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The Four Noble Truths & The Noble Eightfold Path

The essence of the Buddha’s teaching can be summed up in two principles: the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path.

The first covers the side of doctrine, and the primary response it elicits is understanding; the second covers the side of discipline, in the broadest sense of that word, and the primary response it calls for is practice.

Two extremes that ought not to be cultivated by one who has gone forth: devotion to pursuit of pleasure in sensual desires, which is low, coarse, vulgar, ignoble and harmful; and devotion to self-mortification, which is painful, ignoble and harmful.

The Middle Way:

Avoid the two extremes – devotion to pursuit of pleasure in sensual desires and devotion to self-mortification. Follow the Noble Eightfold Path.

The middle way – Noble Eightfold Path – discovered by the Perfect One gives vision, gives knowledge, and leads to peace, to direct knowledge, to enlightenment, to Nibbana.

Noble Eightfold Path:

Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration.

The Four Noble Truths:

Noble Truth of Suffering, Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering, Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering, and Noble Truth of the Way Leading to the Cessation of Suffering.

Noble Truth of Suffering:

Birth is suffering, ageing is suffering, sickness is suffering, death is suffering, sorrow and lamentation, pain, grief and despair are suffering, association with the loathed is suffering, dissociation from the loved is suffering, not to get what one wants is suffering – in short, the five aggregates affected by clinging are suffering.

Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering:

It is craving, which produces renewal of being, is accompanied by relish and lust, relishing this and that; in other words, craving for sensual desires, craving for being, craving for non-being.

Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering:

It is the remainderless fading and ceasing, the giving up, relinquishing, letting go and rejecting of craving.

Noble Truth of the Way Leading to the Cessation of Suffering:

It is the Noble Eightfold Path, that is to say, right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.

Right View:

It is knowledge of suffering, of the origin of suffering, of the cessation of suffering, and of the way leading to the cessation of suffering.

Right Intention:

It is the intention of renunciation, the intention of non-ill will, and the intention of non-cruelty.

Right Speech:

Abstention from lying, slander, abuse, and gossip.

Right Action:

Abstention from killing living beings, stealing, and misconduct in sexual desires.

Right Livelihood:

A noble disciple abandons wrong livelihood and gets his living by right livelihood.

Right Effort:

A bhikkhu awakens desire for the non-arising of unarisen evil unwholesome states, for the abandoning of arisen evil unwholesome states, for the arising of unarisen wholesome states, for the continuance, non-corruption, strengthening, maintenance in being, and perfecting, of arisen wholesome states; for which he makes efforts, arouses energy, exerts his mind, and endeavours.

Right Mindfulness:

A bhikkhu abides contemplating the body as a body, feelings as feelings, consciousness as consciousness, mental objects as mental objects; ardent, fully aware and mindful, having put away covetousness and grief for the world.

Right Concentration:

Quite secluded from sensual desires, secluded from unwholesome states, a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the first meditation, which is accompanied by thinking and exploring, with happiness and pleasure born of seclusion.

May all beings be happy!

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Buddha – Anapanasati Sutta

The meditator, having gone to the forest, to the shade of a tree, or to an empty building, sits down with legs folded crosswise, body held erect, and sets mindfulness to the fore. Always mindful, the meditator breathes in; mindful, the meditator breathes out.

The sixteen contemplations:

FIRST TETRAD (BODY GROUP)

1. While breathing in long, one knows: “I breathe in long.” While breathing out long, one knows: “I breathe out long.”
2. While breathing in short, one knows: “I breathe in short.” While breathing out short, one knows: “I breathe out short.”
3. One trains oneself: “Sensitive to the whole body, I breathe in. Sensitive to the whole body, I breathe out.”
4. One trains oneself: “Calming the whole body, I breathe in. Calming the whole body, I breathe out.”

SECOND TETRAD (FEELINGS GROUP)

5. One trains oneself: “Sensitive to rapture, I breathe in. Sensitive to rapture, I breathe out.”
6. One trains oneself: “Sensitive to pleasure, I breathe in. Sensitive to pleasure, I breathe out.”
7. One trains oneself: “Sensitive to mental processes, I breathe in. Sensitive to mental processes, I breathe out.”
8. One trains oneself: “Calming mental processes, I breathe in. Calming mental processes, I breathe out.”

THIRD TETRAD (MIND GROUP)

9. One trains oneself: “Sensitive to the mind, I breathe in. Sensitive to the mind, I breathe out.”
10. One trains oneself: “Gladdening the mind, I breathe in. Gladdening the mind, I breathe out.”
11. One trains oneself: “Steadying the mind, I breathe in. Steadying the mind, I breathe out.”
12. One trains oneself: “Liberating the mind, I breathe in. Liberating the mind, I breathe out.”

FOURTH TETRAD (WISDOM GROUP)

13. One trains oneself: “Focusing on impermanence, I breathe in. Focusing on impermanence, I breathe out.”
14. One trains oneself: “Focusing on fading away, I breathe in. Focusing on fading away, I breathe out.”
15. One trains oneself: “Focusing on cessation, I breathe in. Focusing on cessation, I breathe out.”
16. One trains oneself: “Focusing on relinquishment, I breathe in. Focusing on relinquishment, I breathe out.”

(Translated from Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu)

BREATH BY BREATH – THE LIBERATING PRACTICE OF INSIGHT MEDITATION – LARRY ROSENBERG WITH DAVID GUY

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FIRST STEP TO BEING SPIRITUAL

(This video gives an understanding of abstaining from unwholesome deeds and cultivating wholesome ones.)

It has been said in the Dhammapada, “Abstain from all unwholesome deeds, perform wholesome ones, purify your mind – this is the teaching of enlightened persons.”

What are unwholesome deeds and what are the wholesome ones?

Any action that harms others, that disturbs their peace and harmony is a sinful action, an unwholesome action. Any action that helps others, that contributes to their peace and harmony, is a pious action, a wholesome action.

There are three types of Wrong Conduct a human being is capable of – Wrong Conduct with Words, Wrong Conduct with Body and Wrong Conduct with Mind.

There are four sub divisions of Wrong Conduct with Words – false speech, slanderous speech, harsh speech and idle chatter.

Abstaining from false speech: Herein someone avoids false speech and abstains from it. One speaks the truth, is devoted to truth, reliable, worthy of confidence, not a deceiver of people.

Abstaining from slanderous speech: One avoids slanderous speech and abstains from it. What one has heard here one does not repeat there, so as to cause dissension there; and what one has heard there one does not repeat here, so as to cause dissension here.

Abstaining from harsh speech: One avoids harsh language and abstains from it. One speaks such words as are gentle, loving, soothing to the ear; such words as go to the heart, and are courteous, friendly, and agreeable to many.

Abstaining from idle chatter: One avoids idle chatter and abstains from it. One speaks at the right time, in accordance with facts, speaks what is useful, one’s speech is like a treasure, uttered at the right moment, accompanied by reason, moderate and full of sense.

WRONG CONDUCT WITH BODY

There are three sub divisions of Wrong Conduct with Body – taking life, taking what is not given and sexual misconduct.

Abstaining from the taking of life: Herein someone avoids the taking of life and abstains from it. Without stick or sword, conscientious, full of sympathy, one is desirous of the welfare of all sentient beings.

Abstaining from taking what is not given: One avoids taking what is not given and abstains from it; what another person possesses of goods and property, that he does not take away with thievish intent.

Abstaining from sexual misconduct: One avoids sexual misconduct and abstains from it.

WRONG CONDUCT WITH MIND

There are three sub divisions of Wrong Conduct with Mind – covetousness, ill will and wrong view.

Abstaining from covetousness: Here someone avoids being covetous: one is not a coveter of another’s goods and property.

Abstaining from ill-will towards others: One avoids a mind of ill-will and hatred towards other beings.

Abstaining from wrong view: One avoids wrong view, distorted vision.

There are three types of Right Conduct a human being is capable of – Right Conduct with Words, Right Conduct with Body and Right Conduct with Mind.

How can one “perform wholesome” deeds? One can perform wholesome deeds by practising right speech, right action, and right conduct with mind.

Right speech means speaking in ways that are trustworthy, harmonious, comforting, and worth taking to heart. When you make a practice of these positive forms of right speech, your words become a gift to others.

Right action is behaving peacefully and staying in harmony with fellow human beings.

Right mental conduct is having goodwill for others and cultivating the right view.

To “purify your mind”, you have to cultivate wholesome states and abandon unwholesome states by seeking wisdom and practising meditation.

This is the essence of the teaching of enlightened persons.

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Yoga Nidra (In Hindi)

Yoga nidra is a systematic method of inducing complete physical, mental and emotional relaxation.

योग-निद्रा पूर्ण शारीरिक, मानसिक और भावनात्मक विश्रांति लाने का एक व्यवस्थित तरीका है.

A single hour of yoga nidra is as restful as four hours of ordinary sleep.

एक घंटे की योग-निद्रा का अभ्यास चार घंटे की साधारण नींद  के बराबर विश्रामदायक है.

Yoga nidra is a more efficient and effective form of psychic and physiological rest and rejuvenation than conventional sleep.

शारीरिक एवं आत्मिक विश्राम प्रदान करने तथा पुनः ऊर्जान्वित करने हेतु, योग-निद्रा, साधारण नींद की अपेक्षा, अधिक प्रभावकारी सिद्ध हुई है.

Yoga nidra is a technique which can be used to awaken divine faculties, and is one of the ways of entering samadhi.

योग-निद्रा एक ऐसी विधि है जिसका उपयोग अपने भीतर दिव्य गुणों को जाग्रत करने के लिए किया जा सकता है, साथ ही साथ यह समाधि की अवस्था में प्रवेश करने का एक साधन भी है.

Most people sleep without resolving their tensions. This is termed ‘nidra’. Nidra means sleep. Yoga nidra means sleep after throwing off the burdens. It is of a blissful, higher quality altogether. Yoga Nidra may be called The Blissful Relaxation.

अधिकतर लोग अपने तनावों का निराकरण किये बगैर सोते है. इसे निद्रा या नींद कहते हैं. योग निद्रा का अर्थ है सभी बोझों को उतार कर सोना. योग निद्रा को आनंदपूर्ण विश्रांति कहा जा सकता है.

सन्दर्भ ग्रंथ: योग निद्रा – स्वामी सत्यानन्द सरस्वती

( यह विडियो स्वामी सत्यानन्द सरस्वती को समर्पित है)

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योग निद्रा: स्वामी सत्यानंद सरस्वती (अनुवाद एवं स्वर: जगत सिंह बिष्ट)

Yoga Nidra (In Hindi): Swami Satyananda Saraswati

Translation and Voice: Jagat Singh Bisht

#yoganidra #योगनिद्रा #peace #relaxation #stressmanagement

Yoga nidra is a systematic method of inducing complete physical, mental and emotional relaxation.

योग-निद्रा पूर्ण शारीरिक, मानसिक और भावनात्मक विश्रांति लाने का एक व्यवस्थित तरीका है.

A single hour of yoga nidra is as restful as four hours of ordinary sleep.

एक घंटे की योग-निद्रा का अभ्यास चार घंटे की साधारण नींद  के बराबर विश्रामदायक है.

Yoga nidra is a more efficient and effective form of psychic and physiological rest and rejuvenation than conventional sleep.

शारीरिक एवं आत्मिक विश्राम प्रदान करने तथा पुनः ऊर्जान्वित करने हेतु, योग-निद्रा, साधारण नींद की अपेक्षा, अधिक प्रभावकारी सिद्ध हुई है.

Yoga nidra is a technique which can be used to awaken divine faculties, and is one of the ways of entering samadhi.

योग-निद्रा एक ऐसी विधि है जिसका उपयोग अपने भीतर दिव्य गुणों को जाग्रत करने के लिए किया जा सकता है, साथ ही साथ यह समाधि की अवस्था में प्रवेश करने का एक साधन भी है.

Most people sleep without resolving their tensions. This is termed ‘nidra’. Nidra means sleep. Yoga nidra means sleep after throwing off the burdens. It is of a blissful, higher quality altogether. Yoga Nidra may be called The Blissful Relaxation.

अधिकतर लोग अपने तनावों का निराकरण किये बगैर सोते है. इसे निद्रा या नींद कहते हैं. योग निद्रा का अर्थ है सभी बोझों को उतार कर सोना. योग निद्रा को आनंदपूर्ण विश्रांति कहा जा सकता है.

सन्दर्भ ग्रंथ: योग निद्रा – स्वामी सत्यानन्द सरस्वती

(यह विडियो स्वामी सत्यानन्द सरस्वती को समर्पित है)

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Yoga Nidra by Swami Satyananda Saraswati

Yoga Nidra is a powerful technique in which you learn to relax consciously. It is a systematic method of inducing complete physical, mental and emotional relaxation. During the practice of yoga nidra, one appears to be asleep, but the consciousness is functioning at a deeper level of awareness. Here, the state of relaxation is reached by turning inwards, away from outer experiences.

Swami Satyananda Saraswati constructed this new system called Yoga Nidra incorporating the essence of tantric scriptures and practices without having complicated ritualistic drawbacks.

Yoga nidra is a simple practice. Choose a quiet room and lie down comfortably. Listen to the instructions and follow them mentally. The most important thing in yoga nidra is to refrain from sleep.

There are several versions of yoga nidra available but this one by Swami Satyananda Saraswati is perhaps the most powerful. It is very effective. I have benefited from it greatly and received a very positive feedback from all my friends to whom I passed it on. I feel it my humble duty to make it available to anyone who may need it.

For all practitioners of yoga nidra, Swami Satyananda Saraswati’s book ‘Yoga Nidra’ will be especially useful.

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Yoga Nidra for Children 

Yoga Nidra for Children: Swami Satyananda Saraswati (Presented by Jagat Singh Bisht)

This video is dedicated to Swami Satyananda Saraswati!

Yoga Nidra can be practised even by small children, taking into account their nature and special requirements. For children between 8 and 14 years, it is difficult to remain in one spot even for 10 minutes. Yet they relax far more quickly and deeply than adults. Therefore practice sessions of 10 or 15 minutes are sufficient.

In general children are far less tense and preoccupied than adults. They are more open and receptive to the experience of yoga nidra.

Source book:

YOGA NIDRA by Swami Satyananda Saraswati

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Yoga Nidra for Children (In Hindi): बच्चों के लिए योग निद्रा

Based on: Yoga Nidra by Swami Satyananda Saraswati

Presented by : Jagat Singh Bisht

Yoga Nidra can be practised even by small children, taking into account their nature and special requirements. For children between 8 and 14 years, it is difficult to remain in one spot even for 10 minutes. Yet they relax far more quickly and deeply than adults. Therefore practice sessions of 10 or 15 minutes are sufficient.

In general children are far less tense and preoccupied than adults. They are more open and receptive to the experience of yoga nidra.

This video is dedicated to Swami Satyananda Saraswati!

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Video-Meditation for Beginners

It takes long for one to decide to begin meditation. How do I begin to meditate? That’s the next question. If you ask the question, you are sure to be confused by all the answers that pour in. So, we decided to bring up for you a basic meditation that is universal. You just have to find a quiet place. Put the video on. There you are.

Meditation Instructions for Beginners:

Please sit down.

Keep your back and neck straight. Close your eyes.

Observe your breath.

Just observe your natural breath.

Watch your breath as it enters and as it leaves your nostrils.

Keep on watching your incoming and outgoing breath.

If your attention wanders away, bring it back to your breath gently.

While breathing in long, be aware: “I am breathing in long.”

While breathing out long, be aware: “I am breathing out long.”

While breathing in short, be aware: “I am breathing in short.”

While breathing out short, be aware: “I am breathing out short.”

Sensitive to the whole body; breathe in.

Sensitive to the whole body; breathe out.

Calming the whole body; breathe in.

Calming the whole body; breathe out.

Sensitive to mental processes; breathe in.

Sensitive to mental processes; breathe out.

Feelings may be pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral.

Watch the feelings with awareness and equanimity.

Know that all feelings are impermanent.

Calming mental processes; breathe in.

Calming mental processes; breathe out.

Sensitive to the mind; breathe in.

Sensitive to the mind; breathe out.

Thoughts may be wholesome, unwholesome, or neutral.

Watch the thoughts with awareness and equanimity.

Know that all thoughts gradually fade away.

Steadying the mind; breathe in.

Steadying the mind; breathe out.

    Gently open your eyes and slowly come out of meditation.

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वीडियो – आओ, बुद्ध की भांति ध्यान करें!

आराम से बैठ जाएँ. पीठ सीधी, आखें बंद.

A Pathway to Authentic Happiness, Well-Being & A Fulfilling Life! We teach skills to lead a healthy, happy and meaningful life.

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