From the time we are born till we are six years old, a child is pretty much in the delta wave frequency, and the subconscious mind is absorbing all the information that is being processed at that time. This means that up to the age of six the child’s mind is operating in a frequency equivalent to a hypnogogic trance (hypnotic trance). Whatever the child hears is not processed by consciousness. Whatever the child hears is downloaded directly into the subconsciousness. When statements like “You don’t deserve that” or “you can’t do anything right” or “you are a selfish child” are made from parents to kids before they are six, they are directly downloaded in the child’s subconscious mind.

Our subconscious mind operates 95% of the day following the conditioned programs and thoughts. If we have adopted subconscious limiting thoughts like “I am not good enough” or “I can’t” or “I don’t deserve it”, then for 95% of the day, the mind will create a reality in coherence with this limiting beliefs.

When we are born into a society where most of the thoughts about humanity are limited, then we accept them, we take them on. We adopt the idea that if we want to be one with our family, if we want to be loved, basically, we have to do things the way our parents and brothers and uncles are doing them. And we all want is to be loved, we all want to be included, to belong. And our families are the closest people we know, so if we want to be loved and belong, we usually go along with the program and we do and accept the “right things”.

Collective Subconscious limiting programs

We grow up in a society that supports a fear driven system of beliefs. We live surrounded by a world of judgments, a world of ideas about rightness and wrongness. We have learned to think in terms of moralistic judgments and beliefs that certain actions merit reward while others merit punishment. We have even learned to enjoy violence and believe that punishment is justified. In most violent TV programs children watch, the hero either kills people or beats them up. We grow up seeing the moralistic statement “People who hurt others deserve to be punished.”, in the T.V., in the news, in the school system, in the judicial system, in our family, everywhere.

Many of the characteristics that drive a society’s behavior (such as deserve-oriented attitude, competition, food issues, incapacity of self-healing, adopting labels, insecurity and separation) are expressions of limiting thoughts adopted since childhood. They are so common to us that we barely question them in depth. We can mentally disagree with them, but we openly accept them in the next subconscious moment.

We grow up in a society that is driven by a language of constant limiting labels adopted since childhood and completely ingrained in daily communication. We grow up in a society that is used to deny the responsibility of our actions. Instead of assuming that we are each responsible for our own thoughts, feelings, and actions, we blame others or circumstances for our feelings and actions.

We grow up in a society that encourages the belief that becoming someone special will bring us lasting satisfaction. The belief that we need to build some kind of personality in order to become someone, a spiritual person, a doctor, a shaman or any kind of labels that identify us and increase the sense of separation.

We grow up in a society that believes that we come to this world to compete with each other in order to survive instead of having a collaborative attitude. We grow up in a society that negates death and views it as something negative. We grow up in a society that fears the unknown and craves for security and control. We grow up in a society that believes we need food in order to be alive, that we will go blind if we stare into the sun, that eventually something will go wrong with our bodies and that we do not have the capacity of self-healing, that only and external medical system will be able to heal you.

So in order to live to our full potential, we must first be able to recognize the subconscious limiting beliefs and programs. Then consciously reflect on them and analyze how ingrained in our mind they are. By deeply reflecting and inquiring into our habitual opinions, points of view, ideas and beliefs we can transcend them and move on.

So get in the habit of challenging your beliefs by asking, Is this true? Some of our beliefs can melt when we simply and honestly ask ourselves if they are true. “Do you absolutely know that’s true?” If it is possible to disagree with this thought, then it is a belief and not reality.

So what holds us back from realizing our full potential are our self-adopted limiting subconscious beliefs, which operate in the background for 95% of our daily lives. Self inquiry is simple. It does not require you to do anything, change anything, think anything, or understand anything. It only asks you to pay careful attention to what is true and real.

With a contemplative practice or with the help of triggering events like a direct experience with sacred plants, (we can call these “radical awakenings”), I have personally witnessed how a growing percentage of people are experiencing within themselves a breakup of mind patterns and beliefs and the emergence of a new dimension of consciousness. I agree with Eckart Tolle that “the arising of consciousness is the next stage in the evolution of humanity,” and with each person who awakens, the momentum in the collective consciousness grows, and it will become easier for others.

For many years I have been using and contemplating the word “enlightenment” without grasping its true meaning. One day, during a lecture I was attending at a Buddhist center, I asked this question: “Is enlightenment a direction or a destination?”

To my surprise, half of the Buddhist participants attending the retreat considered enlightenment a destination, a final point of arrival, a final state of realization that can be attained in the same way the historical Buddha attained enlightenment under the Boddhi tree. The other half considered it a direction, like heading East, with no fixed end point to be achieved, like an endless exploration or evolution.

Today I see enlightenment as a direction, a finger pointing to the moon as the Buddha stated in the Snake sutra. What we are calling the “moon” is the realization and development of our full true potential, our own expression of the unlimited. Living without limitations. It could seem to be a fixed point of arrival -if we were to establish a fixed idea of what our true potential could be – but it will eventually change because once we get closer to it, our own expression of the unlimited will also have evolved.

It is important to fully understand the attribute of constant evolution ingrained in the concept of direction instead of being trapped in the idea of reaching a final destination which is based on the present ideal of our full potential, which is constantly evolving.

The concept of translucence is a new term suggested by Arjuna Ardagh who wrote the book “The Translucent Revolution.”  He proposes to use the word translucence instead of enlightenment. In the core of the concept of translucence is the sense of movement and constant evolution. The process is evolutionary and endless rather than aimed at a fixed point of result. The word translucent refers to the degree of embodiment of a realization, not to what has been realized. One can always become more translucent.

Translucent is defined as “letting light pass through, but not transparent.” A transparent object, like a clean sheet of glass, is almost invisible. An opaque object, on the other hand, blocks light completely. A crystal is translucent. If the sun were to shine on it from behind, you would see the light passing through the sculpture, and it would appear to be glowing from the inside.

Translucent people

Translucent people also appear to glow from the inside. To me, translucent people are the ones that due to some event like an experience with sacred plants or a spiritual practice, have touched a deeper nature of self and have felt a shift in their way of perceiving reality. After that event, they feel the call and clarity to move in a new direction and a sense of transcendence.

Translucents speak of life as a process without end, like an endless unfolding of discovery and delight. Translucence is more a direction than a destination. Like heading East, the process doesn’t imply a specific point of arrival. It is a way of living life with art and humor, returning continuously to here, and here, and here, always steeped in the vastness of the view and blessing each moment with a gift of creative presence.

Once they start to question and reinterpret some assumed beliefs about reality they learn to transform the models and maps that they have inherited. Instead of following a doctrine they embrace many teachers and experience all of life as a teacher. Rather than conforming to the ways that have been handed down through patriarchy, they embody a radical feminization of the spiritual life. Rather than renouncing to the world and aspiring celibacy, they are actively involved and they delight in sex more than ever.  And rather building a holy or “spiritual” personality in any external way, their most easily distinguishable quality is a sense of simpleness and humor about themselves and their lives. They are simple, honest, deep, and at the same time remarkably human and humble about their weaknesses.

These people are more interested in the present moment than any future state. Their spirituality is more grounded in direct experience than in imitation or belief. They have been affected so deeply by a moment of radical awakening that their relationship to who they are and what this life is about has been permanently transformed.

“Let yourself feel deeply the possibility of really resting in the center of your own being without the idea that there is anything more to get, to do, or to become.”
- Arjuna Ardagh -

432hz vibrates on the principals of the golden mean PHI and unifies the properties of light, time, space, matter, gravity and magnetism with biology, the DNA code and consciousness.

432hz Natural Tuning has profound effects on consciousness and also on the cellular level of our bodies. By retuning musical instruments and using concert pitch at 432 hertz instead of 440 hertz, your at oms and DNA starts to resonate in harmony with the PHI spiral of nature.

The best way to experience the 432hz difference is by listening. 440hz concert pitch is centered in the mind whereas 432hz concert pitch is centered in the heart. Some people who are not able to distinguish the 8hz difference, claim they can feel 432hz warmer due to the longer wavelength.

The Shape of 432Hz.

When captured in video with an accurate device that measures acoustic vibrations of nodal points that form patterns of geometry in different liquid or solid mediums, the 432 Hertz wave pops out as a triangle and it looks like it’s alive, it writhes and pulsates and refuses to take up any other form, and according to many music lovers, nicer for hearing, is softer, brighter and more beautiful than 440 Hz.

When did Concert pitch change?

Most music worldwide has been tuned to 440 hertz since the International Standards Organization (ISO) endorsed it in 1953, following the prior recommendations of the Nazi party spokesman, Joseph Goebbels in 1939.

Suffice to say, I will not waste good energy down the rabbit hole of conspiracy to expose another Illuminatti agenda, however I will quickly state that there was an organized effort to change Concert pitch to 440hz well back at the start of the last century to codify an “Old World New Order” of central pitch.

According to other sources, in 1885 already has been decided that 440 Hz had to be the standard, and around 1940 the United States then introduced 440 Hz worldwide, and finally in 1955 became the ISO 16-standard.

Most musical instruments are also adjusted at 440 Hz nowadays, that wasn’t earlier always the fact. If you find musical instruments from much earlier times, and nowadays in still distant areas on Earth, these instruments are adjusted at 432 Hz.

The importance of the frequencies we choose in music as a remedy

Vibrational Research indicates that music should be based from natural tuned cosmic frequencies of the universe if it is to be beneficial to humanity. From this hypothesis’s we can extrapolate that the standard used to determine international music concert pitch tuning should have an organic natural foundation as well.

The Schiller Institute campaign for a change in concert pitch from A440 Hz back to A432 Hz is based that 432 Hz is deeply intertwined in nature.

The recent rediscoveries of the true vibrational nature of energy indicates that current contemporary A440 Hz international tuning generates a deliberate unhealthy effect in the environment. It brings about an unnatural 8 Hz change in how we think and how our DNA regulates our genetic makeup.

Our brains and DNA are deeply connected to 432 through the procession of the equinox and 8 Hz cosmic frequencies. A natural measured phenomenon that supports the idea of 432 Hz intertwined in organic basis is the movement of the Sun and Saturn. All harmonic overtone partials of 432Hz line up to natural patterns and even planetary orbits. 64 108 128 144 216 256 432 864 etc

Truly all frequencies affect DNA and consciousness as we are in a musical universal medium of dimension through the motion of frequency.

Unfortunately most western music, including popular new age healing music is still tuned at unnatural A440 tuning. The difference between A440 Hz and A432 Hz is only 8 vibrations per second, but it is a perceptible difference in the human consciousness experience.

Sources:

Video
The Cosmic 432 – Part 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVATlX4XKMk
Jendayi – natural (432 Hz) – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-D1h8dGkwc

Music
Singing OM (432 Hz) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=100jyoCAC9g
432Hz Tambura - http://soundcloud.com/peter-arizmendiz/432hz-tambura

Articles
The Cosmic 432 - http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_137682849637242
The Importance of 432hz Music - http://www.omega432.com/music.html
Back to 432 Hz forum - http://forum.davidicke.com/showthread.php?t=26839

What is Sudarshan Kriya?

‘Su’ means proper, ‘darshan’ means vision, and ‘Kriya’ is a purifying practice. The Sudarshan Kriya is therefore a purifying practice, whereby one receives a proper vision of one’s true self.

Benefits
Sudarshan Kriya incorporates specific natural rhythms of breath to release stress and bring the mind to the present moment. This unique breathing practice is a potent energizer. Every cell becomes fully oxygenated, and flooded with new life, bringing a sense of joy in the moment. And when we feel good about ourselves, love flows naturally in all our relationships with others.

After the practice, participants commonly report feeling calm and centered, with a clearer vision of the world and themselves.

Rhythms and cycle patterns
Nature is replete with various rhythms, and cycles – day follows night, night follows day, seasons come and go. Similarly, there are biological rhythms to our bodies, minds, and emotions. When these rhythms are in sync, we feel a sense of harmony, and well-being. When stress or illness throws them out of order, we experience discomfort, and discontent and feel upset, and unhappy.

The rhythmic breathing pattern of Sudarshan Kriya harmonizes the rhythms of the body, and emotions, and brings them in tune with the rhythms of nature. The breath connects the body, and mind. Just as emotions affect our patterns of breathing, we can bring about changes in our mental, and behavioural patterns by altering the rhythms of our breath. It flushes our anger, anxiety, and worry; leaving the mind completely relaxed, and energized.

How to do Sudarshan Kriya
To learn SudarshanKriya, find an Art of Living centre close to you and enroll for an Art of Living course. Sudarshan Kriya is taught only in the course environment by a trained teacher using an audio cassette that contains instructions by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to guide you through the process.Each individual’s experience of the Sudarshan Kriya varies as it is a personal experience.

• Start with three pranayama with hands in the three positions breathing in Ujjayi for 10 times each.
• Three series of Vastikas breathing for 20 times.
• Three Omms
• Start the Kriya with 20 long circular breaths, 40 mid and 40 fast breaths.
• Repeat the Kriya for a second time.
• Rest for 10 minutes.

Refference

http://www.sudarshankriya.net/
http://us.artofliving.org/content-sudarshan-kriya
http://www.artofliving.org/sudarshan-kriya

The power of Belief and visualization
Christians say that mere belief or faith in something happening can make it occur. And Buddhists believe that reality and our perception of reality are exactly the same thing. Is reality more like a dream, where if you believe you can fly you actually do? A growing body of scientific studies from around the word confirms that these spiritual ideas may have a firm theoretical ground in physics.

For example, the “placebo” effect means that the power of belief, the mind, can actually dissolve a cancer tumor if the patient merely believes she swallowed a pill with a drug in it. Even if there is nothing in the pill.

Belief and visualization are your two keys to creating within the Reality Matrix. It’s your choice. You can create your reality just like you subconsciously create your dreams every night. But if you are oblivious to this ability, then your life is like a flag being blown in the wind.

How consciousness affects the quantum field
And according to the most well tested theory in physics, Quantum Mechanics, your consciousness changes reality. In this theory, the phenomenon knows as collapse of the Quantum Wave Function is what brings reality into existence. This is a fancy way of saying that one’s conscious observation of small unseen waves actually causes those waves to “collapse” into matter. In other words, conscious observation materializes particles into existence.

Every time we have a thought we make a chemical. A happy thought would make chemicals that would make us feel happy and an angry thought would generate chemicals that would make us feel angry. So any thought produces chemicals in the brain that makes us feel exactly the way we are thinking.

When we start to feel the way we think, the feeling attracts the mind to think the way we are feeling and it produces more chemicals to feel the way we are thinking. That cycle of related thinking and feeling is called the “state of being.”

For example, you start to remember and think about something someone said that turns you anger, and the thought about it would start to bring the anger back, which at the same time would attract more thoughts that match the arising feeling of anger, and would generate more angry feelings.

The state of being is what impact in the quantum field bringing the manifestation from the field of possibilities.

The only way that the present mind could affect the objective reality is that the mind and body (thought and feeling) are ahead of the experience. And when the mind and body are ahead of the experience it means that the experience (manifestation) will find us.

THE PROCESS OF VISUALIZATION

Dream it possible (preparation for visualization)
The process of visualization starts with thought. We think of a greater ideal of ourselves or of a particular situation. We start to reinvent, speculate and dream a new self or situation. Be open to imagine your wildest and courageous dreams. The process of thinking that possibility would prepare the brain and body ahead into the quantum field of future manifesting possibilities.

Know it possible and real for you
The visualization must be something you know it could be possible and real for you. Even if it is not manifested yet and beyond your wild imagination, you know somehow it to be possible in your life. You must hold no doubts about it.

Avoid any disempowering self-talk
Be aware that you should consciously avoid any limiting self-dialogue, like “I can’t,” or “I’ll never be able to…”  and remember: “The only thing between you and your goals is your own limiting thoughts.”

Get clear on what you want
We can’t wish because wishing isn’t intention. Intention means firm decision. There has to be a conviction with clarity, it is getting clear in what we want.

Visualize a vivid picture with all your senses included
First and foremost, know what you want and then visualize the final result that you have decided. See all the details of the resulting manifestation. Create a picture in which all the senses work. The more senses take part in the picture, the more realistic and vivid is the picture — the easier it is to accomplish the visualization.

For example, if the result of your visualization is your own house, imagine yourself living in this house with your family. See all of you speaking (the sense of hearing) near the house and how you invite friends to visit it, and the gratitude it produces, etc. Feel the smell of the house and flowers of the garden. You can also taste a freshly prepared drink in the kitchen (the sense of taste). Outside the house you feel the nice warmth of the afternoon Sun. Such a picture becomes a film in your imagination.

Take care of the important details for you
Create only those details in the picture, which are important for you. The rest of the details will be created accordingly, so you do not need to care. For example, if the location and the shape of the house are important to you, then clearly create these details in the picture. But if the number of the windows and the colors of the walls are not so important to you, do not create them at all in the picture.

Subconscious mind do not understand time
The instinct (subconscious) is not very good at dealing with the illusion of the intellect called “time”, it does not know what the time is. It understands and reacts as a small child. If you tell the child “today”, “tomorrow”, “after one week”, he/she will not distinguish the significant difference, because his/her intellect has not learned to create the time. This is one of the main reasons why the picture created in the imagination has to visualize the desired state as already materialized, or the goal already attained in the present moment.

The only way that the present mind could affect the objective reality is that the mind and body (thought and feeling) are ahead of the experience. And when the mind and body are ahead of the experience it means that the experience (manifestation) will find us.

Remember that time only exists in the dimension of mind. So if the mind and body are ahead of the experience it means that you are sending signals to the quantum field and if the mind and body are prepared then it already has happened and the quantum field response at that state of being. Remember the quantum field response to how we’re being.

The visualization has to exist in the present time. If you put it in the future, like I will have, or I will become… then it is not calling the manifestation. The visualization gives you what you have created. When you create a future visualization, it will remain in the future and will never become a present time manifestation.

If we pray FOR something, that something could never happen, because the moment you pray FOR something to occur, you have already knowledge that is not existing in that moment. Just feel the feeling of having that something already manifested with all your senses. Only then you open the door for the possibility to bring that something into manifestation.

Feel from the result rather than how to get to the result
The key resides in our ability to feel as if our dreams have already come to life, and live from that feeling.

Since we are literally re-writing the code that makes the universe appear as it does. We play the prime role in what could be called a “participatory universe.”

“Act as if you are the person you want to be.”
- Bernie Siegel (Surgeon) -

When you act in a certain way, you change your chemistry.

There is a subtle, and yet powerful difference between
working toward a result, and feeling from that result.

When martial artists choose to break a concrete block as a demonstration of focus, the very last thing in their minds is the place where their hand will touch that block. The key is to place our focus upon the completed act: the brick already broken.

Think from the completion, rather than how hard it would be to get to the completion.

Infuse the visualization with the rejoice emotion of fulfillment
This is the key ingredient of the visualization technique.

Assume the feeling of our wish fulfilled.

We must feel the feeling as if our prayer has been already answered. So we empower the quantum field to mirror us back. Remember: It is how you feel that creates manifestation.

We create an intentional state of being proper for manifestation by first intentionally thinking of a greater ideal of ourselves or situation first, but now we need to infuse the body (emotion) with the happiness of the completed manifestation. The emotion of the realization that matches the intentional thinking.

We have the privilege as humans that we can go from thinking to feeling without having to doing. We can bring up in our minds an elevated state of consciousness and influence the body with inspirational feelings. And when mind and body are working together we are at the doorway for personal change.

If a person is wanting to feel joy (wishing) but is feeling unhappy while is thinking that, then is not going to manifest the joy because mind (thought) and body (feeling) are not in tune, they are working in opposition. That’s why many of our prayers are never answer.

For the visualization to be effective and the result noticeable, the right picture (film) has to be created and saturated with energy. Without sufficient amount of energy the visualization will not give the result. What I mean by “energy” is the thing that a person feels under the influence of an emotion.

In the visualization the picture can be compared to a seed put in the soil. The energy arising with the emotions is compared to the Sun and water. The seed without water and Sun would never grow into the plant. How to do it practically? First concentrate on yourself, relax. Allow Love to manifest itself through you (the mind and body). When you are feeling the rising energy accompanying Love, bring the picture (with all the attributes as described above) into your imagination (mind). In this moment the more Love manifests itself through you, the more efficient (earlier, easier) the visualization gives the result.

Rejoicing in the outcome
When we get clear in what we want and surrender what we want to our greater mind and bring up the rejoicing in the outcome (with certainty). Now we can live our lives in a state of joy because we know then that we are going to manifest a destiny.

Surrender to the magical way the outcome will manifest
Once we know that the outcome is possible we can surrender to it. In other words, if we know that our greater mind is going to assist us in the outcome, all we have to do is to get clear in what we want.

Surrender to the possible outcome also mean surrender to not knowing how the outcome is going to come into manifestation. We surrender and accept not knowing so that we don’t close ourselves to the huge amount of different possibilities, creative solutions, intuition and magical synchronicity that will emerge in the openness of the quantum field of manifestation.

Every situation is so particular that coming with a established point of view is a way to limiting yourself and closing your heart to the synchronicity, creativity and amazing possibilities that arrises in every moment.

Creativity only appears when we are not following any preconceived point of view or action.

The more you experience and trust the more power it gains
Visualization is one of the simplest and most efficient methods used for reprogramming the instinct and bring a magical transformation into manifestation. The more you use this visualization technique and the more amazing results you experienced, the more trust you will feel in using it and will infuse more power to your next visualization.

Intuitive action (Translucent action)
We can be comfortable enough with not knowing what to do until we really know and response to the situation as it is. We relax and listen to our intuition with a quite mind. We feel the answer within the peace of our breath, arising within the silence of the present moment and we act in inspired certainty. We intuitively know what to do. Thought and understanding come after the event, not as the cause. Intuition is completely reliable, but only when it comes from a quite mind.

The more you become familiar with surrendering to not knowing how your intention is going to be manifested, the more you will enjoy the magical manifestation and become comfortable with uncertainty. Then you will see infinite possibilities opening up into your life. It means that fear is no longer a dominant factor in what you do and no longer prevents you from taking action to initiate change.

The language of feeling
When we offer our prayers from within our bodies we usually think that we need to send it to the place or person who is going to receive the prayer. We do not have to send anything, anywhere. When we feel a feeling in our bodies, it already exists everywhere because we are part of that whole. We are little pieces of the greater hologram of the quantum field of consciousness.

The feelings in our hearts are the language that speaks to the quantum field and is the language that is recognized. So keep feeling your good intentions and dreams… and life will become your living prayer, a reflexion of what you have chosen to manifest.

References:

Dr. Eric Amidi – “The Secret Behind the Secret”
Dr. Joe Dispenza – Neuro-Scientist in “What If” film
Arjuna Argdha – “The Translucent Revolution”
Gregg Braden – “Living from the answer” article.
The Science of Miracles – Gregg Braden
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMGXk3KPXrM

Hidden in the high Himalayas 2,500 years ago, Tibetan Lamas developed five simple range of motion exercises they called “Rites.”  These Rites have remarkable powers of rejuvenation; indeed, they have rightfully been called a “Fountain of Youth.

Benefits

Actual reported benefits from the Five Rites include: Greater energy, increased sex drive, a more youthful appearance, diminished grey hair, hair re-growth, weight loss, improved eyesight, better memory, enhanced sense of well-being, longer life.

History

Peter Kelder first introduced this practice to westerns and claims that while stationed in India, British army officer Colonel Bradford (a pseudonym) heard a story about a group of lamas who had apparently discovered a “Fountain of Youth”. The “wandering natives”, as he called them, told him of old men who inexplicably became healthy, strong, and full of “vigor and virility” after entering a particular lamasery. After retiring, Kelder’s Colonel Bradford went on to discover the lamasery and lived with the lamas, where they taught him five exercises, which they called “rites”. According to the booklet he wrote, the lamas describe seven spinning, “psychic vortexes” within the body: two of these vortexes are located in the brain, one at the base of the throat, one on the right side of the body in the vicinity of the liver, one in the reproductive anatomy, and one in each knee. As we grow older, the spin rate of the vortexes diminishes, resulting in “ill-health”. However, the spin rate of these vortexes can be restored by performing the Five Rites daily, resulting in improved health.

Timing and repetition

The Rites are to be done at a very slow pace. The way you know if you are doing the Rites at the right pace is by listening to your breath. Your movements should be so slow that you do not even hear the in and out of your breathing. You should be resting in between each and every rep enough to keep your breath in check.

Start by performing one to three repetitions of each of the movements one time each day. Pay attention to what your body is telling you and do not strain or force any position that causes pain that indicates possible injury. A little soreness is perfectly okay but really you should start out slow enough not to have any physical hindrances the following day.

You want to work toward performing each of the movements 21 times. When you first begin, try to do 1 or 3 repetitions of each exercise. After a week, try to do 3 repetitions, then pause and try 3 more. You will certainly feel stronger in some of the movements than others. If you have trouble performing a complete set of 21, try to break it down into 3 sets of 7 repetitions with a pause between each set. Once you’ve achieved 21 repetitions of each exercise, you don’t need to go on to more repetitions. These exercises are for restoring energy, not necessarily building strength. If you feel great after doing 21 repetitions of each movement, feel free to add another session later in the day to perform another set of 21 repetitions each.

First Rite

Stand upright, extend your arms at shoulder level away from your body and spin clockwise (if looking at a clock face on the floor). Keep your eyes looking directly in front of you, do not focus on any one point, let your vision blur as you spin. Work your way up to 21 spins. Speed is not so important, just try to spin 21 times and stop.

Breath in and out of your stomach. An opera singer, stage actor/actress or yogi experiences the benefit of breathing from this point of the body. When you stop spinning, breath even more deeply from your stomach until your head stops spinning and your balance returns to normal.

Second Rite

Lay down on your back with your arms to your side, palms up, keep your legs straight, begin your inhalation, raise your legs off the ground until as high as possible and pick your head off the ground, bending your neck with your chin falling toward your chest. Begin your exhalation and return to laying flat on the ground. Repeat up to 21 times. Breath in while raising your legs and head and breath out while lowering your legs and head.

When starting out, bend your legs until your stomach strengthens. If your feel discomfort, place your hands (palms facing down) under your buttocks to support your lower spine. As you progress, straighten your legs and try to raise and lower them at the same speed. Once you have worked up to 21 repetitions, try to move at a nice steady rhythm without stopping.

Third Rite

Kneel with your legs together, arms extended, palms of your hands on the side of your thighs, drop your chin to your chest, begin your inhalation, raise your head and lean back, move your hands to the back of your thighs and let them drop lower and support your weight, crane your head and neck backward, relax your lower spine. Begin your exhalation, start to come forward back to kneeling position with your head back up in the straight position. Repeat up to 21 times. Breath in while going backward and breath out while coming forward.

When you start this exercise, use the weight of your head to come forward instead of forcing your chin to your chest with your muscles. When you lean back, avoid craning your neck, simply let it drop with its own weight. Eventually, you can bring your shoulder blades towards each other when you’re in the back position. Keep a steady movement while going backward and forward. Keep your eyes open to maintain balance. Later, try the movement with your eyes closed to feel the difference and see if you can relax even more in the backward position.

Fourth Rite

Sit on the floor, legs a little less than shoulder width apart, arms to your sides with hands extended flat on the ground and fingers pointed forward, drop your head toward your chest, begin your inhalation, raise your buttocks off the ground while bending your knees, shift your weight to your arms/hands and legs/feet, continue to raise your buttocks until your trunck and thighs are parallel to the ground, let your head fall back. Begin your exhalation and return to sitting position with your head dropped forward. Repeat up to 21 times. Breath in while raising off the ground and breath out while returning back to sitting position.

When you begin this exercise, just try to get from the starting to ending posture. It’s easier to do it than read about it. In the beginning, you might not be used to your body weight on your wrists. Doing some wrist warm-ups before you begin can prevent discomfort. Once you have worked your way up to 21 repetitions, try to perform the movements without stopping.

Fifth Rite

Get down on the floor on your hands and knees (in push-up position) with hands and legs a little less than shoulder width apart. Begin your inhalation, come up on your toes with weight in your arms, straighten your legs, arch your back, lean your head back, do not let any of your body touch the ground except for your toes and hands (Cobra in Yoga). Begin your exhalation, bend at the waist, bend your knees, push your buttocks up into the air, make an inverted V shape with your legs and arms straight, tuck your chin toward your chest (Downward Dog in Yoga), try to put your feet flat on the ground. Begin your next inhalation and repeat up to 21 times. Breath in raising hips up into an ^ shape – downward dog and breath out while hips down & head coming up into cobra.

In the beginning, you will need to find where to place your hands and feet to make a complete inverted-V shape. You may do this exercise for years and never get your feet flat on the ground (a symptom of western living and always sitting in a chair). Once you’ve worked your way up to 21 repetitions, work on keeping a steady rhythm while going in and out of each position.

More Information:
T5T – http://www.t5t.com/

What is the urine?

The kidneys filter all the blood of the organism. 99% of this filtered liquid circulates again around the blood and only 1% is eliminated as the urine. Urine is a blood byproduct and though it contains some body waste, it is non-toxic.

Urine, 95% of which is water, 2.5% of which is urea, and 2.5% of which is a mixture of minerals, salts, hormones, and enzymes, is not a toxic waste product.

What does it contain?

• The urine contains the hormone SPU. This hormone is antibiotic, analgesic and increases the resistance of the immunological system.

• Immunoglobuline, helps generating antibodies against virus and bacteria that cause asthma, allergic rinithis, atopic dermatitis and allergic reactions to drugs, foods, insects bites.
• Interferon, is a peptide that stimulates the immunological mechanisms of defense, increasing the immunological resistance to cure diseases. It prevents the multiplication of cancerous cells.
• Gonadotrophin stimulates in the men the production of testosterone within the testicles and in the women regulates the menstrual period, stimulating the maturation of the ovule.
• Growth Hormone GH, Dissolves fats particularly in the abdomen, stimulates the growth of the osseous tissue until the end of the puberty, stimulates the protein synthesis in muscles and bones and influences the activity of different enzymes.
• Urokinase, dissolve the blood clots that may cause heart attack, destroys the blood clots in lungs, veins and arteries. It is a thrombolytic agent.
• AntineoPlaston: chemical substance that helps to cure the cancer. Its name comes from antineoplastic, which means that inhibit the development of a neoplasm (a tumor).
• Prostaglandins, important for the proper functioning of the platelets (thrombocytes), dilate the bronchial arteries and veins, increase the movement of the intestines, induce the contraction of the uterus, normalize the blood pressure and regulate the metabolism.
• Urea, effective against bacteria and tuberculosis, epidermal growth factor, reconstruction and reproduction of wounded cells and organisms.
• Endorphins inhibit the nerve impulses that transmit the pain for which it is analgesic and sedative, improve the psychic mood and give a sense of well-being and full of energy. Contains calcium, sodium, copper, fluoride, iodine, magnesium, zinc, amino acids and the vitamins A, B, C, E, and riboflavin.

What happens when you consume your own urine?

The small amount of toxins that are found in urine are not abundant enough to be toxic to the body. When you drink your own urine, it does not go directly to the blood stream. First it goes into the digestive system where its ingredients are sorted out. Then, the useful ingredients are recycled while the toxins are rejected. When the level of toxins becomes too high, the toxins stimulate the intestines into flushing themselves out to eliminate any stagnated excrement accumulated in the colon. Although we could probably filter out the toxins before drinking the urine, the toxins are needed because they stimulate a cleansing reaction in the body. Urine, which remember, is a byproduct of our blood, becomes more purified the more it is recycled. Thus, the cleaner the blood is, the cleaner the urine is, and vice-versa. And this is how urine therapy advocates conclude that urine therapy has a cleansing effect on the blood.

A closer look at the details:

The toxins of urine are also necessary to vaccinate and protect the body from future illnesses. The main theory behind urine therapy after all, isnt that it straight out cures diseases, but instead, it is geared more towards building immunity to diseases, much like vaccinations. The small amounts of possibly toxic substances which can be found in urine largely seem to have a positive effect on the immune system. An important task of the immune system is to rid the human body of diseased or unusable substances that have developed during the course of an illness, and when these substances reach healthy tissue, the blood becomes stronger, the activity of leukocytes (white blood cells) increases, and the patient probably recovers. This phenomenon is known as auto-inoculation or self-vaccination and can be seen as mother nature’s method of healing an illness without external intervention. Urine therapy, therefore, can be seen as a form of self-vaccination: certain bodily substances which have been removed from the body, some of which may have been produced as a result of illness, are re-introduced into the body in small amounts. These substances are re-absorbed into the blood through either the intestines or the skin, and the immune system is then given the chance to react appropriately.

How to practice urine therapy?

• It is preferable the first urine from the morning because it contains larger amounts of interferon and SPU. This hormone is produced during the sleep time and is an antibiotic and induces the secretion of other hormones. Urine passed during the night before three a.m. should not be used.
• Midstream urine should be used and it is better to use a crystal glass.
• Urine should be sipped like tea and not drunk like water. This will prevent excessive problems in the form of loose stools and other eliminative processes.
• It is necessary to consider the diet menu, for instance, the excess of meat gives to the urine a bad taste. Pungent and salty food as well as excessive protein should be avoided.
• Drink at least one liter of water per day.
• Do not leave the urine longer than 15 minutes because it contaminates with the environment.

Quantity

• To keep oneself healthy, it is ideal to drink daily half a liter of the first urine. This leads to increase the immune system.
• Chronic diseases: drink one liter daily.
• Cancer, AIDS, Lupus: drink two or more liters daily.
• For the children 3 little glasses daily.

The Doctor Inoue treated and cured a 3 years old child who suffered a hopeless leukemia. This boy was very weak, with renal failure and had been treated with chemotherapy during two months. The dose for the boy was 4 glasses daily (1 liter) and a vegetarian diet. According to Doctor Inoue, after 40 days of treatment, the boy was totally recovered and the symptoms of leukemia were completely gone.

Initial adjustment phase:

Prepare the mind by making a resolve to at lease attempt the process and examine your reactions, thoughts and feelings. When you feel mentally prepared to attempt the actual practice, collect some fresh urine and start by rubbing your hands with it. Feel its texture, smell it, and see whether it can actually clean your skin as well as some people claim. After about five minutes wash it off with cold water and feel the skin to see whether the urine has had an effect. Do not use soap after rubbing.

The next phase of adjusting the body and mind is to put one drop onto the tongue. Taste and smell play an important part in assessing its nature. Eventually you should build up the quantity you take in until you can drink a full glass of midstream urine and feel neutral in body and mind. Then you will be ready to start more advanced curriculums.

What are the claims by urine therapy advocates?

Urine therapy advocates claim that to this day, despite the countless number of experiments performed using urine therapy, not a single case has been recorded finding unfavorable effects. In fact, they say that urine therapy might be a remedy for polio, rabies, and tuberculosis, AIDS, growths and cancers, fatigue, anemia, all sorts of urinary diseases, for weight-loss, colds and flu, candida, diabetes, heart disease, digestive problems, prostate trouble, arthritis, glaucoma, rheumatism, cataract, venereal disease, leukemia, malaria, diphtheria, chickenpox, scarlet fever, rheumatic fever, bronchial asthma, orchitis, bright’s disease, jaundice, scurvy, dropsy, burns, rashes, warts, bed-wetting, menstruation trouble, kidney disease, mucus colitis, pyorrhea, gangrene, etc. (http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/1158/URINE.HTM). In fact, the list of diseases for which urine therapy is said to be effective is around 175 known diseases an extraordinary amount for any type of medical practice.

Sources:

http://www.anael.org/english/urine/index.htm
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/ans/psychology/health_psychology/Urine_Therapy.htm
http://www.naturalhealthtechniques.com/HealingTechniques/Urine_therapy.htm

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Leukemia Information Treatment and Therapy
http://leukemiainformation.org/leukemia-cure-found

The cure for Leukemia has been found. Dr. Stan Burzynski, MD, Houston, discovered the actual peptide in urine that cures leukemia. He named it Anti Neo Plastons A. Dr. Burzynski presented his findings to the annual meeting of the Federation of the American Societies for Experimental Biology in 1979. In 1929, Dr. John Armstrong had a “leukemia patient, PC, age 48, who had lost 40 lbs. in a year, and could not walk, whom 3 different MD’s had given him 3 months left to live. He had been given the standard treatment of long, deep X-rays, drugs and a series of very toxic injections. His blood had 556000 more white corpuscles than red, per cubic milliliter. He was a dead man walking. I suggested he do a 3 month Fast, of massaging his urine into his skin for an hour each day and drinking 3 glasses of his urine each day. He agreed. Anything to save his life. His wife and friends began massaging urine onto his skin for an hour each day. He drank several glasses daily. In 12 weeks he was back to normal and went back to work. For the next 2 years he did not even have a cold.”

In India, there was a very great master called Padmasambhava, who wrote The Book of the Dead.He said:

Now, when the moment of death dawns upon me I will abandon the grasping, the yearning and attachment, and enter undistracted into the clear venues of teaching and eject my consciousness into the space that is unbound and as I leave this compound body of flesh and blood, I will know to be lucent.

To put it simply, what is important when the moment of death comes is that you are helping somebody to create an environment whereby it may be the only moment when they can come to terms with death.

For that reason, we provide a very loving and caring environment in which the person can reflect on and find meaning in their life so they can die peacefully.

And so, these preparations and processes are to help them to let go, help them to come to terms with their lives, help them to let go of the attachment and aversion. This is why it is very important at that moment to give love.

When beside giving them love we also give them wisdom and saying it with love that emanates from deep compassion then it helps the person to just let go of the fear. It is the same for us when we are feeling anxious. We derive confidence if we have the company of a wonderful, warm, loving person.

At that point of death, we need to let go of all our negativity, ask for forgiveness, keep our hearts and mind pure and unite our mind with the wisdom mind of the Buddha or the God of our particular tradition.

What we are doing at this point is uniting the mind with the wisdom mind of the Buddha and resting in the essential nature of mind. There are three actions we must do: let go of attachment and aversion (that means keeping your heart and mind pure), unite your mind with the wisdom mind of the Buddha and then rest in the nature of the mind.

Kelsang Gyatso

Whatever joy there is in these world,
all comes from desiring others to be happy.
And whatever suffering there is in this world,
all comes from desiring myself to be happy.
- Shantideva -

What is Meditation?

Meditation is the mind that concentrates on a virtuous object, and which is the main cause of mental peace. The practice of meditation is a method for acquainting our mind with virtue. The more familiar our mind is with virtue, the calmer and more peaceful it becomes. When our mind is peaceful, we are free from worries and mental discomfort, and we experience true happiness. If we train our mind to become peaceful we shall be happy all the time, even in the most adverse conditions; but if our mind is not peaceful, then even if we have the most pleasant external conditions we shall nor me happy. Therefore, it is important to train our mind through meditation.

Whenever we meditate, we are performing an action that causes us to experience inner peace in the future. A virtuous object is one that causes us to develop a peaceful mind when we concentrate on it.

There are two types of meditation: analytical meditation and placement meditation. Analytical meditation  involves contemplating the meaning of a spiritual instruction that we have heard or read. By contemplating such instruction deeply, eventually we reach a definite conclusion or cause a specific virtuous state of mind to arise. This is the object of placement meditation. We then concentrate single-pointedly on this conclusion or virtuous state of mind for as long as possible to become deeply acquainted with it. This single-pointed meditation is placement meditation. Often, analytical meditation is called “contemplation” and placement meditation is called “meditation”. Placement meditation depends upon analytical meditation, and analytical meditation depends upon listening to or reading spiritual instructions.

At the beginning, even if our meditation does not seem to be going well, we should remember that simply by applying effort to training in meditation, we are creating the mental karma to experience inner peace in the future. The peace of this life and of our future lives depends upon the experience of inner peace, which in turn depends upon the mental actions of meditation. Since inner peace is the source of all happiness, we can see how important meditation is.

How to meditate

Each of the twenty-one meditation practices has five parts: preparation, contemplation, meditation, dedication, and subsequent practice. The instructions that explain these twenty-one meditation practices are called the “stages of the path”, or “Lamrim”. The realizations of these meditations are the actual spiritual paths that lead us to the great liberation of full enlightenment.

The first part, the preparatory practices, prepare us for successful meditation by purifying hindrances caused by our previous negative actions, by accumulating merit (or good fortune), and by enabling us to receive the blessings of enlightened beings. The preparatory practices are very important if we wish to gain deep experience of these meditations. For this purpose, we begin our meditation with Prayers for Meditation.

The purpose of the second part, contemplation, or analytical meditation, is to bring the mind to the object of meditation. We do this by considering various lines of reasoning, contemplating analogies, and reflecting on the meaning of the instructions. It is helpful to memorize the contemplations given in each section so that we can meditate without having to look at the text. The contemplations given here are intended only as guidelines. We should supplement and enrich them with whatever reasons and examples we find helpful.

When, through our contemplations, the object appears clearly, we leave our analytical meditation and concentrate on the object single-pointedly. This single-pointedly concentration is the third part, the actual meditation.

When we first start to meditate, our concentration is poor; we are easily distracted and often lose our object of meditation. Therefore, to begin with, we shall probably need to alternate between contemplation and meditation many times in each session. For example, if we are meditating on compassion, we begin by contemplating the various sufferings experienced by living beings until a strong feeling of compassion arises in our heart. When this feeling arises, we meditate on it single-pointedly. If the feeling fades, or if our mind wanders to another object, we should return to analytical meditation to bring the feeling back to mind. When the feeling of compassion has been restored, we once again leave our analytical meditation and hold the feeling with single-pointedly concentration.

Both contemplation and meditation serve to acquaint our mind with virtuous objects. The more familiar we are with such objects, the more peaceful our mind becomes. By training in meditation, and living accordance with the insights and resolutions developed during meditation, eventually we shall be able to maintain a peaceful mind continuously, throughout our life.

At the end of each session, we dedicate the merit produced by our meditation toward the attainment of enlightenment. If merit is no dedicated, it can easily be destroyed by anger. By reciting the dedication prayers sincerely at the end of each meditation session, we ensure that the merit we created by meditating is not wasted but acts as a cause of enlightenment.

The fifth part of each meditation practice is the subsequent practice. This consist of advice on how to integrate the meditation into our daily life. It is important to remember that Dharma practice is not confined to our activities during the meditation session; it should permeate our whole life. The success of our meditation depends upon the purity of our conduct outside the meditation session. We should keep a watch over our minds at all times by applying mindfulness, alertness, and conscientiousness; and we should try to abandon whatever bad habits we may have. Deep experience of Dharma is the result of practical training over a long period of time, both in and out of meditation. Therefore, we should practice steadily and gently, without being in a hurry to see results.

Lamrin instructions are not given merely for the sake of intellectual understanding of the path to enlightenment. They are given to help us to gain deep experience, and should therefore be put into practice. If we train our mind in these meditations every day, eventually we shall gain perfect realizations of all the stages of the path.

If we genuinely wish to gain experience of the stages of the path, we should try to meditate every day until we complete the whole cycle in twenty-one days. Then we can begin again. Between sessions, e should try to remain mindful of the instructions on subsequent practice.

Cleaning the environment

Before we sit down to meditate, it is helpful to make sure that the place where we meditate is clean. A clean environment makes the mind clear and fresh. Moreover, during the preparatory practices we invite the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and other holy beings to come to our room and, as a sign of respect, we ensure that our room is clean and tidy beforehand.

Setting up a shrine

If possible, we should set up a shrine with representations of Buddha’s body, speech, and mind. To represent Buddha’s body, we place a statue or picture of Buddha in the centre of the shrine. To its right we place a Dharma text, representing Buddha’s speech, ant to its left we place a stupa, or a picture representing Buddha’s mind. Remembering that Buddha’s omniscient mind actually enters into these objects, we should feel that we are actually in the presence of the living Buddha and make prostrations and offerings accordingly.

The meditation posture

When these preparations are completed, we can sit down to meditate. If possible, we should sit in the vajra posture, but, if we are unfamiliar with this, we can sit in any posture that is comfortable. The most important thing is to have a straight back so that the subtle energy winds in our body can flow freely and keep our mind alert. Our hands should rest with the palms open and facing upwards, the right hand above the left, and the two thumbs gently touching.

Calming the mind

Before beginning the actual preparatory prayers, we should calm our mind by doing breathing meditation. Breathing naturally, we try to concentrate on our breath without being distracted by conceptual thoughts. As we breathe out, we imagine that we exhale all our negativities, obstacles, and distracting thoughts. As we breathe in, we imagine that we inhale the blessings of all the holly beings in the form of pure air and white light. We continue with this meditation for a few minutes, or until our mind is calm and peaceful.

OUR PRECIOUS HUMAN LIFE

The purpose of this meditation is to encourage ourselves to practice Dharma. Dharma instructions teach us how to make ourselves and others happy, how to control delusions –specially our self-grasping, the root of all sufferings – and how to begin, make progress on, and complete the path to enlightenment, and are therefore important for everyone. If we put these teachings into practice, we can permanently cure the inner sickness of our delusions and all suffering, and achieve everlasting happiness. Therefore we need to encourage ourselves to practice Dharma and not waste our human life in meaningless activities. If we do not encourage ourselves, no one will do this for us.

CONTEMPLATION

Our human life is precious, rare, and immensely meaningful. Due to their previous deluded views that denied the value of spiritual practice, those who have taken rebirth as animals, for example, now have no opportunity to understand or practice Dharma. Since it is impossible for them to listen to, contemplate, and meditate on Dharma, their present animal rebirth itself is an obstacle. Only human beings are free from such obstacles and have all the necessary conditions for engaging in spiritual paths, which alone lead to everlasting happiness. This combination of freedom and possession of necessary conditions is the special characteristic that makes our human life so precious.

Millions of human beings are not able to listen to Buddha spiritual instructions because they live in a country where religious practices is not tolerated. Many are holding wrong views that are obstacles to attain liberation. Others are mentally or physically disable to receive teachings, and others suffers from extreme poverty and misery, are victims of natural disasters, or live in a country under war. With this understanding we contemplate: “How fortunate I am to be free from these limitations and, therefore, I must not waste this precious opportunity to practice Dharma and attain liberation.”

If we use our human life to accomplish spiritual realizations, it becomes immensely meaningful. By using it in this way, we use our full potential and enter the path to enlightenment and gain the power to benefit all living beings without exception.

MEDITATION

Having repeatedly contemplated these points, we make the strong determination: ”I must practice Dharma.” This determination is the object of our meditation. We then hold this without forgetting it; our mind should remain on this determination single-pointedly for as long as possible.

We dedicate de virtuous accumulated from this meditation practice towards the realization of the preciousness of our human life and attainment of enlightenment for the happiness of all living beings.

During the meditation break, we try never to forget our determination to practice Dharma. Especially we should put all the instructions into practice and integrate them into our daily life.

DEATH AND IMPERMANENCE

The purpose of this meditation is to eliminate the laziness of attachment, the main obstacle to practicing Dharma purely. Because our desire for worldly enjoyment is so strong, we have little or no interest in spiritual practice. Form a spiritual point if view, this lack of interest in spiritual practice is a type of laziness called “laziness of attachment”. For as long as we have this laziness, the door to liberation will be closed to us, and consequently we shall continue to experience misery in this life and endless suffering in life after life. The way to overcome this laziness is to meditate on death.

We need to contemplate and meditate on our death again and again until we gain a deep realization of death. Although on a intellectual level we all know that eventually we are going to die, our awareness of death remains superficial. Since our intellectual knowledge of death does not touch our hearts, each and every day we continue to think “I shall not die today, I shall not die today.” Even on the day of our death, we are still thinking about what we shall do tomorrow or next week. This mind that thinks every day, “I shall not die today”, is deceptive –it leads us in the wrong direction and causes our human life to become empty. On the other hand, through meditating on death we shall gradually replace the deceptive thought, “I shall not die today”, with the non-deceptive thought, “I may die today”. The mind that spontaneously thinks each and every day, “I may die today”, is the realization of death. It is this realization that directly eliminates our laziness of attachment and opens the door to the spiritual path.

In general, we may die today or we may not die today –we do not know. However, if we think each day, “I may not die today”, this thought will deceive us because it comes from our ignorance; whereas if instead we think each day, “I may die today”, this thought will not deceive us because it comes from our wisdom. This beneficial thought will prevent out laziness of attachment, and will encourage us to prepare for the welfare of our countless future lives or to put great effort into entering the path to liberation. In this way, we shall make our human life meaningful.

CONTEMPLATION

I shall definitely die. There is no way to prevent my body from finally decaying. Day by day, moment by moment, my life is slipping away. I have no idea when I shall die; the time of death is completely uncertain. Many young people die before their parents, some die the moment they are born –there is no certainty in this world. Furthermore, there are so many causes of untimely death. The lives of many strong and healthy people are destroyed by accidents. There is no guarantee that I shall not die today.

MEDITATION

Having repeatedly contemplated these points, we mentally repeat over and over again, “I may die today, I may die today”, and concentrate on the feeling it evokes. Eventually we shall come to a conclusion: “Since I shall soon have to depart from this world, there is no sense in my becoming attached to the things of this life. Instead, I will devote my whole life to the practice of Dharma.” This determination is the object of our meditation. We then hold this without forgetting it; our mind should remain on this determination single-pointedly for as long as possible.

We dedicate the virtuous accumulated from this meditation practice towards our realization of death and the attainment of enlightenment for the happiness of all living beings.

During the meditation break, we try to practice Dharma without laziness. Realizing that worldly pleasures are deceptive, and that they distract us from using our life in a meaningful way, we should abandon attachment to them. In this way, we can eliminate the main obstacle to pure Dharma practice.

THE DANGER OF LOWER REBIRTH

The purpose of this meditation is to encourage us to seek protection from the dangers of lower rebirth. If we do not prepare for protection from lower rebirth now, while we have a human life with its freedoms and endowments, once we have taken any of the three lower rebirths it will be extremely difficult to obtain a precious human life again. It is said to be easier for human beings to attain enlightenment than it is for beings in the lower realms, such animals, to attain a human rebirth. This meditation encourage us to abandon not-virtue, to practice virtue, and to go for refuge to the holy beings, which is the actual protection from taking lower rebirth. Creating non-virtue is the main cause of taking lower rebirth, whereas practicing virtue and going for refuge to the holly beings are the main causes of taking higher rebirth.

CONTEMPLATION

When the oil of an oil lamp is exhausted, the flame goes out because the flame is produced from the oil; but when our body dies, our consciousness is not extinguished, because consciousness is not produced from the body. When we die, our mind has to leave this present body, which is just a temporary abode, and find another body, rather like a bird leaving one nest to fly to another. Our mind has no freedom to remain and no choice about where to go. We are blown to the place of our next rebirth by the winds of our karma. If the karma that ripens at our death time is negative, we shall definitely take a lower rebirth depending on how heavy our negative actions were.

It is very easy to commit heavy negative karma. Throughout this and all our countless previous lives, we have committed many heavy negative actions. Unless we have already purified these actions by practicing sincere confession, their potentialities remain in our mental continuum, and any one of these negative potentialities could ripen when we die.

MEDITATION

Having repeatedly contemplated these points, and understood how beings in the lower realms, such as animals, experience suffering, we generate a strong fear of taking rebirth in the lower realms. This feeling of fear is the object of our meditation. We then hold this without forgetting it; our mind should remain on this feeling of fear single-pointedly for as long as possible.

At the end of the meditation session, we dedicate the virtues accumulated from this meditation practice towards the realization of the danger of our taking lower rebirth and the attainment of enlightenment for the happiness of all living beings.

During the meditation break, we try never to forget our feeling of fear of taking rebirth in the lower realms. In general, fear is meaningless, but the fear generated through the above contemplation and meditation has immense meaning, as it arises from wisdom and not from ignorance. This fear is the main cause of going for refuge, which is the actual protection from such dangers, and help us to be mindful and conscientious in avoiding non-virtuous actions.

REFUGE PRACTICE

The purpose of this meditation is to enable us to attain permanent liberation from lower rebirth. At present we are human and free from lower rebirth, but this is only a temporary and not a permanent liberation from lower rebirth. Until we gain a deep realization of refuge, we shall have to take lower rebirth again and again in countless future lives. We attain permanent liberation from lower rebirth by sincerely relying upon the Three Jewels: Buddha –the source of all refuge, Dharma –the realization of Buddha’s teachings, and Sangha –pure Dharma practitioners who help us with our spiritual practice. Dharma is like medicine that prevents the sufferings of the three lower realms, Buddha is the doctor who give us this medicine, and the Sangha are the nurses who assist us. Understanding this, we go for refuge to Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.

CONTEMPLATION

Through receiving Buddha’s blessings and help from the Sangha, I shall accomplish profound Dharma realizations. Through this, I shall attain permanent liberation from lower rebirth.

MEDITATION

Having repeatedly contemplated this valid reason for going for refuge, we make the strong determination: “I must rely upon Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha as my ultimate refuge.” This determination is the object of our meditation. We then hold this without forgetting it; our mind should remain on this determination single-pointedly for as long as possible. If we lose the object of our meditation, we renew it by immediately remembering our determination or by repeating the contemplation.

We dedicate the virtues accumulated from this meditation practice towards our realization of refuge and the attainment of enlightenment for the happiness of all living beings.

During the meditation break, we should practice the twelve commitments of refuge. Keeping the refuge commitments helps us to strengthen our refuge practice so that it quickly bears fruit.

DEVELOPING EQUANIMITY

The purpose of this meditation is to free our mind from unbalanced attitudes, which are the main obstacle to developing the essential Mahayana realizations of impartial love, compassion, and bodhichitta.

Our feelings toward others are normally unbalanced. When we see a friend or someone we find particular attractive, we feel pleased; when we see an enemy or an unattractive person, we feel dislike for him or her; and when we see a stranger or someone we find neither attractive or unattractive, we feel indifference. Our first task, therefore, is to free our mind from these unbalanced attitudes and develop genuine equanimity –an equal warm and friendly attitude towards all living beings.

CONTEMPLATION

There is no sense in feeling attached to someone who appears attractive, feeling aversion toward someone who appears unattractive, or feeling indifference towards someone who is neither attractive nor unattractive. Someone who appears attractive to me can be an object of aversion to others; someone who appears unattractive to me can be an object of attachment to others; and someone to whom I feel indifferent can be an object of attachment or aversion to others. There is no certainty. The appearances of attractiveness, unattractiveness, and indifference are only my own mistaken projections; and they make my mind unbalanced and unpeaceful, and destroy my happiness.

MEDITATION

Having repeatedly contemplated these points, we make the strong determination: “I must stop these unbalanced minds, and develop and maintain equanimity –an equally warm and friendly attitude towards all living beings.” With this determination, we generate a warm and friendly feeling towards all living beings without exception. This feeling of equanimity is the object of our meditation. We then hold this without forgetting it; our mind should remain on this feeling of equanimity single-pointedly for as long as possible.

We dedicate the virtues accumulated from this meditation practice towards our realization of equanimity and attainment of enlightenment for the happiness of all living beings.

During the meditation break, we maintain this feeling of equanimity day and night, keeping in our heart a warm feeling toward everyone we meet or think about.

RECOGNIZING THAT ALL LIVING BEINGS ARE OUR MOTHERS

Generating bodhichitta, the main path to enlightenment, depends upon developing great compassion, which in turn depend upon affectionate love. To enhance our affectionate love for all living beings, we begin by contemplating how they are all our mothers.

CONTEMPLATION
Since it is impossible to find a beginning to our mental continuum, it follows that we have taken countless rebirths in the past, and, if we have had countless rebirths, we must have had countless mothers. Where are all these mothers now? They are all the living beings alive today.

It is incorrect to reason that our mothers of former lives are no longer our mothers just because a long time has passed since they actually cared for us. If our present mother were to die today, would she cease to be our mother? No, we would still regard her as our mother and pray for her happiness. The same is true of all our previous mothers –they died, yet they remain our mothers. It is only because of the changes in our external appearance that we do not recognize each other.

We must regard all living beings as our mothers. Whoever we meet, we should think, “This person is my mother”. In this way we shall feel equally warm toward all living beings. If we regard all living beings as our mothers, we shall find easy to develop pure love and compassion, our everyday relationships will become pure and stable, and we shall naturally avoid negative actions such as killing or harming living beings. Since it is so beneficial to regard all living beings as our mothers, we should adopt this way of thinking without hesitation.

MEDITATION

Having repeatedly contemplated this point, we generate a strong recognition that all living beings are our mothers. This recognition is the object of our meditation. We then hold this without forgetting it for as long as possible.

We dedicate the virtues accumulated from this meditation practice towards the realization that all living beings are our mothers and attaining of enlightenment for the happiness of all living beings.

During the meditation break, we maintain this recognition all day. We should regard everyone we meet as our mother. This applies even to animals as well as to our enemies. In this way, we shall overcome the harmful attitude of attachment, hatred, and indifference.

The commitments of going for refuge

When we go for refuge, we undertake to observe twelve special commitments. By observing these sincerely, we protect our mind of refuge and it gradually becomes more powerful. These commitments lay the foundation for all the realizations of the stages of the path. Realizing this, we should not regard them as a burden, but practice them joyfully and sincerely.

Within the twelve commitments, there are six specific commitments and six general commitments. The six specific commitments are so called because they are related specifically to each of the Three Jewels. There are two commitments related to Buddha, two related to Dharma, and two related to Sangha. In each case, there is one thing to abandon and one thing to practice. The remaining six commitments apply equally to Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. This twelve commitments will now be briefly explained.

THE TWO COMMITMENTS SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO BUDDHA

1. Not to go for refuge to teachers who contradict Buddha’s view, or to samsaric gods. By going for refuge to Buddha, we have a commitment to abandon going for ultimate refuge to teachers who contradict Buddha’s view, or to worldly gods. This does not mean that we cannot receive help from others; it means that we do not rely upon others to provide ultimate protection from suffering.

2. To regard any image of Buddha as an actual Buddha. By going for refuge to Buddha, we also have a commitment to regard any image of Buddha as an actual Buddha. Whenever we see a statue of Buddha, whether it is made of gold or anything else, we should see it as an actual Buddha. We should disregard the material or the quality of the craftsmanship, and pay homage by making offerings and prostrations and by going for refuge. If we practice like this, our merit will increase abundantly.

THE TWO COMMOITMENTS SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO DHARMA

3. Not to harm others. By going for refuge to Dharma, we have a commitment to abandon harming others. Instead of treating others badly, we should try, with the best motivation, to benefit them whenever we can. We first need to concentrate on reducing harmful thoughts and generating a beneficial intention towards those who are close to us, such as our friends and family. When we have developed a good heart towards these people, we can gradually extend our practice to include more and more people until, finally, we have a good heart towards all living beings. If we can abandon harmful thoughts and always have a beneficial intention, we shall easily attain the realization of great love and great compassion. In this way, we begin to increase our compassion, which is the very essence of Buddhadharma, from the very beginning of our practice of going for refuge.

4. To regard all Dharma scriptures as the actual Dharma Jewel. By going for refuge to Dharma, we also have a commitment to regard all Dharma scriptures as the actual Dharma Jewel. Dharma is the source of all health and happiness. Since we cannot see actual Dharma Jewels with our eyes, we need to regard Dharma texts as actual Dharma Jewels. Actual Dharma Jewels arise only as a result of learning, contemplating, and meditating on the meaning of the scriptures. We need to respect every letter of the scriptures and every letter of explanation of Buddha’s teachings. Therefore, we must treat Dharma books with great care and avoid walking over them or putting them in inappropriate places where they might be damage or misused. Each time we neglect or spoil our Dharma books, we create the cause to become more ignorant because these actions are similar to the action of abandoning Dharma.

THE TWO COMMITMENTS SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO SANGHA

5. Not to allow ourself to be influenced by people who reject Buddha’s teaching. By going for refuge to Sangha, we have a commitment to stop being influenced by people who reject Buddha’s teaching. This does not mean that we should abandon these people, merely that we should not let their views influence our mind. Without abandoning love and consideration for others, we need to be vigilant and make sure that we are not being led astray by their bad habits and unsound advice.

6. To regard anyone who wears the robes of an ordained person as an actual Sangha Jewel. By going for refuge to Sangha, we also have the commitment to acknowledge anyone who wears the robes of an ordained person as an actual Sangha Jewel. Even if ordained Sangha are poor, we still need to pay respect to them because they are keeping moral discipline and this is something very rare and precious.

THE SIX GENERAL COMMITMENTS

7. To for refuge to the Three Jewels again and again, remembering their good qualities and the differences between them. Dharma is like a boat that can carry us across the ocean of samsara, Buddha is like the skillful navigator of the boat, and Sangha are like the crew. Remembering this, we should go for refuge again and again to the Three Jewels.

8. To offer the first portion of whatever we eat and drink to the Three Jewels, while remembering their kindness. Since we need to eat and drink several times each day, if we always offer the first portion of our food or drink to the Three Jewels, remembering their kindness, we shall greatly increase our merit. We can do this with the following prayer:

I make this offerings to you, Buddha Shakyamuni,
Whose mind is the synthesis of all Buddha Jewels,
Whose speech is the synthesis of all Dharma Jewels,
Whose body is the synthesis of all Sangha Jewels.
O Blessed One, please accept this and bless my mind.
OM AH HUM (x3)

It is important always to remember Buddha’s kindness. If we are now able to learn Dharma and meet Spiritual Guides, it is only through Buddha’s kindness.

9. With compassion, always to encourage others to go for refuge. We should always try to help others to go for refuge, but we should do so skillfully. If we know someone who is interested in Dharma, we should help him or her to develop the causes of going for refuge: fear from suffering and faith in the Three Jewels. We can talk to him or her about impermanence –how the conditions of this life change and how our body will grow old and decay- and we can talk about the sufferings of sickness, ageing, and death. We can talk about what will happen after death, about the different types or rebirth, and about how all types of rebirth are in the nature of suffering. If we skillfully introduce these things into our conversation, the other person will begin to lose his complacency and, when he starts to feel uneasy, he will naturally want to find out what can be done. At this point, we can explain about Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, and how they can help us. then we can explain how to go for refuge.

If we help someone else tactfully in this way, without being arrogant or impatient, we shall bring him or her real benefit. It is never certain that the material gifts we give to others will actually help them; sometimes they even cause more problems. The best way to help others is to lead them into Dharma. If we cannot give elaborated explanations, we can at least give appropriate advice to those who are unhappy, and help them to solve their problems by means of Dharma.

10. To go for refuge at least three times during the day and three times during the night, remembering the benefits of going for refuge. So that we never forget the Three Jewels, we should go for refuge once every four hours, or at least three times during the day and three times during the night. If we never forget the Three Jewels, and regularly contemplate the benefits of going for refuge, we shall gain realizations very quickly. We should be like a businessman who never forgets his projects even while he is relaxing.

11. To perform every action with complete trust in the Three Jewels. We should rely upon the Three Jewels in everything that we do. In this way, all our actions will be successful. There is no need to seek the inspiration and blessings of worldly gods, but we should always try to receive the blessings of Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha by making offerings and requests.

12. Never forsake the Three Jewels, even at the cost of our life or as a joke. We should never abandon the Three Jewels, because going for refuge is the foundation of all Dharma realizations. Once a Buddhist was taken captive and his enemy said to him, “Give up your refuge in Buddha or I will kill you.” He refused to forsake his refuge and was killed, but when clairvoyants looked, they saw that he had immediately been reborn as a god.

BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED FOR MEDITATION

Since the meditations presented in this book assume a belief in rebirth, or reincarnation, and in karma, or actions, a brief description of the process of death and rebirth, and the places in which we can reborn, may be helpful.

The mind is neither physical, nor a by-product of physical processes, but a formless continuum that is a separate entity from the body. When the body disintegrates at death, the mind does not cease. Although our superficial conscious mind ceases, it does so by dissolving into a deeper level of consciousness, the very subtle mind; and the continuum of the very subtle mind ha no beginning and no end. It is the mind that, when thoroughly purified, transforms into the omniscient mind of a Buddha.

Every action we perform leaves an imprint on our very subtle mind, and each imprint eventually gives rise to its own effect. Our mind is like a field, and performing actions is like sowing seeds in that field. Virtuous actions sow seeds of future happiness and non-virtuous actions sow seeds of future suffering. The seeds we have sown in the past remain dormant until the conditions necessary for their germination come together. In some cases, this can be many lifetimes after the original action was performed.

The seeds that ripen when we die are very important because they determine what kind of rebirth we shall take. Which particular seed ripens at death depends upon the state of mind in which we die. If we die with a peaceful mind, this will stimulate a virtuous seed and we shall take a fortunate rebirth; but if we die with an unpeaceful mind, in a state of anger, say, this will stimulate a non-virtuous seed and we shall take an unfortunate rebirth. This is similar to the way in which nightmares are triggered off by our being in an agitated state of mind just before falling asleep.

The analogy of falling asleep is not accidental, for the process of sleeping, dreaming, and waking closely resembles the process of death, intermediate state, and rebirth. When we fall asleep, our gross inner winds gather and dissolve inwards, and our mind becomes progressively more and more subtle until it transforms into the very subtle mind of the clear light of sleep. While the clear light of sleep is manifest, we experience deep sleep, and to others we resemble a dead person. When it ends, our mind becomes gradually more and more gross and we pass through the various levels of the dream state. Finally, our normal powers of memory and mental control are restored and we wake up. When this happens, our dream world disappears and we perceive the world of the waking state.

A very similar process occurs when we die. As we die, our winds dissolve inwards and our mind becomes progressively more and more subtle until the very subtle mind of the clear light death becomes manifest. The experience of the clear light of death is very similar to the experience of deep sleep. After the clear light of death has ceased, we experience the stages of the intermediate state, or “bardo” in Tibetan, which is a dream-like state that occurs between death and rebirth. After a few days or weeks, the intermediate state ends and we take rebirth. Just as, when we wake from sleep, the dream world disappears and we perceive the world of the waking state, so, when we take rebirth, the appearances of the intermediate state cease and we perceive the world of our next life.

The only significant difference between the process of sleeping, dreaming, and waking and the process of death, intermediate state, and rebirth is that after the clear light of sleep has ceased, the relationship between our mind and our present body remains intact, whereas after the clear light of death, this relationship is broken.

While we are in the intermediate state, we experience different visions that arise from the karmic seeds that were activated immediately before death. If negative seeds were activated, these visions will be nightmarish, but if positive seeds were activated, they will be predominantly pleasant. In either case, once the karmic seeds have matured sufficiently, they impel us to take rebirth in one or other of the six realms of samsara.

The six realms are actual places in which we can be reborn. They are brought into existence through the power of our actions, or karma. There are three types of actions: bodily actions, verbal actions, and mental actions. Since our bodily and verbal actions are initiated by our mental actions, ultimately the six realms are created by our mind. For example, a hell realm is a place that arises as a result of the worst actions, such as murder or extreme mental or physical cruelty, which depends upon the most deluded state of mind.

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• Shambhala Meditation
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Chögyam Trungpa

We have to accept personal responsibility for uplifting our lives. When you don’t punish or condemn yourself, when you relax more and appreciate your body and mind, you begin to contact the fundamental notion of basic goodness in yourself. So it is extremely important to be willing to open yourself to yourself. Developing tenderness toward yourself allows you to see both your problems and your potential accurately. You don’t feel that you have to ignore your problems or exaggerate your potential. That kind of gentleness toward yourself and appreciation of yourself is very necessary. It provides the ground for helping yourself and others.

As human beings, we have a working basis within ourselves that allows us to uplift our state of existence and cheer up fully. That working basis is always available to us. We have a mind and a body, which are very precious to us. Because we have a mind and body, we can comprehend this world. Existence is wonderful and precious. We don’t know how long we will live, so while we have lour life, why not make use of it? Before we even make use of it, why don’t we appreciate it?

How do we discover this kind of appreciation? Wishful thinking or simply talking about it does not help. In the Sham bhala tradition, the discipline for developing both gentleness toward ourselves and appreciation of our world is the sitting prac tice of meditation.

The practice of meditation was taught by the Lord Buddha over twenty-five hundred years ago, and it has been part of the Shambhala tradition since that time. It is based on an oral tradition: from the time of the Buddha, this practice has been transmitted from one human being to another. In this way, it has remained a living tradition, so that, although it is an ancient practice, it is still up to date.

By meditation here, we mean something very basic and simple that is not tied to anyone culture. We are talking about a very basic act: sitting on the ground, assuming a good posture, and developing a sense of our spot, our place on this earth. This is the means of rediscovering ourselves and our basic goodness, the means to tune ourselves in to genuine reality, without any expecta tions or preconceptions.

The word meditation is sometimes used to mean contemplat ing a particular theme or object: meditating on such and such a thing. But here we are talking about a completely different concept of meditation: unconditional medita tion, without any object or idea in mind. In the Shambhala tradi tion, meditation is simply training our state of being so that our mind and body can be synchronized. Through the practice of meditation, we can learn to be without deception, to be fully genuine and alive.

Our life is an endless journey; it is like a broad highway that extends infinitely into the distance. The practice of meditation allows us to experience all the textures of the roadway, which is what the journey is all about.

Through the practice of meditation, we begin to find that, within our selves, there is no fundamental complaint about anything or any one at all.

Meditation practice begins by sitting down and assuming your seat cross-legged on the ground. You begin to feel that, by simply being on the spot, your life can become workable and even wonderful. You realize that you are capable of sitting like a king or queen on a throne. The regalness of that situation shows you the dignity that comes from being still and simple.

In the practice of meditation, an upright posture is extremely important. Having an upright back is not an artificial posture. It is natural to the human body. When you slouch, that is unusual. You can’t breathe properly when you slouch. So when you sit erect, you are pro claiming to yourself and to the rest of the world that you are going to be a warrior, a fully human being.

To have a straight back you do not have to strain yourself by pulling up your shoulders; the uprightness comes naturally from sitting simply but proudly on the ground or on your meditation cushion. Then, because your back is upright, you feel no trace of shyness or embarrassment, so you do not hold your head down. You are not bending to anything. Because of that, your shoulders become straight automatically, so you develop a good sense of head and shoulders. Then you can allow your legs to rest naturally in a cross-legged position; your knees do not have to touch the ground. You complete your posture by placing your hands lightly, palms down, on your thighs. This provides a further sense of assuming your spot properly.

In that posture, you don’t just gaze randomly around. You have a sense that you are thereproperly; therefore, your eyes are open, but your gaze is directed slightly downward, maybe six feet in front of you. In that way, your vision does not wander here and there, but you have a further sense of deliberateness and definite ness. You can see this royal pose in many ancestral cultures around the world. Is a universal posture, not limited to one culture or time.

In your daily life, you should also be aware of your posture, your head and shoulders, how you walk, and how you look at peo ple. Even when you are not meditating, you can maintain a digni fied state of existence. You can transcend your embarrassment and take pride in being a human being. Such pride is” acceptable and good.

Then, in meditation practice, as you sit with a good posture, you pay attention to your breath. When you breathe, you are ut terly there, properly there. You go out with the outbreath, your breath dissolves, and then the inbreath happens naturally. Then you go out again.

So there is a constant going out with the out breath. As you breathe out, you dissolve, you diffuse. Then your inbreath occurs naturally; you don’t have to follow it in. You sim ply come back to your posture, and you are ready for another out breath. Go out and dissolve: tshoo; then come back to your posture; then tshoo, and come back to your posture.

Then there will be an inevitable bing! –thought. At that point, you say, “thinking.” You don’t say it out loud; you say it mentally: “thinking.” Labeling your thoughts gives you tremen dous leverage to come back to your breath. When one thought takes you away completely from what you are actually doing – when you do not even realize that you are on the cushion, but in your mind, you say “thinking,” and you bring yourself back to the breath.

It doesn’t really matter what thoughts you have. In the sitting practice of meditation, whether you have monstrous thoughts or benevolent thoughts, all of them are regarded purely as thinking. No thought deserves a gold medal or a reprimand. Just label your thoughts “thinking,” then go back to your breath. “Thinking,” back to the breath; “thinking,” back to the breath.

The practice of meditation is very precise. It has to be on the dot, right on the dot. It is quite hard work, but if you remember the importance of your posture, that will allow you to synchronize  your mind and body. If you don’t have good posture, your practice will be like a lame horse trying to pull a cart. It will never work.

So first you sit down and assume your posture, then you work with your breath; tshoo, go out, come back to your posture; tshoo, come back to your posture; tshoo. When thoughts arise, you label them “thinking” and come back to your posture, back to your breath.

You have mind working with breath, but you always maintain body as a reference point. You are not working with your mind alone. You are working with your mind and your body, and when the two work together, you never leave reality.

The ideal state of tranquility comes from experiencing body and mind being synchronized. If body and mind are unsynchro nized, then your body will slump –and your mind will be some where else. It is like a badly made drum: so either the frame breaks or the skin breaks, and there is no constant tautness. When mind and body are syn chronized, then, because of your good posture, your breathing happens naturally; and because your breathing and your posture work together, your mind has a reference point to check back to. Therefore, your mind will go out naturally with the breath.

This method of synchronizing your mind and body is training you to be very simple and to feel that you are not special, but ordinary, extra-ordinary. You sit simply, as a warrior, and out of that, a sense of individual dignity arises. You are sitting on the earth, and you realize that this earth deserves you and you deserve this earth. You are there –fully, personally, genuinely. So medita­tion practice in the Shambhala tradition is designed to educate people to be honest and genuine, true to themselves.

In some sense, we should regard ourselves as being burdened: we have the burden of helping this world. We cannot forget this responsibility. to others. But if we take our burden as a delight, we can actually liberate this world. The way to begin is with ourselves. From being open and honest with ourselves, we can also learn to be open with others. So we can work with the rest of the world, on the basis of the goodness we discover in ourselves. Therefore, meditation practice is regarded as a good, and in fact excellent, way to overcome warfare in the world: our own warfare.