Please feel free to read and use any of these notes taken from various books I have found useful, interesting and worthy of consideration.
Everything Arises, Everything Falls Away: Teachings on Impermanence and the End of Suffering
By Ajahn Chah – 1. Ajahn Chah was an infectiously happy monk, living from 1918 to 1992, in the forests of northern Thailand. He demystified the concepts of Buddhism so that almost anyone who listened could get the point. He gave profound teachings to laypeople, showing real respect for anyone with a sincere interest. 2. The three characteristics of insight meditation – impermanence (anicca), suffering (dukkha) and selflessness (anatta). Other important terms: “metta” – loving kindness and “tudong”, ascetic wandering, supposed...
read moreThe Power of Compassion
By The Dalai Lama – 1. His Holiness describes himself as a simple Buddhist monk who lives his life with simplicity, humor and great warmth. Everywhere his message is the same – the importance of love, compassion and forgiveness. 2. “I speak from my own experience. I will not propose that my way is best. The decision is up to you.” 3. All sentient beings, particularly human beings, want happiness and do not want pain and suffering. 4. There is no absolute; everything is relative, so we must judge according to the circumstances. 5....
read moreThe Art of Possibility
By Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander; excerpts from the book follow: P. 6 “Out of the boat…signifies more than being off track – it means you don’t know where the track is anymore…when you are out of the boat, you cannot think your way back in; you have no point of reference. You must call on something that has been established in advance, a catch phrase…” P. 9-10 “Experiments in neuroscience have demonstrated that we reach an understanding of the world in roughly this sequence: first, our senses bring us selective...
read moreQualities of Effective Teachers
By James H. Stronge; excerpts from the book follow: 1. “The focus of this book is the teacher and it is research-based…. This book chronicles the common background and identifies the common behaviors that characterize effectiveness in the classroom.” (p. vii) 2. “By focusing on teacher effectiveness, our ultimate goal is to improve the educational experiences and achievement of the students we serve.” (p. ix) 3. Chapter 1: Prerequisites of Effective Teaching A. “Both content knowledge and pedagogical skills are vital aspects of...
read moreMedical Facts and Myths Everyone Should Know
By Dr. Sanjiv Chopra, Harvard Medical School I thought Dr. Chopra provided some useful information in this book, hence this set of notes. I did not focus comprehensively on all subjects in the book, only those that were of interest to me. Chopra is a respected MD and medical academic. His goal is to be objective in his comments, based on medical science and current research data rather than succumbing to often misleading or inconclusive marketing hype generated by special interests and/or the media. Miscellaneous interesting facts: 1) In 2010...
read moreCreative Visualization
By Shakti Gawain P. 2-3 “Creative visualization is the technique of using your imagination to create what you want in your life….you are already using it every day, every minute in fact. It is your natural power of imagination…whether or not you are aware of it.” “In creative visualization you use your imagination to create a clear image of something you wish to manifest. Then you continue to focus on the idea or picture regularly, giving it positive energy until it becomes objective reality.” P.4 “…you must be willing to...
read moreA New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose
By Eckhart Tolle – 1. “This book’s main purpose is to bring about a shift in consciousness, to awaken… If the awakening process has begun in you, this book will accelerate and intensify it.” 2. “This book is about you.” 3. “There is a realization that the ‘normal’ state of mind of most human beings contains a strong element of what we might call dysfunction or even madness… This dysfunction is a form of collective mental madness; Hinduism calls it maya, the veil of delusion.” 4. “Buddhism sees suffering (dukkha)...
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