“You are not just a meaningless fragment in an alien universe, briefly suspended between birth and death, allowed a few short-lived pleasures followed by pain and ultimate annihilation. Underneath your outer form, you are connected with something so vast, so immeasurable and sacred, that it cannot be conceived or spoken of—yet I am speaking of it now.”

In our lives we are accustomed to reacting strongly to things and then defining those things by those reactions. That is a very basic process for generating confusion between subject and object.

However when we are not reacting to things, we sometimes have an experience of neutrality. Neutral feelings are moments without strong reaction. Sitting in a waiting room or standing in line are often moments of neutral feeling. The most common responses to neutral feelings are boredom and irritation.

This is because we perceive reactivity as entertainment. And the absence of reactivity heightens your awareness of restlessness.

Pay attention today to the moments when you are bored or irritable. Be mindful of the moments in which your feelings may be described as neutral.

By bringing mindfulness into these moments, either through focusing on breath or presence, the neutral quality falls away. Instead it is replaced with a feeling of relaxation, nourishment, and ease.

from Lazyyogi.tumblr.com

Patanjali (via lazyyogi)

- Elia Kazan

Judgement can be useful to use. But it is useless when judgement starts using you.

To live in this world it is necessary to be able to discriminate between this and that. But to think that your judgements have any inherent truth is simply false.

“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet…”

Things are the way they are regardless of how we judge them. Therefore any judgement is just a shallow approximation. There is no substance to them.

To refrain from judgement you must become a witness to your mind. Silently observe your thoughts. Do not analyze or judge them. Simply become aware of the mind’s workings.

Your restless mind is compulsively judging, compulsively chopping the world into bits. Slow down and return to stillness. Set aside some time daily to meditate. When you can become a still witness of the mind’s movements, you will have the opportunity to emerge from judgement.

Namaste :)
Ask lazyyogi a question

To inaugurate the day, the "Peace Bell" is rung at UN Headquarters (in New York City). The bell is cast from coins donated by children from all continents except Africa, and was a gift from the United Nations Association of Japan, as "a reminder of the human cost of war"; the inscription on its side reads, "Long live absolute world peace".[1]

Individuals can also wear White Peace Doves to commemorate the International Day of Peace, which are badges in the shape of a dove produced by a non-profit organisation in Canada.

2012 Nobel Peace Prize

The 2012 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the European Union (EU) "for over six decades contributed to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe".

http://www.nobelprize.org/

The Nobel Peace Prize for 2012

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2012 is to be awarded to the European Union (EU). The union and its forerunners have for over six decades contributed to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe.

In the inter-war years, the Norwegian Nobel Committee made several awards to persons who were seeking reconciliation between Germany and France. Since 1945, that reconciliation has become a reality. The dreadful suffering in World War II demonstrated the need for a new Europe. Over a seventy-year period, Germany and France had fought three wars. Today war between Germany and France is unthinkable. This shows how, through well-aimed efforts and by building up mutual confidence, historical enemies can become close partners.

In the 1980s, Greece, Spain and Portugal joined the EU. The introduction of democracy was a condition for their membership. The fall of the Berlin Wall made EU membership possible for several Central and Eastern European countries, thereby opening a new era in European history. The division between East and West has to a large extent been brought to an end; democracy has been strengthened; many ethnically-based national conflicts have been settled.

The admission of Croatia as a member next year, the opening of membership negotiations with Montenegro, and the granting of candidate status to Serbia all strengthen the process of reconciliation in the Balkans. In the past decade, the possibility of EU membership for Turkey has also advanced democracy and human rights in that country.

The EU is currently undergoing grave economic difficulties and considerable social unrest. The Norwegian Nobel Committee wishes to focus on what it sees as the EU's most important result: the successful struggle for peace and reconciliation and for democracy and human rights. The stabilizing part played by the EU has helped to transform most of Europe from a continent of war to a continent of peace.

The work of the EU represents "fraternity between nations", and amounts to a form of the "peace congresses" to which Alfred Nobel refers as criteria for the Peace Prize in his 1895 will.

Oslo, 12 October 2012

These are Keanu's words (and I like much more :))

As I began to love myself I found that anguish and emotional suffering are only warning signs that I was living against my own truth. Today, I know, this is AUTHENTICITY.

As I began to love myself I understood how much it can offend somebody as I try to force my desires on this person, even though I knew the time was not right and the person was not ready for it, and even though this person was me. Today I call it RESPECT.

As I began to love myself I stopped craving for a different life, and I could see that everything that surrounded me was inviting me to grow. Today I call it MATURITY.

As I began to love myself I understood that at any circumstance, I am in the right place at the right time, and everything happens at the exactly right moment, so I could be calm. Today I call it SELF-CONFIDENCE.

As I began to love myself I quit steeling my own time, and I stopped designing huge projects for the future. Today, I only do what brings me joy and happiness, things I love to do and that make my heart cheer, and I do them in my own way and in my own rhythm. Today I call it SIMPLICITY.

As I began to love myself I freed myself of anything that is no good for my health – food, people, things, situations, and everything the drew me down and away from myself. At first I called this attitude a healthy egoism.Today I know it is LOVE OF ONESELF.

As I began to love myself I quit trying to always be right, and ever since I was wrong less of the time. Today I discovered that is MODESTY.

As I began to love myself I refused to go on living in the past and worry about the future. Now, I only live for the moment, where EVERYTHING is happening. Today I live each day, day by day, and I call it FULFILLMENT.

As I began to love myself I recognized that my mind can disturb me and it can make me sick. But As I connected it to my heart, my mind became a valuable ally. Today I call this connection WISDOM OF THE HEART.

We no longer need to fear arguments, confrontations or any kind of problems with ourselves or others. Even stars collide, and out of their crashing new worlds are born. Today I know THAT IS LIFE!

Uploaded with [URL=http://imageshack.us]ImageShack.us[/URL]

thanks for the reminders LucaM!

If you have cause to get angry, then you also can turn the energy of that anger in a positive direction. You can then resolve the situation in a way that is peaceful and valuable for all concerned.

If you have reason to be frustrated, you also have the motivation necessary to get beyond whatever is frustrating you. Whether you work to eliminate the cause of your frustration or grow beyond it, no frustration ever has to continue troubling you.

If you have experienced disappointment, you also have learned a valuable lesson. Go forward, apply what you have learned, and transform your disappointment into a positive turning point.

If you have known loss and sadness, then you also have gained a profound understanding of how very precious life is. Take the opportunity, for which you’ve paid so dearly, to raise yourself to a whole new level of meaning and fulfillment.

If you face a difficult challenge, you also have the opportunity to grow stronger, more capable, wise, experienced and resilient. Embrace those opportunities, for in them you will find the sweet substance of life.

— Ralph Marston (read more: http://greatday.com/ )

The moment we become possessive of anything, no matter how beautiful, we open ourselves to fear of loss. Then it inevitably becomes ugly. We then share our love and enjoyment with insecurity and anxiety, splitting our attention between the two polarities.

Right now your sense of self seems to depend on your friend. And when that friendship appears threatened, so too is your sense of self. This is what leads to worrying.

The ego's natural response to this situation is to cling to your friend, which will only make the friendship turn sour.

"In true love, you attain freedom. When you love, you bring freedom to the person you love. If the opposite is true, it is not true love. You must love in such a way that the person you love feels free, not only outside but also inside." ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

Friends come and go according to life's circumstances and it has nothing to do with whether you are a good and friend-worthy person. But the love that connects real friends is always there.

What use is the trust you have developed with your friend if you do not have faith in it? Don't trust this or that, just Trust. Let go of the rest.

Some people share common interests and that is nice. But the real commonality that we all have is that we are all human, living in today's world, and we all want the same peace and happiness - even if we are unsure of what form in which to find it.

Discover your innate wholeness while you are alone. Otherwise you will just be using your friends as a way of avoiding loneliness. You are immensely complete, regardless of your social circles and situation in life. Spiritual practices such as meditation help you to understand this through experience.

Namaste, my friend :) I hope this helped.
Ask lazyyogi a question