https://mayfieldclinic.com/pe-anatbrain.htm (A summary from the above website) Summary: Overview CNS - Central Nervous System - Brain and Spinal Cord PNS - Peripheral Nervous System - spinal nerves that branch from the spinal cord and cranial nerves that branch from the brain The brain is an amazing three-pound organ that controls all functions of the body,… Continue reading The Brain – Summary of functions
Category: Body/Mind – How we use our resources
Body/Mind – Gut Connections
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/09/your-gut-directly-connected-your-brain-newly-discovered-neuron-circuit Exerpt "The human gut is lined with more than 100 million nerve cells—it’s practically a brain unto itself. And indeed, the gut actually talks to the brain, releasing hormones into the bloodstream that, over the course of about 10 minutes, tell us how hungry it is, or that we shouldn’t have eaten an… Continue reading Body/Mind – Gut Connections
Maslow – “Plateau” experience
https://medium.com/@jaidasimone/plateau-experience-hack-consciosness-1149db103481 Maslow seems to bring another perspective on the link into bringing our zazen practice to life 24/7. We have been discussing "effortlessness" on the Soto Zen Buddhism website. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Would also like to add the question of Maslow's concept of "plateau experience", as it is talking about the ongoing experience as opposed to something… Continue reading Maslow – “Plateau” experience
Health Benefits of meditation – Research
https://www.self.com/story/mindfulness-meditation-health-benefits Excerpts: "There is an intriguing cluster of studies forming around the potential benefits of mindfulness meditation for a couple of other stress-related health issues that are just as universal as depression, anxiety, and pain: inflammation and aging. If meditation can decrease stress—as evidence suggests it does in not just those with certain conditions but… Continue reading Health Benefits of meditation – Research
Stop…Focus on your Breath… Watch
Investigating our own feelings is difficult..... Many folks go to a psychotherapist to try to unravel their feelings, and the roots behind them... The more i have learned to treat my life as a scientific research project, the more my life has begun to open up to me. Research doesn't begin with a bunch of… Continue reading Stop…Focus on your Breath… Watch
Don’t hold onto shit……
We humans like to hold onto shit........ Our mind is like a frogs tongue, sticking to things and not letting go. News Flash: It is possible for the mind to let things pass without sticking to them. The more we let time.... and its potential shit (and its potential joy as well) .....… Continue reading Don’t hold onto shit……
Life – a series of breaths
From the moment we had our ass spanked, and we started breathing, our “life” is one breath in – one breath out, a constant stream of breaths, until the day we take our last breath and expire. (Yes, that seems too short, doesn't it....?) Our “ life string” (a clear droplet of Infinity) enters this… Continue reading Life – a series of breaths
Watch what your mind is doing
i have spent some serious time, as i am certain many do, watching this thing called “my mind”. i am thinking that this may be the most important time we spend in our lives, watching what the mind is doing, and learning what is happening, and how to “use our faculties” instead of having “our… Continue reading Watch what your mind is doing
Reality – Finding a Benchmark through Zazen
i feel it is of the utmost importance to realize that our "original nature" is one of inner peace, just watching, or perfect relaxation. (and there are lots of other words we might use there). When some situation tries to pull me away from my "peace" benchmark, 1.) i focus on breathing. then ask myself… Continue reading Reality – Finding a Benchmark through Zazen
Reality – Stripping off our layers of personal understanding to find the reality …..
In having a hypothetical dialogue, if Person "A" were willing to strip off all the "lingo" or "sectarian terminology" from what he was saying, and simply state the facts, and if in doing so, Person "B" were to be able to listen openly, because he was not stumbling over some disagreeable terminology, and if this… Continue reading Reality – Stripping off our layers of personal understanding to find the reality …..
Reality is Dharma 