Finding Peace: A Taste of Mindfulness

Written by Deva Ratnakara


When we are ill and don’t know it, we are in a state of ignorance or delusion. We don’t view ourselves as sick, so we don’t believe it’s necessary to go to a doctor or take any medication. We fail to recognize our own need for care and support.

The same is true of someone suffering from afflictions ofrepparttar mind—ill will, ego, doubt, and frustration due to unfulfilled desires. We rarely recognizerepparttar 123054 symptoms, and if we do, we don’t know how to change in order to live with greater harmony and personal power. In order to understand what is limiting us, we must learn how to see, isolate and intentionally respond to these mental obstacles.

In Sri Lanka, people frequently talk about peace. For more than 21 years, our country has been struggling for peace in a process complicated by politics, religion, economics and ethnicity. We dream of living without conflict. We long for peace to bloom in our nation.

But sometimes I feel this peace is only a dream. How can we overcomerepparttar 123055 tremendous obstacles in order to live in harmony here?

During one of my spiritual travels in northeastern Sri Lanka, I happened to stop at a tiny rural village. While eating a simple meal, I met a very poor, innocent-looking girl. She was about 16, and had spent her entire life in this war-torn area of poverty and despair.

In our conversation, it became clear that she had no concept of life without violence. She had lost her relatives, feared for her own life, and experiencedrepparttar 123056 ravages of hunger and homelessness on a daily basis. I was struck by her suffering. Her appearance conveyed only a hint of what she had endured. She looked calm and peaceful, but underneath that serene countenance was a bubbling cauldron of pain, fear, hopelessness, and despair.

Most striking of all was that she was completely unaware ofrepparttar 123057 effects of her chronic mental anguish. She had not even a vague understanding that her suffering created such insurmountable obstacles to peace and harmony in her own mind. She knew nothing other than what her life had shown her, and was so completely immersed in her suffering that she could not seerepparttar 123058 toll it had taken.

A few days later, I was inrepparttar 123059 bustling city of Colombo. I saw many people going about their business, and noticed that same innocent, eerily peaceful look that I’d first noticed aboutrepparttar 123060 young girl. I had to wonder what kind of suffering they were experiencing under their own smiling masks.

What's Your "Purpose"?

Written by John Assaraf


You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long asrepparttar bylines are included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated - send to: John@TheStreetKid.com

What's Your "Purpose"?

Hi Friends!

I recently started coaching a mega-successful entrepreneur who by any standards has made it big. As we have been getting deeper and deeper into what life is really about, I asked him a question, “'What'srepparttar 123053 purpose of your life?”

For over a minute he just stared at me and then asked, “What do you mean?”

So I repeatedrepparttar 123054 same question again, and added “What are you on this earth and journey for?”

He sat there with a blank stare on his face and then started to cry like a baby. He had never even thought about that question once. He felt saddened that his life seemed to have little if any meaning.

We quickly remedied that feeling by going over allrepparttar 123055 wonderful things he had done. Then we really got into his true life's purpose, and all I can tell you is that now he is so-o-o-o-o-o jazzed!

As with almost every person I meet, they have not really asked themselves that question, let alone have an answer for it.

Let me suggest that each one of us is here to do something special. It is our job to discover what that something is and fulfill it. For example, here is what I believe is my own purpose:

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