Friday, June 13, 2014
The Last Sermon of the Buddha
The Buddha's Farewell Address
I have preached the truth without making any distinction
between exoteric and esoteric doctrine;
for in respect of the truth, Ananda,
the Tathagata has no such thing as the closed fist of a teacher,
who keeps some things back....
"Therefore, O Ananda, be ye lamps unto yourselves.
Rely on yourselves, and do not rely on external help
"Hold fast to the truth as a lamp.
Seek salvation alone in the truth.
Look not for assistance to any one besides yourselves.
"Herein, O Ananda, let a brother,
as he dwells in the body, so regard the body that he,
being strenuous, thoughtful, and mindful, may, whilst in the world,
overcome the grief which arises from the body's cravings.
"While subject to sensations
let him continue so to regard the sensations that he,
being strenuous, thoughtful, and mindful, may, whilst in the world,
overcome the grief which arises from the sensations.
"And so, also, when he thinks or reasons, or feels,
let him so regard his thoughts
that being strenuous, thoughtful, and mindful he may, whilst in the world,
overcome the grief which arises from the craving due to ideas,
or to reasoning, or to feeling.
...it is in the very nature of all compound things
that they must be dissolved again.
We must separate ourselves from all
things near and dear to us, and must leave them.
How then, Ananda, can it be possible for me to remain,
since everything that is born, or brought into being, and organized,
contains within itself the inherent necessity of dissolution?
"O brethren, ye to whom the truth has been made known,
having thoroughly made yourselves masters of it,
practise it, meditate upon it, and spread it abroad,
in order that pure religion may last long and be perpetuated,
in order that it may continue for the good
and happiness of the great multitudes,
out of pity for the world,
and to the good and gain of all living beings!
"Star-gazing and astrology, forecasting lucky or unfortunate events by signs,
prognosticating good or evil, all these are things forbidden.
"He who lets his heart go loose without restraint
shall not attain Nirvana;
therefore, must we hold the heart in check,
and retire from worldly excitements
and seek tranquillity of mind.
"Practise the earnest meditations I have taught you.
Continue in the great struggle against sin.
Walk steadily in the roads of saintship.
Be strong in moral powers.
Let the organs of your spiritual sense be quick.
When the seven kinds of wisdom enlighten your mind,
you will find the noble, eightfold path that leads to Nirvana.
'All component things must grow old and be dissolved again.
Seek ye for that which is permanent,
and work out your salvation with diligence.'"
"He who gives away shall have real gain.
He who subdues himself shall be free,
he shall cease to be a slave of passions.
The righteous man casts off evil;
and by rooting out lust, bitterness, and illusion,
do we reach Nirvana."
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Monday, June 9, 2014
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Saturday, June 7, 2014
Recipe for Homemade Deodorant with Coconut Oil
The recipe is simple….
Ingredients:
1/4 cup melted unrefined extra virgin coconut oil which corresponds
to 4 tablespoons of solid coconut oil
1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup corn starch
10 drops of essential oils (I used lavender and tea tree oil)
Glass jar with lid
Steps:
Place all the dry ingredients into a convenient container.Add the melted coconut oil and essential oils and stir well.
You’ll
end up with a fragrant paste
which should be poured into a jar before
it solidifies. Remember,
coconut oil’s natural state is solid, and the
end product should
look something like this. Leave
it to cool naturally before
placing it in the fridge for extra
solidification. I like to keep
it at room temperature for easier
application, but you can also keep
it in your fridge.
The Final Word
Oh, and in case you wondered how these ingredients have been
proven to work… baking soda absorbs odors, cornstarch
absorbs wetness and coconut oil
is an anti-oxidant and a
moisturizer with anti-fungal/anti-bacterial
properties. The
essential oils you added will add their own properties.
In my case, I added lavender oil as an antiseptic and tea tree oil
for
its antibacterial, anti-fungal and antiseptic qualities.
And that’s how you can create happy armpits!
Diabetes - Is there another option?
Wouldn't it be better if the ravages of high blood
sugar levels could be
addressed as a part of overall good health,
rather than simply as an
illness in need of drug treatment? Recent
studies have revealed that
many foods have blood sugar-stabilizing
effects. Here are seven of
them:
Cinnamon - We all recognize this happy, holiday spice, but did you
know that cinnamon can regulate blood sugar in people with diabetes?
A study published by the American Diabetes Association's journal,
Diabetes Care (3), showed that, after 40 days of use, cinnamon
lowered blood sugar levels in the test participants by as much as 26
percent.
Fenugreek seeds
- Fenugreek is a tangy spice that some people say
tastes a bit like
licorice. Toasted and added to salads or cereal, or taken
in powdered
form, fenugreek can lower blood glucose levels.
Fenugreek is also a
blood thinner, so care should be taken if you also
use blood- thinning
medications like warfarin or aspirin.
Ginseng - American ginseng, as reported in the eCAM-published
study
"Ginseng on Hyperglycemia: Effects and Mechanisms," (4) can lower
both fasting and post-meal blood glucose levels. How ginseng works is
not completely clear, but early studies suggest that the herb increases
insulin production and slows the death of pancreatic beta-cells. The
ginseng root can be taken as a supplement, or it can be added to the
diet as tea. Also a blood thinner, ginseng should be taken with care by
people on blood-thinning medications or those with autoimmune
disease.
Broccoli - Chromium has been shown to help stabilize blood sugar,
and with a single serving of broccoli packing, according to the World's
Healthiest Foods
(5), 53 percent of the Dietary Reference Intake (DRI)
of chromium, it's
one of the best natural sources. Broccoli is also high
in fiber, which
makes it a win-win for people trying to reverse diabetes.
Oatmeal
- Fiber is high on the list of natural blood-glucose stabilizing
substances, and whole oats pack 16 grams of fiber into a single cup.
Oats are also high in magnesium. A dry quarter of a cup has over 17
percent of the DRI.
Peanuts - Peanuts and peanut butter
have been proven to lower blood
sugar levels. Stabilizing your blood
sugar protects the pancreas from
being overworked and also staves off
hunger. Other nuts have the
same effect, but peanuts are easy to add to
your diet. Toss some over
your cereal in the morning or have a PB&J
on whole wheat for lunch.
Friday, June 6, 2014
Ponderings ...
gone off the path by withdrawing from some
one teaching I have been passionate about
and feel disillusioned. But the fact and the
truth of the matter is who I am is my Path,
however I choose to live my truth. I may
withdraw, start anew, change course, change
my belief system.
I am the same person on the selfsame journey - it is all part/path
of my following my bliss. I can't go wrong. Life can never go wrong.
Good and not so good are but value judgements of the personality;
it all is grist for the soul. At some point single pointed effort is
needed for a breakthrough. When I choose to do this nothing will
stand in my way. Until then I do the best by virtue of my karma
and my dharma in life. All is well. There are active periods and
there are rest periods. I am in a rest period. Let me handle this
graciously with understanding at the personality level and be a
little kinder to self and others.
Wherever you go ...
You cannot escape yourself. You are your great discovery. You
are your greatest journey. You are your greatest conquest. It is
not out there, in some ideology, some learning, some teaching.
IT IS WITHIN!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
