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Posted by: | Posted on: April 17, 2013

Meditation and Leadership

Meditation and Leadership

Preamble

Alex-Grey-Meditation12Nearly four months in Asia Pacific Leadership Program course that provided me the realization of how important of self in supporting sustainable development. Three lessons mainly value the self which has full potential to impact the whole compounding society. In Leadership Seminar, the core idea was centralizing on individual’s motivation. Started its class with silent lesson inspired me very much to explore my inner strength and ability. Culture and diversity also emphasized the existence of self to extend to surrounding people, environment and culture through the prospects of respecting, tolerance and compassion. Visioning the future and personal action plan (PAP) also inspired self-centered, self-innovated, self-projected, and self-oriented. In Professional Development Leadership Seminar, it encouraged individuals to improve self-resume and curriculum vitae through self-experiences, community services and orientations. Egonet and networking classified self as the most important component to create networking effectively. By self-effort, self-intelligence, self-awareness and self-responsibility should bear fruits to success in exposing with other people and tasks. When we can create ourselves as a stable pole or a big island, there will be many people trust and want to take a hold or parking their journey. In Regional Core Issues, it has the concept that economics, politics, environment, culture, social formation and information are circle and spinning around the word “I.” “I” is the essence of these core issues. Bad or good originated from “I”. So how can we decorate “I”, “Self” or “Individual” to be more proactive and becoming essential milestone of success?

Self and relationship with nature according to well-known scholars

Both Mechanical Universe of Isaac Newton and Quantum Mechanics of Albert Einstein have clarified that self or individual is very essential to respond to the whole society, world and universe under a certain natural law which called original interdependent or inner relativism. Buddha is the first researcher who found this theory and taught everybody about this inner relation and pointed out the way of middle path, self-savior and enlightenment.

Why meditation should be important to develop leadership?

When we discuss about self-savior or self-reliance; it must come from inner individual discovery through meditation practice. Good leader aims at those who can lead themselves, endure to serve others and initiate self-orientation. Richard Davidson, Neuroscientist of Wisconsin University has found that meditation is the important tool to develop happiness and other abilities especially leadership[i]. This factual statement inspires us to look inside and explore this tool together.

What is meditation?

Meditation is the method to explore self-strengths, peace, wisdom, compassion, motivation and innovation. Meditation doesn’t distinguish the practitioners by race, religions, language, traits or location. It is not the faith or belief but the discovery of self-enlightenment. It is not the spiritual rites, but it is the developing center of wisdom, compassion, dedication, commitment and leadership. There are two types of meditation: concentration meditation and insight meditation. Concentration meditation is the practice concerning the establishing of calmness, stillness and peace of the mind while Insight Meditation focuses on the cultivation of realization and knowledge.

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Posted by: | Posted on: January 5, 2012

Lawyer Choung Choungy shaved head and ordained to practice meditation

Source: Venerable Luon Sovath Blog

លោក ជួង ជូងី មេធាវីការពារក្តីល្បីល្បាញឲ្យប្រជាជនស្លូតត្រង់និង សមាជិកគណបក្ស សម រង្ស៊ីបានកោសក់បួសជាតាបស់ធ្វើសមាធិធម៌-ភាវនាដើម្បី ស្វែងរកយុត្តិធម៌ រក្សាធម៌ និងរក្សាសេចក្តីល្អ ដែលជាគ្រឹះសំខាន់ឈាន ទៅរកការបដិបត្តិពិតប្រាកដ។

ធម៌មានន័យថាសភាវៈទ្រទ្រង់។ ព្រះពុទ្ធជាម្ចាស់សំដែងថា ធម្មោ ហវេ រក្ខតិ ធម្មចារី មានន័យថា ធម៌នឹងរក្សាបុគ្គលណាដែលប្រព្រឹត្តនិងបដិបតិ្តធម៌។ លោកមេធាវីជួង ជួងីពិតជាមានធម្មសងេ្វកយ៉ាងខ្លាំងចំពោះការវិវឌ្ឍន៏ចុង ក្រោយនែប្រព័ន្ធយុត្តិធម៌នៅកម្ពុជា ហើយការកោសក់បួសជាតាបស់ ធ្វើសមាធិភាវនានៅពេលនេះ ពិតជាជួយឱយចិត្តរបស់លោកស្ងប់ មានបញ្ញា និងអាចទាក់ទាញពុទ្ធបរិស័យ ខ្មែរទាំងអស់ឱយធ្វើដំណើរពី ក្រោយលោកទាំងអស់គ្នា។

កម្មដ្ឋានមានន័យថាទីតាំងនែការបដិបតិ្តធម៌រួមមានកាយ ចិត្ត និងទីកន្លែង ស្ងប់ញ៉ាំងអត្តភាពឱយឈានទៅរកការសំរេចធម៌ជាន់ខ្ពស់។ សមាធិភាវនា     មានន័យថាបរិកម្មធម៌ណាមួយជាពុទ្ធគុណក្តី ជាធម្មគុណក្តី ជាសង្ឍគុណក្តី ដើម្បីលើកកំរិតចិត្តឱយឈានដល់ការសំរេចធម៌ជាន់ខ្ពស់។

លោកមហាត្មគន្ធី បានបដិបតិ្តសត្យកម្មនិងអវិហឹង្សា ដែលធ្វើឱយចិត្តលោក ស្ងប់សំរេចធម៌ជាន់ ខ្ពស់បណ្តាលឱយអង់គ្លេសប្រគល់ឯករាជ្យឱយឥណ្ឌា។

បច្ចុប្បន្នលោកAnna Hazareបានកំពុងបដិបតិ្តសមាធិភាវនាវដើម្បីធ្វើចិត្តឱយ ស្ងប់ដែលកើតពីសង្វេគធម៌នែអំពើពុករលួយដ៏អាក្រក់នៅប្រទេសឥណ្ឌា។

សូមចូលរួមអនុមោទនាលោកមេធាវីជួង ជួងី ក្នុងការកោសក់បួសជាតាបស់ ដើម្បីធ្វើសមាធិភាវនាវនៅពេលនេះ។ សង្ឍឹមថាពុទ្ធបរិស័ទខ្មែរនឹងចូលរួម បដិបត្តិជាមួយលោកដើម្បីសន្សំកុសលផលបុណ្យជាមួយគ្នាតែរៀងៗខ្លួន។

Mr. Choung Choungny is a well-known lawyer who has assisted many poor Cambodian plaintiffs and defendants including many opposition party members. Now he has shaved his head and ordained to practice meditation for self-purity, protection the justice system and protection the Dhamma or righteousness.

Dhamma means substantial element for guarding and supporting our world. Lord Buddha taught that “Dhammo Have Rakkati Dhammacari means Dhamma or righteousness will protect and guard those who have practiced the Dhamma”. Mr. Choung Chougny was badly affected by the latest development of Cambodian judicial system. He decided to shave his head and ordain as hermit to practice meditation to raise up his mind and spirit, and it is a good example for all Buddhists to follow his pathway.

Kammathana means place of body, mind and environs which are helpful for searching higher level of spirituality, truth and goodness. Samadhi-bhavana means to recite and chant any mantra from the virtue of Lord Buddha, Dhamma mantra and virtue of Sangha to develop peacefulness, wisdom, and compassion.

Mahatma Ghandhi practiced meditation of Satya (truth) and Avihangsa (non-violence) to develop his mind, spirit, peace and wisdom until England accepted to return full independence back to India.

At the present, Mr. Anna Hazare, who has deeply been affected by the rampant corruption in India, he has practiced meditation to raise up his mind, spirit, peace and wisdom until the government of India began to table this issue at the government administration.

We would like to share sympathy and reconciliation with Lawyer Choung Chougny for his ordination to search for truth and righteousness. We wish all Cambodian Buddhists take their time to join with Mr. Choung Chougny.

Unofficial translation by SV

Posted by: | Posted on: September 12, 2008

The Pursuit of Happiness

Abstract

The pursuit of happiness has been critical in human society. Essentially, many scholars have explored and defined it in various approaches. Some are theoretical, some are empirical, and some are practical.  Abraham Maslow has been considered the father of humanistic psychology and well-known for his conceptualization of a “hierarchy of human needs”.  But Manfred Max Reef, a Chilean economist and philosopher has argued the fundamental human needs are non-hierarchical, and ontologically universal and invariant in nature. Neuroscientist Professor Richard Davidson in Wisconsin University found the truth in his experimental lab about “the pursuit of happiness” persuasively spread worldwide. The three scholars tirelessly demonstrated their belief to address happiness for human beings.

This paper searches the correlation findings of these three scholars in comprehending fundamental needs of human being, handling with life, and pursing happiness. The methodology is epistemologically and qualitatively conducting. Four stages will be attentively debated; generalization the discovery each of these three scholars, comparative reflection of their studies, religious perspectives on happiness, and meditation as a tool.

This study might not able to offer the complete answer of “the pursuit of happiness”, but at least it can provide insightful perspectives of life explained by these three well-known scholars. In complimenting this, the philosophy and practice of meditation will be partly addressed. Meditation is a tool, mentioned by Professor Richard Davidson, to achieve his lab research on the question “what is happiness?”

Summary:

Abraham Maslow categorized basic human needs the most primitive needs to the least needs such as physiological, safety, love or belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. But Manfred Max-Neef criticized Maslow’s as there is no hierarchy at all for the human needs; and he suggested “satisfactoriness” as the main manifestation to happiness. Richard Davidson in his experimental lab found that matured, experienced monks in practicing meditation are full of happiness. This research tries to take in light of those three discoveries without inserting any criticism or recommendation.