THE COMPASSIONATE KITCHEN
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NORDNOHC NETBUHT
November A Issue
CONTENTS • OMTIMES
Table of Contents
28
116
60
28
Thubten Chondron
50
Understanding Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
Interview by Sandy Sedgbeer
56
By Andrew Pacholyk MS L. Ac
56
Is There a Special Place That Touches Your Soul By John Holland
60 68
Music of the Soul By Judi Lynch
How to Ground Yourself in the City By Pari Patri
May B EDITION
72
May B EDITION
72
Choose to be Radical in Your Kindness
78
Cosmic Reset & Recharge Spiritual Retreat
80
What if Hitler Had Meditated?
Table of
88
10 Elements of a Soulmate
Content
88
01
94
106
112
80
02
102
124
100
86
WWW.OMTIMES.COM • +571.266.8463 • @OMTIMES.MAGAZINE
Table of Contents 94 100 108 112 118 122 130 140
How to Deal With Negative People When a Friendship is Not a Real One Extraterrestrials and the Evolution of Earth Humans Creating a Culture that Acknowledges Death Accessing Success Where to Get More Love Dealing with the Darkness of What Humans Do to Humans Chakra Wisdom Tarot
OMTIMES | MAY B
C O M P A S S I O N A T E
K I T C H E N
THUBTEN CHODRON
INTERVIEW BY SANDIE SEDGBEER
BUDDHIST PRACTICES FOR EATING WITH MINDFULNESS AND GRATITUDE Food is undoubtedly one of the greatest pleasures in life. We all spend a good time thinking about it, preparing it, eating it, and then cleaning up afterward, but how many of us have ever thought about the many activities associated with food as a spiritual practice? What if instead of seeing these activities as chores or engaging in them purely for pleasure, we could use them to increase our kindness and care and as reminders of how we wish to live out the values that bring meaning to our lives? The Venerable Thubten Chodron has been a Buddhist nun since 1977. She has been a close student of the Dalai Lama with whom she’s co-authored
Known for her warm, practical, and humorous
several books. She is also founder and
explanations of how to apply Buddhist
abbess of Sravasti Abbey. One of the
teachings in daily life, Venerable Chodron
first Tibetan Buddhist training
joins us today to talk about her latest book,
monasteries for Western monks and
The Compassionate Kitchen, in which she
nuns in America.
shares some of the practices from the Buddhist tradition that help us make eating
OMTIMES | JUNE 2019
become part of our daily spiritual practice
Understanding
Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common causes of sexually transmitted diseases (STD) in the world. More than 100 different types of HPV exist, most of which are harmless. About 30 types are spread through sexual contact. Some types of HPV cause genital warts, single or multiple bumps that appear in the genital areas of men and women including the vagina, cervix, vulva (area outside of the vagina), penis, and rectum. Many people infected with HPV have no symptoms. There are high-risk and lowrisk types of HPV. High-risk HPV may cause abnormal Pap smear results, and could lead to cancers of the cervix, vulva, vagina, anus, or penis. Low-risk HPV also may cause abnormal Pap results or genital warts.
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Health experts estimate there are more cases of genital HPV infection than any other STI in the United States. According to the American Social Health Association, approximately 5.5 million new cases of sexually transmitted HPV infections are reported every year. At least 20 million people in this country are already infected. All types of HPV can cause mild Pap test abnormalities which do not have serious consequences. Approximately 10 of the 30 identified genital HPV types can lead, in rare cases, to development of cervical cancer. Specifically, HPV 16 and HPV 18 have been found in 90% of cases of cervical cancer. Research has shown that for most women (90 percent), cervical HPV infection becomes undetectable within two years. Although only a small proportion of women have persistent infection, persistent infection with “high-risk” types of HPV is the main risk factor for cervical cancer. Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia is also called “CIN.” Sometimes it may be called cervical dysplasia. CIN means that there is a change in the cells on the surface of the cervix. The cervix is the bottom
part of the uterus. With CIN normal cells are replaced with cells that are not normal (abnormal). Over time, it is possible for these abnormal cells to turn into cancer. Any woman can have CIN. CIN itself is not cancer. But it can turn into cancer of the cervix. Following are the 3 types of CIN: CIN I This is also called mild dysplasia. CIN II This is also called moderate dysplasia. CIN III This is also called severe dysplasia. It is not known for sure what causes CIN but it may be caused by a virus that is spread during sex. The virus that causes venereal warts (“HPV”) is thought to play a role in many cases of CIN and cervical cancer. You may be more likely to get CIN if you have many sex partners or if your partner has many sex partners. The following may put you at a higher risk of having CIN. • Less than 20 years of age at time of first sex.
• Having a sexually transmitted disease (STD), like HPV, herpes, or cytomegalovirus (CMV). • A Pap smear test that is not normal. • Cigarette smoking. A Pap test can detect precancerous and cancerous cells on the cervix. Regular Pap testing and careful medical follow-up, with treatment if necessary, can help ensure that pre-cancerous changes in the cervix caused by HPV infection do not develop into life threatening cervical cancer. The Pap test used in U.S. cervical cancer screening programs is responsible for greatly reducing deaths from cervical cancer. For 2004, the American Cancer Society estimates that about 10,520 women will develop invasive cervical cancer and about 3,900 women will die from this disease. Most women who develop invasive cervical cancer have not had regular cervical cancer screening. Although there is currently no medical cure for papillomavirus infection, the lesions and warts these viruses cause can be treated. Methods commonly used to
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Music of the Soul, Soul of the Music By Judi Lynch
Our consciousness is wired for sound healing. When we listen to the music of the soul, we are powerful, glowing beings of endless creation and constant soul evolution.
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Most of us have memories of songs which remind of us of life experiences or feelings that were brought to light just because we listened. A beautiful melody or message that stirs our being to dream or take action becomes ingrained in our learning process as souls on life missions; Music is magic. The emotions and insights that occur because of the sound of instruments, voices, and arrangements elevate our frequencies to bring us further into evolution. Meditation practices often include tones, sounds, bells, human voices chanting and nature to help connect the higher consciousness with our human brains. Our pineal glands and chakra systems respond to the vibrations which create color codes we turn into healing energy. Activation becomes possible when the mind becomes still and open to receive. Stress and anxiety can be
relieved with the lovely sound of a soft piano concerto or the rhythmic syncopation of 10 drummers. Recognition can depend on our mood and our tolerance for loud noises. For some, it is a great way to release negative energies and bring thoughts for new horizons. Tuning forks which generate certain tones can help the brain relate to the body how to rid itself of toxins and speed the healing of injuries. Music can calm the storm and raise the spirits for maximum powers of creation. Listening to music we love can help us write, study, paint, draw and do housework. It helps us keep motivated or lets us purge our worries and fears. Music gives us something to dance to or celebrate. We can usually choose the music in our environments, but occasionally we walk into other spaces playing something new or unfamiliar. Our senses will either accept or reject the
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How to Ground Yourself in the City by Pari Patri
Working in the city? Here’s how to ground yourself when the stress gets too much. As an executive or entrepreneur, you’re no stranger to stress. You have a million and one things to do, and not enough hours in the day. You like your work, yes. Maybe you even love it. Either way, there are always times when the balance tips and the stress just gets too much. You have so many plates spinning, and making sure one doesn’t fall can feel like a full-time job. Heck, more than a full-time job. So how can you deal with it? I’m an Executive Coach, helping high-powered leaders strategies to help them get back in touch with themselves and the joy in their lives. I give my successful executive and entrepreneur clients the following 5 strategies, to keep them grounded and centered: 1. Implement a 5 minute morning routine If you check your smartphone before you brush your teeth, you’re not alone. 80% of people with smartphones tap into their phone within 15 minutes of waking up in the morning. But this causes problems, because the first 15 minutes are a crucial moment you can use to connect with yourself and start your day off on the right foot. Instead, you’re immediately letting ‘the world’ access your mind, emotions and intentions, before checking in with yourself! The thing is, most of us don’t even realize this is what we’re doing. Of course, we’re keen to check that email from that potential client — did we get the contract? We want to see what’s going on in the world, so look at the news. Did your date WhatsApp you back? We live in a highly connected world, and that’s great news for our access to communication with others. But don’t let that stand in the way of you connecting with yourself. When you wake up, resist the urge to look at your phone. Instead…
What if Hitler Had Meditated?
The authors share a commonlyaccepted quote suggesting that if all kids meditated, future generations would have no violence. Skeptical about the quote’s accuracy, Farias and Wikholm acknowledge that change is also dependent on other factors, both psychological and environmental.
What if Hitler had meditated? ‘If every eight-year-old in the world is taught meditation, the world will be without violence within one generation.’ –The Dalai Lama
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When best-selling spiritual author Marian Williams tweeted the above quote, it quickly went viral. It probably helped that her friend Oprah Winfrey re-tweeted it to her 24 million followers with the comment, ‘This I believe is true. Have seen it in action. The notion that religious or spiritual practice is something of a cure-all isn’t unique to Eastern practices, though. Fundamentally, all religions moot that spirituality can make you a better person. The evidence for this is ambiguous. It is true that religions emphasize the caring part of our human nature – from the ‘thou shall not kill’ of the Hebrew scriptures, through the Hindu praise in the Bhagavad-Gita of the person who hurts nobody and is compassionate towards all beings, and the Quran’s rule to be kind to orphans, the needy and travelers, to the Buddha’s precept to ‘avoid killing, or harming any living thing’, and the Christian golden rule of treating others as you would want them to treat you. While there is psychological evidence that practicing religious people are more charitable, our ability to differentiate between good
and bad deeds is already in place before we acquire religious ideas. Studies have shown that from as young as six months old, we prefer those we see helping another, and we’d rather be with someone neutral (who acts neither positively nor negatively) than with an uncooperative individual. And from eight months old, we can appreciate when a helpful individual act against another that has behaved badly. This ingenious research was conducted with computer images and puppets, so the babies could effectively recognize positive and negative moral behavior in strangers. The idea that we seem to be biologically predisposed towards morality does not answer the question a 16-year-old once asked me at a public lecture in India: ‘If we are born good and kind, how come there is so much violence and evil in the world?’ Religions have dealt with such ‘problem of evil’ questions for a long time and have come up with various answers – the existence of free will, disobedience to God, the work of the devil, and the concepts of illusion, karma or greed. Omtimes.com
10 Elements of a Soulmate Dr. Carmen Harra
The American writer Richard Bach said, “A soulmate is someone who has locks that fit our keys, and keys to fit our locks. When we feel safe enough to open the locks, our
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truest selves step out, and we can be completely and honestly who we are.” True to these words, a soulmate is the epitome of love and partnership; no one can fulfill you the way your soulmate can. There’s a world of difference between your soulmate, your heart’s other half, and a life partner, a person who’s convenient but can’t open your inner locks. Your soulmate makes you feel entirely whole, healed, and intact, like no piece is missing from the puzzle. A life partner may be a great supporter and long-time companion, but he or she can never complement your spirit fully. Many of us remain in compromise relationships because we “settle” for a multitude of reasons. Among them, we may be subconsciously afraid of being alone. Since we’re biologically designed to give and receive love, it’s only natural that we pair up in this world. However, sometimes we prolong what are meant to be temporary
relationships and mistakenly settle into them for good. In some relationships, we must be together with a person for a certain amount of time to close out a karma; in others, we’re meant to have children with our partner but not be with that person forever; and still in others, we experience a melting pot of conflicting emotions that leaves us confused. Whether you’re currently married, in a relationship, or contemplating entering one, it’s crucial that you know what role this person will play in your life. From what I’ve learned in my practice as an intuitive psychologist for over 25 years, certain elements indicate a soulmate bond (or lack of). As you go through this list, think about your partner or potential partner and evaluate whether they meet the soulmate criteria: 1. It’s something inside. Describing how a soulmate makes you feel is difficult. It’s a tenacious, profound, and lingering emotion that words
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HOW TO DEAL WITH NEGATIVE PEOPLE by Johanna Kern
Negative people have a problem for every solution. They can drain our energy and spoil our joy of life. Some people advise to avoid them simply – but it’s not always possible because
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sometimes such persons are our relatives or coworkers. It is important to remember that someone’s negative behavior is not a reflection of who we are. It only shows us what kind of person they are and what issues they may be dealing with. Some of us are more prone to negative thinking than others. It can depend on our genetics, or it can be a result of childhood experiences. According to scientists, most humans tend to ponder more bad experiences than positive ones. It is because of an evolutionary adaptation that helps us avoid danger and quickly react to a crisis. Negative people usually are that way because they feel they lack warmth and love. Often, they protect themselves from the world with their negativity. The good news is that our brains can be re-trained and our thought-patterns can be altered. In neuroscience, it is described as “experiencedependent neuroplasticity” –
which essentially means that our thoughts and experiences shape our brains. Just as we can train our muscles, we can train our brains. We can never react to the negativity of our family, spouse, or a friend with our negativity – that will not solve the problem. HERE IS WHAT WE CAN DO: • When you first converse with them provide a listening ear and let them know they are not alone – but draw a line somewhere. However, if they continue to dwell on problems after a few conversations, it is time to disengage. Switch topics, don’t let them pull you in their negativity. Nod or give simple reply such as “Hm” or “I see.” Each time they say something positive – reply enthusiastically – when you do it often, they will soon be more positive in their communication. Whenever they criticize anything or anybody – Omtimes.com
WHEN A FRIENDSHIP IS NOT A REAL ONE Good Friendships brings countless benefits to our lives: it decreases the risk of depression, anxiety, stress, helps our immune system dribble diseases, improves the health of our heart, and many others good things. However, not all friendships are healthy. There are 'friends' who do not deserve us, and yet it is difficult to break a bond when we care for the person. See the signs that you may have a harmful friendship. Â When we start a friendship, everything is usually new, it is light, and we create empathy and affection for the person. But as time goes by, some friends become harmful, they do not add anything useful to our lives, and we begin to avoid that person. There are many reasons for this, and we often do not even realize that this friend is doing us harm. OMTimes | May B
The friendships we have can do us good, or they can break us. Know the ten types that can do more harm than good in your life.
WHEN YOU DO NOT HAVE MORE DESIRE TO MEET THE PERSON Friends like to be together, even when it's hard to find a good time by the rush of everyday life. We try to find a way to meet and have a good time together. When you begin to 'be lazy' to meet that friend is a sign that the effort you make to be together, it is not paying off. It is normal to go through more antisocial moments, but if this feeling of aversion to the person does not pass, it is a sign that this friendship is no longer worth it.
WHEN MEETING THAT PERSON, YOU FEEL WORSE Some friends seem to see us as an escape valve: they only find us to talk about their problems, to complain about life, to ask for advice, to cry, etc. Friendships can and should carry us through terrible times, and it is important to support our friends during their challenges, but when pessimism takes over the relationship, these gatherings become real torments to those who are always hearing problems and complaints. If your friend is transforming you into a wailing wall, he may be harming you. OMTimes | May B
EXTRATERRESTRIALS AND THE EVOLUTION OF EARTH HUMANS By Judy Carroll
Research is being carried out on the subject of extraterrestrial/ Earth human hybrids and star children who have been born on Earth over the past decades. They have come voluntarily in an attempt to get Earth-plane humanity back on track after a planetary “hijacking” that occurred millennia ago. This
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caused a block in the natural evolutionary flow of Earthplane humanity resulting in a perpetual state of warfare on the planet, culminating in the development of nuclear weaponry. As one of these volunteers, my soul consciousness resonates energetically with both the Earth Human and Zeta Grey Collective, enabling me to have conscious awareness of both cultures. Thus I can carry out the role of an ambassador between the two. All Earth humans are partET hybrids and are a bioengineered species with offplanet genetics in their makeup. The “humanizing process” of Earth plane humanity involved enhancement of the DNA. This process was carried out through advanced genetic engineering by off-planet “creator beings.” In this area of energy transmutation, spirituality and science merge. Author Gregg Braden, in his book, Human by Design, reported that science now accepts that human DNA was edited from chimpanzee DNA in two chromosomes, 2 and 8, approximately 200,000
years ago. One edit enabled spoken language and the other enhanced human reasoning. The amount of DNA active in humans is intrinsically linked to the level of conscious awareness that we can access, as opposed to sub and super-consciousness. Human evolution entails the activation of more strands of DNA to enhance our conscious awareness as a planetary culture. For people to be able to understand this, science and religion need to start working together, rather than being separate and sometimes quite antagonistic entities. It is not about religion – it’s about spirituality. There is a difference; religion tends to divide people, spirituality unites people. DNA is the bridge between the physical body and higher aspects of our being. ET contact is primarily about DNA activation to awaken humanity to deeper and more expanded conscious awareness. Given the awful mess, Planet Earth is in now, with technology and self-serving agendas far out-
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Accessing Success (excerpt from Andrew Pacholyk’s new book, Lead Us To A Place ~ your spiritual journey through life’s seasons) What does success mean to you? Some people equate success with fame or amassing huge sums of money. Others measure success by achieving simple goals they have set for themselves each day or week. So, what goals have you set for your life? Have you achieved these goals? Do you have a
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time frame defined in which you intend to reach them? Short term, immediate goals are the best way to achieve long-term success. Setting simple, achievable goals are similar to building a stairway to your life’s ultimate dream. Each time you reach a new goal, you reach a new plateau on
your way to fulfilling your life’s success, and each new goal you reach gives you an incentive to set new ones Gemstone: Accessing Success “O. Universal truth, be told, success is found be seeking, bold. Enjoy each morning as you rise, eager to keep on late, anigh, for this is truly passion found, and where success will follow, round.” ~ Andrew Pacholyk MS L.Ac The Path to Success The greatest successes come from the ideas we are most passionate about! When we are passionate about something, we devote our time, money, resources and most of all love, to this idea. When you follow your dream and see it through, the greatest reward is your success! This is done in two ways: passion and persistence.. Passion is the root of what you love to do most. It is a blinding force of energy that you desire to do, every waking day. If all you could do is your passion every day, then that is what
you MUST do. It will drive you to success. Your passion will assist you in finding the right audience, attracting those who are drawn to your passion and make you successful. Why will your passion do this? Because you will find the answers through what you love doing most… or these answers will find you. This passion can turn into a profession. A profession from your passion is one of the greatest rewards. There is also the fact that when someone genuinely enjoys their profession and are motivated by their passion, they tend to be more satisfied with their work and more psychologically healthy. When these same people begin to get positive feedback and see results from their passion, they are motivated to work harder to ensure that this passion continues. It is a profession they will always have in their lives. Persistence is the other part of this equation. Omtimes.com
Where to Get More Love A seminar participant asked me, “How can I let in more love from my girlfriend?” I told him, “It’s not your girlfriend’s love you need to let in. It’s your own love you need to let out.”
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We have consistently been taught that what we need is out there somewhere, and our task is to import it. This quest applies to material objects like cars and flat-screen TV’s, as well as spiritual experiences like love from a romantic partner or salvation from a savior. This never-ending search is based on the lie that you are somehow flawed or lacking, and if you can just get what you need from some outer source, you will become whole. But you can never become whole because the quest is based on the illusion that you are broken, and any campaign based on an illusion must fail. Contrary to what you have been taught, you were created in utter perfection. Your real goal, then, is not to import your good, but to accept the good you already are. This is why the master yogi Paramahansa Yogananda called his organization “SelfRealization Fellowship.” We are not going for selfimprovement. We are going for self-knowing.
A Course in Miracles tells us, “Only what you have not given can be lacking in any situation.” This statement is highly confrontive, even insulting to the ego, which swears that if something in your life is missing, it is because someone or something out there is withholding it. Our pain is always someone else’s fault: My husband doesn’t share my spiritual path; my parents don’t understand me; my ex- doesn’t raise my kids properly; my company doesn’t pay me enough; the government won’t acknowledge my gay marriage. Our emptiness never has anything to do with our own consciousness, ego argues; we are innocent victims. We can resolve such frustrating situations by reaching into ourselves and claiming the experience we seek. Tony Robbins suggests a 90-day marriage-saving technique. When a client complains to Tony that his or her partner is not giving
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Dealing with the Darkness of What Humans Do to Humans By Scilla Elworthy, syndicated from kosmosjournal.org
This article shows how in response to thuggish forces the qualities of feminine intelligence—available to men as to women—can enable us to take a significant leap in consciousness and demonstrate what anyone can do to build a beautiful future. Published in Spring | Summer 2017
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What we encounter now—in Europe and the Middle East, as in the US—is an upsurge of primitive, brutish forces employing threat, superior power, trickery, punishment, and information manipulation. It is as if permission has been given for thuggish behavior. We are witnessing—very starkly because it is on our screens daily—the darkest capacities of humans to hurt, humiliate, and kill their fellow humans, and to destroy the majestic natural world that surrounds us. And yet, this darkness that appears to be growing around us may also be an invitation, a challenge. The global issues that confront us now— global warming, migration, overpopulation, cyber warfare, terrorism—are all manmade, and none can be dealt with using superior force. So, this is the time to heed Einstein: “No problem can be solved by the same kind of thinking that created it.” It means that we have to up our game. We need to shift our consciousness and take
a significant leap in what humanity can achieve through awareness. It will require the courage to face the darkness of what humans do to humans, to see the worst results of destruction, to stand up to put a stop to it, to create something alive and dynamic in its place. I will spell out the qualities and skills we need, illustrated by examples of how this is already happening.
How I Learned This The work I do has involved me with people who seem to have much power— physicists who design nuclear warheads, military officers in charge of nuclear weapons, manufacturers who produce and sell missiles and machine guns, strategists who design defense policies. As well as those who sign the cheques— not just in America but also in Britain, Russia, France, China, Israel, India, and Pakistan. By establishing Peace Direct, I also now work with people who risk their lives to stop other people being killed, people of great courage who are building peaceful societies from the
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