The sound
from the
heart
by
Valentino Giacomin
THE SOUND FROM THE HEART
Valentino Giacomin
Drawing: Clipart.com
By Farhang Atefi
Awakening Special Universal Education, Guroupur, Sarnath – Varanasi (India) – Email: valentino1@rediffmail.com – Web: www.aliceproject.info
Copyright 2008 - ASUE Alice Project
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any means without the permission from the publisher.
Good heart, good health, good environment
HeartMath, that was established in 1991 by Doc Lew Childre, has discovered that if someone has a coherent heart rhythm, it has a demonstrably positive effect on other people in close proximity to him or her (and the reverse is also true). Just think about how you feel in the presence of someone who is appreciative or caring, compared to being close to someone angry or frustrated.. That is: if your own heart rhythm is coherent, there is a greater chance that your environment will also behave coherently. That is: the health of your environment starts with your own health. That is: changing the world starts with you. McCraty explains, “With every heartbeat, information is supplied that affects our emotions, our physical health and the quality of our lives.” This means that feelings of compassion, love, care and appreciation produce a smoothly rolling—HeartMath calls it “coherent”—heart rhythm, while feelings of anger, frustration, fear and danger emit a jagged and capricious—”incoherent”—image. But this is more than a statistical difference. HeartMath’s research shows that a different heart rhythm leads to other chemical and electrical–even neurological--reactions in the body. McCraty says, “If you consciously shift your attention to a positive emotion, like appreciation or care, or if you allow your thoughts to return to the feeling of a cherished memory, your heart rhythm changes immediately.”
Harold Kushner: When you are kind to others, it not only changes you, it changes the world.
The story of Lin the young monk.
“Did
you clean your room, fetch water for the monastery, cure the sick monks and care for the entire Universe?”“I cleaned my room, I fetched water for the monastery, I cured the sick monks, but I do not know how to care for the entire Universe!”
“This is your homework for today!”
“Caring for the entire the Universe? What does it mean?”
Lin thought day and night.
He asked a senior wise monk.
“How can I care for the entire Universe?”
The old monk replied, “Read my book on compassion!”
“Please," asked the young monk. "Can I have your book!”
The old monk gave Lin the book.
Lin opened the book, but it was totally empty!
“Where is the story?” he asked.
“It’s in your heart!” replied the monk, while he carried on writing.
“How can I read it?” asked the monk.
“By caring for the entire Universe!” replied the old monk.
The young monk was baffled by the answer. He asked his Lord for inspiration. While he was meditating and praying, a cat entered his room and started to disturb him. Lin was annoyed and threatened the cat while he pulled it out of the room.
Suddenly, the monastery gong sent an unpleasant sound throughout, all the way down to the villages and much further.
“Who is striking the gong in such an aggressive way?” asked the monks. “Lin is fighting with the cat!” explained the Master. “His gong – mind is making an unpleasant noise!”
Lin tried to continue his mediation, but the came back. He yelled at it unable to control his emotions.
Again, from the monastery gong came a horrific sound, like the barking of a mad dog. The sound disturbed the mind of the monks, of all the people around the monastery and even farther away.
The monks protected their ears from that dreadful noise.”What is happening now?” they asked.”Lin was not able to concentrate and now he is angry with the cat!” said the Master.
It was true. Lin was not able to concentrate on his meditation and he turned his attention to the cat. That was when he realized how skinny and skeletal it was!
He felt shame for his previous behavior and pity for the poor cat.
“My friend, you need help right away. Come, I will give my lunch and I will cure you. I will not leave you until you become healthy and happy! ”
The monastery gong now sent off a sound again but this time it was a nice, peaceful, pleasant sound.
“Lin is caring for the cat!” smiled the Master.
Lin brought the cat outside the monastery. There he found many other cats and animals that needed his care and help. There were also beggars with tattered clothes and wounds all over the body. He was so deeply moved by the suffering of the animals and human beings that he prayed, “May all the suffering of the animals, human beings and ghosts of the entire Universe come upon myself. May all creatures find happiness and the causes of happiness. May I be able to free them from their physical and mental misery teaching them how to live in equanimity, free from attachment and aversion ! ”
The monastery gong sent a melodious, heavenly sound that astounded the monks, and made the villagers wonder about the miracle of such marvelous music that brought peace to the mind and gave strength to their bodies.
“What is going on?” asked the monks and the villagers in wonderment.
“This is the sound coming from Lin’s gong-mind. He is caring for the entire Universe!” explained the Master.
The monks understood that when intention/actions come from the heart, the gong – mind produces a celestial melody that brings serenity and love to the whole Universe.
Buddhist sayingIf you light a lamp for somebody, it will also brighten your path.
Lao-Tse, Chinese Philosopher:By the accident of fortune a man may rule the world for a time, but by virtue of love and kindness he may rule the world forever.
Paramahansa Yogananda: Kindness is the light that dissolves all walls between souls, families, and nations.
Mother Teresa: Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.
Zoroastrianism:
“Seek your happiness in happiness of all”
Matthew 22:37-39 CEV
“Love the lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind. This is the first and most important commandment. The second most important commandment is like this one. And it is,” Love others as much as you love yourself”
Satya Sai Baba
“There is only one religion; the religion of Love. There is only one language; the language of the Heart. There is only caste; the caste of Humanity.”
Judaism
"You shall not hate your brother in your heart . . . but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord." "The stranger who sojourns with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt." (Lev 19:34).
Islam
"Human beings can live in blessing and kindness so long as they love each other, show trust-worthiness, and behave according to truth and fairness. Love is enduring and patient and kind. It judges all things with the heart, not the mind. And love can transform the most common place into beauty and splendor and sweetness and grace. For love is unselfish, giving more than it takes, being unconditional and unhampered by environment. Love never forsakes, it is faithful and trusting, truthful. It is guileless and honest and never deceiving. Love is Allah's Divine Gift." ("Islamic Digest")
Buddhism
"Never is this world appeased by hatred; it is only appeased by love - this is an eternal law." (Dhammapada, The Way of Righteousness - 3-5, 201).
Daoism
"Heaven would save those who have love." (By founder Lao Zi, Ch. 67).
A human being is part of a whole, called by us the “universe,” a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separate from the rest — a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few people near us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. - Albert Einstein
“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” - H.H. the Dalai Lama
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