Lesson 1
Start On Sagar Island
Today, I will take you to the starting point of my journey through India, I start on Sagar Island, which is located south of Calcutta in the river delta of the Hoogly River. The river washes the water from the north of the country here into the Bay of Bengal.
You can achieve a profound change in your sleep by creating an evening ritual and making it a habit. To make it easier for you to fall asleep today, I use several elements. The story I am telling today is supported by nature sounds, which I recorded by the sea, here on Sagar Island. Nature influences our mental processes in many ways: through fresh air, physical activity, the greenery. But one effect was often underestimated in scientific research, namely the natural background noise. We reorganize our thought processes and new ideas can spark when we listen to biological sounds, which can actually be measured in sleep laboratories.
We will do a short calming breathing exercise that a local yoga teacher showed me. The relaxation exercise is called "ocean breath" and the music in this session is by Yonder Dale. To help your brain get from the active phase to a resting state, the episode is supported by delta and theta waves. The stimulation with theta waves helps you to fall asleep and triggers conditions that you may know from daydreaming. Treatment with theta waves can reduce anxiety and stress and significantly increase your overall well being.
Another advantage of treatments with theta waves is that our brain “gets used” to these new states of consciousness in deep theta over time. Simply put, your brain learns to trigger these states of consciousness by itself, which means a profound change in your stress management and it improves the ability to sleep significantly.
Do enjoy this time. Enjoy the time between day and night and the transition from consciousness into the unconsciousness of sleep.
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Lesson 2
Night At The Vishnu Temple
Today, we hear birds that I recorded at the temple. The chirping of birds, according to Julian Treasure of The Sound Agency, triggers physical relaxation while also leading to cognitive stimulation. This goes way back to ancient times when we could tell the safety or danger of a situation based on how animals around us reacted. A study by Stockholm University attests that natural noises relieve psychological stress and have a relaxing effect. The good thing about it is that the sounds of nature not only work live in nature, but also as a sound recording.
Today, we are learning a super short breathing exercise that has a very intense calming effect and has gained great popularity in recent years. The breathing exercise is called "4-7-8" and the music in today's episode for it is by Canadian musician Ethan Sloan.
In order to support your brain transitioning from the active phase to a resting state, today's episode is supported by delta waves. Delta waves mainly occur in deep sleep. Delta activity is accompanied by dreamless sleep as well as various types of trance. The human delta wave state during sleep is of great importance for all healing processes as well as for the functionality of the immune system, as healing growth hormones are released in the delta wave state.
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Lesson 3
Bay Of Bengal
Today is my last day on Sagar Island. Tomorrow morning, I have to say goodbye to the island.
I spend the whole day at the beach and by the sea and watch the spirit crabs run along the beach and the seagulls.
I borrowed a small rowboat for the night. As I'm throwing the backpack into the boat, Little Raul is back with me. He used rice and cooked mussels for me. I am moved to tears, I accept the gift and thank him. I throw my backpack into the boat and slide it over the sand into the waves, jump in and start rowing out to sea. Raul stands by the water and waves to me with both arms. And there, I see a young woman standing a little away, maybe his older sister or the young mother. She also waves to me, very shy, and I wave back.
After half an hour, I can no longer see the shore and am only surrounded by the sea. The complete immersion in nature helps me to synchronize my rhythm with the world and with the cosmos and to get back into the right rhythm.
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Lesson 4
Hooghly River
Today, we are using waves again to help you fall asleep faster and improve your sleep quality. How does it work with the delta and theta waves? You may have heard or even tried it as a kid in school that if you want to make a guitar string vibrate without touching it, what you do is play the same tone with a tuning fork, for example. The frequency from the tuning fork will make the guitar string vibrate.
And it works in a similar way here: the alpha, delta, and theta waves that I included in the therapy stimulate your brain to tune into this wave frequency. Your brain will learn to create these frequencies by itself again and with repetition, produce this sustainably long-term. Sleep researchers from the Psychological Institute from the University of Cologne were able to successfully demonstrate these effects in a series of tests with 170 people.
I start my journey up north with a boat trip. Hari offers me to accompany his brother Gaurav on his boat, who is on his way to the Bihar School of Yoga, in Munger. I accept with gratitude and soon sit next to Gaurav in a narrow, long wooden boat that glides through the sluggish water. Yes, now I finally feel like I'm on my way. I've spent the last two nights outdoors and I already feel carefree.
The river is several hundred meters wide, it is one of the most important waterways in India. It connects Calcutta with the north of the country. There are mainly ferry boats and fishermen on the river. With every mile we ship north, I leave my daily routines behind. It is good for me to turn my back on the past and enjoy the very moment.
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Lesson 5
At The Shiva Temple
Today, I will tell you a story about my trip through India. Children love bedtime stories. Stories are part of the Sleeping Buddha Method. They have a calming effect, make it easier to fall asleep, and above all, used to be part of the daily "go to bed ritual."
The University of Cologne describes the bedtime story or fantasy journey method in its method pool as follows: Fantasy journeys are controlled daydreams in which both adults and children learn to associate and develop ideas in their imaginations, to solve problems and achieve goals. They are also designed to help reduce stress, restore inner balance and encourage imagination and creativity.
After the second day on the Hooghly River, we anchor at a small ruined Shiva temple in the evening.
We tie the boat to the steps that lead from the temple to the river. Believers take their ritual bath here. Shiva is the most important god in India. Shiva is the destroyer and the renewer. Shiva is the god of the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Brahma creates our universe, Vishnu receives it, Shiva purifies and transforms it to create something new.
Shiva stands for the eternal cycle of creation, maintenance and annihilation. It stands for breaking old habits and ties. The power of Shiva is the end of the old and thus the beginning of the new. Because only where you can make room in your life and get rid of bad habits, new and good things can arise.
Our renewal takes place at night. Children especially need a lot of sleep, as growth and cell renewal take place at night. And even when we are sick, we need additional sleep to carry out the repair work on the body. In the brain, the glial cells become active and remove pollutants. There is evidence that Alzheimer's is caused by pollutants not being removed and accumulated. The deeper and better the sleep, the better our brain is cleaned.
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Lesson 6
Ganges - Holy River
Today, I spent the whole day on the slim wooden boat and continued my journey north on the Hooghly River. Towards evening, we meet the Ganges and sail west towards the setting sun. I'm on the lookout for river dolphins but can't find any. The idea of dolphins in the water next to the boat remains a dream. I close my eyes and see them anyway. The little dolphins accompany me and I hold them firmly in my imagination and memory.
On the journey so far, from Sagar Island, past Calcutta and up to the mouth of the Ganges, I only see Hindu temples on the river. This is now changing. Buddhist temples are also blending into the landscape. I can recognize them from afar, the stupas, which form the religious center of the monastery and bear relics of Buddha or outstanding monks.
We continue on the holy river Ganges into the center of the Bihar region, the area where the historical Buddha was enlightened and did his teachings. The area that Buddha was moving in and teaching, is in northern India. If you draw a straight line on the map from the bend in the Ganges in the west, which we have entered today, to the east in Allahabad.
Buddha was born Hindu, and develops a philosophy that builds on Hinduism. He confirms: What comes up must come down. This truth can comfort us. We can't hold on to life. The old passes, the new arises. Worrying about what was and what's coming doesn't change anything. In meditation, we strengthen our serenity and enjoy the moment.
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Lesson 7
Bihar
We also use music in sleep therapy. Music touches us emotionally. Music is the key to our soul. The relaxing effect of music is one of the most inherent functions of this medium, writes Dr. Stegmann in his thesis, "Music has a stress-reducing potential that can be activated and exploited when listening to music or in active musical practice." Music psychologist Herbert Bruhn speaks in this context of "music as a stress-regulating and emotion-smoothing medication." Philosopher Byung Chul Han says that the downside of our over-active society is expressed in "excessive tiredness and exhaustion" and that the excessive increase in performance leads to a "heart attack of the soul." In his music therapy approach, Han creates an interesting connection between relaxation and listening. He says, “With the disappearance of relaxation, the 'gift of listening' is lost." This ability to listen - resonating between unintentional enjoyment and focused attention - is the key to deep relaxation that is more than just a wellness exercise.
Back to the journey, the further we drive west, the more lovely the landscape becomes, with hills and rugged rock faces, small streams, waterfalls, lakes and ponds. Gaurav, who steers the boat, points ahead, indicating that we will arrive soon. The Ganges runs in a tight loop around Munger. We moor the boat in the small harbor, near the large railway bridge that crosses the Ganges here.
I throw my backpack ashore, get off the boat and am happy to have solid ground under my feet again. We walk the short distance from the jetty through the busy little town to the yoga school.
As in all of India, cows blend into the cityscape, grazing on the roadside and bringing the traffic to a standstill. By worshiping cows, Hindus express their gratitude. Cows are people's oldest domestic animals and help to carry heavy loads, provide people with milk, pull the plow, provide fertilizer for the fields and thus ensure a rich harvest. Adoration of cows is representative of compassion for all living beings, for all animals that have no voice to make themselves heard. The protection of the cows shows respect for god's creation and gratitude for nature, which nourishes people and gives them a home.
Hinduism honors cows and humans as part of creation and part of nature.
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Lesson 8
Royal Bhutan Monastery
I planned on visiting the Royal Bhutan monastery today and I manage to get there in the late afternoon, thanks to a lift that I got on the road. The Royal Bhutan Monastery is one of the most magnificent monasteries in the region. The king of Bhutan had this monastery built here in Bodhgaya to honor Lord Buddha. The monastery is only two minutes away from the place where Buddha attained enlightenment under the Pippala tree. The Mahabodhi Temple is built on that same spot, with a Pippala tree, an offshoot of the Buddha tree. I’m looking forward to visiting this place tomorrow.
But today, I want to have time in the Royal Bhutan Monastery. The monastery impresses with its magnificent architecture, serenity and a seven-foot-high Buddha statue inside. I look at the clay cuts that tell about the life of the Buddha and marvel at the large statue inside the temple.
Buddhism is the youngest Eastern philosophy and the core of Buddha's teaching does not agree with earlier religions such as Taoism and Hinduism in one particular respect. Some Taoists share the opinion that Buddha simply did not understand the concept of Taoism correctly. Buddha basically denies an independent soul. In both Taoism and Hinduism, it is assumed that there is not only a great cosmic force that pervades everything but also an individual soul. Buddha insists that everything changes and that the person that we were yesterday is no longer the same today.
Biologists would certainly agree with Buddha on this point since our cells are also constantly renewing themselves and we are therefore made up of completely new matter every seven years. Buddha says that our opinions and ideas also change and we also renew our psyche. The teaching presented by the Buddha makes it clear that it is only the ephemeral elements that represent “not-self,” while the essence of our being is no less than the cosmic energy itself.
What is really interesting about this philosophical discussion from my point of view is the recognition of a cosmic principle to which the human being is subject, of which he is a part. Whether completely, as in Buddhism or with an individual soul component as in Hinduism, I am unable to answer. In any case, what I experience is that the dissolution of the connection with nature, the increasing isolation and alienation of humans is not a new phenomenon. Individualization is part of mankind becoming human. Buddha warned about burning desires over 2,500 years ago.
Hermann Hesse writes in his book Siddhartha, "He understood early on the cosmic soul inside him, indestructible, one with the universe.
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Lesson 9
Under The Pipala Tree
I have now reached the heartland of the historical Buddha. Siddhartha started his journey in his hometown Kapilavatthu, in Nepal. He crossed the Ganges and after about 30 days of hiking, he reached Rajagaha, the capital of the Magadha Empire surrounded by mountains. There, he began to practice, and later, to teach for over 45 years.
From the Royal Buthan Monastery, it is only two minutes to the Mahabodhi Temple. Mahabodhi means "great awakening," "Maha" for great, "bodhi" for awakening. The temple was built on the spot where Buddha had his enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, a fig tree. On the west side of the temple, there is an offshoot of this fig, a huge tree that is protected by a small wall with colorful prayer flags. I am very impressed. Buddha himself would not have thought that his teaching would last that long, he only gave it 500 years. And since he lived around 600 BC, he misjudged by a good 2,000 years.
An overnight stay here at the famous Pipala Tree is out of the question, as many worshippers come here. So my goal for today is to look for a nice, large and quiet Pipala tree, under which I will camp tonight. I'm going north, probably the same route that Buddha walked, but in the other direction. I am going north, the direction that Buddha came from. I stay on small dirt roads and am often accompanied by children who giggle, nudge me and tease me.
Before Belaganj, after a seven-hour walk, I find a Pipala tree on the western flank of a rocky hill. This is going to be my camping spot today. I take off the backpack and put it against the tree. I have a great view over the hilly landscape and I'm curious how camping under a Bodhi Tree will be like.
If you are outdoors a lot and spend the nights outdoors, you choose your place according to practical criteria: The spot must be clean, protected from the sun, rain and wind. It is nice if you have a little comfort and can hang up your clothes to dry and have a good view.
The Pipala tree offers all of this. It spreads its branches wide, no bushes grow under the tree, just some grass and moss. It has a wide trunk behind which protects you from the wind.
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Lesson 10
Rainforest
I will continue north today. Via Patma, it is at least a 10-day walk to the edge of the Himalayas. I would like to hike from here to the northeast and at the foot of the Himalayas, to the Sikkim region, to Darjeeeling and Gangtok. I don't have a real goal today, Patma is too far, so I let myself drift and see where I can find a good place to spend the night.
I took a little booklet about Buddha's teachings with me and turn the pages over and over again when I stop to rest a little. I realize one thing. Buddha tried to get to the heart of things and did have a tendency towards exaggeration and extremes. Therefore, his first attempts at salvation were extreme. He joined ascetics, the hunger monks. He realized this was not the right path for him and proclaimed the middle path as the right way. If you are looking at the extremes, it is a great realization that the right path is not extreme, but lies in between.
That is why his first journey after his enlightenment was to meet his former colleagues the hunger monks, whom he wanted to inform about his findings. In his speech “all is burning,” which deals with the inflammation of the senses and the psyche, you can feel his tendency to exaggerate. He wants to clarify his thesis and is also taking a radical approach to the solution.
He defines egoism as the central evil and proclaims that there is no self, an ego existing. The non-existence of the soul is, therefore, his creed. This radical thought should encourage us to connect more with the world in order to avoid inflammation of the senses.
I can see the young, talented, and intellectual Siddharta right in front of me. He himself suffers from tension and nervousness like many brilliant minds and he leaves everything behind, his small endangered kingdom and the tightness of the family, which have great expectations of him. He goes out looking for peace of mind.
But he does not find this peace of mind within himself but in the dissolution of his own being. He realizes that we are only part of the cosmos and that we find salvation from our sufferings in connection with the cosmic worlds.
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Lesson 11
Waterfall
My hike through northern India now leads me steadily uphill, I am slowly leaving the subtropical climate zone. I cross the Ganges to the north, leaving the heat behind and the indolence of the humid days. With every stage of the day, the air becomes thinner, the nights colder, the rivers clearer and the paths steeper.
In the morning, it had started to rain shortly after I got up and the rain continued throughout the day.
In the broadest sense, consciousness is the experience of mental states and processes. Consciousness has not yet been scientifically explained, so it is not known how and why consciousness arises from physical and biological processes. It is generally assumed that animals with a sufficiently complex brain structure have a so-called phenomenal consciousness, and thus, not only receive stimuli, but also experience themselves in a perceived environment. This experience includes sensations through our senses: seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, feeling but also the perception of moods such as joy, sadness and fear or shame.
When exactly this consciousness arises in humans and how it develops is unclear. It is also unclear how much consciousness animals have and whether there are different forms of consciousness. This is how you trust a dog to have a consciousness, and a cat too, but it is difficult for us to determine if an ant or a plant perceives consciousness.
Consciousness has a lot to do with sleep in that the awake state can be distinguished from the sheep state. In the state of sleep, our senses, as well as the perception of moods, are greatly reduced. However, strong stimuli influence sleep. We cannot sleep with loud noises, with bright lights or even when we feel pain. Joy, sadness and fear - strong moods, also affect our sleep.
From my point of view, western cultures and religions are not concerned with either the conscious or the subconscious. These religions tend to regulate behavior between people in the form of rules. They do not deal with dealing with ourselves. An active cultivation of consciousness, and thus, our perception of the world around us is not practiced in the West. We can only see a doctor or therapist if problems occur.
However, my trip through India is not a religious pilgrimage, although the hike leads past numerous Hindu temples and through the landscape where Buddha was born and taught. I decided to go on this trip through India because the people here have been dealing with states of consciousness for well over 2,500 years and have developed techniques to influence this consciousness. What I learn here, I pass on to you.
This session features a progressive muscle relaxation practice.
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Lesson 12
Heading North
The high peaks of the Himalayas cannot yet be seen. I have left the Bengal plain, the landscape changes from hilly to alpine. The vegetation has changed a lot in the last five days. The tropical rainforest is now a primeval mountain forest. The forest I walk through is a very natural habitat. Although it can get very cold in this area at night, the people here do not heat their houses and huts, which protects the forests.
I'm walking in a hurry, I want to make miles, I'm looking forward to the mountains. I will continue east on the border between India and Nepal, towards Darjeeling. From there, I will have a clear view of the highest peaks in the world. Spending the night outdoors becomes a challenge. The mornings are bitter cold, and thick fog and clouds soak everything with cold moisture.
This session features a yoga nidra exercise.
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Lesson 13
Thunderstorm In The Himalayas
After days in the fog, the sun comes out and suddenly I can see the sunlit slopes of the Kangchenjunga, the third highest mountain in the world. This is the highlight of my trip. And then, the pictures of my hike flash in my memory one after the other, my start on Sagar Island, the river trip up the Ganges to Bihar and following Buddha's footsteps into the Himalayan Mountains.
But soon the weather changes again, thick black clouds darken the sun and send a warning of the storm that is coming. Before the rain starts, I shelter in an abandoned grass-covered stone house belonging to the nomads. I find a dry, covered area in the small interior space, which is apparently used by humans and animals.
You probably agree with me that we could sleep better if we were happier or more relaxed. And we also know that we are happier and more relaxed when we sleep better. It makes perfect sense to create good sleeping conditions:
If your body sends you to the refrigerator in the evening to look for sweets, this is a sign that it is tired. Instead of eating candy and going back to the couch, go to bed.
Use the time for your own bedtime ritual.
Give yourself time before going to sleep.
You sleep better in very dark rooms without artificial light.
You sleep better cool, so you should better sleep naked and with rather thin blankets. The body has to shut down and cool down at night.
You don't have to your put life upside down, but you should definitely replace one negative habit after the next with better ones. Do yourself little favors during the day. Here are a few tips on how you can make the best small gifts for yourself:
Fill up with brightness during the day. It would be best to spend half an hour outside in the morning before 10 a.m. Even when the sun isn't shining, you fill up with light through your eyes and skin.
Walk outside for half an hour during your lunch break. Both the movement and the brightness are magical.
Go barefoot on bare earth, in the lawn, or in the sand. Even a few minutes of grounding will make a positive difference to your wellbeing and sleep.
It gets dark quickly and I set up camp in the little hut. It seems like a kind of shelter, not suitable for a long stay. But good enough to find rescue. The high areas in the Himalayas can only be used extensively for agriculture, these meadows are used for a few months only. However, the weather can change quickly, so simple but stable huts are built to provide protection for the shepherds and their goats.
I leave my emergency food as a small present for the shepherds: two packs of Yumyum noodles, a packet of rice and a small can of fish. I add a piece of paper and paint a smiley on it. I think that's sufficient communication. I carefully pack everything in a nylon bag and put the present in a niche in the wall. A small sacrifice, a small thank you.
I know how good it is when you seek shelter, are exhausted, and find a little food or dry wood. This creates an invisible web of compassion and gratitude. A fine woven fabric, made of help and small gifts. A network that holds us in difficult times and can make us smile again.
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Lesson 14
Fire In The Himalayas
I've been on the road for almost six weeks now. From Sangasagar, I took the boat up the Hooghly River north, then west up the Ganges to Munger and from there mainly on foot across Bihar towards the Himalayan Mountains. Over the last few nights, I've found shelter in abandoned stone huts of nomadic shepherds. These simple huts gave me shelter from wind and rain. However, the damp cold creeps into my clothes and gives me a hard time. I walk longer and longer stages to keep myself warm through movement.
Today, I will start collecting wood early so that I can warm my feet and hands by the fire in the evening, maybe I will also be able to dry my clothes a bit. It is also a nice pastime to look into the flickering fire and let your thoughts run free. The fire symbolizes pure energy, power and strength, which contains both creative and destructive traits. It shows us that new life can arise through destruction and that the ways for new states of consciousness can often only be created through the sacrifice of the old. Change is in the nature of all life.
In Buddhism, fire is also a representation of our desires. Fire does not burn the same thing twice, it always looks for new food. It differentiates between what is burned because, depending on the intensity, it cannot always burn everything. The discriminating wisdom is already laid out in the essence of fire.
Desire looks for an object that seems to bring lasting happiness. The scattered energy of desire is never in the here and now, but is constantly focused on the future and goes hand in hand with the fear of not achieving what is desired. Not having enough, not experiencing enough, not creating enough, not being loved enough, not being enough. These desires lead to a burn of our feelings and emptiness as the fire of desire eats up everything and calls for new food.
Buddha, therefore, advises us to guard the senses and not to let everything affect us unfiltered. An external stimulus quickly becomes a wish and this arouses the desire. Overstimulation leads to a spiral in which we want everything and want more of everything. We can control this fire. It is the essence of life energy within us - and can also help to achieve distant goals and to develop our talents. It can help us to act strong and determined, to stand up for ourselves and our loved ones without fear and to protect them.
Today, my path leads along the tree line where the forests merge into bushland and rock. I stuff dry birch bark into my pocket and scrape tree sap into a tin can. Then, I collect sticks that I put in my backpack. So that I can light my fire, the small items have to be nice and dry. Only in the late afternoon do I begin to take larger pieces of wood with me and then pull dry branches behind me to a mountain slope where I can see out over the woods. And just as I've just started the fire, I see two monks in saffron robes emerge from the forest. They come up to me and one of them asks, "Hello my friend, you were calling us with your fire?
I am bewildered. Did I call the monks with my fire? I think so. In the last few days, I have hardly met a soul and I am happy to have company. I spread my sleeping mat for the monks and ask them to sit with me by the fire. They are obviously happy to have found me here. In fact, they look very battered by the rigors of their journey. They enjoy the warmth of the fire.
Unfortunately, I cannot offer any food, I left my iron reserve in the shepherd's refuge, but I make tea with a lot of sugar. We sit together for a long time and feed the fire with pieces of the branches that I pulled up the hill behind me, drink tea and when we go to sleep we look into a bright, clear night sky with millions of stars.
Nervousness, anxiety and tension are signs of increasing alienation and isolation. We have made nature controllable and subordinated to humans. We are rarely active in professions where we work with natural materials, come into contact with the earth and the ground or are exposed to the weather.
Sounds of nature help to break up this alienation and to let the aesthetic impression of nature come to life in our imagination, and thus, in us. Through self-experience with the living being of nature, we overcome our isolation and that will help us to come into a serene and cheerful mood - in harmony with nature. By immersing ourselves in the natural world of sound, in the crackling of the fire, we can establish a connection with cosmic beings.
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Lesson 15
Bokar Monestary
The monks woke me up before sunrise and asked me to come with them. I packed my belongings with stiff limbs. They took me to Bokar Monastery. It was about six hours on foot, but it took us a little longer because the two monks kept stopping to pray, meditate, chat or just to look into the mountains all around and capture the moment. We hadn't eaten yesterday evening nor today, so we were on our way through the Himalayas really hungry.
In addition, the two monks repeatedly asked me to take a detour to show me particularly holy places or places of power. Two hearts beat in my chest. I actually wanted to go to the monastery as soon as possible because I was very hungry, but I was also honored to enter these holy places. I recharge my batteries, take off my shoes, walk around and let the special atmosphere of these natural places work on me. Sometimes, these are small lakes, waterfalls or rock formations that characterize or cause these places of power.
Compassion plays an important role in Buddhist thought. This applies to both monks and followers, in religious practice and in daily life. Compassion has three forms: First, actual compassion, defined as compassion for the suffering of others. Second, compassionate joy, the joy when happiness is with others, and third, goodness of the heart: kindness, the Buddhist virtue par excellence. Kindness of the heart is an indispensable part of the training of both monks and laypeople, because for Buddhists only the spiritual act, the intention or attitude, and not the act itself, counts. Buddha wants goodness of the heart, kindness and compassion in the whole Buddhist world to become a role model for humanity.
The Buddhist monastic orders are based on humanity. The monasteries are based on the generosity of lay followers and believers. It's a symbiosis. The believers give food and physical support to the monks, while the monks offer wisdom to the believers. The relationships are based on a long-term exchange of gifts. The gifts are of very different kinds but are given with a free heart, and through them, lasting bonds are created. It is this large community that gives Buddhism its true-to-life success. Buddhists view kindness of heart as a talent that can be developed. You can learn it because it’s a skill. Like a craftsman: the work becomes better through practice and repetition. Kindness of the heart is actively pursued and gives the individual support in the society of those who give.
Compassion begins with the intimate encounter and contact with your own essence. Compassion and kindness begin in loving mindfulness towards yourself - self-love. To do this, you have to accept who you are. Without rating. Without repression. Without victim awareness. Without comparing. The way you accept your beloved child no matter what they do. Realize that you only learn from mistakes.
Look forward to your potential that you are about to develop. A child learns to walk only by trying things out, falling down and getting up again.
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Lesson 16
Gangtok - Looking Back
What has impressed me most? First of all, kindness, the goodness of heart, which is the social basis in Buddhism and the most important virtue. In Hinduism, kindness is also shown to animals, which is especially evident in the case of man's most important livestock, cattle. The worship of cows and the exclusively vegetarian diet show healthy limits to human omnipotence. Conscious renunciation, a less, rather than more is part of this goodness and opens the way for transformation.
I have been eating very simply for the past few weeks, only a little rice, vegetables and fruits, and sleeping on a thin mat, but I feel stronger than ever. The possibility of change, which is shown to us in the role of Shiva, gives me courage: The renunciation of bad habits is the end of the old and thus the beginning of the new.
In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you. Put away your unfulfilled desires and dreams, like an old worn-out coat, and don't mourn them anymore. This way you make room for inspiration and new ideas.
The second area that touched me spiritually is the realization that we are not alone. We are animated by an all-pervading cosmic force, an underlying all-pervading principle of the whole world. It is the original active force from which all things, the cosmos, life and also the order of things arise. We are part of nature, it permeates us, flows through us like water flows through our body, like the light we take in with our eyes and our skin.
We depend on the cosmic rotation of the earth, on the moon that circles the earth and the tides, on the circling of the earth around the sun and the seasons. When we spend time with nature, we exchange substances and energies, oxygen and nitrogen as well as electrons and free radicals. Nature nourishes us, heals our wounds both physically and spiritually. Why does nature do this for us? Because we are a part of it.
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