A meditation a day ..

Amyntas wrote: it begins with self love , if you dont love yourself , how can you love others?

Says who? I consider myself part of the Force - and the same goes for everyone and everything in the Universe. As we are all one in the Force, loving others is the same as loving oneself. There’s no need to direct love at myself as others will not benefit from that directly. Of course I look after myself as I can’t be of service if I’m not well.

That’s said I’m sure it doesn’t harm to spend time asserting self-love but I hardly consider it essential.

Cyan Sarden wrote:

Amyntas wrote: it begins with self love , if you dont love yourself , how can you love others?

Says who? I consider myself part of the Force - and the same goes for everyone and everything in the Universe. As we are all one in the Force, loving others is the same as loving oneself. There’s no need to direct love at myself as others will not benefit from that directly. Of course I look after myself as I can’t be of service if I’m not well.

That’s said I’m sure it doesn’t harm to spend time asserting self-love but I hardly consider it essential.

I disagree , i cannot give what i dont have , as floating and penetrating as the Force is , if i block an essential part of myself off to myself , how can i reveal it to others ? I am not saying you are wrong , i just see it differently

Amyntas wrote:

Cyan Sarden wrote:

Amyntas wrote: it begins with self love , if you dont love yourself , how can you love others?

Says who? I consider myself part of the Force - and the same goes for everyone and everything in the Universe. As we are all one in the Force, loving others is the same as loving oneself. There’s no need to direct love at myself as others will not benefit from that directly. Of course I look after myself as I can’t be of service if I’m not well.

That’s said I’m sure it doesn’t harm to spend time asserting self-love but I hardly consider it essential.

I disagree , i cannot give what i dont have , as floating and penetrating as the Force is , if i block an essential part of myself off to myself , how can i reveal it to others ? I am not saying you are wrong , i just see it differently

I find that loving others gives me joy, and I’d argue that yes, I can have love for others even though I don’t necessarily cultivate it for myself (and no, I don’t hate myself

Cyan Sarden wrote:

Amyntas wrote: it begins with self love , if you dont love yourself , how can you love others?

Says who? I consider myself part of the Force - and the same goes for everyone and everything in the Universe. As we are all one in the Force, loving others is the same as loving oneself. There’s no need to direct love at myself as others will not benefit from that directly. Of course I look after myself as I can’t be of service if I’m not well.

That’s said I’m sure it doesn’t harm to spend time asserting self-love but I hardly consider it essential.

This isn't the movies, society craves destruction, the majority of people growing up today are not taught the value of self compassion, why would it? It thrives on chaos, disempowerment and tearing down of the individual. Self compassion is the hardest lesson to learn in this life, and the individual who has learned it sets an example that taking care of the self first should be a priority. I hope you learn it before the next incarnation Peter...

Zenchi wrote: This isn't the movies, society craves destruction, the majority of people growing up today are not taught the value of self compassion, why would it? It thrives on chaos, disempowerment and tearing down of the individual. Self compassion is the hardest lesson to learn in this life, and the individual who has learned it sets an example that taking care of the self first should be a priority. I hope you learn it before the next incarnation Peter.

I don’t lack self-compassion. I’ve been an avid user of metta mediation for years. I’m convinced that lasting happiness can only come from inside oneself as anything external is fleeting.

That doesn’t mean I have to hold a mirror in front of myself and say “I love you” though - it’s just not me. If others don’t accept that or can’t relate to it it’s not something I concern myself with.

But I agree, compassion in general, not just self-compassion, is something that society as a whole seems to have replaced by egotism and self-centeredness.

Anyway , to whom it concerns for me it was very liberating to tell myself i love myself in the mirror , i am not pushing this habit on anyone , it just is one of the things i realised when i saw how self destructive my anger and self loathing was , i am still angry , but its not eating away at me anymore , because i am not my emotions

Only today i had to convince my daughter that the only person she had to impress is herself , she has to make things work and work at it and stop being angry at others that don't understand us , they owe us nothing , but we owe it to ourselfes to treat ourselfes with love and compassion. And radiate that outwards ...

Ow , and i was just fed up with being like this guy ...

"Peace, Tranquility and Healing"

Sitting comfortably or lying down with eyes closed, let's begin by becoming aware of the breath......

Feel the breath as it enters with a cool feeling and then warming as it gently travels down into the lungs.....
Fill the lungs with a deep inhale, bringing in energy, vitality and the living Force.....
As you exhale, feel the body releasing toxins, stress and any negativity that has accumulated.....

Stay with this breath, focusing on the feeling of deep peace for ten deep inhalations and exhalations....
Feel the energy that is in the body....
Become aware of the warmth and tingling of every cell.....
Feel the energy that is in the extended environment, in every part of nature and in every living thing.....
Bring all those energies together and feel them as one.....
Visualize all of that energy shining brightly, as the sun.....

Bring the shining glow of bright energy over the crown of the head.....
Feel it starting to travel down into your body from the top of your head, slowly going down into your face and neck, traveling down into the shoulders, all the way down into the arms, down to the fingers.....
Feel the healing energy and light going down into your chest, all the way down to your hips.....
Feel it continue traveling down your legs all the way down to your toes.....
Your whole body is now filled with divine healing light and energy.....

Allow that healing energy to completely fill any physical area that needs healing energy.....
Feel it warming, healing and expanding through the area......
Allow the healing light to bring peace and healing to any emotional issues or traumas.....

Bring your awareness to any intentions or desires that you may have.....
Hold the thoughts of those intentions or desires as you allow the healing energy to bring your deepest desires to life and your intentions into reality.....
Feel your connection to divine energy and light, and know that all is ONE.

Stay with this deep, relaxing, peaceful feeling of bliss.

ZAZEN PRACTICE
A GUIDELINE FOR BEGINNERS


Purposes in Zazen:
In his “Zen Fables for Today”, Richards McLean retells the following story:
“Why must I meditate in order to achieve enlightenment?” demanded the
prince of the teacher. “I can study, I can pray. I can think on issues clearly.
Why this silly emptying of mind?”
“I will show you,” said the teacher, taking a bucket of water into the garden
under the full moon. “Now I stir the surface and what do you see?”
“Ribbons of light,” answered the prince. “Now wait,” said the teacher
setting the bucket down.
Both teacher and boy watched the calming surface of the water in the
bamboo bucket for many minutes. “Now what do you see?” asked the
teacher. “The moon,” replied the prince.
“So, too, young master, the only way to grasp enlightenment is through a
calm and settled mind.”
This simple story is telling us the purpose and the way of zazen very clearly.
To practice “Zazen” is to see into one’s “own nature” or Buddha-nature,
which is from the very beginning, pure and calm, and every being in the
world has it.

www.zenguide.com/practice/zazen_guide.pdf

Serenity wrote: Breathe .....

Just a reminder, to wind down when you see someone blaming others but never themselves, stay calm and be the best person you can be today.

And don't stop breathing