Neurodharma

There’s a saying that your mind takes its shape from what it rests upon. Well, recent science makes it clear that your brain takes its shape from what you rest your attention on.

Try to approach each day as an opportunity for practice. It’s a chance to learn about yourself, manage your reactions, heal and grow.

In the Theravadan tradition, there’s a lovely meditation that offers four kinds of warm wishes for five types of people,

The five types of people are benefactor, friend, neutral person, oneself, and someone who is challenging for you.

The painful residues of events can get caught in the nets of emotional memory, but without context and perspective. The conscious mind may forget, but as Babette Rothschild wrote, the body remembers.

“May my practice serve others” or “For the sake of all beings, may I be awake in this life.”

May I be loving, open, and aware in this moment. If I cannot be loving, open, and aware in this moment, may I be kind. If I cannot be kind, may I be nonjudgmental. If I cannot be nonjudgmental, may I not cause harm. If I cannot not cause harm, may I cause the least harm possible. Larry Yang

As Milarepa, the Tibetan sage, described his life of practice: In the beginning nothing came, in the middle nothing stayed, and in the end nothing left.

always consider whether his actions were skillful and led to beneficial results. He told Rahula to reflect in this way before, during, and after all acts of thought, word, and deed. If an action was skillful and beneficial, fine; otherwise don’t do it.