This is a story about J. Krishnamurti, the great Indian philosopher and spiritual teacher. For over 50 years he travelled all over the world, speaking, teaching trying to explain in words concepts and ideas that are beyond words. I read a story about him once surprising his audience by saying he was going to reveal his secret “Do you want to know my secret?”
So, as you can imagine, everyone was listening attentively. Everyone wanted to hear the secret of his wisdom. […]
inner compass, wisdom
The Tigers & The Strawberry
Someone I know brought up his fear of old age and death. It made me think of a Zen Parable I had read a long time ago. I always carry it close to my heart and it has been a source of inspiration for me.
Have you ever heard about the Zen Parables? They are called a Koans, a Japanese term that dates from the 7th century. These parables were used to produce doubt, […]
Two Components to Freedom
Indispensable elements for our Self-liberation
In the Buddhist tradition, there are two essential components to our freedom. The first one is awareness. It is the wisdom that comes from training your mind to see clearly and the second one is compassion for yourself and for others.
These components are compared to the two wings of a bird, without which the bird would be unable to fly and be free.
Awareness
The first wing is our conscious awareness that allows us to recognize what is really happening in our moment-to-moment experience. […]
Processing Anger with an Open Heart
Anger is an intense and primal expression of the life force.
It is a burning flame that cannot be ignored
Anger is the psyche’s alarm system, demanding attention to a boundary of ours that is being invaded, to an injury or pain that is being denied.
The function of anger is similar to the function of a fever. It helps to burn out unwanted, incompatible elements in our innermost Self.
Anger may also be protecting our vulnerability from what we perceive as an external threat. […]
Four Mindful Steps to Working with Your Challenging Emotions
The RAIN Practice
Many of us are striving to lead a healthy lifestyle making sure to avoid processed foods, eating veggies and fruit, and incorporating some vitamins, supplements and exercise in our daily routine.
However, in spite of all that care, many people still do not feel at the top of their wellbeing scale.
On the other hand, many other people are not careful with their diets, do not exercise and yet they experience joy and enjoy perfect health. […]
La Copa ya está Rota
¿Qué nos puede enseñar la impermanencia
acerca de lo valioso de la vida?
Cuando nos damos cuenta de que la naturaleza de las cosas es que nada es eterno, que todo cambia, nuestra apreciación, nuestra gratitud y nuestra capacidad de valorar lo que tenemos cuando lo tenemos aquí, en este momento, aumenta exponencialmente.
Como ninguna otra cosa, la impermanencia puede enseñarnos cómo atesorar cada aspecto de la vida y cómo vivir plenamente. No esperemos. […]
The Art of Listening
Good, Conscious Listening Can Be Cultivated ~ Here’s How
The art of listening is cultivated with the deep desire to understand and connect to the other. Unfortunately, good listeners are very difficult to find and, for that reason, conscious, meaningful conversations are not natural because we are usually more interested in expressing our own thoughts, feelings and opinions. However, skillful listening is a talent we can all learn and cultivate.
Holding a space for the person who is talking to feel comfortable and safe enough not to hold anything relevant back, […]
Loneliness is a Gift
Hafiz, the beloved Sufi poet, reminds us in the poem below that loneliness is, indeed, a gift. Unlike depression and lethargy, which want us to stagnate and to sink in darkness, loneliness encourages us to move.
Loneliness is a desire, a physical feeling, something missing in the heart that inspires us to seek. Without loneliness, Hafiz suggests, how would you find yourself?
Part of being human is feeling the desire to connect and share with others. […]
Your Inner Compass
Male musk deer are one of the most endangered species on Earth. They are also called melanistic deer because of the large amount of melanin they produce, which explains why their fur is so dark and shiny. Their bodies also create the most expensive scent in the world known as Kasturi.
There is a legend that tells the story of a musk deer that was roaming the Himalayan ranges in India when he smelt a mysterious and beautiful scent in the air. […]