melatonin taken an hour before bedtime can be an effective sleep remedy, since it's the natural hormone that tells your brain it's time to sleep. The herbs valerian and hops are sleep aids that haven't been associated with incontinence or bed-wetting. The amino acids 5-HTP or tryptophan and L-Theanine are natural sedatives that don't have muscle-relaxing properties. You might also talk to your doctor about prescription sedatives and sleeping pills that don't cause muscle relaxation.
7. Narcotic painkillers
Any opium-based painkiller; brand names OxyContin, MS-Contin, Oramorph; generic names codeine, morphine, oxycodone
Drugs made from opium interfere with the bladder's ability to contract fully. This can lead to urine retention and overflow incontinence. Opioid painkillers also lead to constipation, and studies show that constipation desensitizes the bladder and worsens urge incontinence (the kind when you suddenly have to go).
Avoid opioid painkillers if you can. If you need pain medication after an injury or surgery, ask your doctor to try nonopioid medications first.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incontinence_%28philosophy%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urinary_incontinence
http://www.caring.com/articles/more-medications-that-can-cause-incontinence-2#ixzz1HLZgRgpL
In terms of health, incontinence refers to involuntary leakage or excretion from the body. There are urinary incontinence (any involuntary leakage of urine), fecal incontinence (the loss of regular control of the bowels), and stress incontinence (usually due to a physical stressor, such as laughing or moving a certain way). Urinary incontinence could be either overflow incontinence (when something blocks normal urinary flow, making it harder to control output), or urge incontinence (the sudden overwhelming need to empty your bladder).
Those who have incontinence relating to defecation are often socially unacceptable, and may be beset with shame and humiliation. Some do not seek medical help and instead attempt to self-manage the problem. This can lead to social withdrawal and isolation, which can turn into cases of agoraphobia. Such effects may be reduced by undergoing prescribed treatment, taking prescribed medicine and making dietary changes. There have been a number of devices developed to combat fecal incontinence, mainly produced by the lead anal researcher, Dr. Douglas Dupré Page. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fecal_incontinence.
Incontinence can be fixed in many ways without surgery. These include physical therapy to strengthen the pelvic muscles, nerve stimulation, and biofeedback.
Losing weight has also been shown to slash stress incontinence symptoms in women who are overweight or obese to begin with. Shedding just 10 or 20 pounds can cut symptom frequency in half.
Some of the drugs you take every day may be triggering incontinence or making a sensitive bladder overactive without your knowing it. Here are seven possible culprits:
1. Blood pressure-lowering drugs
Alpha-blockers; brand names Cardura, Minipress, Hytrin; generic names doxazosin mesylate, prazosin hydrochloride, terazosin hydrochloride
Alpha-blockers work to lower blood pressure by relaxing blood vessel walls. They also relax the bladder along with the blood vessels. And alpha-blockers can relax the urethra, the tube leading from the bladder to outside and the muscle at the neck of the bladder. This leaves you prone to stress incontinence, which is leakage when you sneeze, cough, laugh, run, or jump.
You can start by doing Kegel exercises to increase your ability to control the muscles of the bladder. Good muscle control might be able to overcome the relaxing effects of the alpha-blockers. But if leakage is really a problem, level with your doctor, and ask to switch medications. There are many options for controlling blood pressure, so your doctor can try using a calcium channel blocker or another class of medication that doesn't have this unfortunate effect on your bladder.
2. Hormone therapy
Oral estrogen-only or combination estrogen and progesterone pills
This came as a surprise discovery a few years ago, and experts don't know what exactly is going on. Until recently, hormone therapy was actually thought to help with incontinence, but it's now known to trigger or worsen both stress and urge incontinence.
Talk to your doctor about using topical hormones, such as estrogen and progesterone in cream form, or estrogen patches, which seem to have far fewer incidences of this side effect than oral hormone pills. In fact, for some women topical estrogen applied as a cream or patch helps prevent or lessen incontinence. You can also try progesterone-only therapy, either oral or cream, which hasn't been found to be associated with incontinence. Like so many hormone-related side effects, this one is very individual; it's important to experiment and see what works for you.
3. Antidepressants and other mental health drugs
Drugs with anticholinergic effects, which means drugs that block the neurotransmitter acetylcholine; brand names Norpramin, Cogentin, Haldol, Risperdal; generic names nortriptylene, amitriptyline, desipramine, benztropine, haloperidol, risperidone
These medications affect the elasticity of the bladder, preventing it from contracting all the way, so it doesn't fully empty. But urine continues to enter the bladder, leading to overflow incontinence, which happens when the bladder overfills and leaks without giving the signal to go.
If you think your antidepressant or another anticholinergic drug is affecting your bladder, talk to your doctor about switching to an alternative medication. Interestingly, some tricyclic antidepressants have been found to help with incontinence, so you may need to work with your prescribing doctor and try different ones until you find the one that works for you without unwanted side effects.
4. Diuretics
Any medication prescribed as a diuretic; brand names Bumex, Lasix, Aldactone; generic names bumetanide, spironolactone, furosemide, theophylline, and all the "thalazides" (such as hydrochlorothiazide), which are among the most common first-line medications for hypertension
Diuretics stimulate the kidneys to flush excess water and salt out of the body, making you have to go to the bathroom more frequently. Because your body's producing more urine, it puts increased pressure on the bladder.
If you need a diuretic to prevent hypertension, you're going to have to find work-around solutions to this problem. Though it's tempting, don't quit taking the diuretic, as you'll lose the protective effect on your heart and cardiac system. Instead, talk to your doctor about experimenting with different diuretics until you find one that doesn't stress your bladder. It may also help to take your diuretic early in the day, rather than at night when you don't want to be running to the bathroom.
5. Decongestants and antihistamines
Brand names Sudafed, Contac, Benadryl; generic names pseudoephedrine, diphenhydramine
Decongestants that contain pseudoephedrine tighten the urinary sphincter, causing urine retention, which in women is frequently followed by sudden overflow incontinence. However, in men who have leakage after prostate surgery, Sudafed can temporarily clamp down the bladder muscles, preventing leakage. Some antihistamines relax the bladder and also make you sleepy, which can cause incontinence in the elderly especially.
Try taking a different decongestant, such as loratadine (brand name Claritin), that doesn't cause bladder-related side effects.
6. Sedatives and sleeping pills
Any sedative or sleeping aid that relaxes muscles and makes you sleep deeply; brand names Ativan, Valium, Dalmane, Lunesta, Ambien; generic names diazepam, flurazepam, lorazepam, eszopiclone, zolpidem
Sedatives slow your reflexes, so you don't recognize the signal that it's time to go. Sleeping pills compound the problem by putting you into such a deep sleep that you miss the alert from your bladder to get up. Bed-wetting affects about 10 percent of incontinence sufferers, and experts estimate sleeping pills contribute to the problem in many cases.
Instead of sedatives and sedative-based sleeping pills, try natural remedies for anxiety and sleep. Melatonin taken an hour before bedtime can be an effective sleep remedy, since it's the natural hormone that tells your brain it's time to sleep. The herbs valerian and hops are sleep aids that haven't been associated with incontinence or bed-wetting. The amino acids 5-HTP or tryptophan and L-Theanine are natural sedatives that don't have muscle-relaxing properties. You might also talk to your doctor about prescription sedatives and sleeping pills that don't cause muscle relaxation.
7. Narcotic painkillers
Any opium-based painkiller; brand names OxyContin, MS-Contin, Oramorph; generic names codeine, morphine, oxycodone
Drugs made from opium interfere with the bladder's ability to contract fully. This can lead to urine retention and overflow incontinence. Opioid painkillers also lead to constipation, and studies show that constipation desensitizes the bladder and worsens urge incontinence (the kind when you suddenly have to go).
Avoid opioid painkillers if you can. If you need pain medication after an injury or surgery, ask your doctor to try nonopioid medications first.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incontinence_%28philosophy%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urinary_incontinence
http://www.caring.com/articles/more-medications-that-can-cause-incontinence-2#ixzz1HLZgRgpL
Saturday, March 19, 2011
The Boy and the Morsel of Bread
Near the end of a long line
of tsunami survivors
waiting for their relief food
stands a 9-year-old
in his gym uniform
shivering from hunger and cold.
A policeman is walking by,
having picked up victim corpses
for the last 24 hours.
He knows not how many more
awaiting him out there
beneath mountains of rubble.
Even if a day had 48 hours,
it would not be enough.
Seeing the forlorn boy,
the man offers his coat
to cover the little shivering body
when off the pocket falls
a morsel of bread—his forgotten meal.
The man picked the bread up
and handed it to the boy.
“Eat it. The line is too long.”
Holding the bread in his hand,
the boy silently bows and thanks the man.
To the man’s surprise, and without a word,
the boy walks up the line,
the bread in his hand.
Into the box of relief food
he gently puts his morsel of bread,
then walks back to where he was.
“I’m hungry, but there are others
who are hungrier than I,”
says the boy to the man,
who stands there in tearful awe.
Atop mountains of debris and rubble
dancing bright sunlight sparkles;
for the boy’s love and care,
and his self sacrifice for others’ welfare
has brought life back to where
a moment ago all seemed dead.
O dear special boy
In utmost agony
your family loss you silently bear.
Please don’t turn away,
Please don’t hide your tears.
In our minds we see, as you see in horror,
the car your father was driving toward your school
engulfed in the monstrous wave.
In our minds we see, as you see in horror,
your mother and siblings swept away
along with your house and neighbors’
O dear special boy
We’re parts of the whole.
And each has an equal share
in gaining as in losing,
in happiness and in suffering.
O dear special boy
Your deed outshines the sunlight.
With love and care
Life on earth will forever thrive.
(Based on a story about what may have happened in Sendai during the 2011 tsunami in Japan. "The morsel of bread" was in fact a bag of dry food.)
of tsunami survivors
waiting for their relief food
stands a 9-year-old
in his gym uniform
shivering from hunger and cold.
A policeman is walking by,
having picked up victim corpses
for the last 24 hours.
He knows not how many more
awaiting him out there
beneath mountains of rubble.
Even if a day had 48 hours,
it would not be enough.
Seeing the forlorn boy,
the man offers his coat
to cover the little shivering body
when off the pocket falls
a morsel of bread—his forgotten meal.
The man picked the bread up
and handed it to the boy.
“Eat it. The line is too long.”
Holding the bread in his hand,
the boy silently bows and thanks the man.
To the man’s surprise, and without a word,
the boy walks up the line,
the bread in his hand.
Into the box of relief food
he gently puts his morsel of bread,
then walks back to where he was.
“I’m hungry, but there are others
who are hungrier than I,”
says the boy to the man,
who stands there in tearful awe.
Atop mountains of debris and rubble
dancing bright sunlight sparkles;
for the boy’s love and care,
and his self sacrifice for others’ welfare
has brought life back to where
a moment ago all seemed dead.
O dear special boy
In utmost agony
your family loss you silently bear.
Please don’t turn away,
Please don’t hide your tears.
In our minds we see, as you see in horror,
the car your father was driving toward your school
engulfed in the monstrous wave.
In our minds we see, as you see in horror,
your mother and siblings swept away
along with your house and neighbors’
O dear special boy
We’re parts of the whole.
And each has an equal share
in gaining as in losing,
in happiness and in suffering.
O dear special boy
Your deed outshines the sunlight.
With love and care
Life on earth will forever thrive.
(Based on a story about what may have happened in Sendai during the 2011 tsunami in Japan. "The morsel of bread" was in fact a bag of dry food.)
Thursday, March 17, 2011
The Mind and Natural Disaster
I believe in the interrelationship between the mind and natural disasters. It is a relationship that has no beginning nor ending, as the law of cause and effect has been in action for eons. I believe that if the mind is calm, the universe will respond in the same way; and vice versa. Then how can we explain the fury of Nature, such as last week's tsunami and earthquake in Japan? Did humans' devilish and destructive mind play a role in that disaster? Are humans collectively responsible for such a catastrophe?
Conventional reasoning may help explain the visible and the obvious. The Pacific volcano fire ring is waking up, for it is its due time. Japan is located within that fire zone, and it is impossible to avoid the disaster, despite Japan's state-of-the-art atmospheric technology, forecast equipments, and experiences in dealing with earthquakes and tsunamis.
Ultimate insight may explain what is beyond the visible and the tangible. It may help us open our eyes to see the cause and the effect, or the huge impact of the disaster not only within Japan, but also all over the world, and possibly the vast universe. In fact, every being and event on earth and in the universe, could have played a role in this process. It is because of our limitations that we are unable to explain the causes of what has happened.
However hard we try, our scientific and technological advance seems to be nothing. Compared to our ignorance, our so-called "progress and civilization" is but a very tiny grain of sand in the ocean.
Conventional reasoning may help explain the visible and the obvious. The Pacific volcano fire ring is waking up, for it is its due time. Japan is located within that fire zone, and it is impossible to avoid the disaster, despite Japan's state-of-the-art atmospheric technology, forecast equipments, and experiences in dealing with earthquakes and tsunamis.
Ultimate insight may explain what is beyond the visible and the tangible. It may help us open our eyes to see the cause and the effect, or the huge impact of the disaster not only within Japan, but also all over the world, and possibly the vast universe. In fact, every being and event on earth and in the universe, could have played a role in this process. It is because of our limitations that we are unable to explain the causes of what has happened.
However hard we try, our scientific and technological advance seems to be nothing. Compared to our ignorance, our so-called "progress and civilization" is but a very tiny grain of sand in the ocean.
Monday, March 14, 2011
A Miracle
A miracle during the tsunami
Life emerging from Death
Where there's life, there's hope
Cheer up! Chase away the gloomy!
Let's brace up, and cope
I found an online article from Tuoi Tre (Youth)tonight http://tuoitre.vn/The-gioi/429048/Be-gai-song-sot-than-ky-trong-song-than.html. The story in the article touched my heart so deeply that it inspired me to compose the above poem, and to quickly translate the story into English to share with others:
Baby Girl Miraculously Survived the Tsunami
On March 14 a Japan's Self-Defense Force member spotted a four-month-old baby girl who had been swept away from her mother's arms when the tsunami engulfed Ishinomaki, Sendai. The little baby was in good condition even though she was lying hidden beneath a collapsed house.
While searching for victims , the soldiers could not believe their ears when they heard the sound of baby crying from beneath the mountains of rubble. They thought they had hallucination, but the cry continued. They immediately removed layers of wood planks, trying to reach down the rubble of rocks, soil and thick mud, and, lo and behold, they found a baby girl.
One soldier picked her up, wrapped a blanket around her, and she was carried away to safety in the arms of many others. It was miraculously unbelievable for such a tiny baby to survive the last three days while many adults could not make it. She was soaked wet, shivering and crying loudly, but was not injured.
Another miracle also happened when the baby's dad was found soon after that, and they had such a wonderful family reunion with happy teardrops.
"When we found her, we got more strength, hope and motivation to go on searching for more survivors," said one officer. "We will keep listening, observing, and digging for more and more miracles like this."
Life emerging from Death
Where there's life, there's hope
Cheer up! Chase away the gloomy!
Let's brace up, and cope
I found an online article from Tuoi Tre (Youth)tonight http://tuoitre.vn/The-gioi/429048/Be-gai-song-sot-than-ky-trong-song-than.html. The story in the article touched my heart so deeply that it inspired me to compose the above poem, and to quickly translate the story into English to share with others:
Baby Girl Miraculously Survived the Tsunami
On March 14 a Japan's Self-Defense Force member spotted a four-month-old baby girl who had been swept away from her mother's arms when the tsunami engulfed Ishinomaki, Sendai. The little baby was in good condition even though she was lying hidden beneath a collapsed house.
While searching for victims , the soldiers could not believe their ears when they heard the sound of baby crying from beneath the mountains of rubble. They thought they had hallucination, but the cry continued. They immediately removed layers of wood planks, trying to reach down the rubble of rocks, soil and thick mud, and, lo and behold, they found a baby girl.
One soldier picked her up, wrapped a blanket around her, and she was carried away to safety in the arms of many others. It was miraculously unbelievable for such a tiny baby to survive the last three days while many adults could not make it. She was soaked wet, shivering and crying loudly, but was not injured.
Another miracle also happened when the baby's dad was found soon after that, and they had such a wonderful family reunion with happy teardrops.
"When we found her, we got more strength, hope and motivation to go on searching for more survivors," said one officer. "We will keep listening, observing, and digging for more and more miracles like this."
Saturday, March 12, 2011
The March 11 2011 Tsunami
Humans are toiling,
like little ants
running back and forth,
searching for food
day and night, not knowing
about the lurking,looming danger
coming in from far-off waves.
Faceless Ocean Monster wakes up,
emerging from a huge crust crack.
Stretches its humongous water tongue
endlessly engulfing everything it touches.
With no mercy, it swallows and sets on fire
cars, houses, ocean liners, nuclear power plants....
Everything, like tiny toys, has helplessly crumbled,
swiftly drowned or ablaze in the deluge--
nothing but floating rubble.
Faceless Ocean Monster cold-blooded
keeps crushing and engulfing everything
into its huge bottomless stomach.
Rhythmically it trembles
every time it swallows.
Humans, like little ants,
are dispersing frantically
in all directions,
running for life safety,
while indignant Nature
shows no mercy.
like little ants
running back and forth,
searching for food
day and night, not knowing
about the lurking,looming danger
coming in from far-off waves.
Faceless Ocean Monster wakes up,
emerging from a huge crust crack.
Stretches its humongous water tongue
endlessly engulfing everything it touches.
With no mercy, it swallows and sets on fire
cars, houses, ocean liners, nuclear power plants....
Everything, like tiny toys, has helplessly crumbled,
swiftly drowned or ablaze in the deluge--
nothing but floating rubble.
Faceless Ocean Monster cold-blooded
keeps crushing and engulfing everything
into its huge bottomless stomach.
Rhythmically it trembles
every time it swallows.
Humans, like little ants,
are dispersing frantically
in all directions,
running for life safety,
while indignant Nature
shows no mercy.
Music
Human beings vary in their tastes and in the ways they choose to express themselves. Some love quiet, and enjoy writing in prose or in verse. Some, who also like to be alone and quiet, prefer to use hues, and shapes or lines to display objects and scenes around them, or to express their ideas and feelings. Still others would love to rely on sounds, rhythm, and the harmony in sound combination and variations in structure to create their own world. All these means of expression are necessary, for everybody has a need to express, create, and share with others what they think and feel.
Music has a special effect on every being-- the old, the young, the healthy and the sick-- in general, on people in all walks of life. In war and in peace alike, music usually lifts humans up to a higher, and much better, level of thinking and feeling. The same piece of music may be perceived, interpreted, and enjoyed differently, depending on one's mood and situation. Still, music always brings to this mundane life priceless,inexplicable, universal meanings which not all people can find and share through other means of expression mentioned above. This unique universal language has the power to connect humans beyond geographical borders and many social political differences. Unique but universal; different but similar; soft but powerful. All these qualities one can discover in music.
Hence, a good training in music is necessary. Also, it should start early in life; maybe right from the mother's womb.
Music has a special effect on every being-- the old, the young, the healthy and the sick-- in general, on people in all walks of life. In war and in peace alike, music usually lifts humans up to a higher, and much better, level of thinking and feeling. The same piece of music may be perceived, interpreted, and enjoyed differently, depending on one's mood and situation. Still, music always brings to this mundane life priceless,inexplicable, universal meanings which not all people can find and share through other means of expression mentioned above. This unique universal language has the power to connect humans beyond geographical borders and many social political differences. Unique but universal; different but similar; soft but powerful. All these qualities one can discover in music.
Hence, a good training in music is necessary. Also, it should start early in life; maybe right from the mother's womb.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Superstition
Superstition is the product of ignorance and a lack of self confidence and critical thinking. In some religious organizations there are usually some groups who take advantage of other people's ignorance, and who rely on superstitious practice to thrive on the latter's credulousness and blind beliefs. In its worst form, superstition may lead to self denial and irrational sacrifices to someone who has religious power or authority. Fanatical views arise when one loses self control, and accepts the control from others without knowing it.
Buddhism stresses the importance of "Right View," or seeing the reality as it actually is. Right View develops by meditation and wisdom. Even though there are multiple universes, some of which are not visible by human eyes, each person needs to live in this world, and to take care of the here and now first. Buddhists are supposed not to rely on any supernatural powers or deities. Hence, it is useless to pray for the happenings of the impossible. When you pour oil into a container of water, and try to pray day and night for the oil to sink to the bottom of the container, what is going to happen? It is just as impossible for the oil to sink as it is for Lady Macbeth to wash the blood off her hands. Such is her karma, the intentional action she has committed, and from it she has to reap its consequence in due time. No use to pray, no use to beg for help from others.
Responsible religious leaders and government authorities have to educate the poor and the unschooled to get rid of all superstitious practices. Law enforcers must stop those who live and thrive on others' false and blind beliefs. The only feasible measure is education, and law enforcement.
The multitude or the mob always need guidance; otherwise, they just blindly follow one another without realizing that they all are going in the wrong direction. They must be educated.
Buddhism stresses the importance of "Right View," or seeing the reality as it actually is. Right View develops by meditation and wisdom. Even though there are multiple universes, some of which are not visible by human eyes, each person needs to live in this world, and to take care of the here and now first. Buddhists are supposed not to rely on any supernatural powers or deities. Hence, it is useless to pray for the happenings of the impossible. When you pour oil into a container of water, and try to pray day and night for the oil to sink to the bottom of the container, what is going to happen? It is just as impossible for the oil to sink as it is for Lady Macbeth to wash the blood off her hands. Such is her karma, the intentional action she has committed, and from it she has to reap its consequence in due time. No use to pray, no use to beg for help from others.
Responsible religious leaders and government authorities have to educate the poor and the unschooled to get rid of all superstitious practices. Law enforcers must stop those who live and thrive on others' false and blind beliefs. The only feasible measure is education, and law enforcement.
The multitude or the mob always need guidance; otherwise, they just blindly follow one another without realizing that they all are going in the wrong direction. They must be educated.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Social Networks, the Media and Role Models
Every day reading newspapers, listening to or watching news, we often get more frustrated than encouraged, for everywhere in the world, violence, crimes, and aggressive behaviors seem to be rampant. There is too much emphasis on anti-social behaviors by social networks and the media. And the trend is not recent. In fact, it has been like that for centuries. Mark Twain himself refused to read newspapers later in his life, saying it only made him feel more cynical, and sick of human progress and civilization.
Why do the media like to depict more antisocial behaviors than prosocial behaviors?
Don't humans get any better? Aren't there role models any more? I believe there are always some good people in every society, real-life role models whom the media should highlight more often in order to promote harmony, peace and happiness in the world.
Humans are social learners. We often imitate others around us. Just as it is easier to descend than to ascend, it is easier for us to follow the evil than to emulate the good. We thus have to be vigilant against bad influences from whomever and whatever we have come into contact or have relationship with in our daily life. What we read online or offline, whether they are local, national or international images, stories and events, will be stored in our minds, dormant but ready to arise unexpectedly when there are enough favorable factors. The networks have a powerful influence on us, even though we might not realize it.
Be more responsible when you post anything online or when you spread any piece of information. There should be more and more role models, prosocial behaviors, educational and enlightening stories and events through social networks and the mass media. Again, we need to cultivate universal responsibility.
Why do the media like to depict more antisocial behaviors than prosocial behaviors?
Don't humans get any better? Aren't there role models any more? I believe there are always some good people in every society, real-life role models whom the media should highlight more often in order to promote harmony, peace and happiness in the world.
Humans are social learners. We often imitate others around us. Just as it is easier to descend than to ascend, it is easier for us to follow the evil than to emulate the good. We thus have to be vigilant against bad influences from whomever and whatever we have come into contact or have relationship with in our daily life. What we read online or offline, whether they are local, national or international images, stories and events, will be stored in our minds, dormant but ready to arise unexpectedly when there are enough favorable factors. The networks have a powerful influence on us, even though we might not realize it.
Be more responsible when you post anything online or when you spread any piece of information. There should be more and more role models, prosocial behaviors, educational and enlightening stories and events through social networks and the mass media. Again, we need to cultivate universal responsibility.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Food as Medicine Part 2
We know that to stay healthy we must have a healthy life style with regular exercise, and a balanced diet free from transfat. We must also get enough sleep, and stay away from smoking, alcohol and drug, and other stressful, unhealthy activities. Our food intake certainly plays an important part, but it is only one of the many factors affecting our health.
Food can be effective medicine. However, it often happens that once we stop eating a certain kind of food known for its medicinal effects, there is a relapse, or our health problem recurs. Therefore, it is better to find out the real cause of the problem before setting up an appropriate holistic treating plan.
Following are some medicinal foods based on folk wisdom and real-life experiences:
Anti-Constipation Foods: coarse wheat bran, rice bran, flax seeds, fruits (apples, oranges, prunes, figs, dates) and leafy vegetables (spinach...), and lots of fluids.
Foods that relieve or prevent diarrhea: starchy soup and cereals, yogurt.
Foods to eat if you have diarrhea: banana, rice, root vegetables such as carrots and potatoes.
Anti-Osteoporosis Foods: boron-riched fruits such as apples, pears, grapes, dates, raisins, and peaches; boron-riched vegetables such as soy beans, almonds, peanuts, hazelnuts; and honey; manganese-riched foods such as oatmeal, spinach, green tea, pineapple, beans; vitamin D riched and calcium protective sources such as sunlight,salmon, sardine, and dark green leafy vegetables.
Foods that may be beneficial to diabetic patients: onions, garlic,ginger, cinnamon, high-fiber foods, beans, okra, bitter melon/gourd, lentils, fish, barley, high-chromium foods such as whole grains, and broccoli. The best advice is to eat the same diet as the one that prevents heart disease, that is, foods low in animal fat, and rich in high-fiber carbohydrates.
Anti-Inflammatory Foods: fish oil, ginger, turmeric, hot chilly peppers, omega-3 fatty acids (mackerel, sardine, salmon), onions, garlic, pineapple, sage, black currant.
Anti-Ulcer Foods: bananas, plantains, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, turnips, fig, ginger, green tea, licorice.
Foods that may help to prevent or stifle cancer: green and yellow leafy vegetables (kale, collard), garlic, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, onions, carrots, tomatoes, fruits, especially citrus fruits, fish, fish oil, licorice, green tea, soy beans and tofu, turmeric, ginger, wheat bran, whole grains such as brown rice, yogurt, yams and sweet potatoes.
Foods that improve blood cholesterol: Foods high in antioxidants can lower bad LDL cholesterol (almond, apple, avocado, barley, dried beans, carrot, garlic, grapefruit pulp, oats, olive oil, rice bran, shiitake mushroom, soybeans, walnuts). Foods high in vitamin C, vitamin E, beta carotene, co-enzyme Q.10, monosaturated fat (almond, olive oil), red wine.
Foods that boost immune functioning: soy yogurt, garlic, shiitake mushrooms, food high in vitamin C, E, beta carotene, and zinc (carrots, spinach, kale, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, peppers, oranges, broccoli, nuts, fish oil, shellfish, whole grains).
Avoid or limit (as much as possible) the use of salt, alcohol, sugar, processed (frozen and microwavable, smoked or canned)foods, high heat when cooking, grilled animal meat/fish/seafoods, corn or palm oil, any burnt foods.
Source:
Jean Carper, Food-- Your Miracle Medicine (New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1993)
Food can be effective medicine. However, it often happens that once we stop eating a certain kind of food known for its medicinal effects, there is a relapse, or our health problem recurs. Therefore, it is better to find out the real cause of the problem before setting up an appropriate holistic treating plan.
Following are some medicinal foods based on folk wisdom and real-life experiences:
Anti-Constipation Foods: coarse wheat bran, rice bran, flax seeds, fruits (apples, oranges, prunes, figs, dates) and leafy vegetables (spinach...), and lots of fluids.
Foods that relieve or prevent diarrhea: starchy soup and cereals, yogurt.
Foods to eat if you have diarrhea: banana, rice, root vegetables such as carrots and potatoes.
Anti-Osteoporosis Foods: boron-riched fruits such as apples, pears, grapes, dates, raisins, and peaches; boron-riched vegetables such as soy beans, almonds, peanuts, hazelnuts; and honey; manganese-riched foods such as oatmeal, spinach, green tea, pineapple, beans; vitamin D riched and calcium protective sources such as sunlight,salmon, sardine, and dark green leafy vegetables.
Foods that may be beneficial to diabetic patients: onions, garlic,ginger, cinnamon, high-fiber foods, beans, okra, bitter melon/gourd, lentils, fish, barley, high-chromium foods such as whole grains, and broccoli. The best advice is to eat the same diet as the one that prevents heart disease, that is, foods low in animal fat, and rich in high-fiber carbohydrates.
Anti-Inflammatory Foods: fish oil, ginger, turmeric, hot chilly peppers, omega-3 fatty acids (mackerel, sardine, salmon), onions, garlic, pineapple, sage, black currant.
Anti-Ulcer Foods: bananas, plantains, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, turnips, fig, ginger, green tea, licorice.
Foods that may help to prevent or stifle cancer: green and yellow leafy vegetables (kale, collard), garlic, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, onions, carrots, tomatoes, fruits, especially citrus fruits, fish, fish oil, licorice, green tea, soy beans and tofu, turmeric, ginger, wheat bran, whole grains such as brown rice, yogurt, yams and sweet potatoes.
Foods that improve blood cholesterol: Foods high in antioxidants can lower bad LDL cholesterol (almond, apple, avocado, barley, dried beans, carrot, garlic, grapefruit pulp, oats, olive oil, rice bran, shiitake mushroom, soybeans, walnuts). Foods high in vitamin C, vitamin E, beta carotene, co-enzyme Q.10, monosaturated fat (almond, olive oil), red wine.
Foods that boost immune functioning: soy yogurt, garlic, shiitake mushrooms, food high in vitamin C, E, beta carotene, and zinc (carrots, spinach, kale, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, peppers, oranges, broccoli, nuts, fish oil, shellfish, whole grains).
Avoid or limit (as much as possible) the use of salt, alcohol, sugar, processed (frozen and microwavable, smoked or canned)foods, high heat when cooking, grilled animal meat/fish/seafoods, corn or palm oil, any burnt foods.
Source:
Jean Carper, Food-- Your Miracle Medicine (New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1993)
Thursday, March 3, 2011
How To Transform Greed, Anger, and Ignorance
In Buddhism, greed, anger (hatred) and ignorance (delusion)--also called "Three Poisons"--can be transformed through cultivating generosity (dāna-pāramitā)or alms giving and non-attachment, compassion or loving kindness (Karuṇā), and meditation to cultivate wisdom (Prajñā).
This transformation process is a rigorous life-long training. The practitioner needs to be patient and persistent in his/her daily practice. The key is to observe the mind. The mind is transformable, and the practitioner can gradually transform it for the better. Only when one's mind is calm can one see reality and the world as it actually is. Only when one's mind has peace can peace be established in human society and in the universe.
This transformation process is a rigorous life-long training. The practitioner needs to be patient and persistent in his/her daily practice. The key is to observe the mind. The mind is transformable, and the practitioner can gradually transform it for the better. Only when one's mind is calm can one see reality and the world as it actually is. Only when one's mind has peace can peace be established in human society and in the universe.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
The Ego, Greed, Anger, and Ignorance
Human sufferings come from greed, anger, and ignorance. Greed, anger, and ignorance arise wherever one has an attachment to the self or the ego. As long as there are distinctions between "You" and "I," "They and "We," and between "Yours," "Theirs," versus "Mine" and "Ours," there are aggressive behaviors, crimes and wars, and with them, all kinds of destruction and suffering. Those who are able to see beyond their own "selves," and those who can nurture a boundless love for all beings, usually may improve life, and bring joy and happiness to every being on earth.
I am skeptical about social political revolutionaries, and all kinds of slogans, propaganda, doctrines, or ideologies that often go with them. I think they are whimsical and unsubstantial. You may temporarily save some poor and underpreviledged people in some historical contexts, but you cannot save all of them all the time from social injustice. Likewise,overthrowing one regime through violent measures sometimes makes conditions worse for the multitude. History has proved that some successive leaders could be worse than the predecessors.
After all, everywhere there are always the rulers and the ruled, the powerful and the powerless, the elite and the "pariah." They exist as such for generations. Among both groups, at every imaginable level, are the good and the bad, those with some dignity and those without, those well-trained, skillful, refined, with some good vision, and those ignorant, greedy, and narrow-minded, and never advancing. Now and then there arise some exceptional characters who have the capacity to attract a large group of followers or supporters, and lead them to carry out certain goals which may be necessary and beneficial at some point of time in history. However, it would be a big mistake to idolize such characters as if they were gods or god-sent, while they are just human with some hidden follies and vices skillfully shrouded or well-camouflaged.
The best "revolution," I believe, is the revolution within oneself, or self transformation, which one initiates voluntarily to improve oneself every day. Nobody knows you better than yourself. Why don't you be honest to yourself, if you really want to improve your life and the world around you?
When you are going to think, say or do something, just ask these questions:
"Is this going to be constructive or destructive?"
"Is this going to be beneficial to me and others in the long term?"
"Is this going to harm myself and others now and in the long term?"
"Is this going to increase greed, anger and ignorance in me and in others?"
"Is this going to decrease greed, anger, and ignorance from me and from others?"
By practicing asking such questions every day, and by observing one's thought, word, and deed every second or minute, one hopefully may improve oneself and the world.
Do not begin with grandiose plans, such as launching this charity foundation and donating one's fortune to that organization, or saving this country from some tyrant, or eradicating all social injustices. Look closely and ask, What is behind all those plans and actions? Who will be able to follow up regarding the transparency and efficiency of those plans and activities? Maybe there are some ego, greed, anger, and ignorance hidden somewhere!!!
Instead, let's begin with the improvement of one's own thought, word and deed. This is not an easy task. On the contrary, it is a huge, strenuous, life-long, and highly detailed-oriented task. Face yourself, and see if you can conquer your own vileness. Before you plan to preach, be a good example, for actions speak louder than words. Most importantly, you are your only master. Even the Buddha is only your GUIDE. It is YOU who actually embark on the transformation journey. Gautama Buddha said that He never preached a word, and at His demise advised His disciples to be their own torch, and to let the DHAMMA be the GUIDE. We all need to contemplate the Buddha's SILENCE.
I am skeptical about social political revolutionaries, and all kinds of slogans, propaganda, doctrines, or ideologies that often go with them. I think they are whimsical and unsubstantial. You may temporarily save some poor and underpreviledged people in some historical contexts, but you cannot save all of them all the time from social injustice. Likewise,overthrowing one regime through violent measures sometimes makes conditions worse for the multitude. History has proved that some successive leaders could be worse than the predecessors.
After all, everywhere there are always the rulers and the ruled, the powerful and the powerless, the elite and the "pariah." They exist as such for generations. Among both groups, at every imaginable level, are the good and the bad, those with some dignity and those without, those well-trained, skillful, refined, with some good vision, and those ignorant, greedy, and narrow-minded, and never advancing. Now and then there arise some exceptional characters who have the capacity to attract a large group of followers or supporters, and lead them to carry out certain goals which may be necessary and beneficial at some point of time in history. However, it would be a big mistake to idolize such characters as if they were gods or god-sent, while they are just human with some hidden follies and vices skillfully shrouded or well-camouflaged.
The best "revolution," I believe, is the revolution within oneself, or self transformation, which one initiates voluntarily to improve oneself every day. Nobody knows you better than yourself. Why don't you be honest to yourself, if you really want to improve your life and the world around you?
When you are going to think, say or do something, just ask these questions:
"Is this going to be constructive or destructive?"
"Is this going to be beneficial to me and others in the long term?"
"Is this going to harm myself and others now and in the long term?"
"Is this going to increase greed, anger and ignorance in me and in others?"
"Is this going to decrease greed, anger, and ignorance from me and from others?"
By practicing asking such questions every day, and by observing one's thought, word, and deed every second or minute, one hopefully may improve oneself and the world.
Do not begin with grandiose plans, such as launching this charity foundation and donating one's fortune to that organization, or saving this country from some tyrant, or eradicating all social injustices. Look closely and ask, What is behind all those plans and actions? Who will be able to follow up regarding the transparency and efficiency of those plans and activities? Maybe there are some ego, greed, anger, and ignorance hidden somewhere!!!
Instead, let's begin with the improvement of one's own thought, word and deed. This is not an easy task. On the contrary, it is a huge, strenuous, life-long, and highly detailed-oriented task. Face yourself, and see if you can conquer your own vileness. Before you plan to preach, be a good example, for actions speak louder than words. Most importantly, you are your only master. Even the Buddha is only your GUIDE. It is YOU who actually embark on the transformation journey. Gautama Buddha said that He never preached a word, and at His demise advised His disciples to be their own torch, and to let the DHAMMA be the GUIDE. We all need to contemplate the Buddha's SILENCE.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Patriotism, Nationalism, and Internationalism
Patriotism refers to a love, devotion and sacrifice to one's country. The term first appeared in the 18th century, and has evolved since then with different meanings, depending on various contexts. In its classical 18th-century meaning, patriotism referred to loyalty to the State in contrast to loyalty to the Church. One of the most influential proponents of this notion of patriotism was Jean-Jacques Rousseau. During WWI, social patriotism, a combination of socialism with patriotism, was an effort to support respective governments and nations against social internationalism or workers solidarity. In the USA in the second half of the 20th century there was the Patriot Movement, a collection of anti-government social movements against unconstitutional actions by elected officials, white supremacy and antisemitism.
Chauvinism,in its original and primary meaning, is an exaggerated, bellicose patriotism and a belief in national superiority and glory. By extension it has come to include an extreme and unreasoning partisanship on behalf of any group to which one belongs, especially when the partisanship includes malice and hatred towards rival groups. Jingoism is the British parallel form of this French word. A contemporary use of the term in English is in the phrase male chauvinism. Because "chauvinism" is most often heard in this context, it is often mistakenly believed to refer exclusively to "male chauvinism" such as anti-feminism and sexism. It is an eponym of a possibly fictional French soldier Nicolas Chauvin who was credited with many superhuman feats in the late 18th century.
In "Imperialism, Nationalism, Chauvinism", in The Review of Politics 7.4, (October 1945), p. 457, Hannah Arendt describes the concept:
The term nationalism was coined by Johann Gottfried Herder (nationalismus) during the late 1770s. Precisely where and when nationalism emerged is difficult to determine, but its development is closely related to that of the modern state and the push for popular sovereignty that surfaced with the French Revolution and the American Revolution in the late 18th century and culminated with the ethnic/national revolutions of Europe, for instance the Greek War of Independence. Since that time, nationalism has become one of the most significant political and social forces in history, perhaps most notably as a major influence or postulate of World War I and especially World War II. Fascism is a form of authoritarian civic nationalism which stresses absolute loyalty and obedience to the state, whose purpose is to serve the interests of its nation alone.
Whereas nationalism does not necessarily imply a belief in the superiority of one ethnicity over others, some nationalists support ethnocentric protectionism or ethnocentric supremacy. Studies have yielded evidence that such behavior may be derived from innate preferences in humans from infancy. The term ethnocentrism is a more accurate and meaningful term. Ethnic cleansing is often seen as both a nationalist and ethnocentrist phenomenon, though not by any means exclusive to them.
Expansionist nationalism promotes expansion into new territories, usually with the claim that the existing territory is too small or is not able to physically or economically sustain the nation's population. One example of this is Adolf Hitler's territorial demands.
Internationalism is a political movement which advocates a greater economic and political cooperation among nations for the theoretical benefit of all. Partisans of this movement, such as supporters of the World Federalist Movement, claim that nations should cooperate because their long-term mutual interests are of greater value than their individual short term needs. Internationalism is by nature opposed to ultranationalism, jingoism, realism and national chauvinism. Internationalism teaches that the people of all nations have more in common than they do differences, and thus that nations should treat each other as equals.
The term internationalism is often wrongly used as a synonym for cosmopolitanism. 'Cosmopolitanist' is also sometimes used as a term of abuse for internationalists. Internationalism is not necessarily anti-nationalism, as in the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China.
Internationalism is most commonly expressed as an appreciation for the diverse cultures in the world, and a desire for world peace. People who express this view believe in not only being a citizen of their respective countries, but of being a citizen of the world. Internationalists feel obliged to assist the world through leadership and charity.
Internationalists also advocate the presence of an international organization, such as the United Nations, and often support a stronger form of a world government.
Contributors to the current version of internationalism include Albert Einstein, who believed in a world government, and classified the follies of nationalism as "an infantile sickness". Internationalism, in the strict meaning of the word, is still based on the existence of sovereign nations. Its aims are to encourage multilateralism (world leadership not held by any single country) and create some formal and informal interdependence between countries, with some limited supranational powers given to international organisations controlled by those nations via intergovernmental treaties and institutions.
The ideal of many internationalists, among them world citizens, is to go a step further towards democratic globalization by creating a world government. However, this idea is opposed and/or thwarted by other internationalists, who believe any World Government body would be inherently too powerful to be trusted, or because they dislike the path taken by supranational entities such as the United Nations or the European Union and fear that a world government inclined towards fascism would emerge from the former. These internationalists are more likely to support a loose world federation in which most power resides with the national governments.
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki
Chauvinism,in its original and primary meaning, is an exaggerated, bellicose patriotism and a belief in national superiority and glory. By extension it has come to include an extreme and unreasoning partisanship on behalf of any group to which one belongs, especially when the partisanship includes malice and hatred towards rival groups. Jingoism is the British parallel form of this French word. A contemporary use of the term in English is in the phrase male chauvinism. Because "chauvinism" is most often heard in this context, it is often mistakenly believed to refer exclusively to "male chauvinism" such as anti-feminism and sexism. It is an eponym of a possibly fictional French soldier Nicolas Chauvin who was credited with many superhuman feats in the late 18th century.
In "Imperialism, Nationalism, Chauvinism", in The Review of Politics 7.4, (October 1945), p. 457, Hannah Arendt describes the concept:
Chauvinism is an almost natural product of the national concept in so far as it springs directly from the old idea of the "national mission." ... [A] nation's mission might be interpreted precisely as bringing its light to other, less fortunate peoples that, for whatever reason, have miraculously been left by history without a national mission. As long as this concept did not develop into the ideology of chauvinism and remained in the rather vague realm of national or even nationalistic pride, it frequently resulted in a high sense of responsibility for the welfare of backward people.In contrast with nationalism, the term "patriotism" may express the more constructive, less antagonistic or aggressive ideal. Nationalism is the belief that an ethnic group has a right to statehood,or that citizenship in a state should be limited to one ethnic group, or that multinationality in a single state should necessarily comprise the right to express and exercise national identity even by minorities. Nationalism is also the belief that the state is of primary importance, or that one state is naturally superior to all other states. It may refer to a movement to establish or protect a homeland (usually an autonomous state) for an ethnic group. In some cases the identification of a national culture is combined with a negative view of other races or cultures. Conversely, nationalism might also be portrayed as collective identities towards imagined communities which are not naturally expressed in language, race or religion but rather socially constructed by the very individuals that belong to a given nation.
The term nationalism was coined by Johann Gottfried Herder (nationalismus) during the late 1770s. Precisely where and when nationalism emerged is difficult to determine, but its development is closely related to that of the modern state and the push for popular sovereignty that surfaced with the French Revolution and the American Revolution in the late 18th century and culminated with the ethnic/national revolutions of Europe, for instance the Greek War of Independence. Since that time, nationalism has become one of the most significant political and social forces in history, perhaps most notably as a major influence or postulate of World War I and especially World War II. Fascism is a form of authoritarian civic nationalism which stresses absolute loyalty and obedience to the state, whose purpose is to serve the interests of its nation alone.
Whereas nationalism does not necessarily imply a belief in the superiority of one ethnicity over others, some nationalists support ethnocentric protectionism or ethnocentric supremacy. Studies have yielded evidence that such behavior may be derived from innate preferences in humans from infancy. The term ethnocentrism is a more accurate and meaningful term. Ethnic cleansing is often seen as both a nationalist and ethnocentrist phenomenon, though not by any means exclusive to them.
Expansionist nationalism promotes expansion into new territories, usually with the claim that the existing territory is too small or is not able to physically or economically sustain the nation's population. One example of this is Adolf Hitler's territorial demands.
Internationalism is a political movement which advocates a greater economic and political cooperation among nations for the theoretical benefit of all. Partisans of this movement, such as supporters of the World Federalist Movement, claim that nations should cooperate because their long-term mutual interests are of greater value than their individual short term needs. Internationalism is by nature opposed to ultranationalism, jingoism, realism and national chauvinism. Internationalism teaches that the people of all nations have more in common than they do differences, and thus that nations should treat each other as equals.
The term internationalism is often wrongly used as a synonym for cosmopolitanism. 'Cosmopolitanist' is also sometimes used as a term of abuse for internationalists. Internationalism is not necessarily anti-nationalism, as in the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China.
Internationalism is most commonly expressed as an appreciation for the diverse cultures in the world, and a desire for world peace. People who express this view believe in not only being a citizen of their respective countries, but of being a citizen of the world. Internationalists feel obliged to assist the world through leadership and charity.
Internationalists also advocate the presence of an international organization, such as the United Nations, and often support a stronger form of a world government.
Contributors to the current version of internationalism include Albert Einstein, who believed in a world government, and classified the follies of nationalism as "an infantile sickness". Internationalism, in the strict meaning of the word, is still based on the existence of sovereign nations. Its aims are to encourage multilateralism (world leadership not held by any single country) and create some formal and informal interdependence between countries, with some limited supranational powers given to international organisations controlled by those nations via intergovernmental treaties and institutions.
The ideal of many internationalists, among them world citizens, is to go a step further towards democratic globalization by creating a world government. However, this idea is opposed and/or thwarted by other internationalists, who believe any World Government body would be inherently too powerful to be trusted, or because they dislike the path taken by supranational entities such as the United Nations or the European Union and fear that a world government inclined towards fascism would emerge from the former. These internationalists are more likely to support a loose world federation in which most power resides with the national governments.
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki
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