Archive for Buddhism

A man once told the Buddha….

September 13, 2012 / / Comments Off on A man once told the Buddha….

Just a short entry today, from the Buddha – something that made me think….

A man once told the Buddha, ‘I want happiness’.

The Buddha said
remove the ‘I’ … that’s ego,
now remove the ‘want’ … that’s desire,
now all you are left with is, Happiness.
There are many things we can do, small and large, to feel happier in our lives – I have already covered several of them in this blog.
But, ultimately, it is how we choose to think, and how we choose to act that creates or removes happiness from our lives.
When something bad happens, if you can’t change it then change the way you think about it.
I think the Buddha, in the above quote, is suggesting that to feel happier we need to:
– think less about ourselves,
– and less about what we want but don’t have.
That’s bound to make us happier, isn’t it?

What do you think? – share your thoughts on this quote and happiness – it’s great to hear your experiences, and I feature some of them in my newsletters.

Leave a comment here, or email me: Mary@Coach-me-Happy.co.uk

PS if you are interested in reading more on happiness from a Buddhist perspective, you might like to read the book I link to below:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Art-Happiness-Handbook-Living/dp/0340750154/

“The Art of Happiness” by the Dalai Lama – click the link above to read about it on Amazon.

Category: Beliefs, Buddhism / Tags: , , , , , , ,

Meditation and Happiness

August 29, 2012 / / Comments Off on Meditation and Happiness

Can meditation make you happier?

Yes. 🙂

People who practice meditation regularly report feeling less stressed and more emotionally balanced.  Researchers have even seen changes in the physical structure of the brain after regular meditation.

Numerous scientific studies have shown meditation reduces anxiety as well as stress – people who meditate tend to worry less about the problems they are facing in life, and are therefore happier as a result.

Here are some of the benefits that you may get from meditation:

Physiological benefits:

– Leads to deeper levels of physical relaxation
– Decreases muscle tension, aches and pains
– Enhances the immune system and lowers blood pressure
– Helps with pain control in chronic diseases
– Reduces headaches & migraines
– Produces lasting beneficial changes in brain biochemistry

Psychological benefits:

– Increases serotonin level, positively influencing mood and behaviour
– Helps us take control of our thoughts
– Helps with focus & concentration, learning ability and memory
– Increases emotional stability
– Reduces feelings of aggression and anger
– Reduces anxiety and tendency to worry
– Gives composure to act in considered & constructive ways

‘Spiritual’ benefits:

– Provides peace of mind, happiness
– Helps you discover your purpose
– Increases your compassion and wisdom
– Leads to deeper understanding of yourself and others
– Increases one’s acceptance of oneself
– Helps learn forgiveness

– and you might even reach spiritual enlightenment! 🙂

People report a whole range of benefits from meditation, and many of them are backed up by scientific research.

If you would like to try meditation, in the comfort of your own home, for free, then I would highly recommend the website below:

http://www.getsomeheadspace.com/

All you do is register, for free, then you get ten days of guided meditation (just ten minutes a day) for free.  Andy does of course offer paid-for meditation packages on his site, but they don’t pressure you to sign up for them or anything.

I should say that I don’t know Andy Puddicome, but I have tried the 10-day freebie and found it really good.

There are of course plenty of other internet sites and books where you can read about meditation, but I think Get Some Headspace is a good place to start.

Good luck!

And, tell me what you think – share your thoughts on meditation and happiness, and how you have got on with meditating – what difference has it made?  – it’s great to hear your experiences, and I feature some of them in my newsletters.

Leave a comment here, or email me: Mary@Coach-me-Happy.co.uk

Category: Buddhism, meditation / Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Way to Happiness

August 21, 2012 / / Comments Off on The Way to Happiness

We often ask ourselves, what is the way to happiness?

I think that happiness is a process, not a destination, and I am reminded of this Zen Buddhist quote:

There is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way.

— Thich Nhat Hanh

He goes on to say that “There is no way to peace. Peace is the way.
There is no way to enlightenment. Enlightenment is the way.”

For me, happiness is a journey, not a destination.  Just as keeping fit requires regular exercise, so keeping happy requires taking regular action that supports our being happy.

The way to happiness then, is to do things that create it, things that make you feel happy in the moment as well as in the long-term. Some of the things mentioned in my previous blog-posts perhaps.

There is also the thought that we should act now, rather than waiting.  I recently found the following poem on the internet.  No author was listed, so, if anyone can tell me who wrote it I would be grateful.  I shall leave you with their words:

There is no way to happiness.

Happiness is the way.
So, treasure every moment that you have.
And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special.

And remember that time waits for no one.
So stop waiting until you finish school, until you go back to school,
Until you lose ten pounds, until you gain ten pounds,
Until you have kids, until your kids leave the house,
Until you start work, Until you retire,
Until you get married, until you get divorced, until Friday night,
Until Saturday morning, until you get a new car or home,
Until your car or home is paid off, until spring, until summer ,
Until fall, until winter, until you are off welfare, until the first or fifteenth,

Until your song comes on, until you’ve had a drink,
Until you’ve sobered up, until you die, until you are born again,
To decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy
Happiness is a journey, not a destination

Work like you don’t need the money,
Love like you’ve never been hurt,
And dance like no one’s watching.

Over to you: tell me what you think – share your thoughts on happiness – it’s great to hear your experiences, and I feature some of them in my newsletters.

Leave a comment here, or email me: Mary@Coach-me-Happy.co.uk

Category: Beliefs, Buddhism / Tags: , , , , , , ,
 
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