Sangha of Auspicious Companions

Dalai Lama Quote from Snow Lion Publications

Dalai Lama Quote of the Week We must distinguish between pride and self-confidence. Self-confidence is necessary. It is what enables us, in certain situations, not to lose courage and to think with some justification, ‘I am capable of succeeding.’ Self-confidence is quite different from excessive self-assurance based on a false appreciation of our capacities or circumstances. If you feel able to accomplish a task that other people cannot manage, then you cannot be called proud as long as your assessment is well founded. It is as if someone tall came across a group of short people who wanted to get something too high for them to reach, and said to them, ‘Don’t exert yourselves, I can do it.’ This would simply mean that he was more qualified than the others to carry out a particular task, but not that he is superior to them or that he wants to crush them.(p.259) –from 365 Dalai Lama: Daily Advice from the Heart by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, edited by Matthieu Ricard, translated by Christian Bruyat, published by Snow Lion Publications 365 Dalai Lama • New edition!

Quote of the Week | The Courage to Wait

If you are having trouble reading this email, you may view the online version

Learn More | Books and Audio | The Pema Chödrön Foundation

Teachings by Pema Chödrön, from works published by Shambhala Publications. Photo by ©Andrea Roth. Forward to a Friend | Manage Your Preferences | Unsubscribe

Shambhala Publications | 300 Massachusetts Ave | Boston, MA 02115 | United States

Video of the Week: Seven Habits of Mindful Eating

You’re receiving this newsletter because you are a KarmaTube subscriber. Having trouble reading this mail? View it in your browser. Not interested anymore? Unsubscribe Video of the Week Feb 24, 2012 Seven Habits of Mindful Eating “The rhythm of life is becoming faster and faster, so we really don’t have the same awareness and the same ability to check into ourselves.” These words are from an unexpected source: a Harvard nutritionist. Dr. Lilian Cheung, with Nobel Peace Prize nominee Thich Nhat Hanh, co-wrote ‘Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life.’ “That’s why mindful eating is becoming more important. We need to be coming back to ourselves and saying: ‘Does my body need this? Why am I eating this? Is it just because I’m so sad and stressed out?'” In this 3-minute video, Dr. Cheung explains how honoring and being mindful of the food we eat makes us healthier. She offers seven practices for mindful eating — simple steps that we can take to maintain a healthier weight and live a happier life. We are what we eat — and how we eat it. Share: Related KarmaTube Videos Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir A Teacher in Tokyo Change for a Dollar Stomacher – Untitled/Dark Divider About KarmaTube: KarmaTube is a collection of inspiring videos accompanied by simple actions every viewer can take. We invite you to get involved. Other ServiceSpace Projects: DailyGood // Conversations // iJourney // HelpOthers MovedByLove // CF Sites // Karma Kitchen // More Thank you for helping us spread the good. This newsletter now reaches 41,511 subscribers.

30 kidneys, 60 lives: A Kindness Chain

You have been told that, even like a chain, you are as weak as your weakest link. This is but half the truth. You are also as strong as your strongest link. — Kahlil Gibran

~~~~
Good News of the Day:
“A year ago, Rick Ruzzamenti decided in an instant to donate his left kidney to a stranger. In February 2011, the desk clerk at Ruzzamenti’s yoga studio told him she had recently donated a kidney to an ailing friend. Ruzzamenti, 44, had never even donated blood, but the story so captivated him that two days later he placed a call to Riverside Community Hospital to ask how he might do the same thing.” But that was just the beginning. As this NY Times article outlines, Ruzzamenti’s selfless, pay-it-forward act rippled into the longest chain of kidney transplants ever constructed, linking 30 people who were willing to give up an organ with 30 who might have died without one.
http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=16A727B:C3009629A010612CB38D341B44D5541BB4B847859706E37D&

~~~~
Be The Change:
Start a kindness chain — begin with an unexpected act of generosity.

**Share A Reflection**
http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=16A727C:C3009629A010612CB38D341B44D5541BB4B847859706E37D&

Dharma Quote from Snow Lion Publications

Dharma Quote of the Week Without an acute awareness of our personal suffering and a deep, heartfelt determination to be completely rid of both this suffering and its causes, there is no way to begin the spiritual quest authentically. For just as Prince Siddhartha’s sudden and unexpected visions of old age, sickness and death shocked him out of mistaking the world to be a pleasure palace, so too must all spiritual seekers confront the unsatisfactory nature of their lives so directly that they become thoroughly disenchanted with the ordinary human condition. If we do not take a long, hard look at the uncomfortable truths of our impermanent existence, we can easily waste the time between now and our inevitable death in essentially worthless pursuits, never taking advantage of this precious opportunity to do something truly meaningful with our life. Like the foolish prisoner who becomes so accustomed to the confines of his cell that he turns a blind eye to all chances of escape, we shall be condemning ourselves to spiritual stagnation and the endlessly recurring miseries of cyclic existence. Yet it is not enough merely to become discontent with our present condition; everyone experiences discontent at one time or another but very few do anything of real significance about it. In fact, the usual ways of dealing with problems and disappointment–blaming them on someone else or drowning them in forgetfulness–only bind us tighter to the wheel of suffering. What we must do is recognize that the true causes of all our misery lie rooted in our own ignorant misconceptions and that these can only be eradicated through the development of a clear, penetrating insight into the nature of reality. Only through the continued cultivation of such penetrating wisdom will it eventually be possible to attain liberation from all states of existence conditioned by ignorance and be free of suffering.(p.45) –from Images of Enlightenment: Tibetan Art in Practice, by Jonathan Landaw and Andy Weber, published by Snow Lion Publications Images of Enlightenment • Now at 5O% off! (Good until March 2nd).

Kindness Daily: My Best Friend Saved My Life

kindness daily home smileCards smileGroups

My Best Friend Saved My Life February 23, 2012 – Posted by enigma74 I met my best friend when I was fourteen. We were in ninth grade – goofy, awkward teenage girls. We stayed close for many years and then back around 2001 we drifted apart. She and I didn’t really talk at all for about six years. Then, at thirty-three years old, I found out that I had breast cancer. She came back into my life like a force of nature. She cleaned my home, cared for my child, and took care of me. She bathed me, clothed me, gave me my medicine, and found creative ways to make food more edible when my mouth was so devastated by chemo that I could barely swallow. She saved my life and, with no thought of reward or recognition, and she did it all while having a fulltime job as well as two kids and a husband to care for! To this day she still won’t accept that she forever changed my world. This seemed like a wonderful forum to pass on a kindness story that never gets the recognition it deserves because she just won’t hear it. Thank you for reading; it does my heart good to know I’ve sung her praises. Add/View Comment >> About Newsletter Kindness Daily is an email that delivers today’s featured story from HelpOthers.org. If you’d rather not receive this email, you can also unsubscribe. Similar Stories Be Vocal In Times Of Beauty, by singlestep A Simple Prayer, by Shelley Paid In Full With One Glass of Milk, by brighteyes Children Have The Best Hearts, by ljcrowefamily Confronting Road Rage With Compassion, by Megan Helpful Links Smile Cards: do an act of kindness and leave a card behind to keep the chain going. Smile Decks: 52 cards with a kindness idea on each! Smile Groups: share your own stories, make friends, spread the good. Smile Ideas: loads of ideas that can support your drive of kindness. Unsubscribe If you’d rather not receive these stories by email, you can remove yourself with two easy clicks. Community

Delivered by HelpOthers.org Click here to unsubscribe

Top 5 Regrets of the Dying

When you don’t choose love, you choose fear. — iJourney.org Editors

~~~~
Inspiration of the Day:
Author and songwriter Bronnie Ware shares: “For many years I worked in palliative care. My patients were those who had gone home to die. Some incredibly special times were shared. I was with them for the last three to twelve weeks of their lives. People grow a lot when they are faced with their own mortality. I learnt never to underestimate someone’s capacity for growth. Some changes were phenomenal. Each experienced a variety of emotions, as expected, denial, fear, anger, remorse, more denial and eventually acceptance. Every single patient found their peace before they departed though, every one of them. When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently, common themes surfaced again and again. Here are the most common five:”
http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=16A702D:C3009629A010612CB5FC97B4B4328813B4B847859706E37D&

~~~~
Be The Change:
“If we could literally reach into you and remove all your fears — every one of them — how different would your life be?” begins this short passage.
http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=16A702E:C3009629A010612CB5FC97B4B4328813B4B847859706E37D&

**Share A Reflection**
http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=16A702F:C3009629A010612CB5FC97B4B4328813B4B847859706E37D&

A Different Kind of Super Bowl Story

Love is not blind; it simply enables one to see things others fail to see. — William Blake

~~~~
Good News of the Day:
They may be the most amazing story at the Super Bowl, this immigrant father who sought the American dream and the son he can’t see play in America’s biggest game. That’s a small joy most parents take for granted: seeing your child play a game. Watching him grow in sports over the years. Enjoying the best moments as much as he does. But Jean Pierre-Paul is led by the arm down a small hallway of his Fort Lauderdale home, then places his hand against the couch, to confirm he’s reached it. “It’s just my life, I’m blind,” he says in Creole through a translator. “Some days are good days, some days are bad days. Sunday with our son will be a good day.” The day of the Super Bowl was indeed a good day for him, as his son Jason Pierre-Paul helped lead his team to a win.
http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=16A6F46:C3009629A010612C614675772D84B671B4B847859706E37D&

~~~~
Be The Change:
As you interact with dear ones — friends, family, maybe even strangers — consider what your love allows you to see.

**Share A Reflection**
http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=16A6F47:C3009629A010612C614675772D84B671B4B847859706E37D&

Kindness Daily: A Train Delayed And A Life Saved

kindness daily home smileCards smileGroups

A Train Delayed And A Life Saved February 21, 2012 – Posted by redrose I had been spending some time in my home town and was about to return to my workplace. Arriving at the railway station I found my train was two hours late thanks to monsoon weather. I had arrived half an hour early, which meant I now had two and a half hours to wait in the bus station. I was more than a little worried about that! I took my luggage to a bench where only one other lady was sitting. Even sitting at the opposite end of the bench I couldn’t help but notice how sad she looked. Her pretty face seemed very worried. Rather than sit in silence I asked her if she was waiting for the next train. She didn’t respond. I asked her again. She replied, "Uhuh. Yes." Then she wiped her eyes. I moved closer and said, "Hey dear, what is wrong with you? Why are you weeping? " She responded that it was nothing and I should mind my own business. I realized something wrong had happened. I gave her a Smile card and moved back along the bench. She looked at the card for a moment. Then she turned to me and said, "I’m sorry for being so rude. Would you mind if I talked to you like a sister for a little while?" I smiled and nodded. She told she is from a family of four. Her father died last year and she has a elder brother and mother. She used to have a job but after her dad died she stopped working so she could help her mother. She told that her mum and brother were trying to arrange a marriage for her and she was forced to stand, all dressed up, for each potential husband to inspect whether she liked him or not. She once asked if this was fair and her mother shouted that it didn’t matter what she felt, she would marry who her mother chose for her. One of these suitors, a much older guy, asked her to go to bed with him. She told her mother and the unsympathetic response left this lovely young lady in tears. By now I was really feeling sorry for her. Then she said she had planned to kill herself in the train station. I was shocked! She sat with me for another half an hour while I tried to convince her life was worth living. I told her to e mail me her resume and I would try to get her good job. Then I gave her some money to help her get where she needed to go. I told her to forget her suicidal thoughts and to believe she could have a better life. I gave her my phone number and asked her to ring me if I could help. She smiled and hugged me tightly and told me, "Thanks for your time and I promise I wont think any more suicidal thoughts. Hopefully I will get a good job and my wedding, when it comes, will be a happy affair I can invite you to!" Please join me in praying that her dreams come true and her future is a bright and happy one. Add/View Comment >> About Newsletter Kindness Daily is an email that delivers today’s featured story from HelpOthers.org. If you’d rather not receive this email, you can also unsubscribe. Similar Stories Warm Story From Ethiopia, by Brendan Moran Joys of Picking Tamarind, by guin London Cabbie’s Payment-in-Kind!, by T.S. Listening Life Raft, by twocents Saying Grace In A Restaurant, by Blunt Helpful Links Smile Cards: do an act of kindness and leave a card behind to keep the chain going. Smile Decks: 52 cards with a kindness idea on each! Smile Groups: share your own stories, make friends, spread the good. Smile Ideas: loads of ideas that can support your drive of kindness. Unsubscribe If you’d rather not receive these stories by email, you can remove yourself with two easy clicks. Community

Delivered by HelpOthers.org Click here to unsubscribe

Social Media for Social Transformation

Transformation literally means going beyond your form. — Wayne Dyer

~~~~
Inspiration of the Day:
“Any social-change hero succeeds in doing three fundamental things — raising awareness, creating impact, and transforming the heart. Today’s technologies, particular social media, can be significant tools. For awareness, the Internet has been an absolute amplifier. For impact, the Internet has been a mixed bag: remarkable potential in democracy movements, but significant problems ranging from cyber-bullying to “slacktivism.” Where it has been downright lacking, though, is in transformation. If we consider the profound revolutionaries of our time, from Gandhi and Mother Teresa to Cesar Chavez and Aung San Suu Kyi, their own inner transformation is what empowered them to touch the hearts of their communities. This is the place of our greatest leverage, and this is where the designs of our technologies have to be rooted.” An inspiring talk at the UN on social media for social change.
http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=16A6ECF:C3009629A010612C606C7F0E818D396DB4B847859706E37D&

~~~~
Be The Change:
Today, make an effort to step outside the box of your own identity, form, or function — to transform, even momentarily.

**Share A Reflection**
http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=16A6ED0:C3009629A010612C606C7F0E818D396DB4B847859706E37D&