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Inspirational, News, Spirituality, Thoughts

When The Dalai Lama Passes, Will He Reincarnate?

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The 14th Dalai  Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, is famous for his well phrased, unique insights. Always enunciating difficult concepts into simple arguments with examples universally relevant. Tenzin is probably one of the most open minded, international spiritual leaders. Most of the speeches he delivers isn’t specifically aimed for strict Buddhists or about Buddhism. His words are obviously powered from a Buddhist point of view, but he successfully broadens his topics and arguments to be understood by anyone.

During an interview he was asked what surprises him the most. His answer was quick and profound.

“Man surprised me most about humanity. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.”

Like most things His Holiness says, this is plainly worded. His truths are so obvious that most of us need to take a moment and let it set in.

What he is describing is a great example of the monkey mind. The monkey mind is a general phrase that refers to the lower aspect of the mind, the one wrapped up in desire, powered by fear and not truly tied to the moment. This is the mindset of too many people in modern times. All of the screeching distractions and ever present noise prompting emotional responses for commercial uses, can bleed out a person’s sincerity if they aren’t paying attention.

As I read this quote, I thought about how most people are stretched between dealing with the past and anticipating the future. This leaves them in a weird context that can look like the present but is in actuality a illusion. One fed by their fears and desires.

As you read this quote, how did it resonate with you? Did any examples of this cyclical living sound familiar when compared to examples from your experience? If your like me, after reading this I worried that I was doing this to myself with out realizing it. Forcing myself to breathe, I examined my fears and what I was doing about them. I looked at my average day and figured how much I was sacrificing my health and happiness for no sustainable reason. If you follow these steps, make sure you are willing to accept the answers, and not simply asking to continue to feed your illusions.

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GEODESIC DOMES – OUT OF THE PAST AND INTO THE FUTURE

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Build the future with geodesic domes! This technology has been around for nearly 100 years. Geodesic domes utilize the power of natural geometry to make mind-blowing, incredibly efficient structures. Think of how the shell of an egg can hold its shape, and how a spider web can be very light and yet be strong enough to catch prey. This technology is a celebration of nature as opposed to an attempt to conquer it. For those more technical readers out there… A geodesic dome is a spherical or hemispherical thin-shell structure (lattice-shell) based on a network of geodesics (great circles) on the surface of a sphere or a hemisphere. The geodesics intersect to form triangular elements, which have local, triangular rigidity, and so distribute the structural stress throughout the geodesic sphere.

Montreal_Biosphere-Buckminster_Fuller

The first dome was designed and patented for a planetarium right after World War I. Twenty years later R. Buckminster Fuller gave the dome the name geodesic. Although Fuller was not the original inventor, he is credited with the U.S. popularization of the idea for which he received a U.S. patent. The geodesic dome appealed to Fuller because it was extremely strong for its weight, its “omnitriangulated” surface provided an inherently stable structure, and because a sphere encloses the greatest volume for the least surface area. Fuller hoped that the geodesic dome would help address the postwar housing crisis.

These homes are extremely energy efficient for many reasons. More specifically…

  • Its decreased surface area requires less building materials.

  • Exposure to cold in the winter and heat in the summer is decreased because, being spherical, there is the least surface area per unit of volume per structure.

  • The concave interior creates a natural airflow that allows the hot or cool air to flow evenly throughout the dome with the help of return air ducts.

  • Extreme wind turbulence is lessened because the winds that contribute to heat loss flow smoothly around the dome.

  • It acts like a type of giant down-pointing headlight reflector and reflects and concentrates interior heat. This helps prevent radiant heat loss.

geo interior

The net annual energy savings for a dome owner is 30% less than normal rectilinear homes according to the Oregon Dome Co. This is quite an improvement and helps save the environment from wasted energy. Domes have been designed by Bucky and others to withstand high winds and extreme temperatures as seen in the Polar regions. Dome homes can be kind of weird looking and they don’t necessarily fit in all the beautiful square neighborhoods when you’re walking around the suburban world, but Fuller saw much potential in those triangles. Dome homes have become one of the most efficient building systems available. Not only are they energy-efficient and cheaper to build than a standard home but they are beautiful in appearance and and have endless design possibilities both interior and exterior.

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In the future large urban areas could be domed under a single roof. The dome would be airtight and pressurized, creating a habitat that can be controlled for air temperature, composition and quality, typically due to an external atmosphere (or lack thereof) that may be harmful to habitation for one or more reasons. These cities may be situated on Earth, a moon or another planet. The world’s first climate controlled domed city is being built in Dubai.

Forest Sage & Alistair Jordan Hunt

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The Intention Challenge: Are You Ready To Change Your Life?

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The way we start our day has a huge impact on the day’s events. Its common and natural to wake up in a reactionary kind of way. We wake up hungry so we eat. We wake up upset so we try and run from that feeling. I’d like to challenge you to an one week experiment. I promise it’ll take maybe an hour, over the course of your week.

I’d like you to create an intention or feel free to use any combination of the ones listed below. Write it down in a couple of choice locations such as your fridge, next to your laptop, in the bathroom, at your desk at work, or in your car. When you wake in the morning take a couple moments to acknowledge how you feel and with out expectation, examine your intention. At the end of the week see how you felt and how productive you were. At the end of this week I’ll go into further detail on how to craft intentions specific to you. I’ll also cover potential pitfalls that occur in playing with intention.

The difference between an expectation and a intention is a crucial distinction. Expectation is the perception that something will occur. This aim can be passively or actively worked toward, but it is only a perception. Expectation can lead to surprise but more often it adds disappointment to our lives. Intention is the acknowledgement of aspects of our present. You acknowledge the love in your heart and encourage it to grow. Your not expecting it to. You pour energy into the intention and that changes the ‘depth’ of the intended aspect. Try not avoid turning your intention into a expectation.

Do your thing with passion and integrity even if folks don’t notice you.  We do what we do not for an applause, but because we know it’s right.

It important that we be able to acknowledge the opinions of our peers and not become dependent on them. Only you know what certain actions and ideas mean to you. You do your best to relate them to others so they can understand you better but that understanding will never be first hand. So if you go through life allowing external forces to change you, you will never achieve any deeper understandings of the world around you.

Whatever your challenge is, worrying about it won’t help.  Either do something to address it or do something to let it go.

You only have so many hours in the day, so many tasks you can stay focused on, why waste any energy towards worry. If I find myself obsessing negatively on something, I remind myself of what I am already doing to achieve that end. If there is nothing more I can do , then I remind myself that I took the matter a seriously as I could and whatever happens happens. I renew my faith in my ability to roll with the unexpected.

The secret to being grateful is no secret.  You choose to be grateful.  Then you do it again and again.  Every day.  When you forget, begin again.

Persistence in repetition is a staple of meditative practice. Forgetting is a human error and to be easily forgiven. In ALL things it is important to remember to continue to strive.

Two things, more than anything else, define you daily: Your patience when you are struggling, and your attitude when you are not.

Suffering is the instrument of change and how we deal with it defines our character. whether your life is currently stable or unbelievably hectic, remember that all things come to pass. Keep your head as high as you can and act with modesty and compassion, the craziest life transitions occur when we never expect it.

Before you waste it on anger, resentment, spite or envy, think of how precious and irreplaceable your time is today.  Positivity always pays!

This is the whole reason you are setting an intention, the Buddha once said, ‘The trouble is that we all think we have time.’ He was right the future is uncertain and the possibilities are infinite. Live your life with appreciation and enjoyment, you have no idea what tomorrow holds.

Inspirational, News, Spirituality, Thoughts

What Are The 7 Centers Of Consciousness?

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Humans are naturally complicated. Emotions, thoughts, intention,s, and knowledge are just a few of the infinite formations that make us, us. Through different styles of discipline (meditations or yoga)we can fully acknowledge and interact with with ‘ourselves’.  The more clearly and thorough we are in identifying formations, the more efficiently we grow, both spiritually and mentally.

There is a grouping of core formations, that we will call centers in this article. These centers are similar to charkras but in your mind.

The Security Center

This is the part of yourself that handles securing and protecting your basic needs and health. Food, shelter, water, family, friends, and general emotional content, are just a few examples of the assets that this aspect of yourself prioritizes. Serving as a sort of ‘situation room’, this aspect kicks into gear when threatened or a necessity is identifies.

The Sensory Center

This part of yourself is concerned with your enjoyment of life’s riches. This part of you tries to encourage as many pleasurable activities as it can. On the flip side of that sensory coin, it endeavors to not be hurt.

The Power Center

Concerned with both internal and external forms of power, this aspect seeks and tends to power. Building sources of wealth, influence, and prestige, to gain more of the same or striving for a specific goal, you’ll want to be careful when nurturing this center. It’s important to be able to influence the world around us in as diverslly as possible.Equally as important, is humility and a desire to strengthen your community. To keep safe from the greed that drives people to do terrible things for money and power, don’t ever seek influence and power alone. These aspects should only be sought when a specific goal is recognized. After the goal has been finished, cease to manipulate your enviroment.

The Love Center

This center is obviously responsible for your romantic relationships. The responsiblities of this center extend past that, including any interpersonal relationships, and the very important ability to love ourselves. The development of this center is crucial to transcending the barriers that seperate individuals from individuals. As you nurture this center, you strengthen the inoput and output of your heart. This results in a boost to the sincerity and frequency of empathic response’s.

The Cornucopia Center

This emotionally driven aspect of yourself is responsible for the creation and maintenance of your sense of consciousness and your specialized perception of reality.

The Self Awareness Center

This center of yours, is arguably the most important on this list, your self awareness center will co-ordinate your personality strengths to better understand yourself and the world around you. This featured outlook is particular to you, so you’ll want to always take the time to understand your feeling towards life and the relationship between your feelings and your growth and productivity rate.

The Cosmic Awareness Center

The cosmic awareness center is how all your other centers, talents, friends and understandings boil into the ‘grand scheme’.  This is the highest operational center for you. When everything is firing correctly with your other centers, this will be where you look to the mysteries and infinite beauty of the universe. This is where you put aside ‘you’, your name and become one with the cosmos.

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10 Must-Read Spiritual Books That Will Honor Your Soul

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HEY! You clicked this link because your interested in getting smarter, living better, being more knowledgeable or simply passing an afternoon without Facebook? Well how are you do expect to finish a book if you can’t even give an article a try?

This list is a compromise between a few people who are important to me and my own searches. We hope to give you a list that will be practical and accessible, but most of all entertaining. If you don’t see something that you feel NEEDS to be mentioned please post it so everyone can see!

Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism: Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche

Well known for his severely blunt attitude towards nonsense in every form, Rinpoche Trungpa writes in a similar but compassionate vein. This is a must read for EVERY modern spiritualist out there. When I read this my own perceptions were more finely tuned.

We can deceive ourselves into thinking we are developing spirituality when instead we are strengthening our egocentricity through spiritual techniques.” ~ Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche

Finding Freedom: Jarvis Jay Masters

Masters wrote this from death row, the entire time he claimed his innocence. A highly emotional read for anyone, I would recommend this for anyone incarcerated, whose been through the system, or facing irresponsible life elements. This debuts the side of Buddhism in action you’ve never thought of. Masters creates his mala from Tylenol and jean fabric.

The Spiritual Teachings of Ramana Maharshi: Ramana Maharshi

This book is the varied conversations between Ramana and international spiritual seekers. Ramana’s style of teaching is famously non denominational. He asks’ Who am I’ repetitiously to convey his message. This book can be shared between religious groups with reliable ease.

Be Here Now: Ram Dass

Is probably one of the most famous western author of mindfulness and meditation. Be Here Now is the most commonly read of his books, but in seriousness you could pick up anything he wrote and find it alarmingly profound. He is one of a handful of authors that literally makes me smile or laugh with the beauty of his revelations. Covering a wide set of practices and stories of travel, you are bound to learn or laugh.

A Gradual Awakening:  Stephen Levine

Levine offers very practical and accessible meditative practices in this book. Many people I know started with this book to build their initial practice. From the ground up it is an excellent guide for the development and stages of mindfulness. As a fun tid-bit, if this bloke’s name seems familiar it may be because his son is Noah Levine (Dharma Punks, Against the Stream very good traveler’s reads)!

A Brief History of Everything:  Ken Wilber

This entertaining foray into key individual’s place in history. The focus sways over a staggering number of topics, everything from multiculturalism, ecology, gender wars, environmental ethics to equality. Wilber does a great job finding hidden connections and keeping audiences amazed.

The Places That Scare You: Pema Chodron

A student of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Chodron definitely has no tolerance for bull. With out fear she will help readers grip the inherent wisdom and strength we already have. She aptly points out patterns and fear that keep us ‘where we are’.

The Awakening of Intelligence: Jiddu Krishnamurti

Not the most famous of his works, this book is a wider venue of ideas. He touches on ideas and concept that apply to ANYONE living in the modern world. He is a teacher if Vendata, and presents things in a non dualistic manner. This is probably not a beginner’s book as the content is very heavy. While I am always happy to to help a person start their path, I feel I neglect those further along. This one is for you my friends.

The Heart Of The Buddha’s Teachings: Transforming Suffering Into Peace And Joy  Thich Nhat Hanh

I love this man and his teachings more than any others! My bias is due to he was the first one to explain mental concepts to me, helping me grasp the nature of the mania that was destroying my life. This book is the most basic and fundamental aspects and view points into Buddhism. This former advisor to Dr. Martin Luther King has a way of inspiring compassion in ways that made me giggle. I handed my copies of his books to many a prisoner, who normally wasn’t Buddhist. They all, with out fail came back with new insights and desires to love. This book is highly recommended to anyone trying to figure out how to meditate or curious what Buddhism truly is.

The Self-Aware Universe:  Amit Goswami.
The Disappearance of the Universe: Gary Renard

This book covers a lot of scientific ground. While slightly outdated, it makes for an accessible read for most. Mainly focused on the Vedic side of science, it helps people understand concepts behind the nature of the universe and time, with the help of well written alterations.

Inspirational, News, Spirituality

How You Handle Anger Based On Your Zodiac Sign

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Everyone reacts differently to life’s ups and downs.  Some people do really well when the pressure is on and others prefer a constant stream of activities. A lot of this guess work of how do people react is based off typecasts. Someone born under certain signs have certain strengths and weaknesses. This means they react to stimuli according to those strengths and weaknesses.

Capricorn

thezodiacanddestiny2

Deep thinkers and over analyzers, Capricorn fear intimacy. They don’t want people to get to close to them for all sorts of reasons.

They use parts of their life like their careers to protect them, push others away and distract them from their loneliness.

Capricorn detaches heavily when hurt.

Aries

Aries are very impulsive and often act out in anger. Once Aries gets going, its hard to stop them. Because Aries is actually fairly insecure under all that bravado, Aries will retreat into a moody self centered funk. Keep them focused on other tasks and there shouldn’t be an issue.

Taurus

Never the most patient of signs, Taurus is quick to anger. When they get hurt, they retreat into isolation, Their stubbornness makes it hard for them to accept reconciliation. Continue reading →