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7 Elaichi (Cardamom) Remedies: Bad Breath, Sore Throat, Bloating

By Dr MS Krishnamurthy MD(Ayu), PhD Elaichi is native to the green forests of India.  It is used abundantly in Ayurvedic medicines. It is a common flavouring agent in many sweet dishes worldwide.  Cardamom seed embedded in the pod is the usable part in medicines as swell as culinary preparations. Botanically in it is called […]

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Castor Home Remedies: Jaundice, Backache, Gout

By Dr MS Krishnamurthy MD(Ayu), PhD Castor is well known as potent vata pacifying herb. The plant is found in two varieties namely white and red. Red variety is stronger and comparatively more purgative.  The castor seed contains approximately 45-47% of stable oil. The seeds contain a chemical constituent by name ricin And in larger […]

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Udumbara: Cluster Fig Home Remedies: Sore Throat, Gastritis

By Dr MS Krishnamurthy MD(Ayu), PhD Udumbar is appreciated as astringent and a cooling herb. Bark, fruits and leaves are commonly used in therapeutics. The plant is known for Pitta and Kapha pacifying nature.  It is one among 5 milk exuding trees, namely Pancha ksheeri vrikshas. Their barks are used together and hence it is […]

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Brief Teachings

Ajahn Buddhadasa

Buddhism does not depend on or assume any external authority whatsoever. It is neither exclusive nor possessive. Being Buddhist is a matter of living a sublime way of life, the brahmacariya, wherein one explores the law of nature and lives in harmony with it. It is not a matter of external identity or affiliation. Therefore, you need not convert or register yourself as a Buddhist in order to study and practice Buddhism. You can follow whatever religion pleases you or follow no religion at all, and still study and practice Buddhism. It is simply a matter of how you live your life. Any who are willing to approach, learn, investigate, practice, and live according to natural truth can experience this. Buddhism is available to everyone and is not exclusive in any way.

_{From Under the Bodhi Tree: Buddha’s Original Vision of Dependent Co-Arising, by Buddhadasa Bhikkhu © 2017. Reprinted with permission of Wisdom Publications. Ajahn Buddhadasa (1906–93) was one of the most influential Buddhist teachers in the history of Thailand and founder of the first modern forest monastery there.}

David Michie

The qualities of a student have been long established in Buddhism. They include the checklist you might expect—concentration, application, respect for your teacher and the dharma. But they also include the quality of having a questioning attitude, specifically an attitude ensuring that the teachings you receive are in accordance with the established dharma.

One of the most common criticisms of Buddhism I come across is the idea that in following a particular teacher, practitioners are somehow allowing themselves to become brainwashed. From the outside, it’s easy to see why people might think that practitioners fall under the spell of their guru, given their efforts to carry out instructions.

But as this teaching shows, there is no room for passivity on the part of a student. This is not a one-way process, like watching TV. Students are, instead, engaged in a dynamic activity in which we are constantly assessing and questioning the teachings, thinking about how they apply to our lives. In following a teacher, dharma students are not abdicating responsibility for their future to someone else. Quite the opposite. Just as the occupants of a prisoner-of-war camp might value the advice of a tunnel engineer, or a group of lost explorers would have much to learn from a navigation expert, the actual business of escaping from samsara is something we need to do for ourselves—and, of course, for others.

_{From Buddhism for Busy People: Finding Happiness in a Hurried World, by David Michie © 2017. Reprinted with permission of Shambhala Publications. David Michie is a corporate communications consultant, public speaker, novelist, and Buddhist practitioner.}

Perle Besserman and Manfred Steger

There’s a difference between meditating to achieve an immediate goal, like becoming a healthier or a better person, and committing yourself to a lifetime of zazen practice with no tangible goal at all. The 20th-century Japanese Zen master Yasutani Hakuun Roshi once described the two kinds of people who come to the practice as those seeking a temporary cure for suffering and those seeking to unearth the root of suffering altogether. Although he didn’t brush aside the former, he pointed out that this instrumental attitude wasn’t enough to sustain a long-term relationship with Zen, one that goes beyond simply adding another “technique” to our first aid kit.

Looking to Zen for self-improvement isn’t an American invention. It has a long tradition in Japan that goes back to its ancient warrior society. Most samurai used Zen, in fact, to become more skilled at making war and dying. They practiced zazen in order to develop strong “mind power” (joriki) so they would be better swordsmen and less fearful in facing an enemy. Today Japanese businesspeople use it to become more concentrated competitors. The impulse of the businesspeople does not differ much from that of the samurai. The motivation for self-improvement takes many forms.

The second group of people who come to Zen, those whom Yasutani Hakuun Roshi described as seeking to unearth the root of suffering altogether, aren’t any less troubled or pained than the first. Often, in the course of training, those seeking self-­improvement develop into committed Zen practitioners while the so-called spiritual seekers disappear. The issue is not so much the reasons for coming as what happens once you actually sit down and start to meditate. You might come wanting to improve yourself and leave after six sessions because you feel you aren’t getting anywhere. Likewise, you can be driven by a profound, burning lifelong existential question, and also leave after those same six sessions for the same reason. The important thing is to stick to the practice no matter what. You’ve got to develop the love of sitting for its own sake—and an appreciation for the paradox, because the point of Zen is seeing that there isn’t any static self to improve or realize.

^{From Grassroots Zen: Community and Practice in the Twenty-First Century, by Perle Besserman and Manfred Steger © 2017. Reprinted with permission of Monkfish Book Publishing Company. Perle Besserman and Manfred Steger are married university professors and authors. Founders of the Princeton Area Zen group in New Jersey, they have been teaching Zen for more than 25 years.}

Konchog Lhadrepa and Charlotte Davis

If faith is strong and pure, then wisdom will develop easily into enlightenment. But if we lack faith and devotion, then even if the Buddha were standing in front of us, he could not bring any benefit. Being without faith is said to be like trying to make a stone float or trying to steer a boat without a rudder; it is like an armless man in front of treasure, like trying to grow a plant from a burnt seed, or like a blind man trying to find his way in a temple.

_{From The Art of Awakening: A User’s Guide to Tibetan Buddhist Art and Practice, by Konchog Lhadrepa and Charlotte Davis © 2017. Reprinted with permission of Snow Lion, an imprint of Shambhala Publications. Konchog Lhadrepa is a holder of the Karma Gadri lineage of painting and has been the principal of the Tsering Art School since its founding in 1996. Charlotte Davis is a thangka painter who was among the first group of graduates to complete their studies at Tsering Art School.}

Thich Nhat Hanh

There is a story of a king who, upon listening to a musician playing a 16-string sitar, was moved to the depths of his soul. The music touched him so deeply that he wanted to discover exactly where it was coming from. When the musician departed, he left his sitar with the king, and the king ordered his servant to chop the instrument into small pieces. No matter how hard they tried, though, they could not find the source of the beautiful sound, the essence of the music. Just like the king looking into the sitar, the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara looked deeply into his own five skandhas [impermanent “heaps,” made of matter, sensations, perceptions, thoughts, and self-consciousness] and discovered that they were empty of a self. No matter how wonderful something is, when we look deeply into it, we see that there is nothing in it we can identify as a separate self. 

_{From The Other Shore: A New Translation of the Heart Sutra with Commentaries, by Thich Nhat Hanh © 2017. Reprinted with permission of Parallax Press. Thich Nhat Hanh is one of the most revered Zen teachers in the world today.}

Solala Towler

A student came to Master Bankei and said that he had an uncontrollable temper, which he felt was obstructing his cultivation practice. What, he asked, could he do about it?

“Okay,” said Master Bankei. “Show it to me.”

“I cannot show it to you right now,” answered the student.

“Well,” asked Master Bankei, “when can you show it to me?” 

“It comes on me all of a sudden,” said the student.

“Ah,” said the master. “Then it cannot be a part of your true nature. If that were so you would be able to show it to me any time.”

The student went away and meditated on this and from that day his temper was gone.

_{From The Spirit of Zen: Teaching Stories on the Way to Enlightenment, by Solala Towler © 2017. Reprinted with permission of Watkins Publishing. Solala Towler is a Taoist meditation and qigong instructor. He is the editor of The Empty Vessel, a journal of Taoist philosophy and practice.}

Phillip Moffitt

Buddhist teachings suggest that there are certain characteristics called paramis, or perfections, that you must develop before you can ever achieve liberation. One of these qualities, right resolve, has to do with developing the will to live by your intentions. Through practicing right resolve, you learn to set your mind to maintaining your values and priorities, and to resist the temptation to sacrifice your values for material or ego gain. You gain the ability to consistently hold your intentions, no matter what arises.

Right intention is like muscle—you develop it over time by exercising it. When you lose it, you just start over again. There’s no need to judge yourself or quit when you fail to live by your intentions. You are developing the habit of right intention so that it becomes an unconscious way of living—an automatic response to all situations. Right intention is organic; it thrives when cultivated and wilts when neglected.

_{From “The Heart’s Intention,” a blog post by Phillip Moffitt. Published on dharmawisdom.org. Phillip Moffitt is a writer, insight meditation teacher, and the founder of the Life Balance Institute.}

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7 Common Fears That Don’t Have to Control Us

“Love is what we were born with. Fear is what we learned here.” ~Marianne Williamson

As babies, we know nothing about the world. In the universe of an infant, there are no norms to follow, no rigid rules and regulations; no room for labeling or judging ourselves and others. We don’t yet know to disapprove of ourselves, and we’re curious to play, learn, and grow.

We are all born free spirits. Then our environment—our families, schools, religions, and political systems—shape the way we think and behave.

Fear is a learned practice. Children generally are not afraid of trying, failing, and getting up on their feet again. That’s how we learned to walk. When we made our first step, we didn’t call ourselves names or punish ourselves if we fell. We just got up and gave it another try.

As kids, we weren’t afraid to step outside of our comfort zone and try new experiences.

So why did we get so fearful as adults? What are we really afraid of?

1. The fear of imperfection

I often hear people talking about their need for perfection as a sign of virtue. In a society that generally evaluates human worth through how well we do things in life, some people even feel a sense of pride when they describe themselves as “perfectionists” or “workaholics.”

To me, perfectionism is a sign of fear. When I know I do everything perfectly, I’m untouchable. There is no room for others to correct me.

As a child, there were times when I was afraid of punishment after getting bad grades in school. Years later, as an adult, I developed an extreme need for perfection, especially at work. All my assignments had to be executed perfectly so none of my managers would have a reason to criticize my performance. At the time, that fear of authority was still present in my life.

People who struggle with perfectionism also tend to get overwhelmed because they avoid asking for help. They would rather look invincible and strong than vulnerable and “weak.”

Showing up in our vulnerability in front of others is a sign of authenticity. Vulnerability is not weakness; it’s a beautiful human attribute, and it takes lots of courage to show what most of us have been taught for years how to hide.

“Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity, and change.“ ~Brené Brown

2. The fear of failure

I once read an article about successful people who were intentionally planning for failure. I found that fascinating and strange. Planning to fail? Who likes to fail?

No one ejoys messing up, but those people were using mistakes as much needed instruments to learn and grow.

Today I know that each time I am afraid to step outside of my comfort zone and try something new, that’s the fear of failure making decisions for me.

Each time I find myself stuck and afraid to take risks because I might fail, I ask myself: What’s the worst thing that can happen? Could I cope if it did?

These questions help me realize that my life would surely go on, and that no mistake could literally kill me.

“The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one.” ~Elbert Hubbard

3. The fear of success

Sometimes, success is scarier than failure. When dreams look too good to be true, we get scared by our own greatness. Deep inside, we don’t see ourselves as enough, and worthy of love and success.

Whenever I make myself small or put myself down, I am acting on my fear, taking myself for granted, and forgetting to appreciate myself for my achievements. I’m thinking, “Anyone else could have made it” or attributing my accomplishments to faith, luck, or other people who gave me opportunities to shine. I’m focusing on my weaknesses or limitations, without honoring my strengths, gifts, and talents.

That’s how I operated in the past, for too many years. But here’s what I know to be true today: It wasn’t luck; it was me.

Sometimes in life, we need to acknowledge there’s been a lot of hard work and efforts behind our “luck.” And if we’re not yet where we’d like to be, we need to believe that we truly are worthy of what we visualize.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do.” ~Marianne Williamson

4. The fear of being rejected

Being liked and included and feeling a sense of belonging to a community are basic human needs. We fear being left out and seek approval as a means to ensure this doesn’t happen.

I can recall many situations in my life when I did things I didn’t really want to do to please others, like going to a movie with someone on a Sunday when my body wanted to stay home and take a good nap.

I was a master of people pleasing and, to be honest, it wasn’t always because I wanted to make everyone happy. The truth is that I wanted people to like and approve of me. I expected them to give me the things I wasn’t giving myself: love, care, and attention.

Again, being loved is a human need. However, being needy is something different. I came to understand that people who are taking good care of themselves are less dependent on the approval of others.

Taking care of our own wants and needs is a necessity. When we make sure to keep our tank full and we treat ourselves kindly, we inspire others to do the same for themselves.

“I used to be a people-pleaser. Now I love them instead.” ~Cheryl Richardson

5. The fear of what other people think

Did you know that the fear of public speaking comes first among all kinds of fears? Even the fear of death comes second! Most people don’t feel brave enough to show up in their vulnerability in front of others because they’re focusing more on what people might think about them than on their performance.

I can recall quite a few situations in my life when I didn’t dare to ask questions, especially when there was something I didn’t know. I didn’t want to look less intelligent or even stupid.

Especially at work, I didn’t feel comfortable enough to openly admit that I didn’t hold all the answers and I still had a lot to learn. I wanted people to perceive me as an expert, super smart, invincible, and strong. I now know that every day brings new lessons in the school of life, and it’s more important to stay open to them than it is to be perceived as all-knowing.

Let’s be honest with this one: I’ve never met anyone who would love to hear they were ugly or stupid. We all need to feel validated. But in the end, all that really matters is that we fully approve of ourselves.

“When I seek your approval, I don’t approve of the me that’s seeking the approval.” ~Byron Katie

 6. The fear of losing control

If there were Oscars for control-freaking, I would have surely gotten one! Looking back on my past, I recognize that I always wanted to have full control over everything and everyone. This comes back to the fear of imperfection.

During my former leadership position with a multinational company, the most difficult things for me to handle were decision-making and delegation—not only with people who were new in their roles and lacked experience, but also with co-workers who were very skilled and competent in their jobs.

Why did I struggle with delegation? Because I knew I was responsible for my team’s results, and I wasn’t mentally strong enough to bear any sort of failure on my shoulders.

Making mistakes would have scared me to death; that’s why I always needed a long time to brainstorm all possible scenarios that could go wrong when making important decisions.

The need to always control situations or other people is a major source of stress. It is tiring, frustrating, energy consuming—and pointless, since we can never control what other people do. Letting go of control is true freedom and a form of self-care.

“Be willing to stop punishing yourself for your mistakes. Love yourself for your willingness to learn and grow.” ~Louise Hay

 7. The fear of what might happen in the future

If I spend my precious time overthinking and allowing my mind to create different scenarios about the future, I risk missing out on my life and the only reality that is: the present moment.

Most of the things we worry about never happen. They are nothing but the illusionary product of our mind.

It’s true, ‘bad’ things do happen at times, but they’re often blessings in disguise that make us stronger and wiser or show us the right path for us.

Looking back on my past, I recognize that I had to suffer in love so that I could understand what I wanted from a romantic partner. I had to become unemployed for a while in order to realize what I truly wanted from a profession and what would bring me joy and fulfillment.

Knowing that my painful experiences were actually gifts, and that I survived them, I’m better able to accept that what will be, will be—and no matter what, I can handle it.

“The best use of imagination is creativity. The worst use of imagination is worry. “ ~Deepak Chopr

I have topped feeling guilty and ashamed of my fears. I’ve learned how to embrace them with self-compassion, as part of the package of being human. I know the primary intention of fear is to protect me from things that could hurt me. But I also know I don’t have to let my fears control me.

I am aware that I can always get mindful and pay attention to my thoughts and emotions. I make sure that I nourish my mind, knowing that I am the one creating my own world through my feelings, thoughts, and, actions.

“A miracle is a shift in perception from fear to love.“ ~Marianne Williamson

And now, I would like to hear from you. What scares you the most? How do you manage your own fears?

About Sara Fabian

Sara Fabian is a women’s empowerment coach and inspirational speaker, on a mission to help professional women to discover their unique strengths, gifts and talents, boost their confidence, find their calling and live a meaningful life of purpose. For weekly inspiration, subscribe to her free newsletter at sarafabiancoaching.com or follow her on Facebook.

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Apr 30, 27 Little Known Health Facts

27 weird, gross,and good to know little known health facts that affect your mind, body, and food choices for better and worse.

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Use Isochronic Tones To Develop ESP & Telepathy

Discover how Isochronic Tones and Binaural Beats can be used to develop psychic powers. Use them to enhance your ESP, telepathic gifts & remote viewing abilities.

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