Thoughts
Each month, Thoughts… highlights ideas from some of the leading philosophers, poets and thinkers in Yoga and allied fields, as well as others who have simply contributed something that inspired them in some way. It is intended to make us think, exercising the mind in the same way that Yoga exercises the body.
The reflections in Thoughts… relate to everyday life and are drawn from classical and contemporary sources, both Eastern and Western.
Contributions from readers are welcome, but please bear in mind that where possible, sources should be indicated so that if necessary permission to use the contribution can be obtained. If you wish to suggest or contribute a suitable item, please contact [email protected] quoting ‘Thoughts… suggestion’ in the subject header.
Thoughts… for April 2008 is Meditation by Bodel Rikys: reproduced courtesy of MEDITATION IS by Bodel Rikys, Deep Books Ltd.
Thoughts – 2004
January – extract from the answer by Stephen Mitchell from 365 Nirvana: Here and Now.
February – Kids talk about heaven.
March – Time is not… from THE ETERNAL ONE, author unknown, calligraphy and illustration by Dorothy Boux.
April – from A World growing old by Jeremy Seabrook.
May – War: Abridged and reproduced from WAR NO MORE by Robert Hinde & Joseph Rotblat, Pluto Press.
June – Quote from Patanjali with comment from the book WISDOM OF THE AGES by Wayne W Dyer, Element Books.
July – n/a
August – Nuclear war: abridged and reproduced with kind permission from PEACEMAKING DAY BY DAY: DAILY READINGS produced by Pax Christi, St Joseph’s. Watford Way, London NW4.
September – Creation & Brahma. Abridged & adapted from the book LEGEND OF THE FISH by Gita Wolf, Sirish Roa & Emanuele Scanziani, Tara Publishing.
October – living a life that matters: with words from Lily Lim, Singapore.
November – the mayonnaise jar and coffee: making room in your life. Sent in by Lily Lim, Singapore.
December – Violence: from the book INDIAN WISDOM 365 DAYS by Danielle & Olivier Follmi, Thames & Hudson £24.95 (available on special offer to readers of Yoga & Health. See page 2 of December 2004 issue for details.
Thoughts 2005
January – Portrait of a friend: Submitted by Dave, author unknown.
February – Seclude the mind…. Reproduced courtesy of ZEN INSPIRATIONS by Miriam Levering, published by Duncan Baird Publishers.
March – Taken from The Upanishads (8th-4th century BCE). Reproduced courtesy of REFLEXOLOGY by Beryl Crane, published by Duncan Baird.
April – Grow flowers: reproduced courtesy of 365 WAYS TO LIVE A SIMPLE & LIFE by Madonna Gauding, published by Hamlyn.
May – Epithets: on happiness. reproduced courtesy of HAPPINESS: How to find it and Keep it by Joan Duncan Oliver, Duncan Baird Publishers. Available on special offer to readers of Yoga & Health magazine. See page 2 of the May 2005 edition for details.
June – Somewhere: Submitted by Dr Harvey Zarren, USA.
July – Cultivating non-attachment: reproduced courtesy of BUDDHIST INSPIRATIONS by Tom Lowenstein, text copyright 2005, published by Duncan Baird Publishers and available on special offer to Yoga & Health readers. Please see page 2 of the July 2005 issue for details.
August – Pace. Learning to be measured: reproduced courtesy of INVITING SILENCE by Gunilla Norris, published by Rider Books.
September – Movements. Reproduced courtesy of THE SPIRIT OF YOGA by Kathy Phillips, published by Cassell Illustrated.
October – quote from Gandhi on solving world’s problems.
November – quote from THE COMPLETE TIBETAN BOOK OF THE DEAD, translated by Guyume Dorje, edited by Graham Coleman with Thupten Jinpa.
December – Mothers by Mariama Ba reproduced courtesy of AFRICAN WISDOM 365 DAYS by Danielle & Olivier Follmi, published by Thames & Hudson available on special offer to readers of Yoga & Health . Please see page 2 of the December 2005 issue for details.
Thoughts 2006
January – ‘Inner disarmament’. Extract by HH Dalai Lama, courtesy of THE ART OF PEACE: NOBEL PEACE LAUREATES DISCUSS HUMAN RIGHTS, CONFLICT AND RECONCILIATION, edited by Jeffrey Hokins, published by Snow Lion Publications.
February – quote from IN A ZEN GARDEN by Judith Glover and available on SPECIAL READER OFFER. See page 2 of the February 2006 issue for details, and page 33 of the same issue for a full review of the book.
March – quote from Mark Twain, reproduced courtesy of the book BEACHES, published by Duncan Baird Publishers and available on SPECIAL OFFER to readers of Yoga & Health. See page 2 of the March 2006 issue for details.
April – quote from Albert Einstein. Quote and illustration reproduced courtesy of the book NATURAL MANDALAS by Lisa Tenzin-Dolma, published by Duncan Baird Publishers and available on SPECIAL READER OFFER. See page 2.
May – quotes on conservation taken from the book 1001 PEARLS OF WISDOM by David Ross, copyright Sandra Dionisi/Duncan Baird Publishers.
June – reproduced courtesy of the book WALKING THE HEALING LABYRINTH by Helen Raphael Sands, published by Gaia Books.
July – quote from The Upanishads (8th-4th century BC) and is reproduced courtesy of the book COLOUR THERAPY by Pauline Wills, Duncan Baird Publishers. Available on SPECIAL READER OFFER. See page 2 of the July 2006 edition for details.
August – written by Rachel Corrie who died in April 2003 defending a family home containing children from bulldozers. Extracted courtesy of the book MY NAME IS RACHEL CORRIE copyright the estate of Rachel Corrie and with permission of the publishers, Nick Hearn Books.
September – The elephant in a dark room, reproduced courtesy of the book TALES FROM RUMI, essential selections from the texts of Mathnawi, published by Watkins. Available on SPECIAL READER OFFER. See Page 2 of September 2006 edition of Yoga & Health magazine.
October – quote from Mathnavi I, 20930, reproduced courtesy of the book RUMI: WORDS OF PARADISE, selected and translated by Raficq Abdula, Frances Lincoln Publishers. This paperback book is richly decorated with miniatures and borders taken Islamic illustrated manuscripts from the 13th to the 16th CE, and available on SPECIAL READER OFFER. See Page 2 of October 2006 issue of Yoga & Health magazine.
November – selected quotes from the book 1001 PEARLS OF BUDDHIST WISDOM, selected by the Buddhist Society, published by Duncan Baird Publishers. The book contains literally hundreds of quotes from a wealth of sources from all traditions and ages, many of which are not ‘Buddhist’. The book is available on SPECIAL READER OFFER. For further details, please see Page 2 of November 2006 issue of Yoga & Health magazine.
December – is on different religions by Digha Nikaya, and taken from the teachings of the Buddha.
Thoughts 2007
January – The road not taken by Robert Frost, reproduced courtesy of THE BAREFOOT BOOK OF CLASSIC POEMS, compiled and illustrated by Jackie Morris and published by Barefoot Books.
February – quote on friendship, and reproduced courtesy of ‘Kindness, Charity and Insight’ by HH Dalai Lama, published by Snow Lion Publications.
March – from the book RELAX KIDS by Marneta Viegas, published by O-Books and available on SPECIAL OFFER to Yoga & Health readers. Please see page 2 of the March 2007 issue for details.
April – from the book INDIA NOW AND THEN by Rudrangshu Mukherjee and Vir Sanghvi, published by Mercury Books and available on SPECIAL OFFER to Yoga & Health readers. Please see page 2 of the April 2007 issue for details.
May – Choice: the effect of our thoughts on the world, and how we perceive it, and the choice before us. It is taken from the book EVERYDAY BUDDHA by Karma Yonten Senge & Lawrence R Ellyard with a foreword by HH Dalai Lama, O Books and available on SPECIAL OFFER to Yoga & Health readers. Please see page 2 of the May 2007 issue for details.
June – Speaking well of others: quote from Arbery, Discourses of Jalaluddin Rumi.
July – taken from ‘The Bhagavad Gita’.
August – Non-violence, reproduced courtesy of PRECIOUS GEMS OF WISDOM: MAHATMA GANDHI, complied by Karishma Bajaj, published by Magna Publishing Co, Mumbai, India.
September – from Abraham Lincoln and are reproduced courtesy of the book ABRAHAM LINCOLN, compiled by Karishma Bajaj, Magna Books, as part of the PRECIOUS GEMS OF WISDOM series.
October – Yoga tips from Sadashiva, a Yoga instructor at the Sivananda Yoga Centre in South India, on being asked to share his Yoga routine.
November – short extracts from the book PRECIOUS GEMS OF WISDOM: HH DALAI LAMA OF TIBET,compiled by Karishma Bajaj, Magna Books.
December – a quote from the works of Sri Ekrath Easwaran of the Blue Mountain Centre of Meditation on how our response affects the world around us.