The main message is taken from Deepak Chopra and Dean Ornish's audio recording, but re-told by me in my own words.
Love, a powerful human emotion, has inspired writers, artists, and musicians to cherish the healing power of love. People felt "unloved", or people who live alone often die prematurely; either they may do something to hurt themselves, or by other causes that are still unknown.
The best way to receive love is to offer love to other people. This attrusive nature not only benefits the person who has received love, but give us ultimate happiness. It is said that "To love another person, is too the face of God."
Providing forgiveness to other people, or to ourselves also provide us love, happiness, and healing. Holding grudges against other people or to ourselves, is not healthy and has to be replaced by forgiveness.
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Empathy, Compassion, Love, and Healing
The following message comes from Dr. Deepak Chopra about empathy, love, and healing.
One of the most powerful way for spiritual growth is to change the way we perceive the world around us. By learning how to accommodate another person's perspective, we remove our person's blinder, expand our view about the world. Rather seeing ourselves in the world, the world is actually part of us.
Look at some stranger and talk to ourselves. Like me, that person has moments of joy and sorrow, pain and pleasure. Like me, that person has moment of difficulty, and dream to fulfill. Like me, that person is loved by someone, yet has relation problems with other. Like me, that person will die someday.
By experiencing other people's sorrow and joy, we are expressing compassion. With the blood of compassion, we are un-descending. With the blood of compassion and un-descending, we receive and offer love. When there is love, there is healing.
One of the most powerful way for spiritual growth is to change the way we perceive the world around us. By learning how to accommodate another person's perspective, we remove our person's blinder, expand our view about the world. Rather seeing ourselves in the world, the world is actually part of us.
Look at some stranger and talk to ourselves. Like me, that person has moments of joy and sorrow, pain and pleasure. Like me, that person has moment of difficulty, and dream to fulfill. Like me, that person is loved by someone, yet has relation problems with other. Like me, that person will die someday.
By experiencing other people's sorrow and joy, we are expressing compassion. With the blood of compassion, we are un-descending. With the blood of compassion and un-descending, we receive and offer love. When there is love, there is healing.
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Take Care of Ourselves
The following message is from Deepak Chopra
When we heal, we heal those people surrounding us. Therefore, it is not selfish to take the time to take care of ourselves (physically, emotionally, and spiritually) because it affects everybody around us, just like dropping a stone in the middle of a pond that creates waves of peace and hope transformation around us. We will become examples; that when people look at us, they see a light within us. They will ask, "What did you do?" , "What can I do to heal my problems?"By our examples, we help to transform the world, in the world, and the world around us.
When we heal, we heal those people surrounding us. Therefore, it is not selfish to take the time to take care of ourselves (physically, emotionally, and spiritually) because it affects everybody around us, just like dropping a stone in the middle of a pond that creates waves of peace and hope transformation around us. We will become examples; that when people look at us, they see a light within us. They will ask, "What did you do?" , "What can I do to heal my problems?"By our examples, we help to transform the world, in the world, and the world around us.
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Quotation of good prayers
Prayers are good for the soul, especially if they are good prayers. Here are two good prayers that I like to share with my readers. One was the Mohandas Gandi's prayer. The other, Deepak Chopra.
Mohandas Gandi's prayer:
May I be loved, be happy, and be peaceful.
May all of my friends be loved, be happy and be peaceful.
May all of my perceived enemies be loved, be happy, and be peaceful.
May the whole world be loved, be happy, and be peaceful.
Deepak Chopra's prayer
Make sure that not a single word coming out of my mouth has the capability of hurting somebody. Make sure the purpose of the word is to bring the blessing to the person I speak to. Make sure the words I spoke are nurturing, caring, healing and affectionate to the person I speak to.
Mohandas Gandi's prayer:
May I be loved, be happy, and be peaceful.
May all of my friends be loved, be happy and be peaceful.
May all of my perceived enemies be loved, be happy, and be peaceful.
May the whole world be loved, be happy, and be peaceful.
Deepak Chopra's prayer
Make sure that not a single word coming out of my mouth has the capability of hurting somebody. Make sure the purpose of the word is to bring the blessing to the person I speak to. Make sure the words I spoke are nurturing, caring, healing and affectionate to the person I speak to.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
The Boy With A Balloon
A boy with a balloon was sobbing sadly at a corner of a street.
" Why are you so sad?"
" It is about my balloon."
" What is wrong with your balloon?"
" My friend Jonny got a white balloon, Jenny got a white balloon, Matt got a yellow balloon. Yet, I get a black balloon. I am afraid that the balloon won't fly."
" Do you have helium gas inside the balloon?"
" Yes. But my balloon is black."
" Why don't you release the balloon, to see if it will fly or not."
The boy releases the balloon, and surely, the balloon flies to the sky. The boy smiles.
" It is what 'inside' determines whether the balloon will fly or not, not the color of the balloon"
A tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who said that it is the " character" not the skin color that should determines the destination of a person.
" Why are you so sad?"
" It is about my balloon."
" What is wrong with your balloon?"
" My friend Jonny got a white balloon, Jenny got a white balloon, Matt got a yellow balloon. Yet, I get a black balloon. I am afraid that the balloon won't fly."
" Do you have helium gas inside the balloon?"
" Yes. But my balloon is black."
" Why don't you release the balloon, to see if it will fly or not."
The boy releases the balloon, and surely, the balloon flies to the sky. The boy smiles.
" It is what 'inside' determines whether the balloon will fly or not, not the color of the balloon"
A tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who said that it is the " character" not the skin color that should determines the destination of a person.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Billy The Boy Who Killed The Monster
The original story appears in Scandinavian Fairy Tales. I re-tell in a much simplified version.
Billy, a pale and listless boy, likes to talk to the moon. Every evening as the light of the moon streamed like liquid gold over the horizon, Billy would go out of the house and climbed up on the roof. And as the silvery light silently flooded the sea, the fjords, the forests, and the distant glaciers with brightness, he would sing out hymns of praise to the moon.
His mom and dad knew about it and they did not like that at all. One day, as Billy was on the roof and sang the song to the moon, Billy's mother called upon him.
"Stopped singing and come down the roof at once." she continued and flung him a pail. "Go to the well and get some water. At least, you'll be good for something.'
Billy felt crushed. Reluctantly he took the pail and walked to the well which was quite far away from his house.
"Who are you?" the boy asked.
"I am Askadalan, a wandering poet." said the stranger. "I have heard your songs that you were singing to the moon; and I like it very much."
"Thank you." said the boy. Billy took a close look on the stranger. The stranger has a black cloth, greenish eye and was terrified by the stranger's look.
"If you like the moon so much, I show you how to contact the moon." the stranger said, " Look down in the well, the moon is there. If you go down the well, you can physically contact the moon."
"The moon in the well is only the reflection. How can I trust you to go down the well without being hurt." said the boy.
The stranger found that he could not persuade the boy to get down the well, and decided to grab the boy and force the boy to get down the well.
The boy kicked and screamed; he finally got hold the stranger's black cloth. The boy pulled and twisted the cloth hoping to chock Askadalan. With a final desperate effort, the cloth tore and billy rolled into the bushes free. With the moonlight, he now saw the stranger much more closely. The stranger actually had three heads, not just one head. The stranger is a monster.
The monster approached the boy and tried to grab to boy. The boy said a silent prayer to the moon. " Please help me, the Moon." Suddenly, he saw a bright shining object near him. It was a scythe with a sharp blade. The boy took the scythe to defend himself against the monster.
The blade under the moon light shone bright against the monster's eyes and the monster could not see a thing. With such an opportunity, the boy used the scythe to kill the monster.
The boy finally stumbled home. His parent saw his body were all covered with bloods. "What happened?" his parent asked. " I killed the three-head monster". Initially, his parent did not believe him but then found out the blood on the boy's body was not from the boy, because the boy had no bleeding wound.
The boy then told his parent how he killed the monster with the help of the moon. Overnight, the boy became the hero of the village he had lived in. Nobody complained about his singing hymns to the moon anymore.
Billy, a pale and listless boy, likes to talk to the moon. Every evening as the light of the moon streamed like liquid gold over the horizon, Billy would go out of the house and climbed up on the roof. And as the silvery light silently flooded the sea, the fjords, the forests, and the distant glaciers with brightness, he would sing out hymns of praise to the moon.
His mom and dad knew about it and they did not like that at all. One day, as Billy was on the roof and sang the song to the moon, Billy's mother called upon him.
"Stopped singing and come down the roof at once." she continued and flung him a pail. "Go to the well and get some water. At least, you'll be good for something.'
Billy felt crushed. Reluctantly he took the pail and walked to the well which was quite far away from his house.
As he was approaching the well, a stranger stood by the well.
"Who are you?" the boy asked.
"I am Askadalan, a wandering poet." said the stranger. "I have heard your songs that you were singing to the moon; and I like it very much."
"Thank you." said the boy. Billy took a close look on the stranger. The stranger has a black cloth, greenish eye and was terrified by the stranger's look.
"If you like the moon so much, I show you how to contact the moon." the stranger said, " Look down in the well, the moon is there. If you go down the well, you can physically contact the moon."
"The moon in the well is only the reflection. How can I trust you to go down the well without being hurt." said the boy.
The stranger found that he could not persuade the boy to get down the well, and decided to grab the boy and force the boy to get down the well.
The boy kicked and screamed; he finally got hold the stranger's black cloth. The boy pulled and twisted the cloth hoping to chock Askadalan. With a final desperate effort, the cloth tore and billy rolled into the bushes free. With the moonlight, he now saw the stranger much more closely. The stranger actually had three heads, not just one head. The stranger is a monster.
The monster approached the boy and tried to grab to boy. The boy said a silent prayer to the moon. " Please help me, the Moon." Suddenly, he saw a bright shining object near him. It was a scythe with a sharp blade. The boy took the scythe to defend himself against the monster.
The blade under the moon light shone bright against the monster's eyes and the monster could not see a thing. With such an opportunity, the boy used the scythe to kill the monster.
The boy finally stumbled home. His parent saw his body were all covered with bloods. "What happened?" his parent asked. " I killed the three-head monster". Initially, his parent did not believe him but then found out the blood on the boy's body was not from the boy, because the boy had no bleeding wound.
The boy then told his parent how he killed the monster with the help of the moon. Overnight, the boy became the hero of the village he had lived in. Nobody complained about his singing hymns to the moon anymore.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Peter and Napoleon
I have heard this story few years ago during one of Wisconsin Story Tellers Get Together event.
Peter was a Russian peasant living in Ivantown of West Russia. Ivantown was such a small town that French soldiers did not notice its existence in the map when French invaded Russia in 1812.
Two years after French invasion, French retreated in a hurry. Retreating French soldiers occasionally strayed and wandered around the farms of Ivantown looking for shelter and help; so were the Russian soldiers who were chasing and hunting after the French soldiers. Peter was apolitical; when French needed help, he helped them. Peter also helped the Russian soldiers if they need food or shelter.
One day, there were two French came to Peter asking for help. One was a normal size French soldier; one was very short. The short French soldier wore a special uniform decorating with many shining medals.
"Hide me, please" The French soldiers pleaded.
"Why don't you go under that mattress", Peter said.
Peter then put sheets covering the mattress.
Few moment later, a group of Russian soldiers came to Peter.
"Have you seen any French soldiers?" , the Russian soldiers asked.
"No", Peter said.
The Russian soldiers searched the house, poke everything with their bayonets. After finding nothing in the house, the Russian soldiers went away.
"You save our lives," the French soldiers said coming out the mattress.
"I am the French emperor, the mighty, all powerful Napoleon," the short French soldier continued, " because you have saved our lives, in return, I am going to grant you three wishes".
"What are your three big wishes in your life?" the French asked.
After hesitating a while, Peter said, " I have married my wife for more than 40 years. I love my wife; but because I am so poor, I don't have money to buy her a gift. So, my first wish is to buy a pair of dress shoe for my wife."
" Your first wish is granted. we will buy your wife the most fashionable French dress shoes for your wife. What is your second wish? " asked Napoleon.
" We lived in this house for more than 25 years", after hesitating a few moment, Peter continued, " the roof is leaking. I would like to have my roof repaired."
"Your second wish is granted. We will fix your roof with the best materials produce in France. What is your third wish? Make it big; because I am the emperor. I can do anything."
This made Peter hesitating even more. Being a simple Russian peasant, a new roof and a pair of new shoes were good enough for him. "What is my third wish? " Peter thought hard.
Finally, he said to Napoleon,
"A few moment ago, you were hiding below a mattress while the Russian soldiers were poking with their bayonets. What was your feeling?"
Napoleon suddenly became very angry. "This is an insult to the emperor. Soldiers take him"
Any person giving insult to the French emperor would be shot. The French soldiers seized Peter and tied him to a post.
French execution of a prisoner usually took place at dawn. The prisoner would be taken to a place in front of a firing squad. Under the commanding order, "1" means soldiers would take the firearm; "2" means "to aim"; and "3" means "to shoot".
At the dawn, Peter was brought to the place in front of a firing squad. French soldiers put a blindfold over his eyes.
"1", the commander ordered, and the soldiers reached out their fire arms.
"2", and the soldiers were aiming at Peter.
"Stop". came a voice of a galloping personal messenger from Napoleon.
"Peter's life will be spared." said the messenger. The messenger also handed Peter a note, a handwritten note from the emperor.
"You were asking me how I felt when Russians were poking the mattress with the bayonets. I think after you survived the firing squad, you should have got your answer from this experience."
Peter was a Russian peasant living in Ivantown of West Russia. Ivantown was such a small town that French soldiers did not notice its existence in the map when French invaded Russia in 1812.
Two years after French invasion, French retreated in a hurry. Retreating French soldiers occasionally strayed and wandered around the farms of Ivantown looking for shelter and help; so were the Russian soldiers who were chasing and hunting after the French soldiers. Peter was apolitical; when French needed help, he helped them. Peter also helped the Russian soldiers if they need food or shelter.
One day, there were two French came to Peter asking for help. One was a normal size French soldier; one was very short. The short French soldier wore a special uniform decorating with many shining medals.
"Hide me, please" The French soldiers pleaded.
"Why don't you go under that mattress", Peter said.
Peter then put sheets covering the mattress.
Few moment later, a group of Russian soldiers came to Peter.
"Have you seen any French soldiers?" , the Russian soldiers asked.
"No", Peter said.
The Russian soldiers searched the house, poke everything with their bayonets. After finding nothing in the house, the Russian soldiers went away.
"You save our lives," the French soldiers said coming out the mattress.
"I am the French emperor, the mighty, all powerful Napoleon," the short French soldier continued, " because you have saved our lives, in return, I am going to grant you three wishes".
"What are your three big wishes in your life?" the French asked.
After hesitating a while, Peter said, " I have married my wife for more than 40 years. I love my wife; but because I am so poor, I don't have money to buy her a gift. So, my first wish is to buy a pair of dress shoe for my wife."
" Your first wish is granted. we will buy your wife the most fashionable French dress shoes for your wife. What is your second wish? " asked Napoleon.
" We lived in this house for more than 25 years", after hesitating a few moment, Peter continued, " the roof is leaking. I would like to have my roof repaired."
"Your second wish is granted. We will fix your roof with the best materials produce in France. What is your third wish? Make it big; because I am the emperor. I can do anything."
This made Peter hesitating even more. Being a simple Russian peasant, a new roof and a pair of new shoes were good enough for him. "What is my third wish? " Peter thought hard.
Finally, he said to Napoleon,
"A few moment ago, you were hiding below a mattress while the Russian soldiers were poking with their bayonets. What was your feeling?"
Napoleon suddenly became very angry. "This is an insult to the emperor. Soldiers take him"
Any person giving insult to the French emperor would be shot. The French soldiers seized Peter and tied him to a post.
French execution of a prisoner usually took place at dawn. The prisoner would be taken to a place in front of a firing squad. Under the commanding order, "1" means soldiers would take the firearm; "2" means "to aim"; and "3" means "to shoot".
At the dawn, Peter was brought to the place in front of a firing squad. French soldiers put a blindfold over his eyes.
"1", the commander ordered, and the soldiers reached out their fire arms.
"2", and the soldiers were aiming at Peter.
"Stop". came a voice of a galloping personal messenger from Napoleon.
"Peter's life will be spared." said the messenger. The messenger also handed Peter a note, a handwritten note from the emperor.
"You were asking me how I felt when Russians were poking the mattress with the bayonets. I think after you survived the firing squad, you should have got your answer from this experience."
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