I went this Thursday to the service before the first meeting of the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN). Bhante from the Queens Sri Lankan Buddhist Vihalra in Hollis HIlls told me ab out it. He is so sweet. I did not see him there. Actually, I saw few Non-Christian clergy. I saw a rabbi. In the seats were a Muslim woma and Asian Indian woman, and in the back of the room stood a Buddhist monk. Attending were the Archbishop of New Tork City Dolan and the UN Secretary General Mr. Ban Ki-Moon. To my dismay, there were no Greek Orthodox leaders. There were a Russian and Armenian priests.
My first impressions were that it was a pompous ceremony of men in weird costumes. I did not like that there were no female religious leaders. I realized I can have a more positive perspective and switched to that I can make a differece in this, and that people are at least trying to get together for common peace consciousness. I went beyond my resignation and cynicism to join them.
In the reception, I talked to several religious leaders and a graduate student who wants to make a difference in interfaith work. We will team up next week.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Buddhist Vihara Visit
Since 2002, I have been going to the Sri Lankan Buddhist Vihara occasionally to meditate on Wednesdays. The Clintons have been there, and cute balding Bhante represents them at the United Nations. I went this Wednesday, following my intuition. I went into the zone, just a little while, and it was great at the end. I had a slice of pizza going up the hill; I guess I combined the Italian parts and Indian parts of Eat, Play, Love. I thought of this later. Bhante invited me to a September 16 prayer service of different religious leaders to start the year. This is in line with one of my Impossible Promises from the Power and Contribution Course of Landmark Education.
I am Greek Orthodox, not fundamentalist. I think exploring good ideas from other faiths is great. I love the ceiling at the center, full of paper lilies that have faded with time. I went through a rough time years ago, and it’s one of the places that got me through it. Now they rearranged the lilies in a way I don’t like, but they are still great. There is a balcony opening to the back of the center. It is up on a hill, by the side of Hillside Avenue. North of Hillside Avenue, houses are more expenses. South, where I live, they are less expensive. On the balcony, you just see tree tops and water towers, and Grand Central Parkway, a beautiful highway I enjoyed when I had a car. You also see the back yard of the neighboring house, with a beautiful tree house where children play. The overall energy is great.
There was a ceremony upstairs, so he talked in the kitchen. I sat next to Bhante for most of it. I don’t like how faith groups make desire wrong. I see both sides of many areas, and believe in a yin-yang balance. You can be a slave to desire, as alcoholics are, or you can find Truth, Love and Beauty there like in a sacred kiss, or appreciation of beauty. He did make good points, however: We keep pursuing what is beautiful – books, sounds, smells, tastes great, what our mind likes. Rather than desire in a lustful sense, I thought of my subway experience. After interviewing for a job where they had no money to pay me until and if they get clients, and being upset over thinking someone I’ve had feelings for just came back from Europe with someone, I just wanted to nap on the subway. I had in front of me two teenagers talking in a way and about what I did not like, and a woman with a battery-mouth behind me yapping in a foreign language ceaselessly. Finally I saw another seat to move into for a few minutes. In mindfulness, part of what Bhante referred to was accepting, although he said “tolerating” afterwards. I really believe in expressing emotions, and there is nothing wrong with them unless they overtake you for a long time or you hurt someone, I get that I could have been accepting then. Other times I am loving or just neutral o the subway. The key is not to make myself wrong either way or analyze too much.
I also thought that one can have a seventh sense, after sight, sound, smell, taste, touch and the mind as they categorized it: spirit. What do you do if your spirit actually feels or cares for another who is away? Could it all be a delusion as Buddhists say? Could it be too a lot of drama, like in Most Greek songs? I lean toward thinking it is a combination. Sigh. Ah. Silence.
I am Greek Orthodox, not fundamentalist. I think exploring good ideas from other faiths is great. I love the ceiling at the center, full of paper lilies that have faded with time. I went through a rough time years ago, and it’s one of the places that got me through it. Now they rearranged the lilies in a way I don’t like, but they are still great. There is a balcony opening to the back of the center. It is up on a hill, by the side of Hillside Avenue. North of Hillside Avenue, houses are more expenses. South, where I live, they are less expensive. On the balcony, you just see tree tops and water towers, and Grand Central Parkway, a beautiful highway I enjoyed when I had a car. You also see the back yard of the neighboring house, with a beautiful tree house where children play. The overall energy is great.
There was a ceremony upstairs, so he talked in the kitchen. I sat next to Bhante for most of it. I don’t like how faith groups make desire wrong. I see both sides of many areas, and believe in a yin-yang balance. You can be a slave to desire, as alcoholics are, or you can find Truth, Love and Beauty there like in a sacred kiss, or appreciation of beauty. He did make good points, however: We keep pursuing what is beautiful – books, sounds, smells, tastes great, what our mind likes. Rather than desire in a lustful sense, I thought of my subway experience. After interviewing for a job where they had no money to pay me until and if they get clients, and being upset over thinking someone I’ve had feelings for just came back from Europe with someone, I just wanted to nap on the subway. I had in front of me two teenagers talking in a way and about what I did not like, and a woman with a battery-mouth behind me yapping in a foreign language ceaselessly. Finally I saw another seat to move into for a few minutes. In mindfulness, part of what Bhante referred to was accepting, although he said “tolerating” afterwards. I really believe in expressing emotions, and there is nothing wrong with them unless they overtake you for a long time or you hurt someone, I get that I could have been accepting then. Other times I am loving or just neutral o the subway. The key is not to make myself wrong either way or analyze too much.
I also thought that one can have a seventh sense, after sight, sound, smell, taste, touch and the mind as they categorized it: spirit. What do you do if your spirit actually feels or cares for another who is away? Could it all be a delusion as Buddhists say? Could it be too a lot of drama, like in Most Greek songs? I lean toward thinking it is a combination. Sigh. Ah. Silence.
Friday, July 9, 2010
New York Times: Your Brain on Exercise
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/07/your-brain-on-exercise/
More later
More later
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Bible Quotes from Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude
by Napoleon Hill and W. Clement Stone
This attitude can empower one when "negative" situations occur.
From page 338:
Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof. Romans 13:13-14.
As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. Proverbs 23:7
If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. Mark 9:23
Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief. Mark 9:24
According to your faith be it unto you. Mathew 9:29
Faith without works is dead. James 9:20
What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. Mark 11:24
If God be for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31
Ask and it shall be give you; seek ad ye shall find; knock ad it shall be opened unto you. Matthew 7:7
Naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Matthew25;32-35
Go ye into all the world. Mark 16:15
For the good that I would I do not; but the evil which I would not, that I do. Romans 7:19
For what I would, that I do not; but what I hate that I do. Romans 7:15
Silver and gold have I none but such as I have I give thee. Acts 3:6
The love of money is the root of all evil. I Timothy 6:10
Thou shalt not steal. Exodus 20:15
This attitude can empower one when "negative" situations occur.
From page 338:
Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof. Romans 13:13-14.
As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. Proverbs 23:7
If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. Mark 9:23
Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief. Mark 9:24
According to your faith be it unto you. Mathew 9:29
Faith without works is dead. James 9:20
What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. Mark 11:24
If God be for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31
Ask and it shall be give you; seek ad ye shall find; knock ad it shall be opened unto you. Matthew 7:7
Naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Matthew25;32-35
Go ye into all the world. Mark 16:15
For the good that I would I do not; but the evil which I would not, that I do. Romans 7:19
For what I would, that I do not; but what I hate that I do. Romans 7:15
Silver and gold have I none but such as I have I give thee. Acts 3:6
The love of money is the root of all evil. I Timothy 6:10
Thou shalt not steal. Exodus 20:15
Friday, June 25, 2010
A Tree
In walking through a park, I remembered a thought from about a year ago. I always appreciated trees. There are millions, yet no two, even of the same species, are alike. To me there is a metaphor there for religion and spirituality: To me it is best to be grounded in your religion, spirituality and/or life philosophy, yet learn as you live, be open-minded, and take the good from other traditions and cultures. I am Greek Orthodox, yet am not big into the right/wrong, black/white, either/or mentality. For instance, I believe that, if one's heart and soul are straight, being gay is not a sin. Another example is that fasting can be good but is not necessary if you are experiencing growth and spirituality. You get to choose during different fasting periods.
Trees are especially beautiful and majestic when the branches are long, curved and even gnarled, reaching, reaching, stretching, expressing, being themselves.
Trees are especially beautiful and majestic when the branches are long, curved and even gnarled, reaching, reaching, stretching, expressing, being themselves.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Important: Reply Requested
Important: Whoever has ordered any of my books, let me know: Pocket Guide to Fitness, Life, Work and Play or Boy in a Wheelchair from www.authorhouse.com, www.amazon.com or www.bn.com. louiza_patsis@yahoo.com
Friday, May 28, 2010
Owning Your Shadow and Paradox
I liked the short and deep book Owning Your Own Shadow by Robert A. Johnson. It advances my idea of yin yang balance. One must embrace their shadow. It aids, I’d say, in getting what you want, being authentic, and weeding out undesirable people, places and things. One thing he writes that is great is that, if one embraces their shadow, they can also have the most beautiful, powerful parts shown to themselves, and then revealed to the world. I will look more into that.
Below are some great parts of the book:
The center of the seesaw is the place or enlightenment. To me, this harkens to the central line of the yin yang circle.
It would have been “sheer genius” had Marie Antoinette honored a peasant task like milking a cow like her refined life, and may have stopped future events.
Page 8: “it is more disrupting to find that you have a profound nobility of character than to find out you are a bum. Of course you are both; but one does not discover these two elements at the same time." LOL
Rituals such as sacrifice, bloodletting, fasting and sexual abstinence safeguard the culture by paying out the shadow. We must integrate the shadow in modern times rather than sacrifice. Interesting…
Sometimes, the more refined our conscious personality, the deeper or darker our shadow. This may be true, I think, if one is not aware by mediating and working out. IF one never curses, I am suspicious.
Children sometimes carry the dark side of creative parents, like the proverbial naughty preacher’s child.
Events such as wars, economic crises, etc. represent a repressed shadow.
Page 26 The Christian cross was originally balanced horizontally and vertically. It mobilizes balancing: right, left, high, low. If one can do this, they are catholic or whole. Lucifer was cast away, but we can embrace “him”.
People used to be at the mercy of land and more connected to nature and sexuality. Now in cities (most of us), we are not as much connected.
To refuse the dark side may lead to black mood, psychosomatic illness or unconsciously inspired accidents.
George Bernard Shaw said that art is the only alternative to war. That’s great!
Page 31 “Unless we do conscious work on it, the shadow is almost always projected; that is, it is neatly laid on someone or something else we do not have to take responsibility for it. This is the way things were done five thousand years ago, and most to of us are still stuck in this medieval consciousness.”
Page 37 This is thought: ‘You can refuse a shadow projection and stop the endless cycle of revenge if you have your own shadow under conscious control.”
Page 40 “’Love’ is the one world in our Western tradition adequate to describe this synthesis of ego and shadow. Faust shows with great power that the redemption of the go is possible only as the redemption of the shadow parallels it. Faust’s character is filled out by the addition of his shadow. He is made whole by his encounter with Mephistopheles, and the same is true in reverse. Better said, neither ego nor shadow can be redeemed unless its twin is transformed.”
Page 43: “It is very puzzling to examine our capacity for projecting our best qualities. It is as if we rear that heaven might come too soon! From the point of view of our ego, the appearance of a sublime trait might upset our whole personality structure.”
Page 45: jack Sanford, Episcopal priest: “There are, in my view, two ‘shadows’: (1) the dark side of the ego, which is carefully hidden from itself and which the ego will not acknowledge unless force to by life’s difficulties, and (22) that which has been repressed in us lest it interfere with our egocentricity and, however devilish it may seem, is basically connected to the Self.”
Jung warned us that it would not be too difficult to get the skeletons out of the closet from a patient in analysis but it would be exceedingly difficult to get the gold out of the shadow.
Page 46: Two things go wrong if we project our shadow: First, we do damage to another by burdening him with our darkness – or light, for it is as heavy a burden to make someone play hero for us. Second, we sterilize ourselves by casting off our shadow. We then lose a chance to change and miss the fulcrum point, the ecstatic dimension of our own lives.
The Tao or middle way is a creative synthesis. Page 48: “One cannot stay very long in this middle place, for it’s a knife-edge, outside space and time. A moment of it is enough to give meaning to long stretches of ordinary life. India warns that if one touches that place fore more than a short time one will lose one’s orientation and die. There is a small danger of this to most of us, however.
Page 52: “…the most terrible things go on ceremonially in the Mass, but the altar rail is a container, and the priest, who is almost inhumanly close to the drama, is robed to protect himself from the too-great power of the event. He also does his rituals in the sacristy before and after the Mass, to protect himself from the superhuman force he has involved. Remember, a symbolic or ceremonial experience is real and affects one as much as an actual event.”
Creativity and vitality can come from accessing your shadow if correctly handled. If incorrectly handled, it can lead to destruction.
At times like a marriage breakup or being fired, we can take shadow energy and use it correctly.
Parrots learn the meaning of curses more easily than other words because they sense the energy vested in the curses.
If two people meet and there is a potential for a relationship, egos cause power wards. When the two can listen to each other, hear each other out, what they each say complements the other, and a mandala is formed. God is present in the unresolved conflict. I add: If there is a commitment to grow and develp with one another.
Many people say they are religious, but don’t’ have religious values in day-to-day life. Life is full of paradoxes: Love without power is insipid and weak. Power without love is cruel. You be (receive, yin) and do (action, yang). “We hate paradox since it is so painful getting there, but it is a very direct experience of a reality beyond our usual frame of reference and yields some of the greatest insights. Here is a list of paradoxical religious and practical values from pages 78-79.
Religious Values Practical Values
losing winning
outgo income
fasting eating
passivity action
giving earning
selling all and
giving it to the poor owning
poverty possession
repose activity
celibacy sex
observation decisiveness
obedience to authority freedom
duty choice
obedience democracy
meditative sharp
consciousness consciousness
ecstasy sobriety
vision focus
belief that less belief that more
is better is better
Below are some great parts of the book:
The center of the seesaw is the place or enlightenment. To me, this harkens to the central line of the yin yang circle.
It would have been “sheer genius” had Marie Antoinette honored a peasant task like milking a cow like her refined life, and may have stopped future events.
Page 8: “it is more disrupting to find that you have a profound nobility of character than to find out you are a bum. Of course you are both; but one does not discover these two elements at the same time." LOL
Rituals such as sacrifice, bloodletting, fasting and sexual abstinence safeguard the culture by paying out the shadow. We must integrate the shadow in modern times rather than sacrifice. Interesting…
Sometimes, the more refined our conscious personality, the deeper or darker our shadow. This may be true, I think, if one is not aware by mediating and working out. IF one never curses, I am suspicious.
Children sometimes carry the dark side of creative parents, like the proverbial naughty preacher’s child.
Events such as wars, economic crises, etc. represent a repressed shadow.
Page 26 The Christian cross was originally balanced horizontally and vertically. It mobilizes balancing: right, left, high, low. If one can do this, they are catholic or whole. Lucifer was cast away, but we can embrace “him”.
People used to be at the mercy of land and more connected to nature and sexuality. Now in cities (most of us), we are not as much connected.
To refuse the dark side may lead to black mood, psychosomatic illness or unconsciously inspired accidents.
George Bernard Shaw said that art is the only alternative to war. That’s great!
Page 31 “Unless we do conscious work on it, the shadow is almost always projected; that is, it is neatly laid on someone or something else we do not have to take responsibility for it. This is the way things were done five thousand years ago, and most to of us are still stuck in this medieval consciousness.”
Page 37 This is thought: ‘You can refuse a shadow projection and stop the endless cycle of revenge if you have your own shadow under conscious control.”
Page 40 “’Love’ is the one world in our Western tradition adequate to describe this synthesis of ego and shadow. Faust shows with great power that the redemption of the go is possible only as the redemption of the shadow parallels it. Faust’s character is filled out by the addition of his shadow. He is made whole by his encounter with Mephistopheles, and the same is true in reverse. Better said, neither ego nor shadow can be redeemed unless its twin is transformed.”
Page 43: “It is very puzzling to examine our capacity for projecting our best qualities. It is as if we rear that heaven might come too soon! From the point of view of our ego, the appearance of a sublime trait might upset our whole personality structure.”
Page 45: jack Sanford, Episcopal priest: “There are, in my view, two ‘shadows’: (1) the dark side of the ego, which is carefully hidden from itself and which the ego will not acknowledge unless force to by life’s difficulties, and (22) that which has been repressed in us lest it interfere with our egocentricity and, however devilish it may seem, is basically connected to the Self.”
Jung warned us that it would not be too difficult to get the skeletons out of the closet from a patient in analysis but it would be exceedingly difficult to get the gold out of the shadow.
Page 46: Two things go wrong if we project our shadow: First, we do damage to another by burdening him with our darkness – or light, for it is as heavy a burden to make someone play hero for us. Second, we sterilize ourselves by casting off our shadow. We then lose a chance to change and miss the fulcrum point, the ecstatic dimension of our own lives.
The Tao or middle way is a creative synthesis. Page 48: “One cannot stay very long in this middle place, for it’s a knife-edge, outside space and time. A moment of it is enough to give meaning to long stretches of ordinary life. India warns that if one touches that place fore more than a short time one will lose one’s orientation and die. There is a small danger of this to most of us, however.
Page 52: “…the most terrible things go on ceremonially in the Mass, but the altar rail is a container, and the priest, who is almost inhumanly close to the drama, is robed to protect himself from the too-great power of the event. He also does his rituals in the sacristy before and after the Mass, to protect himself from the superhuman force he has involved. Remember, a symbolic or ceremonial experience is real and affects one as much as an actual event.”
Creativity and vitality can come from accessing your shadow if correctly handled. If incorrectly handled, it can lead to destruction.
At times like a marriage breakup or being fired, we can take shadow energy and use it correctly.
Parrots learn the meaning of curses more easily than other words because they sense the energy vested in the curses.
If two people meet and there is a potential for a relationship, egos cause power wards. When the two can listen to each other, hear each other out, what they each say complements the other, and a mandala is formed. God is present in the unresolved conflict. I add: If there is a commitment to grow and develp with one another.
Many people say they are religious, but don’t’ have religious values in day-to-day life. Life is full of paradoxes: Love without power is insipid and weak. Power without love is cruel. You be (receive, yin) and do (action, yang). “We hate paradox since it is so painful getting there, but it is a very direct experience of a reality beyond our usual frame of reference and yields some of the greatest insights. Here is a list of paradoxical religious and practical values from pages 78-79.
Religious Values Practical Values
losing winning
outgo income
fasting eating
passivity action
giving earning
selling all and
giving it to the poor owning
poverty possession
repose activity
celibacy sex
observation decisiveness
obedience to authority freedom
duty choice
obedience democracy
meditative sharp
consciousness consciousness
ecstasy sobriety
vision focus
belief that less belief that more
is better is better
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