Emotion as fuel

Emotion is the fuel that carries your vision into physical reality. You will only succeed with a vision that fills you with passion. I cannot emphasize enough how crucial emotional energy is to the success of your vision. The only way to make your vision real is to fall in love with it. A vision that succeeds is a vision that is compelling.

Some people say, “But wait, I’m a very reasonable, rational, logical person. I don’t make decisions based on emotion.”

I believe that even if you are reasonable and rational, you make decisions based on how strongly you feel something is reasonable or rational. You don’t have to be enveloped in some of the more obvious emotions (love, hate, sadness, joy) in order to make emotional decisions.

Emotion is our greatest motivator. It is our spirit speaking to us and wanting to come forward. Every thought that you mix with emotion becomes a seed that you plant in your unconscious mind. That seed will grow to the extent that it is nourished with repetition, faith and belief.

James Arthur Ray

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The Peaceful Sage

Let not a person revive the pastOr on the future build his hopes;For the past has been left behindAnd the future has not been reached.Instead with insight let him seeEach presently arisen state;Let him know that and be sure of it,Invincibly, unshakeably.Today the effort must be made;Tomorrow Death may come, who knows?No bargain with MortalityCan keep him and his hordes away.But one who dwells thus ardently,Relentlessly, by day, by night It is he, the Peaceful Sage has said,Who has one fortunate attachment.–Lomasakangiyabhaddekaratta Sutta, in The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha, trans. By Bhikkhu Bodhifrom Everyday Mind, edited by Jean Smith, a Tricycle book Sponsored by www.vaness.ws, www.vagel.wordpress.com, www.inspiredmen.wordpress.com, www.inspiredwomen.wordpress.com, www.inspiredworld.wordpress.com, www.inspiredhealthy.wordpress.com, www.inspiredwallet.wordpress.com

Our four functions

With regard to the Four Noble Truths we have four functions to perform: The First Noble Truth is Dukkha, the nature of life, its suffering, its sorrows and joys, its imperfection and unsatisfactoriness, its impermanence and insubstantiality. With regard to this, our function is to understand it as a fact, clearly and completely. The Second Noble Truth is the Origin of Dukkha, which is desire, “thirst”, accompanied by all other passions, defilements and impurities. A mere understanding of this fact is not sufficient. Here our function is to discard it, to eliminate, to destroy and eradicate it. The Third Noble Truth is the Cessation of Dukkha, Nirvana, the Absolute Truth, the Ultimate Reality. Here our function is to realize it. The Fourth Noble Truth is the Path leading to the realization of Nirvana. A mere knowledge of the Path, however complete, will not do. In this case, our function is to follow it and keep to it. –Walpola Rahula, What the Buddha Taught from Everyday Mind, edited by Jean Smith, a Tricycle book Sponsored by www.vaness.ws, www.vagel.wordpress.com, www.inspiredwallet.wordpress.com 

Buddha as Archetype

[We can] view the Buddha as a fundamental archetype of humanity; that is, as the full manifestation of buddha-nature, the mind that is free of defilement and distortion, and understanding his life story as a great journey representing some basic archetypal aspects of human existence. By viewing the life of the Buddha… as a historical person and as an archetype, it becomes possible to see the unfolding of universal principles within the particular content of his life experience. We can then view the Buddha’s life not as an abstract, removed story of somebody who lived twenty-five hundred years ago, but as one that reveals the nature of the universal in us all. This becomes a way of understanding our own experience in a larger and more profound context, one that connects the Buddha’s journey with our own. We have undertaken to follow the same path, motivated by the same questions: What is the true nature of our lives? What is the root cause of our suffering?Sponsored by www.vaness.ws 

The Buddha’s Spiritual Journey

It is noteworthy… that the story of the Buddha’s spiritual journey climaxes with his enlightenment but does not end there. Even as he was savoring the blissful state that followed his awakening, he was approached (in the traditional account) by a delegation of gods, who begged him to give up his private ecstasy so he could share his awakening with those who still suffered. This encounter and its outcome, however legendary, make the point that spiritual maturity includes the ability to actualize transcendent insight in daily life. The Buddha is said to have wandered across northern India for forty years, tirelessly teaching the dharma. His decision to arise from his seat under the Bo tree and go out into the world can be considered the first step of a socially engaged Buddhism. The Buddha’s discourses, which had revolutionary force in the society of his time, include countless passages dealing with “this-worldly” topics such as politics, good government, poverty, crime, war, peace, and ecology. –Kenneth Kraft, Inner Peace, World Peace
from Everyday Mind, edited by Jean Smith, a Tricycle book.

How does one be a Buddha?

There is a simple way to become a buddha: When you refrain from unwholesome action, are not attached to birth and death, and are compassionate toward all sentient beings, respectful to seniors and kind to juniors, not excluding or desiring anything, with no designing thoughts or worries, you will be called a buddha. Do not seek anything else. – Zen Master Dogen, Moon in a Dewdrop, edited by Kazuaki Tanahashi from Everyday Mind, a Tricycle book edited by Jean SmithSponsored by www.vaness.ws, www.inspiredlife.wordpress.com, www.vagel.wordpress.com,  

Top 5 Habits to Increase Longevity

Is it really possible for anyone to live happily to 100? The good news is that your body was designed to be 100 – you just have to get out of the way.

Getting out of the way means taking an honest look at the habits and lifestyle you are living with today. Most of us have developed habits that limit our true health potential.

But don’t let these bad habits of the past discourage you – it is never too late to make new choices. What you did in the past can be changed, and your body will respond in kind. What matters is what you do from this moment forward.
 
Top 5 Daily Habits for Your Longevity 
It takes 14 to 21 days of repetitive behavior to form a new pattern in your brain. Once the pattern is formed, it becomes an automatic behavioral response.

As you develop new healthy habits, they will begin to replace bad habits. These healthy lifelong habits are adapted straight from the time-tested traditions practiced by centenarians all around the world, and I can say with certainty that they will transform and rejuvenate you!

Eat five small meals a day.
In the Western culture, meals are taken three times a day, but it is much better to eat five smaller meals. When you eat smaller portions five times a day, you deliver a steady stream of nutrients, blood sugar, and energy to your body throughout the day.

Additionally, eating this way is less taxing on the digestive and metabolic systems and also reduces your risk of heart disease.

Climb the stairs instead of using elevators.
The health benefits of a daily exercise program cannot be stressed enough. Regular exercise can help promote physiological well-being, strengthen the immune system, maintain joint mobility, increase energy – and the list goes on.

Look for opportunities all through your day to work in physical activity. Power-walk, run, or ride your bike instead of driving. Begin a daily tai chi practice. Join a gym and actually go! Practice safely and watch your health results pile up. 

Laugh it up!
We know from research that laughter and joy boost immune functions, especially the production of the natural killer cells that help protect the body from illness and cancer. Laughter also increases the release of endorphins, compounds that give you a sense of well-being, in your brain. Without a doubt, joyful people live longer and healthier lives. 

Drink 8 glasses of water every day.
Water is essential for all healthy body functions. Centenarians from around the globe cite their native water as the source of their health and longevity – and the scientists agree with them. What they all have in common is pure water sources located far from any city, free from chemicals and toxins.

Choose filtered water; the best filtration processes are the ones that use activated charcoal, which removes the impurities but leaves the water-soluble minerals. Also, do not store water in plastic containers because the polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) can leach into the water.

Unwind with meditation.
Stress is the root cause of most of the diseases that shorten our life span. In our modern society stress will continue to increase – unless you find techniques to manage it. Meditation is the best way to release tension and revitalize your being. It teaches you to breath properly, which is critical for eliminating up to 70% of your body’s toxins and wastes. It also quiets your mind, lowers your stress hormones, and teaches self-discipline, which is a necessary attribute to achieving your health and longevity goals. 

Try this beginning meditation:
Sit comfortably on a chair or the floor. Breathe naturally and close your eyes. Each time a thought appears, put it inside a balloon and let it fly up into the sky and disappear. Do this until the thoughts are exhausted. After a bit, your body will feel very light, and your mind will become still. The first few times it may take a while, but it will get easier and faster with practice.

I hope you use these healthy habits for years to come! I invite you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with me. 

May you live long, live strong, and live happy!

-Dr. Mao

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