Thanks to all of you so far who have tried to keep the spirit of Vaj's original post alive instead of crapping on it. It's fascinating to me, especially in the context of my current vacation in the Pyrenees, to see how a life spent in the pursuit of Buddhist (or spiritual) goals can affect how you turn out, and how you think.
Over this trip I've experienced numerous technical diffi- culties. My expensive digital camera went all Impressionist on my ass, and started taking photos that look as if they were painted by Manet or Van Gogh. Then the "E" key fell off my computer. Then its screen died. And yesterday I got a flat tire. One of the friends who is here with me on vacation, some- one who is very sweet but has never been exposed to medi- tation and spirituality, said to me, "Wow. You've sure been having bad luck on this trip." The phrase "bad luck" shocked me. I had not heard -- or used -- the phrase in so long that it literally took me a few minutes to figure out what my friend meant by it. And then *that* shocked me. I had never -- even for a moment -- considered the minor tech failures on this trip as "bad luck," or even anything "bad." They were just shit that happened. I tried to explain this to my friend and she didn't get it. Things that happened to her were instantly sorted into "good" and "bad." A sequence of "bad" things for her becomes a string of "bad luck." I just don't think like that. Shit happens. Whether it's good shit or bad shit never occurs to me. It's just shit that needs to be handled. BFD. If I can attribute that to Buddhism and the practice of mindfulness, cool. If I were to attribute it to TM, it would still be cool. What strikes me as uncool is feeling that a cool thing attributable to Buddhism must somehow be "countered" because it isn't attributable to TM. --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "do.rflex" <do.rf...@...> wrote: > > What Makes Us Happy? > > "The job isn't conforming, it isn't > keeping up with the Jones'. It is playing > and working and loving. And loving is > probably the most important. > > Happiness is love. Full stop." > > > For 72 years, researchers at Harvard have been examining this question, > following 268 men who entered college in the late 1930s through war, career, > marriage and divorce, parenthood and grandparenthood, and old age. Here, for > the first time, a journalist gains access to the archive of one of the most > comprehensive longitudinal studies in history. Its contents, as much > literature as science, offer profound insight into the human condition. > > Atlantic article: > http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200906/happiness > > > = = The (Scientific) Pursuit of Happiness > > The Harvard Study of Adult Development, begun in 1937, has been following the > lives of 268 men, from college to death, to learn what makes for a good life. > > Dr. George Vaillant, a professor at Harvard Medical School, has been the > director of the study for 42 years. In this excellent short video from The > Atlantic, he discusses lessons he learned about fame, ambition, and happiness > along the way. In the end, his expansive empirical studies confirmed what > John Lennon told us a few decades ago: > > "The job isn't conforming, it isn't keeping up with the Jones'. It is playing > and working and loving. And loving is probably the most important. Happiness > is love. Full stop." > > Watch video: > http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1460906593?bctid=22804415001 > > http://snipurl.com/qnq2l [link_brightcove_com] > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj <vajradhatu@> wrote: > > > > Dying the cloth of inner happiness. > > > > http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3047291.stm > > > > "There is something about conscientious Buddhist practice that > > results in the kind of happiness we all seek." > > > > Paul Ekman, > > University of California San Francisco Medical Centre > > > > Buddhists 'really are happier' > > > > Scientists say they have evidence to show that Buddhists really are > > happier and calmer than other people. > > > > Tests carried out in the United States reveal that areas of their > > brain associated with good mood and positive feelings are more active. > > > > The findings come as another study suggests that Buddhist meditation > > can help to calm people. > > > > Researchers at University of California San Francisco Medical Centre > > have found the practise can tame the amygdala, an area of the brain > > which is the hub of fear memory. > > > > They found that experienced Buddhists, who meditate regularly, were > > less likely to be shocked, flustered, surprised or as angry compared > > to other people. > > > > Paul Ekman, who carried out the study, said: "The most reasonable > > hypothesis is that there is something about conscientious Buddhist > > practice that results in the kind of happiness we all seek." > > > > Brain activity > > > > In a separate study, scientists at the University of Wisconsin at > > Madison used new scanning techniques to examine brain activity in a > > group of Buddhists. > > > > Their tests revealed activity in the left prefrontal lobes of > > experienced Buddhist practitioners. > > > > This area is linked to positive emotions, self-control and temperament. > > > > Their tests showed this area of the Buddhists' brains are constantly > > lit up and not just when they are meditating. > > > > This, the scientists said, suggests they are more likely to > > experience positive emotions and be in good mood. > > > > --- > > > > Paul Ekman (born February 15, 1934) is a psychologist who has been a > > pioneer in the study of emotions and their relation to facial > > expressions. He is considered one of the 100 most eminent > > psychologists of the twentieth century.[1] The background of Ekman's > > research analyzes the development of human traits and states over > > time (Keltner, 2007). The character Cal Lightman of the television > > series Lie to Me is loosely based on him and his work. > > >
