Buddhism and Management – Balamadana

Marcelo,

I know you read the blog and I understand that you are very busy, changing your life.

But let me keep posting some questions and thoughts and maybe attract some questions, comments and thoughts from people reading our blog.

I was asked over the weekend about “Are you a Buddhist” and answered with a classic “Are we not all born Buddhists?” and then decide to worship a (different) god.

Am I a Buddhist, Marcelo? I guess I am. I try very hard to adopt the Buddhist principles, life-style but struggle with a few, e.g. less alcohol, more meditation. However, on both of those as an example I am improving significantly every week.
I chose Buddhism because this “religion” allows to focus more on self development and is not telling you off about how bad you are.

Often I think that the prayer in any “mainstream” Christian Church were, a long long time ago, meant to be meditations. But, we use those words and go through them without anything happening, without a greater benefit for ourselves or others?!

I am not saying everyone is doing that and possibly for some the prayers are still meditation, however, this is based on my experience that the churches I have been to run more of a “ticking the boxes, said the prayer, lets all be good people” events.

Buddhism I find is different. It is about “how can you use medition to be enlightened”, practical advise on how to live, how to treat others and, how to benefit from our prayers and meditation.

I would almost go as far as calling Buddhism a “tool for Personal Development” – would you agree?

Hope you are well, love and kindness from this end of the world.

Volker

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Buddhism, religion

Marcelo,

In the UK it seems like every other person is ill at the moment – mainly people I know which makes me think

Seriously, I have a cold but not too many symptoms of it. More tiredness, headache, sore throat etc. But, what I noticed, in times of being “ill” there is this “something” you are more aware about your body.

You take more breaks. You work less. Your work life balance becomes more life than work. And, you try to sleep more in order to get your body up and working again.

And, I feel that my spiritual development is progressing too. Why is that? Is that just the awareness of my body, of my self and inner-self? Or would I just pay more attention due to the fact I want to feel my body again in the “normal state”.

Or, another thought for you: If I am not as aware of my body in the “normal state”, could that maybe be the “ill state” or “an ill state”?

Looking forward to hearing from you.

With love
Volker

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illness and awareness, inner self, personal development, self development

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life and death

This entry is an email conversation I had with Marcelo, you best read it from the bottom up. Enjoy, Volker

You keep asking/teasing me with mind vs brain – I do not know know where it is. Would it not be above our head. Where is yours?

I know from people reading it because it is different! Because we just write

L&K
Volker

2008/9/3 Marcelo Langer

Am I? That’s good….
Try to point me at where is your mind? I am not talking about brain, I’m saying “mind”…

This is a mere name, mere imputation to cognise something.
Describe mind, soul, “heart”, energy to me?

I love to play with you! Things are not established, they are impermanent,
even the concepts of everything.

You inspire me.

Shall we post those emails on our blog?

Marcelo

3/9/08, Volker Ballueder

You baffle me!

There is no mind from its own side? What do you mean?

2008/9/3 Marcelo Langer

Volker, I am afraid to say to you that I cannot have my life in my hands,
either control it by mind, just because there is no hands and there is
nothing outside of your mind (remember that), how surprise would you be
if I said: there is no mind from its own side.

Is that all crazy, isn’t it?

Marcelo

3/9/08, Volker Ballueder

Hello Marcelo,

Good to hear from you. I had a brief look at the blog, will respond tomorrow.

Your whole life is in your hands but controlled by your mind? Would that suit it?

I reply asap.

Trust you are well,

L&K

Volker

2008/9/3 Marcelo Langer

Volker, I think is better to say that my whole life is in my mind other then in my hands.

What do you think?

L&K

Marcelo

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Buddhism

Marcelo,

I spoke to someone the other day who said that my personal blog is not as read-worthy as this one. Responding to my question why that is, he said that we are actually discussing topics and suggest food for thought. My personal blog just writes what comes to my mind.

Here we go M-I-N-D – where, who, which, what and how do we use it?

Karma – every action is provoking another action. There is the “living in the now” but there is also the past and future, influenced by our Karma/Action.

Mind – is something we make up? Like soul? Or, maybe not making it up, but is it something we cannot grasp. Do we need to and why?

The mind is influencing our life, our Karma, as the mind will influence our acting, which is influenced by Karma ?!

Marcelo, you confuse me. What is the difference between mind and karma? I mean, what is the difference between the influence of karma and mind on your action. Would they not both influence our action?

I need to look it up but I read that someone said once that there is “only now”. Living in the here and now, Tolle’s book, the Power of Now, speaks about it. Have you heard about it/read it? I have but do not remember much and need to re-visit the book in detail. It is a way to spiritual enlightment, making use of the now and stop worrying about the past, if I remember right.

We need to train. Train to achieve enlightment, to achieve a good position in work, love and life. I find it is easier to actually train for the job, more hours every day. Instead I should sit down more often and reflect on my personal life – what about time for friends, family and myself?

I am going to see Dan Millman - have you heard of him and his books about the “peaceful warrior”? He is in London in 2 weeks, very exciting!

So, the most exciting question, is your mind in your hands – and if so, where is your soul

Love and Kindness
Volker

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inspiration, karma, mind, power of now

Hi Volker, I would not say Karma is equal to destination or destiny. For some reason:
I do not believe in destiny and destination is some thing that might happen without any particular condition, or not?
Karma is what you have said: whatever action I take in my past, present and future life will create/determine my actual conditions of living.
Using this analogy: there is no wave or tyde without the previous wave or tyde…
Our actions are not isolated and even the slightly action will reflect and generate some movement forward.
There is no next minute if the minute before hadn’t not passed by. To have the next minute, the minute before should had be extinguished.
Nothing besides our conditions of human beings or whatever have been fixed on our birth – everything will be result of our previous life actions and present actions.
A world championship could not achieve his goals without tranning – trainning overhere means generate actions and creating causes to achieve it. If his actions were good, positives he will be sucessful on his achievements otherwise if his actions were full of lazyness, not that good and some of them very negative, for sure he will not achieve that.
Of course he has to receive from his parents and birth the conditions (phisycal, mental and social) to be able to keep his trainning until reach his personal goals. But who has determine this conditions (parents and birth conditions) – his own karma. Afterthat everything will come from his determinations, actions, decisions, efforts and patience, accepting negative situations, transforming them in a virtuos conditions.
Some friends of us have a deep karma with us and our friendships remains for ever, another has only a shortly karma, so day entered into our lifes for a while and afterthat they gone. That means our karma with people around us are not the same, some of them are very close another ones not.
When we say I am accepting my karma, means I am accepting my actual conditions because they are the results of my own past/present actions. But I can transform it by two 2 ways:
purifying them throughout spiritual practices (meditations) or living and managing them with a very peaceful mind, without creating even more negative karma.
I do not believe in destiny, because it seems to me, that someone is taking my life in his hands and controlling it.
For me, my entire life is im my hands.
L&K
Marcelo

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Buddhism