Whenever we practice meditation, it is important to try to refrain from criticizing ourselves about how we practice and what comes up in our practice. This would only be training in being hard on ourselves! I want to emphasize the importance of maintaining an atmosphere of unconditional friendliness when you practice and as you take your practice out into the world. We can practice for a lot of years—I know many people who have practiced for countless years, decades even—and somewhere along into their umpteenth year, it dawns on them that they haven’t been using that practice to develop lovingkindness for themselves. Rather, it’s been somewhat aggressive meditation toward themselves, perhaps very goal-oriented. As someone said, “I meditated all those years because I wanted people to think I was a good Buddhist.” Or, “I meditated all those years out of a feeling of I should do this, it would be good for me.” And so naturally we come to meditation with the same attitudes with which we come to everything. I’ve seen this with students time and time again, and it is very human.
Do not hurt anyone
Do not hurt anyone Don’t hurt anyone. It only takes a few seconds to hurt people you love, and it can take years to heal. — Nanu Thakuri
The serenity prayer? :-D
A modern day interpretation…
Two cats chat with each other on #caturday
These two cats must have a lot to talk about, because they chatter back and forth for a minute. And then they start to give each other baths.
The Enoch Factor
Never before has this country—indeed this world—faced such a need for a book that unites people, a book that reassures those disillusioned by faith that they can navigate their way back to God and even experience a profound spiritual awakening. For author and entrepreneur Steve McSwain, such an epiphany transformed his life. In The Enoch Factor, readers discover a kindred spirit in an author who understands how religion can subvert a spiritual life. His story will help them navigate their own spiritual journeys.
More than a personal odyssey, The Enoch Factor is also a testimonial to the innate dangers of fundamentalist thinking. It is a persuasive argument for a more enlightened religious dialogue in America, one that affirms the goals of all religions—guiding followers in self-awareness, finding serenity and happiness, and discovering what the author describes as “the sacred art of knowing God.” Unapologetic and moving, McSwain’s take on The Almighty is sure to ignite spirited debate. Full of wisdom, humor, and truth, The Enoch Factor bridges the gap between secular and Christian book titles on spirituality, setting a new standard in both…
Go to the source…
Mindfulness: A New Way of Life
Mindfulness is the greatest (and cheapest) escape because you only need your attention to get the most out of your precious break and simply relax and renew
4th of July Hangover…
The Fourth of July is more than America’s birthday. It’s also the time…
Source: This is what an honest 4th of July BBQ would look like – Holy Kaw!
Perhaps the most inspirational guitar duet you’ll ever see…
Guitar duets can be inspirational for a lot of reasons, but this reason will catch you off guard. One of the guitarists has no hands. I have to grab this one before @davidkanigan does! :-D
Source: The most inspirational guitar duet you’ll ever see – Holy Kaw!
Transforming Our Pain by Richard Rohr
Spirituality is always eventually about what you do with your pain. It seems our culture has lost its own spiritual foundation and center, and as a result we no longer know what to do with universal pain. If we do not transform our pain, we will always transmit it–to our partner, our spouse, our children, our friends, our coworkers, our “enemies.” Usually we project it outward and blame someone else for causing our pain.
Take a flying boat tour of Virginia’s Cape Charles
Look! In the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No…it’s a flying boat? This is a weird way to tour Virginia’s beautiful Cape Charles, but it gets the job done.
Source: Take a flying boat tour of Virginia’s Cape Charles – Holy Kaw!
Reflection: A Water Story
Life follows water
Where there is water there is life, and where there is life there is water. The two are inseparable. This simple realization is imperative to the survival of our species. As humans, we have systematically destroyed an innumerable number of natural ecosystems around the world. These are ecosystems that regulate the transfer of oxygen and carbon, maintain the temperature of the planet, and create the conditions for life as we know it. These are like the organs of the body: when treated properly, they support the life of the whole. When treated improperly, other organs begin to compensate and pick up the slack until they exceed their capacity, after which the health of the whole becomes increasingly compromised.
The structures that we are replacing these ecosystems with (think jungles, savannahs, etc.) are often cities, suburbs, or agricultural lands. Currently, our design of cities, suburbs, and agricultural lands is profoundly linear, extractive, and disconnected from the natural cycles of an ecosystem. Water runs right off the top of these landscapes carrying all of the pollutants that it picks up in the process to the sea. There is no root structure to attract and retain water in these landscapes, and there are hardly any life forms to build and benefit the soil health.
Source: Reflection: A Water Story. | elephant journal
Bright, shiny objects! 
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