Book Review: Peaceful Piggy Meditation

“Peaceful Piggy Meditation”
by Kerry Lee MacLean
Published by Albert Whitman & Company

“So, peaceful piggies feel free like a bird in the sky, and as calm as a pond on a cool, clear night.”

“Peaceful Piggy Meditation” is another great meditation guide for kids by the author of “Moody Cow Meditates”. While there is no underlying plot to the book, it is much more of a learning book than a story.

Kerry introduces children to meditation practice in a manner that is understandable and enjoyable. The book is more than likely geared toward children from the ages of 3-8, I thinok older children may think the illustrations are to young for them. Not that it is a bad thing, because I think if this book is introduced at the earlier age, the kids won’t need it later as the will have the experience of meditation already.

Reciting The Four Immeasurables

Lately, my practice is not as strong as I would like it to be. I’ve been lacking the time and or effort to actually sit and breathe. I know, it’s easy, but it has been a bit of a battle for me lately.

So, from here on out I am going to MAKE the time, I have to make the time. Not sitting has definitely had a negative effect on my life lately. I refuse to allow that continue to work it’s way and veer me off course.

Recently I was at a teaching with Lama Tsori Rinpoche. One thing he talked about was the importance of reciting the Four Immeasurable. As part of re-dedication to practice, I vow (to myself) to make this recitation a part of it, every day. My hope is that by reciting this every morning, before even grabbing that first cup of coffee, it will set the course of the day.

Adam Yauch: Let’s Smash Cancer with Meditation

A couple of days ago, Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys, sent this message out to fans….

hello,

wanted to send this out to you guys in case you were into it, or wanted to give it to anyone who you think might be.

a few friends and i are meditating at the same time twice a day. 9:30am and 6:30pm eastern standard time, for about an hour and half.

we are picturing smashing apart all of the cancer cells in the world.

we are visualizing taking the energy away from the cancer, and then sending it back at the cancer as lightening bolts that will break apart the DNA and RNA of the cells. if you have the time, please join us in whipping up this lightening storm. mind over matter……

if you prefer to sit then sit, but if you are not used to meditating, or sitting quietly doesn’t sound like fun, put on some music and dance while you do the visualization, and if you want to do it at some other time, or picture curing some other illness that’s fine too. yoko will be joining the meditation by visualizing all of us dancing with joy to celebrate the world without cancer. all variations are welcome. this is really just being done with a wish for all beings to be cured of all illnesses and to find true lasting happiness.

i’ll also be saying prayers for the earthquake victims in tibet, so join in on that if you can too.

please feel free to pass this onto anyone who you think may find it interesting.

with all my love,

adam yauch

Shadows Fall: Thoughts Without Words

I’m more of a cookie monster vocals type of death metal but I’ve have liked Shadows Fall since hearing them years back at the Palladium when they were opening up for much larger bands. They have bands opening for them now though. Anyway, I’ve been listening to a bit more of them mainly because people have mentioned how they have a “Buddhist” inspired lyrics.

The Australian Institute for Consciousness Studies

A fellow blogger, Dharma pal and Tibetan Buddhist monk Clarke Scott, aka Loden Jinpa, has founded an interesting project in Australia. I’d explain it a bit more myself, but Clarke can do it much better than I…

What is AICS? The Australian Institute for Consciousness Studies has been established as a nexus for advancing interdisciplinary understanding that combines scientific and contemplative investigatory knowledge. AICS activities focus on the research into the nature, origins, and role of consciousness in human existence and the natural world.

The aims of AICS is to bring the contemplative traditions such as Buddhism into conversation with the modern world by establishing scientific research projects on mental training and its effect on brain functioning.

AICS has three main objectives:

• To establish collaborative research projects between scientists, psychologists, philosophers and contemplatives.
• To provide retreat facilities for people from around the world to learn meditation and engage in short and long term retreats.
• To create educational programs to facilitate integration of the findings from our research projects.

Clarke has also published a fantastic article on his blog, “Does Buddhism Need Science”, that can be found here http://clarkescott.org/buddhism-and-science/

And, if that isn’t enough info for you… below is a ten minute run down video that Clark recorded himself. I hope you enjoy what he is doing and I look forward to following the progress of his project.

My Guest Post for Shambhala Sunspace is up!

Check it out here http://www.shambhalasun.com/sunspace/?p=15112. The post is about how Second Life, an online simulation, has helped get me through the funk of a stale practice.

Prison inmates go Zen to deal with life behind bars

From CNN

In his darkest moment, Kenneth Brown lost it all. His wife and kids, the housebroken dog, the vacation home on Cape Cod all vanished when he was sent to prison for an arson in 1996.

Trapped in his gloomy cell and serving a 20-year sentence that felt like an eternity, Brown, then 49, found himself stretched out on the floor. He was silent. His eyes were shut. His body did not move.

Brown, a man raised as a Baptist and taught to praise the Lord and fear the devil, was meditating.

Stop Looking For Teachers

We need to stop looking for dharma/buddhist/zen/spiritual teachers because we will never find the one we want. Why? Because nobody can live up to the expectations we create in our minds!

There are plenty of teachers out there and if you keep your eyes open you will spot them when they cross your path. Learn what we can from them while you can and keep moving down your path.

How will you know when you see a teacher? Will he be wearing a saffron robe? Will she be meditating on the beach? Will he have a group of followers writing down his every word? Will she have an ethereal glow? If you are looking for any kind of sign you are doing something wrong. Know what it is? You’re looking for a teacher! Stop that.

Mind over Chocolate: Embedded Marketing?

From Time
By Alana B. Elias Kornfeld

Move over, organic, fair trade and free range–the latest in enlightened edibles is here: food with “embedded” positive intentions. While the idea isn’t new–cultures like the Navajo have been doing it for centuries–for-profit companies in the U.S. and Canada are catching on, infusing products with good vibes through meditation, prayer and even music. Since 2006, California company H2Om has sold water infused with wishes for “love,” “joy” and “perfect health” via the words, symbols and colors on the label (which “create a specific vibratory frequency,” according to co-founder Sandy Fox) and the restorative music played at their bottling warehouse. At Creo Mundi, a Canadian maker of protein powder, employees gather around each shipment and state aloud the benefits they hope to imbue it with for their consumers–increased performance, balance and vitality. Intentional Chocolate, founded in 2007 by chocolatier Jim Walsh, uses a special recording device to capture the electromagnetic brain waves of meditating Tibetan monks; Walsh then exposes his confections to the recording for five days per batch.