WHY DO WE SUFFER?

The PHOENIX FORTH TO FLY

The PHOENIX FORTH TO FLY

Don't Be Afraid To Make Mistakes

Don't Be Afraid To Follow Your Passion

Don't Be Afraid To Follow Your Grit

Don't Take Things Too Personally,
People Can Say The Nastiest Things

Though, Easier Said Than Done

Accept Yourself As You Are

Of Course, With So-Called Faults And All

You Have Nothing To Prove To Anyone

Fear Is The Great Inhibitor

Love Is The Great Unifier

Through - Trial & Error,

We Learn To Be Wise.

ENJOY!

The PAUL H. STORY

HOW I SEE THE 
ZEN HOSPICE VOLUNTEERS at
LAGUNA HONDA HOSPITAL
by PAUL HENDRICKSON
RESIDENT S3
LAGUNA HONDA HOSPITAL 

---Then Geoff said about 4 or 5 paragraphs! Still, I heard myself answer, ''Yes! That should be no problem.'' I think that the gift of naivete may be my greatest gift. At least I have that going for me. And...NOT to be taken lightly is the Zen Volunteers ability to understand and forgive. Above and beyond everything...we have honesty. I've noticed that The Zen Volunteers and myself do aspire to honesty.

---I have been involved with Laguna Honda Hospital since June 20, 2002. Until then, I had barely heard the name and knew nothing at all about it. I had a stroke on June 2, 2002 and had been in SFGH for about three weeks. Now I was at Laguna Honda Hospital for Rehabilitation.

---I'm going to rewind a bit here. I had had a life changing realization in October of 1976. I very viably realized that ''Life and Living Is All About Love.'' I heard those words before from my Catholic upbringing...but, this night I heard everything, differently. The nutshell version is that I went from ACCEPTING that statement to be true, with every bit of blind faith imaginable, to UNDERSTANDING in October of 1976 what that may, actually, mean. It went from just ACCEPTING to NOW, ALSO, UNDERSTANDING what LOVE (to an extent) IS. The word APPRECIATION (of existence) was NOW a brand new animal.

---To backpedal a bit further...my birth in 1951, left me missing four fingers on my left-hand. I was, also, born with a heart murmur that would, probably, need an operation by age five. Long-story-short,
I didn't get the operation, but was psychologically imprisoned by my hand. Long-Story-Short...again, I learned that self-acceptance was in fact the life changer I received in 1976 and how self-acceptance makes a huge difference in one's life. The more one is in denial, the greater the revelation needed to get back to the zero point. I went through many, many situations to get to where I am today. I see self-acceptance to be much akin to Christ's death on the cross, Buddha's enlightenment, rebirth, attaining Krishna consciousness and/or the change that most religions speak of. It is the going from a selfish (unresurrected) to a more selfless (resurrected) self.

---To me....the Zen Volunteers provide what I see as one of the most necessary 'cogs in the wheel' at Laguna Honda. They seem to be one of the much needed psychological reset buttons (to life and living) we have for the residents. I was president of the Residents' Council from 2004 - 08. I went to many staff meetings. My recommendation, before I knew anything about the Zen Hospice Project at LHH, described a big part of what the Zen Volunteers do. Because of their friendships with the residents, the Zen Volunteers are great sounding boards...helping those residents who need it (which includes almost everyone) to see life more realistically and to get back to the zero point in their lives. Through this friendship they are able to help some of the residents who partake in the presence of the volunteers, be more accepting of their plight and why they are residents at LHH in the first place.

---On a very necessary level, the Zen Volunteers are a bunch of astute individuals ...with their feet planted firmly on the ground who sit and talk with the patients at the hospital. Their basic motto seems to be to listen to the resident and provide what is within their abilities to provide as to what they find necessary to provide that enhances the life of the resident.  Most often it's a much needed friendship in the patients hour of need. In some cases they bring a certain order to a much chaotic viewpoint that some of residents have. I, personally, wish the project was hospital-wide as most of the patients at LHH could/would benefit from their interaction.  I consider myself to be very fortunate to have a friendship of sorts with many of the Zen Volunteers who come to Laguna Honda Hospital. Be Well.

HOW WE FEEL LOVED?

CLICK THOUGHTOON!

SET SENSIBLE GOALs

CLICK THOUGHTOON!

ARE YOU ''GOOD ENOUGH?''

GOOD ENOUGH?


---Of course, you are good enough. There is no one better than you...but, also, no one worse. Everyone, in reality, is just who they are.
---We are made up of many things. We may possess talents that others do not...but, then again, I am sure there are talents that exist that we DON'T have.
---When we are jealous of someone, or someone is jealous of us...we are usually speaking of the fact that he/she may possess an attribute or talent we wish we had. My advice would be to figure out what it exactly is you are looking for and how one would go about having that. Then you could then work toward having it...ALSO.
---I think it is important to list the things you may want, and list the things you may need. I would suggest you pick and choose, carefully, because I'll bet that a lot of things one thinks he/she needs would fall into the, ''I THINK, I need category,'' and really just be things that you prefer or want. (Most NEEDS fall into the food, clothing and shelter, realm.)
---When one has his needs straightened out, his wants and preferences are much more realistic. One may discover that the pony that was much needed at one time...is really not so much of a priority.
---To sum it all up - people may have cultivated different tastes and we must honor that. But, we realize that most of us are, basically, the same, like a basic computer...it is just the different add-ons, that account for much of the reasons for our differences. ''One man's meat may still be someones poison.'' Take Care!

OLDIE/GOODIE!

COMMENTARIES ON LIVING BOOK 1

http://selfdefinition.org/krishnamurti/Jiddu_Krishnamurt_Commentaries_On_Living_1.pdf

ACCEPT YOURSELF: So-Called Flaws + All

MALARKEY or NOT?

IT'S OFFICIAL - LIFE IS UNFAIR!

MARK TWAIN - CHEER!

''Enjoy The Ride'' - Wheelchair Quarterback

DALAI LAMA

　

 The MESSAGE:

“More compassionate mind, more sense of concern for other's well-being, is source of happiness,” he said during a rare interview with “Politics Confidential” when asked how to sum up his philosophy for happiness in the form ;of a tweet.

Self-centered attitudes, he said, are at the root of unhappiness and human suffering.

“Too much self-centered attitude, you see, brings, you see, isolation,” he said. “Result: loneliness, fear, anger. The extreme self-centered attitude is the source of suffering.”
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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It’s been 54 years since the Dalai Lama – escaping persecution by the Chinese government—fled from his native country of Tibet for India, where he still lives today in exile. There is still no sign that the Chinese government will grant a level of autonomy to Tibet, let alone independence. And President Obama reiterated in a statement following a meeting with the Dalai Lama on Friday that “the United States does not support Tibet independence” and recognizes Tibet as part of China. Still, the Dalai Lama remains eternally optimistic on the topic.

Some officials in the Chinese government have characterized the Dalai Lama as “a wolf in sheep’s clothing” and one even called him a “demon.” But he merely laughs off such remarks: “Let them say whatever they like; the reality is reality.”

“Sometime a few years ago, some Chinese official described me as a demon. Then, you see, some reporter ask me, ‘what's my comment?’ Then I usually respond, ‘yes, I'm a demon with horns,” he said, moving his hands to look like horns on top of his head and laughing.

The Chinese government has also claimed that they will determine who will be the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, a process which is traditionally determined by certain religious leaders within the Buddhist religion.

The Dalai Lama, who is now 78 years old and still appears to be in good health, has a different plan for succession.

“The Tibetan people will need to determine who the next reincarnation of the Dalai Lama is,” he said and added that it’s possible that the Tibetan people could decide that he is the last Dalai Lama and determine that the institution is “no longer relevant.” So long as it is the Tibetan people’s decision, he said, “I’m happy.”

“Sometimes I, jokingly, say … ‘I think, at least, six centuries, the history of Dalai Lama institution, ended with present Dalai Lama -- quite popular!’” he said with laugh.

He also said that it’s “very possible” that the next Dalai Lama, if there is another reincarnation, could be a woman. He notes that women, biologically, are more sensitive to other’s suffering; and for that reason, it may be more useful under some circumstances to have a female Dalai Lama.

On the topic of stress and frustration, he said he’s “always relaxed” but admitted that “sometimes, little irritation comes” during delayed flights of his extensive international travel.

He recalled one occasion when he lost his temper with a reporter.

“One lady [in] our interview, and she ask me, ‘what you want legacy?’ And then I told, no, I'm Buddhist monk, Buddhist practitioner, should not think about my name, these things,” he recalled, and explained that the reporter went on to ask the same question again three times.

“Then, I lost my temper,” he said with another laugh.

To find out if the Dalai Lama actually golfs as is portrayed in the popular movie “Caddyshack,” check out this episode of “Politics Confidential.”


ABC News’ Alexandra Dukakis, Tom Thornton, Hank Disselkamp, and Gale Marcus contributed to this episode.

WHY DO WE SUFFER? - THE FILM (Paul H.)

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''The STORY - Part 1''

SAVING FACE vs. TELLING the TRUTH!

FEAR of BEING WRONG! - The ''STROKE'' GUY

ENDING of SUFFERING thru UNDERSTANDING

FOOD FOR THOUGHT...

It Is ALL In YOUR MIND

http://www.mediafire.com/?dzznjmzmquo
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---How you see things is very important. Check your level of ACCEPTANCE.