How To Love One Another With Purpose

Learning how to love one another is vital to cultivating a healthy outlook on life as well as fostering a warm, caring society. 

Here are some of my mindful ways to help nourish love for self and others. In other words, watering your Dharma Heart:

• Listen non-judgmentally to those speaking.
• Speak or respond gently.
• Help when you can. 
• Smile at someone you know.
• Smile at someone you don't know.
• Smile at yourself.
• Talk with your neighbors.
• Don't judge someone by their clothing.
• Don't judge someone by their occupation.
• Don't judge someone by their possessions.
• Don't judge classes of people by what is said on TV.
• Most of what you see on TV is someone else's idea of what reality is.
• Turn off your TV.
• Let someone in your lane.
• Find compromise.
• Share.
• Be patient.
• Be forgiving.
• Show compassion.
• Show empathy.
• Be grateful for what you have.
• Show support for someone.
• Show support for yourself.
• Hug someone you love.
• Hug someone you don't particularly like. 
• Hug yourself.
• Tell someone you love them.
• Tell yourself that you love you.

This is certainly not an all exhaustive list but I hope that you try some of these ideas. I think you'll find them rewarding on many levels both personal and spiritually.

I'm reminded of the words of Burt Bacharach which I'll leave you with 'What the world needs now, is love, sweet love'. 

Wishing you continued peace and wellbeing,

 

Vladimir

 

You are warmly invited to follow on us on Facebook and Instagram at @bluelotuscenter for more ways to improve your mindfulness practice and wellbeing.

Blue Lotus Meditation and Mindfulness Center is a registered 501(c)(3) religious organization.

Website and monthly newsletter: www.bluelotusmeditation.us

For guided meditations and Dharma talks, please visit and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

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Mindfulness For An Overrepresented Yet Underserved Population

When we read stories about mindfulness and meditation we usually hear about how the practice has changed this wonderful persons life in a positive way. These positive stories are very heartwarming and inspirational and most certainly deserving of being shared for all experience. So, please keep them coming.

What I'd like to shift focus on for this posting is that mindfulness is for all, every living being, including the ones we typically overlook. I'm referring to the incarcerated.

The United States leads the world in incarcerated persons with about 2.3 million locked away in prisons and jails. Some for minor infractions, others for major offenses. Most of the incarcerated population consists of men of color. Men of color account for nearly half of the prison population and are imprisoned 4.8 times higher than Caucasians. These statistics were collected from here for you reference.

Too often incarcerated individuals are considered as disposable, less than someone else. After all, they need to repay their 'debt to society'. Maybe. Maybe not. 

Without delving into the myriad reasons resulting in this circumstance there are 2.3 million people in the US that are in need of developing a mindfulness and meditation practice. No one is unworthy. No one is more or less deserving than another.

If you are not familiar with the story of Buddha and Angulimala it will be my pleasure to briefly retell it here.

There lived a robber named Angulimala during Buddhas time. Angulimala lived in the forest and ambushed travelers on the roads and killed them. He never robbed them but he did remove a finger and attached it to a necklace he wore. He had many fingers on this necklace.

Buddha sought him out, unafraid.

Buddha and Angulimala did meet and Angulimala did proceed to try to attack Buddha. Buddha, being who he is, did not retreat but instead shouted 'You, stop!' Angulimala was unable to move upon hearing this command.

Buddha was able to transmit the Dharma to him and Angulimala was then awake. In fact, whenever Buddha talked to anyone, they woke up. Angulimala then repented for his past actions and he asked to be a monk. Buddha shaved his head and accepted him into the sangha immediately.

Here was a man who was so scary in life but yet when approached with nonjudgment, kindness, and compassion he shed his unwholesome ways for one of peace and wholesomeness. This is how we, as mindfulness practitioners, may share and strengthen our practice.

Sharing is a gift. And as with all gift giving there are two recipients, the receiver as well as the giver. When one receives a gift, warm feelings begin to arise. Anger dissipates to be replaced with joy and hopefulness. The giver too feels joy and even a sense of accomplishment. This is a wonderful experience that is shared by both individuals.

So with hearing all of your beautiful stories of self-development if you have the time, as part of your outreach efforts, perhaps you too may share your compassion and empathy with someone that may need it as much as you did. 

 

Wishing you continued peace and wellbeing,

 

Vladimir

 

You are warmly invited to follow on us on Facebook and Instagram at @bluelotuscenter for more ways to improve your mindfulness practice and wellbeing.

Blue Lotus Meditation and Mindfulness Center is a registered 501(c)(3) religious organization.

Website and monthly newsletter: www.bluelotusmeditation.us

For guided meditations and Dharma talks, please visit and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

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Mindfulness And The Philosophy Of Dana

Dana (Dah - Na) is a Pali word meaning generosity. Dana is the basis of Buddhism especially when we warmly look at the roots of this valuable principle. When we think of generosity, especially in the West, we often think of a financial gift and although it certainly can be, this first or second line of thought is a result of the type of society we live in. So much of what we do daily is based upon some form of commercial transaction. 'If I buy this expensive gift for them then they will get me something expensive in return'. Is that truly a gift of Dana? It's not and certainly represents a disconnect between money and Dana. 

When we look into the true meaning of Dana we see it's much, much more than money. Dana is unrestricted generosity, it is vulnerability, it is love. Let's consider you, your being for a moment. No matter where you are at this very moment, you have a body, you have a mind, you are alive. No matter what your position is on life and creation, you exist and that is a gift whether purposeful endowment or universal chemical mishap, it matters not.

When the Buddha transmitted the Dharma he often talked about generosity. But since Dana doesn't always include money how are we supposed to be 'generous'? 

We may simply start with ourselves. When we live an ethically guided life others cultivate trust in us. They trust our words. They trust our actions. And they trust our decisions. Being trustworthy is a wonderful gift we may give to others.

Presence is another generous gift we may offer. If we choose to have a child we expect to offer them a significant portion of our time. We love them. Nurture them. Bathe them. Feed them. Help them with homework as they enter school, and more. But is there more we may offer? Of course there is. Perhaps at your job they offer volunteer work with various humanitarian organizations. Helping others that you know have no way to help you back is truly generous.

Spiritual friendship is another wonderful gift we may offer. The third jewel of Buddhism is the Sangha. Although originally a Sangha was the monastic community we may lovingly expand that definition to include the community we live in. We support our neighborhood by maintaining our homes and yard if we have one. A well maintained home supports the entire neighborhood by being aesthetically pleasing. We are there for our neighbors in times of celebration, like a birthday party or births, and we are there for them in times of grief like the passing of a loved one. Spiritual friendship develops a well bonded community. 

We follow the Buddhas teachings as well as his example of living a wholesome life, not for any other kamma or merit than to help others. We were gifted our life so that we may help others ease their suffering. For easing some ones suffering makes the world a better place. And when some ones suffering has been eased they are likely to help another. This then becomes a wonderful chain reaction that is propagated through out the world. 

Wishing you continued peace and wellbeing,

Vladimir

You are warmly invited to follow on us on Facebook and Instagram @bluelotuscenter for more ways to improve your mindfulness practice and wellbeing.

Blue Lotus Meditation and Mindfulness Center is a registered 501(c)(3) religious organization.

Website and monthly newsletter: www.bluelotusmeditation.us

For guided meditations and Dharma talks, please visit and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

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