My Dutch Blog: Narayani's Programma

Being a woman of many talents and a slow climbing goat, the process of bringing myself out into the world is a slow one. I am working towards my own website but in the mean time there's a blog, (it is in Dutch) that has some information of workshops and Individual Programs I offer. This site is still a work in progress, so please consider that when paying a visit.


Here's the URL for it: http://narayanisprogramma.wordpress.com

Bicycle holiday

i just love spending free time riding my bicycle.. To me it is many things: a way to spend time alone or with a friend or 2, away from daily chores and nagging thoughts.

It is exercise and meditation when going at it alone.

A wonderful way to meet people ( when I trek with my bike I go for several days and sleep at private homes. I am a member of a Dutch club called something like 'Friends on the bicycle (Vrienden op de fiets). I find it a great way to travel; to enjoy the beautiful area I live in; a wonderful way to spend some of my vacation time..

I simply love it...

Here's a link to some pictures of my bicycle holiday:

Bicycle Holiday: Noord Brabant -rivieren Gelderland -Zuid holland

My first Good News Award is for Chinmaya

Another touching little video from my friend Chinmaya. No extra explanations needed.

The Video speaks for itself.

I have decided to give Chinmaya the first 'Narayani's Good News Award'.

Congrats Chinni, I love what you are doing and showing us about India and about so called 'poor' people.

People helping tigers.

People who watch Animal planet, a TV channel I watch sometimes, may have heard about this. I felt touched seeing thiese images.

Somewhere in Thailand, there is a buddhist Temple, the monks are taking care of and -in a a very natural way and a beautiful meditative environment- are raising tigers. At the moment there are 16 tigers there.

"The Tiger Temple or Wat Pha Luang Ta Bua is a Theravada Buddhist temple in Thailand has been a sanctuary for many endangered animals, including several tigers that walk around freely once a day and can be petted by visiting tourists. The temple received several tiger cubs where the mothers had been killed by poachers. As of 2007, over 21 cubs have been born at the temple and the total number of tigers is about 12 adult tigers and 4 cubs.

The tigers are tamed by being fed with cooked meat to avoid giving them a taste for blood.
The staff keep the tigers under control and the abbot will intervene if the tiger gets agitated. They are treated as family members in the temple and visitors are asked to give a donation if they want to take photos with the tigers'

I consider this good news and it is beautiful what these monks are showing us..
wild animals can be loving towards people when they come in touch with balanced and positive people..

Wild animals are not necessarily violent or agressive.

People have done so much harm to animals, especially to tigers and it is beautiful to see people manage to give something back to the animal world.

It is no surprise to me the people doing the giving here are meditators, in this case Buddhist monks...

Enjoy these remarkable pictures.

Jill Bolte Taylor 2 .... and Oprah

I love giving you good news and again I am happy to direct you to great women.. In one of my older posts i already mentioned Jill Bolte Taylor who had an enlightening experience when she had a severe stroke. She also wrote a book about it which I would like to recommend to you. The book is called: A Stroke of Insight. And yet again I am happy to direct you to Jill Bolte's website and a radio interview she had with Oprah. I just saw the 4 video's today and higly recommend you see them, listen and learn.

For Jill having the stroke turned into a spiritual experience. She calls herself a stroke triumphant as opposed to a stroke survivor. She also gives great insight into how there are 2 kinds of people, those who give energy and those who take as people woh suffered a stroke often become highly sensitive in every way.

And she comes to the same conclusion all masters do and have done: to watch your thoughts and that we are not our thoughts. Great stuff and much to learn also for all of us calling ourselves helpers and caregivers.

http://drjilltaylor.com/index.html

http://www.oprah.com/article/spirit/inspiration/pkgoprahssoulserieswebcast/20080512_oaf_oss_jboltetaylor

A sense of wonder - More good news from Chinmaya

i am very proud of a friend of mine and the way he creates beautiful films about India and adding his own music. Being a musician and enthusiastic lover of India and it's environment, he expresses his love for that vast country in his music, his love for nature and his eye for beauty..

I really support his work and also love his music in which the East and the West are beautifully combined.

More smiles from off the Road

And Chin didn't stop at one movie. Here's more...

"Treasuring the Girlchild". In India girls are made to work much harder than their brothers: cleaning, cooking, minding the younger kids, fetching firewood and water...They are fed less and educated less, married off earlier and face much higher risk of being aborted as a fetus. Let's have a future with smiling girls. "Let's treasure the girlchild"!

Love
Chinmaya

Smiles from off the road

A friend of mine makes beautiful movies about India. I won't add too much, just enjoy. There isn't much more I can add to what Chinmaya has to say:

I have just made a new short film, "SMILES FROM OFF THE ROAD". It's full of the most gorgeous smiles and laughter, a project very close to my heart.....
I'll be happy if you watch the first part and pass on the link.

"Walk away from any road in India for a day or so, and you will find people who are still untouched by Western values. People who seem to love life; who still have the humanity to welcome strangers; who still have time to smile.
Western society seems to be in a crisis of greed, crime, alcohol and drug abuse, obesity and depression.

Perhaps we have something to learn?"

"They are some of the most beautiful people in the world, they should be preserved. They are the only happy people - they know how to dance, how to sing and how to love and how to enjoy life. They don't philosophize, they don't know arithmetic.....but they still have being, they still have grace..."
Osho 'This Very Body the Buddha'

Much love from monsoon Goa
Chinmaya

Do you like to hear about it when I add a new post?

the good news is that when you like to know about new posts in this blog, you can let me know and i can add you to a list of 10 that will automatically hear about any added posts. When the list of 10 is full, I'll see what I'll do next. At this point there are 4 more addresses I can add.

Amazing picture

"A scene you will probably never get to see. This is the sunset at the North Pole with the moon at its closest point. You also see the sun below the moon. An amazing photo and not one easily duplicated."

friends sent me this amazing picture with the above caption... Wow..

The beauty of nature on this awesome planet never stops to be good news to me.