Happy Heart

You build up stress and get psycho because of a bad habit: you don’t balance your stress every day. It’s like a little snowball rolling down a hill. In the beginning, it’s small and you can stop it. As it rolls, it becomes bigger, big enough to smash your house. If you want to be wise in life and make your life better, you have to catch the snowball when it is small.

Stress comes from within (anger, greed, ego, worry, and fear) and from without (work, family, feelings that influence you).

– Make sure you organise time to have fun.

– Every night I take time to clean the dojo. I take care of the garden and enjoy giving water to the plants. I enjoy taking care of them. I say hello to the baby bamboo, create joy in my heart, and feel their energy. Afterwards, I feel great and sleep great.

– Create good habits. Before you go to bed, clean out your life, read philosophy, meditate: you will sleep joyfully (e.g. On Friday I met with Sean Pig. We ate ice cream, enjoyed each other’s company, discussed the Amitabha philosophy, and gave each other a message).

– Make the right calculation with the right people, have the right intention and do the right activity in a joyful way and you will have no stress; you will find your problems go away.

– The best way to deny a negative is to create a positive.

– Example: set aside part of the day for Me Time: 1 to 3 pm each day. I have a 15 minute nap then go back to work.

– Go to the dojo.

– If you are in a grumpy mood, follow philosophy not feeling.

– If you want to calm your energy, read philosophy or other spiritual words, or listen to spiritual mantras.

– At the end of day, think about all the negatives that you’re holding onto. See them from the other point of view and develop positive wisdom from it.

– Play spiritual music in the background when you go to bed.

– If you are trapped in greed or worry, read philosophy to take your mind off it, or do something kind or caring for someone else.

– Never compare yourself to other people. Respect every life as an individual I. Enjoy what they have without envy. Let them inspire you to make your life more perfect.

– Take time off. Do Chi Gong, Tai Chi, stretching, then bow. This will change your mood to positive or neutral joyful.

– When you bow, focus on what you truly value. You can ask for help from a consciousness much higher than yours. Talk to your heart, concentrate to purify your mind with pure images, perfect philosophy. Only put your attention on what is laudable, don’t get lost in anything else. If it’s worth fighting for, if you have passion for it, then it’s valuable. It’s like doing meditation, be aware of what has spiritual value.

– Smile: always let the corners of your mouth turn up.

More Happy Heart tips

Each day without bowing, sharing time with spiritual people, practising Tai Chi, stretching, reading philosophy, is a waste. Don’t be a slave to work. If you make time to do any one practice, then it’s a good day. Release the tension that everything else creates, otherwise when I work I feel like a draft horse! Develop joy; be sharper and wiser each day.

Do some housework. Feel joy because you are purifying your life. This is one of the ways to become Buddha.

Take everything lightly; have no worries today.

Write out notes from philosophy classes.

Be disciplined: read philosophy books.

Share life today with everyone.

Experience joy without stupidity: eat cake.

Sit down quietly and reflect.

Music: play an instrument to create focus and calm. When is the time for your passion? It takes just a little bit of practice each day to improve.

Make time for a long, hot bath.

Go outside to somewhere natural and relax.

Do a workout.

Share a meal.

Be spontaneous: allow yourself the freedom to do something different. Have coffee, change plans. Enjoy structured spontaneity.

From a talk on 30 October 2011.