10 Ways to be Happy

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Anger and Clarity

We often think that anger will spur us on to taking action. For example, we think that it will strengthen our resolve and provide the energy we need to remedy a bad situation. But then in our practice, we are told to let go of our negative habits, like anger, that have arisen. To learn to detect the rising of such emotions and stop them from becoming stronger. How do we resolve this seeming conflict?

Underlying our anger in such circumstances is the wish to "do something." But the energy that comes from anger is blind, not insightful. Such anger burns through our good intentions and leaves us exhausted.

With clarity, we will be able to determine whether or not the situation can be allowed to play itself out without any harmful, negative consequences. If the situation looks like it will result in negative consequences, then our becoming angry will not help. Only with a clear, rational mind will, we discern the wisest way to react.

One Hundred Percent

We do not need to wait for the big challenges in life to work on developing our virtue. We can work at increasing virtue in small, everyday ways. We can practice moderation in eating just what we need to be healthy and in sleeping just enough to be rested. We can work on our patience while waiting in line at the post office and on our impartiality when two children are each telling us their version of how the glass was broken.

Gradually, we will become more adept at our practice and as we encounter life's more difficult challenges, we will be better skilled at reacting wisely and calmly.

I realize this sounds very simple and obvious, but unfortunately, even small acts of virtue require much effort on our part to accomplish them perfectly. So while this may sound simplistic and repetitive, the question we need to ask ourselves is "Am I doing this one-hundred percent of my time with one-hundred percent of my effort?"

Moment of Darkness

This is too moving not to share. Please click the post title below...

The Moment of Darkness

I want to spare my daughter this. I want to instill, to whatever extent a father can, the high and driving Spirit, the sanguine craving to restore. Of course it is too late to change everything, and always has been. Everything is too big. But each of us can do something where we are, and there are millions of us.

We could look at the world’s troubles and sink into grief, as we could when a fire sweeps through a forest or a flood wipes away a city. But forests and populations generally come back, sometimes better. We can mourn for the already extinct species, lakes and forests as we mourn our dead, but as long as we remain alive we are greater than grief. Nature will return, and with our help can return in time for our species to appreciate.

And for most of the world, it is not too late. Just a few years ago peak oil and climate change were obscure ideas, and they rapidly spread until they broke into the mainstream. We are trying to return to a simpler life, and so are millions of others – the largest movement ever, happening in every part of the world. I want her to know that we are not trying to turn the tide, for tides are natural. What is happening to the world was done by men, and will be undone. I want her to know, as Tasman McKee did not, that she is not alone...

Snowed under in Australia

I've been receiving emails and phone calls to see if I'm okay. Not to worry, I'm still here! ;-)

I just got buried under some files for my Teacher that need urgent work. While I'm digging out, I invite anyone who would like to write some comments about their practice or maybe how the holidays were this year compared to other years or your thoughts for next year or what is currently on your mind.

I look forward to reading your comments and will back to writing something myself in a few days.

Thank you for your patience!! And I hope everyone had a happy and peaceful holidays.