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Showing posts from January, 2023

The Empty Boat and Young Monk

Introduction A long time ago, a young Zen monk lived in a little monastery in the forest by a small lake. The monastery was occupied by a few older monks, but the remainder were beginners who still needed to learn. The monks had numerous tasks at the monastery, but one of the most essential was their daily routine, which required them to sit down, close their eyes, and meditate. The monk struggled to focus during his meditation practice for several reasons, which irritated him. After that, I concentrated in quiet for hours at a time. After each meditation, they were to report back to their mentor on their development.  Anger of a Young Monk When the young monk reported his progress, or lack thereof, to his mentor, the senior monk asked him a simple question with a hidden lesson: "Do you know what is making you angry?" The young monk responded, "Well, normally, as soon as I close my eyes and begin to meditate, someone moves around and I lose focus. I am angry when someone

Ichigo Ichie: 10 Rules of The Japanese Way To Happiness

Introduction The meaning of Ichigo Ichie is ‘one time one meeting’ that describes a valuable concept of treasuring the unrepeatable nature of the moment. It can also be translated as ‘once in a lifetime’ or ‘for this time only’. This Japanese philosophy stresses upon focusing on the importance of present in order to lead a fullfiling life without feeling anxious about the future or troubled about the past. Héctor García and Francesc Miralles explained this evergreen Japanese philosophy in their very famous book ‘Ichigo Ichie’. Ichigo Ichie: 10 Rules of The Japanese Way To Happiness 1. Don’t postpone special moments According to a very famous saying "you cannot step into the same river twice because it’s not the same river and same you". Each and every opportunity presents itself only once. If we don’t embrace present moment, then it will be lost forever. Never ever postpone special moments . 2. Live as if this were going to happen only once in your life