A Health UpDate Message from Akasa Levi ~ please post
♦ Hey My Friends ~ As many of you know, I have a serious health problem - I'm currently involved in a tedious, enduringly slow, extended medical leave. Yet, I’m using this hiatus as a rich opportunity to do a sort of home-based retreat -- I’ve semi-retired myself from meditation group teaching due to a Parkinson's Disease diagnosis. This is what Michael J. Fox currently has and Robin Williams had - this 'tremor' movement disorder disease that has dopamine frontal brain-issues with serious degenerative effects on the whole neurological system --Sad huh-- From Muhammad Ali to Salvador Dali, to Linda Ronstadt - many succumbed to PD - even Adolf Hitler had it ! --But, just for him, my Jewish grandmother would be glad. The real good news is I'm gradually re-motivating my NYC Suburban Sadhu Spirit and re-balancing my Chi-energy and restoring my wack humor, all of which PD callously hijacks and drains me of. A social visit, some tea at my place is welcome - so just pick up the phone.
Possibly this Spring 2017, I may be open to a simple, small mindfulness meditation sitting group. I want to tell you more funny practice stories a la India, and what it was for me to be with these Masters daily --'Live'-- adventurous stories of my Kandy to Kathmandu runs --before my ego's memory content looses them, poof, forever... A'nicca !
What's presently ongoing ? I'm seeing a few highly motivated individuals for various Buddhist-based 1-on-1 work: counseling, therapy, personal mentoring - or consulting on a project you'd still like to get my ‘take’ on. I still have some time before my rickshaw arrives. Please be very welcome to connect with me by phone or email. 1-310-459-2268 --- AkasaLeviZZ@msn.com
May the Many Many Generations of Buddha-Blessings of Warm Wisdom-Kindness Radiate from Within You All ~A~
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♦ The Laughing Buddha Sangha in Santa Monica encourages a Maverick Spirited Inner-Quest through a "Mindfulness-Awakening" style of meditation practice that nourishes a rebellious, iconoclast intelligence and a Big Good-Hearted Mind --where eventually the illusionary ‘Me' itself discovers my own empty container-- a 'Buddha-Nature' here MindFULLY present-- again ready to go with a Fullness of Mind and Fullness of Heart. My Lama Yeshe called it “Big Love”. At core, this Journey is really all about Awakening the Compassionate Healing Awareness of a Wise Empathy Naturally Deep Within Us All….
It’s There, Fer Shur…
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It’s There, Fer Shur…
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Prince Siddhartha sees Sickness, Old Age, and Death
…So the Buddha to Be, Prince Siddhartha - having caught sight of a Sick person, an Old person, and a Dead person -asked his charioteer Channa -- “ Sickness, Old Age, and Death --Does This Happen to Everyone, to Every Living Being ? " --- “ Yes Sire, It Does”, Chaana responded “These are natural occurrences: Sickness, Old Age, and Death happen to everyone - it is the true nature of things, No one can avoid them."
Will Death happen to me also ? Yes Sire Death will happen to you also My Lord.
Will Death happen to me also ? Yes Sire Death will happen to you also My Lord.
The Four Sights that interrupted a historical, cultural, intellectual, and personal comfort zone Buddhism: 500 BC and still going with great stability as a teaching.
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
There are eight Anxiety Bases of Saṃvega (saṃvega vatthu). They are Knowing about: That There Is The Round of Suffering As Rooted In BIRTH, OLD AGE, SICKNESS and DEATH, The Round of Suffering As Rooted In THE WOEFUL WORLDS, The Round of Suffering As Rooted In THE PAST, The Round of Suffering As Rooted In THE FUTURE, And The Round of Suffering As Rooted In THE SEARCH FOR FOOD IN THE PRESENT.
“The Four Sights” are four spontaneous encounters, sightings, described in the legendary account of Gautama Buddha's life which led to his thorough realization of the unavoidable “presence” of impermanence itself -- the main contributing factor -- which brings the ultimate dissatisfaction with the whole of ‘conditioned’ existence: a material object, a sensation, or a thought. That about covers it. According to this legend, before these encounters - Siddhārtha Gautama had been unknowingly kept and confined to his palace villas and a hundred miles of lush properties by his father, who feared that if he didn’t hide the suffering world from his own son, a father who feared that he would become an wandering ascetic, if he opened himself to a profound deeper level of wisdom and empathy, if he ever came into close contact with the daily sufferings of life, according to the court astrologer’s prediction. However, on his very first venture out of the palace with his charioteer Channa --he observed four sights: an old man, a sick man, a corpse and an ascetic monk. These sudden, raw observations so affected him at a level of his own deep turbulence, that prompted him to compassionately realize the sufferings of all beings, and compelled him to begin his spiritual journey as a wandering ascetic --which eventually led to a calming of the waters -- and to his complete enlightenment. The spiritual feeling of urgency experienced next, by Siddhārtha Gautama is referred to as saṃvega-- to share his enlightened realization with his own followers --But could they possibly understand ?The oppressive sense of shock, dismay, and alienation that come with realizing the futility and meaninglessness of life as it's normally lived; a chastening sense of our own complacency and foolishness in having let ourselves live so blindly; and an anxious sense of urgency in trying to find a way out of the meaningless cycle[2]
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Saṃvega is a Pali Buddhist term which indicates a sense of shock, anxiety and spiritual urgency to reach liberation and escape the suffering of samsara. According to Thanissaro Bhikku, saṃvega is the "first emotion you're supposed to bring to the training"[1] and can be defined as:
Saṃvega is also associated with the development of ‘Energy’ (viriya) and right effort, according to Buddhagosa's Atthasālinī:
Energy has exerting as its characteristic, strengthening the co-existent states as function, and opposition to giving way as manifestation. It has been said: "He in whom saṃvega is present exerts himself properly," hence energy has saṃvega, or the basic condition of making wholesome energy as proximate cause. Right exertion should be regarded as the root of all attainments. - DhsA. 121
There are eight Anxiety Bases of saṃvega (saṃvega vatthu). They are Knowing about: There Is The Round of Suffering As Rooted In BIRTH, OLD AGE, SICKNESS, DEATH, The Round of Suffering As Rooted In THE WOEFUL WORLDS, The Round of Suffering As Rooted In THE PAST, The Round of Suffering As Rooted In THE FUTURE, And The Round of Suffering In THE SEARCH FOR FOOD IN THE PRESENT.
Saṃvega can therefore be developed by practicing meditation on death (maranasati) and the charnel ground meditations as outlined in the Satipatthana sutta. In the Upajjhatthana Sutta the Buddha taught that everyone (monks and householders) should practice the five daily recollections as a way to arouse energy and saṃvega.
For saṃvega to be an effective drive to practice, it must be accompanied by another emotion called pasada, a "clarity and serene confidence." Pasada is what keeps saṃvega from turning into nihilistic despair by providing a sense of confidence that there is a way out, namely nibbana.[4] (Nirvana.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
1. Jump up ^ "Meditations 3: Dhamma Talks", by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Access to Insight, 1 December 2012, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/meditations3.html . Retrieved on 30 July 2013.
2. Jump up ^ "Affirming the Truths of the Heart: The Buddhist Teachings on Samvega& amp; Pasada", by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Access to Insight, 8 March 2011, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/affirming.html . Retrieved on 30 July 2013.
Get Serious ! ~
Birth, Old Age, Sickness, Death ?
Linda Ronstadt (b. 1946), Grammy award -winning singer
“Parkinson's Takes Her Voice, But Not Her Spirit.”
Here's Some Persons Living with Parkinson’s
or deceased due to Parkinson’s Disease.
André Courrèges (1923–2016), French fashion designer
Bhumibol Adulyadej (b. 1927), current King of Thailand
Billy Graham (b. 1918), American evangelist
Bob Hoskins (1942–2014), English actor
Casey Kasem (1932–2014), American Radio disc jockey
Deborah Kerr (1921–2007), British actress
Eugene McCarthy (1916–2005), American politician
George H. W. Bush
George Roy Hill (1921–2002), US Oscar-winning film director
Janet Reno (b. 1938), Attorney General (1993–2001
Johnny Cash (1932–2003), American singer-songwriter,
Linda Ronstadt (b. 1946), Grammy award -winning singer
M. Scott Peck (1936–2005), psychiatrist and best-seller
Margaret Bourke-White (1904–1971), American photographer
Michael J. Fox (b. 1961), Canadian/American actor
Muhammad Ali (1942–2016),
Pope John Paul II (1920–2005), Pope of Roman Catholic Church
Robin Williams (1951–2014), American actor and comedian
Salvador Dalí (1904–1989), Spanish artist
Sir Michael Redgrave (1908–1985), British actor[
Steve Alten (b. 1959), American author
Vincent Price (1911–1993), American horror film actor
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Adolf Hitler (1889–1945), German dictator [63
Billy Connolly ( ) British comic actor, comedian
Billy Graham (b. 1918), American evangelist[8]
Estelle Getty.
Janet Reno (b. 1938), Attorney General of the United States (1993–2001)[29]
Jerry Sloan (b. 1942), former NBA player and coach[33]
Jim Backus (1913–1989), American actor [41]
Joe Pasternak (1901–1991), American film director[95]
John Lindsay (1921–2000), New York City mayor [82]
John Rosenbaum (1934–2003), American artist[101]
Johnny Cash (1932–2003), American singer-songwriter, musician, author, actor [49]
Linda Ronstadt (b. 1946), Grammy award -winning singer
Parkinson's Takes Her Voice, But Not Her Spirit.
Lizzie Grey (b. Gunther von Hagens (b. 1945), Inventor and Anatomist[12]
Luis Marden (1913–2003), Italian-American photographer[86]
M. Scott Peck (1936–2005), American psychiatrist and best-selling author [102]
Mao Zedong (1893–1976), Chinese Dictator [84]
Margaret Bourke-White (1904–1971), American photographer [46]
Masa Saito (b. 1942)[31]
Maurice White.
Michael J. Fox (b. 1961), Canadian/American actor
Muhammad Ali (1942–2016),
Muhammad Ali.
Pauline Kael (1919–2001), American film critic [78]
Pierre Elliott Trudeau (1919–2000), 15th Prime Minister of Canada [111]
Pope John Paul II (1920–2005), Polish cleric, Pope of Roman Catholic Church[63]
Rick Shapiro (b. 1959), American comedian, writer and actor[32]
Robin Williams (1951–2014), American actor and comedian [116]
Roger Bannister (b. 1929), neurologist and the first person to run a four-minute mile
Salvador Dalí (1904–1989), Spanish artist [56]
Sir Michael Redgrave (1908–1985), British actor[100]
Steve Alten (b. 1959), American author[2]
Terry-Thomas (1911–1990), British character actor [107]
Vincent Price (1911–1993), American actor, also suffered from lung cancer [98]
William Everson (1912–1994), American poet[62]
William Masters (1915–2001), American sex researcher [88]
George H. W. Bush (b. 1924), 41st President of the United States[4]
Billy Connolly (b. 1942) Scottish comedian, musician, presenter and actor.[5]
Charles Schultz
Likely best known for the endearing characters in his Peanuts comic strip,
Brian Grant announced his early-onset Parkinson's diagnosis at the age of 37, only three years after retiring from NBA basketball. The former power forward
Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II, the second-longest serving pope in history,
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive disease. It starts slowly, often with a minor tremor. But over time, the disease will affect everything from your speech to your gait to your cognitive abilities. While treatments are becoming more advanced, there’s still no cure for the disease. An important part of a successful Parkinson’s treatment plan is recognizing and managing secondary symptoms — those that affect your day-to-day life.
Parkinson’s disease is one of the most common nervous system disorders. A diagnosis is most common after age 50, and while it affects both genders, it’s more common in men. Parkinson’s disease is one of progression—it may begin very quietly with a small hand tremor—but it will eventually affect almost every part of the body. There is no cure for Parkinson’s disease, although research is making advances every day. The cause of Parkinson’s disease is still a mystery, which means doctors can’t accurately predict who will develop it and who won’t. These prominent actors, musicians, politicians, and other well-known figures have all faced a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis.
Estelle Getty
Photo courtesy of Alan Light
In 2000, the actress best known for her role as Sophia on The Golden Girls
Maurice White
The founder, producer, and leader of the R&B band Earth, Wind, and Fire announced he has Parkinson’s disease