Not a particularly enthralling post here but the wisdom is ageless. I received this fortune in a cookie recently and thought “how true”
“I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand“
According to this quotes site, Confucius wrote this sometime between 551 BC (his birth) and 479 BC (his death).
Some neuroscientists got together with some Buddhist monks at the Dalai Lama’s house for some experimentats. ( 
) This article tells us that the study shows that meditation, specifically thought alone, like any other activity, can change the structure of the brain. Findings also show that seasoned monks (mmm…) are able to achieve higher levels of awareness when meditating. The study compares novices to monks with over 10,000 hours of meditation.
The novice meditators “showed a slight increase in gamma activity, but most monks showed extremely large increases of a sort that has never been reported before in the neuroscience literature,” says Prof. Davidson, suggesting that mental training can bring the brain to a greater level of consciousness.
So get to it and start ascending people!
This was a hairy project and to be honest I bit off more than I could chew for this semester. Any other semester and I would have put gold trim on this bad boy but as life would have it I did not devote enough time to the project. The outcome of it is enlightening. Basically my quest was to discover what Purpose religion serves to the individual, society and itself. For the most part any religion can fit into the picture and not all religions do everything in the diagram.
The diagram is what I decided would be the best way to present my findings. I did conduct in person interviews, online surveys and in depth recursive research on both biased and nonbiased sources. I intend for it to be ‘non denominational’ and not apply to any one religion or faith.
I was asked if I understood religion differently now that I have looked at it this way. My response was a new definition for religion:
“Religion is a system for living that operates behind a shield of the unknown”
The unknown could be any version of God, Enlightenment, the mysteries of life, etc.
I do not by any means declare this a finished work. Even though I have already presented it to my class and instructor, I am not satisfied with the product and I aim to improve it. I do welcome any and all input (put into the comments section of this post) to the following:
Purpose of Religion Diagram Page Best viewed on a PC with Internet Explorer. I made the diagram with Microsoft Visio 2007 as a Mind Map.
For MACs and FireFox junkies I saved it as a JPG for you. Purpose of Religion Diagram.
Our world is comprised of millions of variables in the human species alone. One of major forces that has shaped humanity and our world is religion. This message is for the Agnostics, the Searchers. Supplementology.org speaks about a new religion that combines science and scripture. The founder, Rev Sidney Smith founded Supplementology after a downward spiral that started with the brutal raping and murder of his partner and led to drugs and alcohol almost ending his life. 
He did not experience an epiphany but instead realized that he must seek answers. His quest led him to many discovers and realizations that he wants to share. One of the cornerstone’s of Supplementology is the Nine Norms which cover everything from free will and choice to family raising and education. There are many free texts to download from the site so you can judge for yourself the veracity this holds in your life.
 
According to this article, some parents are claiming that teaching Yoga in schools is a violation of the seperation of church and state. This is based upon the Hindu roots of yoga. I think this is a bit absurd. It is possible to teach yoga without spiritual and religious references. It does not need to be Hindu centered either. I have a friend that teaches a Christian Yoga class. Imagine that? I think some people have too much time on their hands, too few hobbies and little sense of belonging. They should go find a cause to fight for that would make the world a brighter and better place instead of limiting the learning of children.
My vote: Yoga stays, fundamentalists go.
I found this in a notebook I wrote in when I was 16 or 17
 It doesn’t matter what you do or accomplish in life. It does not matter who you are or even if anyone knows you. If you are spiritually happy, if you learn from your experiences and use your knowledge to ensure your spiritual happiness, then that is all that matters. To be emotionally happy constantly is to be emotionally dull. You do not have to use the knowledge you gain from experience to ‘better’ your life. Better your spirit and all else will follow, and if it doesn’t appear so, it doesn’t matter. For your spiritual fullness is the most important thing.
Yes this simple little tidbit is another page out of my little notebook from when I was 16-17.
Every human deserves respect. The poorest, sikest, ugliest and dirtiest people deserve respect. No person, no matter what their ailment be, has at least one respectable part of their being and that, in itself, demands and deserves all the respect in the world.
I found this a notebook I wrote in when I was about 16 or 17
I was in my favorite coffeehouse talking to a nice couple the girl started complaining about whenever she is with her boyfriend that she is always wrong and he is always right. He said that she isn’t always wrong. She asked him to name one time when she was right. He was stumped. I intervened by stating that she was right by rolling her own cigarettes because they are more plentiful and cheaper than regular cigarettes. She informed me that they were his idea. I revealed to her that the fact that she accepted her wrong doing and changed it made her right. The look on both their faces changed to that of enlightenment.
I found this in a little notebook I wrote in when I was about 16 or 17.
The city has many roads leading to it. Like the city, Happiness has many ways of attainment. One way is acceptance. By accepting all, we find ourselves very comfortable with the world as a result we find ourselves to be happy. This is a true happiness for it can be accomplished at any time and only inside yourself. No one can take that from you or affect it without your permission.
This is a list I wrote when I was about twelve. Pretty funny with a few profound items. I have left it as is for integrity’s sake.
Enjoy,
Other Things:Try to be more patient every day.Don’t act how you think people want you to act. Act like yourself and you will be liked for being yourself and being original.
In life, you will always have enemies, and you will always have friends. Many friends and fewer enemies is always good but a few good friends compared to many enemies is better.
It is easy to get frustrated and upset but better to understand.
Many people hate others because of the way they make an impression upon them. Try to let an individual make their own impression upon you over time instead of the impression you get when first looking at them.
When the chance to do something good arises take the chance and do it.
Talking to rude and self-centered people just makes you mad.
Don’t yell unless someone is deaf or can’t hear you.
If you don’t like something, say something about it. If you don’t say something then nothing can be done about it.
There aren’t very many people you can trust, be careful who you trust in.
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Bright lights are bad. They are hard on your eyes and take away the beauty of things.
People are born selfish. People grow up to be selfish. Some LEARN not to be selfish. And many of those who learned not to be selfish went back into the habit.
There are no ugly loves. That means that if you really love somebody then you won’t be able to find anything about them that you find ugly.
Hate is so easy to come by because there are so many things out there that people do to piss you off. It looks as if they do it on purpose because they are too lazy to do things themselves.
If you have an idea or an opinion about something write it down but write it so others can understand your idea if in case you pass away before being given the chance to present it to them.
Nothing can exist before it exists
Only I can change my future
Nothing can exist if it can’t exist.
Sex is the most overrated and yet underrated activity you can participate in.
Intelligence is the best and worst thing that ever happened.
Those in love are the happiest and saddest individuals.
Love will always affect your freedom.
Thinking too much makes you sad but wiser.
Luxury destroys the satisfaction received from simpler things.
The simplest things are the most interesting and enjoyable, but at the same time overlooked, things.
To live simply is to live happily.
Love brings pain, but the satisfaction that comes with it makes one forget the pain. Is that good?
The times of pain from Love outnumber the times of satisfaction, but the satisfaction outweighs the pain.
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