Exercise nine: creating your own Paradise

Posted on Happy Minds!



Exercise 9: creating your own Paradise

This exercise is based on the technique of visualisation. Just try it once or twice, and if you like it, do it whenever you like. It is useful for creating a peaceful, happy mood. You need to be able to envision a picture of a beautiful place in your mind, with your eyes closed.

If you find it hard to envision such a place, use any book or go on the net and use a search-engine and find some images of beautiful places. Personally, I love to look at the pictures by Matthieu Ricard, but any picture that you find irresistibly beautiful will do. Look at these pictures until you feel you will be able to create a similar picture in your head with your eyes closed.
Maybe you’ll find it hard to concentrate, if so: first do the simple breathing exercise described in exercise 3.
After that, again look at some pictures until you’re ready.
Some suggestions: The Medicine Buddha Mantra, The most beautiful places in the world, Beautiful nature.



OK, when you’re ready, Sit down in a comfortable position. Straight spine, head straight up, as if a thread comes from your crown-chakra and pulls you up. Close your eyes. Picture in your mind a beautiful, natural place. It doesn’t matter whether that place exists, or not.

Now see yourself sitting there. See yourself sitting in deep meditation. Probably you see yourself sitting in Lotus position, but sitting straight up with your back supported by a tree is also great. Look at yourself. Your face is so bright. It is full of joy, peace, beauty. Look around you. All kinds of animals like to be around you. Butterflies. Deer. Bears. And there’s no aggression in any of them, they are also full of joy just because they can be around you. There’s nothing negative or black here! Look further. Look at the forest or mountains in the distance. Look at the ocean, whatever is in your picture. Breath in deeply. Let go. Enjoy!

A beautiful rainbow is now forming right above your head. Try to see it as clearly as possible! There’s only light, love, relaxation, loving kindness, compassion. Now in the distance some children may be playing. Watch them. Enjoy.



If you start to feel completely relaxed, and a wonderful, warm, loving feeling is rising in your chest, imagine this: A sphere of white light is in your chest. It expands rapidly. In just seconds it envelopes the whole globe. And more spheres like that rise in your chest. What you are doing, is expanding your feeling of relaxation and love. Wooosh, let that energy expand from your chest. And again! And again! More! More! It is not possible to exaggerate this! Do it! Go for it!

Exercise seven: Do something nice

Posted on Happy Minds!

This exercise is based on the Tibetan practice of Tonglen. I like to keep Tonglen practically, so it really changes your life and is not just some collection of lovely thoughts.

So here's the exercise:
Do something nice for somebody today. And do it for somebody you do not like at all. And do it without expecting anything in return. Do not even expect the interaction you have with this person to improve. At least try it, and carefully notice how you feel. If you cannot do it at the moment supreme, do something nice for yourself. That is: see that you have found one of the reasons that keep you from feeling true compassion. Give yourself the present of not judging yourself for not being able to do it, of welcoming your resistance to the act.
Why? Isn't that a stupid thing to do?

I'll give you some reasons why.

First of all, because we're all just human beings. Look at this smiling baby. We have all been like that. We have changed, but in our core, we are all still like that. We've learned, we've grown, but our DNA has remained the same!





And the person you dislike today could be your friend tomorrow, next year or in your next life. Resentment has never made anybody happy. The past is the past, it can never be changed. The future however, can be very different from the past, but only if you want it to be different. If you do something nice for a person you dislike, it may well be that in the future, you will not have such feelings of loathing and hatred against him or her.

Ask yourself this question: do you really like having these negative feelings? Don't you prefer love, kindness and friendship? If the latter has your preference, why don't you act accordingly? You can never change anybody else but yourself. You do not have to accept bad behaviour by others, but it is also not your "task" to correct, punish or hate them.

To me, this is what Jesus was referring to when he said: You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.' But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

—Matthew 5:38-42, NIV

I think it means that you refuse to allow negativity to flood your consiousness, even when facing people who are not treating you right.
When you start fighting back, and allow yourself to have feelings of hatred: no matter the cause, it is you who is responsible. There is nobody else in your mind but you, so it is always you deciding to allow these feelings to arise.

Also read this about tonglen by the hand of Pema Chödrön.

The Maitreya Buddha Project

Posted on Happy Minds!

Love, kindness, friendship. Good healthcare and education. Beauty, preservation of values and culture. Those are all things that can be found in the Maitreya Project. This is a fantastic opportunity to create a lot of happiness for yourself and all other people in the world, by just giving some of your attention and a little money to this project!

Happiness!

Posted on Happy Minds!

I was inspired to create this blog by my friend Erik Baaijens, who has a blog "In balans met onrust", on http://in-balans-met-onrust.blogspot.com/. It is in Dutch, so if you can read that language, do visit his blog!

I decided to create a blog on the specific subject of happiness, because of what I read in the book by Mathieu Ricard: "Happiness". On youtube, you can see him talking about happiness: http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=vbLEf4HR74E

I will try to post all I have found out on obtaining happiness, but any tip you may have: please do send it to me! If it is respectful and not yet on my blog somewhere, I will post it!