Need some inspiration for your Wednesday afternoon?
#DoGoodThings #Vivekan #BodhisattvaYoga
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Need some inspiration for your Wednesday afternoon?
#DoGoodThings #Vivekan #BodhisattvaYoga
Vivekan of Bodhisattva Yoga reminds us...
Just in case this is something that you are interested in… It can only help…
This is not a Bodhisattva Yoga event, nor is Vivekan involved... The DDMBA was founded by one of Vivekan's late teachers, Sifu (Master) Sheng Yen, and he felt that this might be helpful, and of interest, to the Bodhisattva Yoga community.
You can apply by clicking here
H.H., the Dalai Lama often says that we are essentially warm-heartened by nature; yet, when many of us hear H.H. say such things we cynically think to ourselves, “He’s obviously not talking about me. I mean, if he only knew what I was thinking just a moment ago…!”
This kind of thinking is destructive as it keeps us from recognizing that we are indeed capable of positive change, let alone if we adopt the mind-training methods that effectively lead us to becoming more warm-hearted.
Fortunately, we now find ourselves living in an era whereby good science is providing corroboration to the statement that, “We are essentially warm-heartened by nature.”
After exploring the areas of the brain that fuel our empathetic impulses -- and temporarily disabling other regions that oppose those impulses -- two UCLA neuroscientists are coming down on the optimistic side of human nature.
"Our altruism may be more hard-wired than previously thought," said Leonardo Christov-Moore, a postdoctoral fellow at UCLA's Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior.
"It's almost like these areas of the brain behave according to a neural Golden Rule," Christov-Moore said. "The more we tend to vicariously experience the states of others, the more we appear to be inclined to treat them as we would ourselves."
Although these researchers discuss using methods to block regions of the brain habituated to impulsivity, their findings can aid the doubtful in trusting the ultimate efficacy of time-honored Buddhist mind training methods geared to experientially develop - in the mind the yogi/yogini - a genuine, non-biased empathy and loving/kindness. Thus, the neural potential to infinite altruism is now substantiated on the verity that our “brain[s] behave according to a neural Golden Rule."
So, for the Mahayana aspirants, there should no longer be an excuse to grasp at a false notion of self, that mistakenly believes oneself to be incapable of amounting to more than being a self-centered, selfish, piece of crap.
Ahem! That means no more kicking up dust on the road... Evidence heralds the time to train our hearts and minds like real Bodhisattva Yoga yogis and yoginis. It’s in your code…
In health,
Vivekan
This is a regular posting of reflections from Bodhisattva Yoga founder Vivekan on all manner of topics related to the broad path of Yoga.
Starting Sunday, January 3rd, 2016, Vivekan will be leading us through Chapters 4 through 6 of the 8th Century Indian text Bodhicaryavatara (Bodhisattva Way of Life) from Shantideva.
Vivekan has received the entire transmission of the Bodhicaryavatara from His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
This is free and open to the public.*
You are encouraged to bring your own English copy of the Bodhisattva Way of Life.
Please arrive no earlier than 10 minutes prior to start.
*Donations/offerings are accepted.
Interested in learning about Buddhism?
Saturday, June 13th, 3-4p
The scholar monk Geshe Dargye, of DNKL Tibetan Buddhist Center in CT, will be giving a Dharma talk at Bodhisattva Yoga in Park Slope, Brooklyn this Saturday afternoon.
This event is free and open to the public.
He will continue to teach on Atisha's "The Best of the Teachings of the Path".
Email Info@BodhisattvaYoga.com to RSVP.
Read the full quote from Bodhisattva Yoga founder Vivekan below:
“There is no contradiction with the outside weather being gloomy by description and yet inside there is a certain kind of radiance, a certain effulgence, from our inner glow. In Sanskrit that would be called Prakasha. And that is what really shines bright when we are in Ananda (bliss)… When we are experiencing higher states of Sukha (ease), beyond the comfort and ease states of Sukha, when we are embodying Virya – the noble form of zeal. When we do this we become that individual that’s embodying that exhortation from Buddha, i.e., to delight in existence.
And if your motivation is to be of benefit to beings, a lot of people clip their own wings by wondering how will I benefit beings?
When really, it’s delighting in existence… Just simply being a person who is more happy in nature, more light, and that shouldn’t have to mean that the sun is out… Because in New York, that’s about one third of the year!”
~Vivekan
Ananda Class at Bodhisattva Yoga, April 22, 2015
Park Slope, Brooklyn
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