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SPRITUAL HEALTH: SELF IMPROVEMENT

There was a king who was a great admirer of art. He encouraged artists from all over his country and gave them valuable gifts.

One day an artist came and said to the king, "Oh King! Give me a blank wall in your palace and let me paint a picture on it. It will be more beautiful than anything you have ever seen before. I promise you shall not be disappointed." Now, the king happened to be constructing a big hall at the rear end of the palace. So he said, "All right you may work on one of the walls in the new hall."

So the artist was given the job and he was very pleased indeed. Just then, another young man said, "Oh King! Please allow me to work on the opposite wall. I too am an artist."

The king said, "What would you like to make?"

The man said, "My Lord, I shall make exactly what that man will make on the opposite wall. Moreover, I shall do so, without looking at his work. I would even request you to have a thick curtain put up between the two walls so that either of us cannot see the other." Now, that was a tall statement. Everyone in the king’s court, including the king and the first artist were intrigued. But the king loved surprises and he decided to give the young fellow a chance.The following day a thick curtain was put into place and both the artists got to work. The first artist brought in a regular supply of paint, oil, water etc. The second one would come with a cloth and a bucket of water every day.

After a month the first artist told the king that his work was complete and he would like to show it to the king.The king sent for the second artist and asked him, "Young man, when would your work be ready? I am coming to see the first wall this evening."

The man said, "My Lord, my wall is ready too!"

The king went to see the first artist’s wall. He was very, very impressed with the painting and gave a hefty sum as a reward to the artist. He then asked for the curtain to be opened up

Lo and behold! The same painting was to be seen on the opposite wall too!

Amazing! But true! Each line, each minor detail was exactly as it was on the first wall. But this man had not been seeing what was going on, on the other side of the curtain.So how had he done it? The king wanted to know the secret.

He gave a double reward to the fellow. Then he said, "Young man, I am indeed very happy with your work. But you must tell me; how did you do it?"

The lad said simply, "It’s very easy! I just polished the wall every day!"

It was a wall made of white marble! The fellow polished it till it shone like a mirror. The reflection of the painting across the room, showed up in it!

That is what it means to polish yourself. For when we polish our hearts and souls, we see God’s reflection within.

It is said that the world is a reflection of you. Whatever you are, the world will seem to be that too. If you are sad, jealous, dejected, angry, restless … that is what the world will seem to be!

If you are happy, the world will seem to be paradise.

You decide how you want your world to look…

-Author unknown


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SPIRITUAL HEALTH: HAPPINESS

World Happiness Report from UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN).

The report identifies the countries with the highest levels of happiness:

1. Denmark

2. Norway

3. Switzerland

4. Netherlands

5. Sweden

US comes #12 in a survey of 150 countries.

The lowest ranked were Rwanda, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Benin and Togo, all in Africa. Happiness was up most in Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa, but down in countries struck by economic upheaval (Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain) or political convulsions (Egypt).

Six key variables explain three-quarters of the variation in annual national average scores over time and among countries. These six factors include: real GDP per capita, healthy life expectancy, having someone to count on, perceived freedom to make life choices, freedom from corruption, and generosity. Some studies show mental health to be the single most important determinant of whether a person is happy or not. Yet, even in rich countries, less than a third of mentally ill people are in treatment.

See http://unsdsn.org/files/2013/09/Chapter-2_online-appendix_9-5-13_final.pdf


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MINDFUL EATING

The following is an excerpt from Thích Nhất Hạnh a Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk, teacher, author, poet and peace activist. Beautiful words on living consciously.

 

1.   Honor the food. Start by unplugging all your daily distractions. Turn off the TV, your cellphone, and the laptop. Then take a moment to consider that everything you are about to consume – even the contents of your salad bowl – was recently alive and is about to provide your sustenance. Be grateful, too, for the many plant/animal that provide the meal, the farmer who grew and harvested the food, the trucker who transported it, the shopkeeper who offered it, and your spouse or other individuals who may have worked hard to prepare it.

2.   Engage all your senses. Before eating, make a practice of pausing. Notice the color, the smell and the texture of the food. With your first bite, take an extra moment to savor each nuance.

3.   Serve modest portions. Use a small dinner plate no larger than nine inches across. Modest portions are not only healthier, they are less wasteful and a small step toward a more responsible use of the planet’s resources. It’s hard to believe, but over 16,000 children in the developing world still die every day from starvation, malnutrition or hunger-related illnesses.

4.   Savor small bites. This allows you to better enjoy the taste of the meal. It also improves digestion since the process begins with enzymes in your mouth breaking down the food.

5.   Eat slowly. This will make you feel pleasantly satisfied sooner and help you avoid overeating. There is a big difference between feeling you’ve had about enough and swearing you can’t eat another morsel. Set your fork down between bites. (But be careful in restaurant – your server will try to whisk your plate away.

6. Eat regular meals. Skip a meal and you’re more likely to yield to fast-food restaurants and vending machines. Planning and sticking to regular meals – at least as much as your schedule allows – will enable you to eat more nutritious food, enjoy more satisfying company and settle your body into a consistent rhythm.

7.   Eat a plant-based diet. Buddhists like Thich Nhat Hanh claim this isn’t just healthier, it is also easier on the environment and more compassionate toward animals. To the extent you do eat meat, studies show it’s better to favor fish and poultry.