May 18, 2013
Buddhism won’t be harmed by ex-drag queen
The Nation (Thailand): Critics say that, by ordaining as a monk, a celebrity transvestite is using the religion for selfish reasons, but, like everyone else, he has the right to seek solace in the temple
One key argument against the decision by a former Miss Tiffany to become a monk is that he may be doing so to escape personal problems or send someone a statement.
In other words, he may not be seeking the kind of spiritual peace that those seeking ordination are supposed to. Religion, critics of Sorrawee “Jazz” Nattee say, is neither a hiding place nor a means of revenge …
May 17, 2013
Review: ‘Free the Mind’ documentary finds hope in meditation
Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times: There’s something healing about simply watching “Free the Mind,” Danish filmmaker Phie Ambo’s gentle, compassionate documentary spotlighting the use of such drug-free options as meditation and mindfulness to treat anxiety and trauma.
Writer-director Ambo focuses on three main subjects: Will, an endearing 5-year-old with ADHD and a fear of elevators; Steve, an Afghanistan war veteran haunted by his stint as a military intelligence soldier and interrogator; and Rich, a former battalion leader in Iraq wracked by guilt and horrific memories of combat. Fueled by the subtle parallels between young Will and the adult Steve and Rich, the movie…
May 17, 2013
Column: How practising mindfulness can help your work life
thejournal.ie: ‘MINDFULNESS’ MEANS BEING present in the moment, aware of what is going on inside and around us instead of engrossed in the merry-go-round of our thoughts and emotions. Meditation quiets the mind and fosters new ways of relating to whatever external stressors emerge in the workday.
Everyone knows that training makes our body stronger, fitter and more flexible. Now, neuroscience research shows that mindfulness training cultivates the innate capacities of the mind to be present; to step out of automatic pilot and to create space so we can be clearer, calmer, more focused, more creative, even more compassionate…
May 14, 2013
Live well: Metta meditation helps you see world in kinder way
Jen Mulson, The Gazette: We all could use a lot more metta in our lives.
The Pali (a Middle Indo-Aryan language) word means loving kindness. Metta meditation is a practice that allows you to generate feelings of goodwill and love for yourself, your loved ones, those you feel neutral about and those you find difficult.
Pat Komarow, a local yoga and meditation teacher, will guide a metta meditation at Buddha Day at Marmalade at Smokebrush on Saturday. You don’t have to be a Buddhist to attend.
“It’s so powerful because it’s unconditional,” she said. “It’s foreign to the Western world…
May 14, 2013
Documentary film portrays UW–Madison mindfulness research
Alison DeShaw Rowe, University of Wisconsin-Madison: Groundbreaking research at the University of Wisconsin–Madison is the focus of the new documentary film, “Free the Mind,” which debuts in Madison tomorrow, May 15.
Directed by Danish filmmaker Phie Ambo, the film chronicles the life-changing experiences of combat veterans and children who took part in mindfulness-based research studies – focused on an enhanced and calm awareness of one’s physical and mental state – at the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds (CIHM) at the UW–Madison Waisman Center, led by psychology and psychiatry professor Richard Davidson.
CIHM’s “Kindness Curriculum” study…
May 12, 2013
How mindfulness can mitigate the cognitive symptoms of depression
Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S., PsychCentral: Mindfulness, or paying full attention to the present moment, can be very helpful in improving the cognitive symptoms of depression. These debilitating symptoms include distorted thinking, difficulty concentrating and forgetfulness. Cognitive symptoms can impair all areas of a person’s life. For instance, poor concentration can interfere with your job or schoolwork. Negative thoughts can lead to negative emotions, deepening depression.
Focusing on the here and now helps individuals become aware of their negative thoughts, acknowledge them without judgment and realize they’re not accurate reflections of reality, writes author William Marchand, M.D., in his comprehensive book Depression and Bipolar Disorder:…
May 12, 2013
Buddhism’s big week: Dalai Lama’s visit shines light on its many flourishing forms
Like many Westerners, Mary Bennett turned to Buddhism when the faith of her childhood stopped working for her.
She still wanted a spiritual practice, but one that valued questioning.
“Buddhism encourages you to investigate every piece of information you’re given, and that really appealed to me,” said Bennett, who works in Madison in the field of health care advocacy. “All of us want to be good people, but how? Buddhism provides a path and instruction on how to gain wisdom and compassion.”
It’s a big week for Buddhism in Madison — one of many in the last four decades because of the…
May 10, 2013
Dalai Lama says environmental awakening came at 24
The Daily Star, Lebanon: The Dalai Lama kicked off his four-day visit to Portland, Oregon on Thursday by talking about his first understandings of pollution.
The 77-year-old Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader sold out two events at the University of Portland and was in the city for an interfaith discussion on spirituality and the environment.
“I was in Tibet until my age was 24. I think Tibet, some people call it the roof of the world, It was very clean, a small population, everything simple,” the Nobel Peace laureate said. “Only after I came to India (did) I first hear, ‘This water, you cannot drink.’…
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May 10, 2013
Dalai Lama packs UM Comcast Center for address on compassion
Jonathan Pitts, The Baltimore Sun: He pulled on a Terps visor, to the crowd’s delight. He rubbed noses with Gov. Martin O’Malley. And the Dalai Lama was met Tuesday with rounds of applause from a crowd of 15,000 at the University of Maryland, College Park’s Comcast Center.
“Sit down,” the 78-year-old Tibetan spiritual leader said in a firm but friendly voice when he approached the podium and the crowd rose to its feet. “No formality! We are [the] same. … The way we are born, the way we die: no formality.”
Clad in red robes and his trademark spectacles, the Dalai Lama appeared…
May 08, 2013
What makes Buddhism & Hinduism distinct from other religions?
Tiffany Andras, Opposing Views: As two of the oldest sustained world religions that both developed in and spread from India, Hinduism and Buddhism have many similarities in basic beliefs despite their large differences. Though Hinduism, like other major religions, ascribes to a belief in God, Buddhism does not — one of the biggest points of divergence between the two. However, because of their parallels in origination, there are tenets that form the basis of both religions that make them discrete from most others, with the exception in large part to Jainism and Sikhism which have their origins in Hindu and Buddhist philosophy themselves…