Raji Lukkoor's Blog, page 3

Action, Reaction, or Ego Traction?

One of my favorite television shows is You’re on Candid Camera. This show captures the reactions of ordinary people to extraordinary and even bizarre situations. I love it when people are literally caught being themselves! A show with similar undertones that plays on the ABC network, entitled What Would You Do, employs hidden cameras to capture people’s reactions when they’re thrust in real-life ethical scenarios that call out for action. It is times like these that truly test the firmness o...

Three Life Lessons that I Learned

Here are three life lessons that I learned at a vipassana meditation retreat in 2008:

1. All in life is interconnected.
We live in an incredible web of connectedness. Everyone and everything exist in relation to each aspect of their individual life and each tier of collective life:
Family and generationalSocial and communityNational and globalEnvironmentAn imbalance in any one aspect of life has the potential to impact other aspects. One tier has the potential to impact other tiers. Think of it...

The Parthenon of Friendship

July 30 is International Day of Friendship. I'd like to share a poignant story of one of the deepest friendships I've had the privilege of being a part of over the years. Hope you like it.
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What Meditation Really Is

Is Your EQ Consistent with Your IQ?

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From Confusion to Comprehension

Project Happiness -- A Movie Review
I had the pleasure of meeting filmmaker Randy Taran yesterday at the screening of her much acclaimed short film, "Project Happiness." Hosted at the India Community Center (ICC) in Milpitas, CA, this event drew over 40 attendees.
Imagine this: The teaming up of three groups of students, one each from Santa Cruz, California, the Dominion Heritage Academy in Jos, Nigeria, and the Tibetan Children's Village in Dharmasala, India, culminates in a private meeting wi...

13 Ways to Inject the "Be" into Your Being

I've compiled a list of thirteen strategies, in no particular order, that I follow earnestly. These approaches have the power to bring back the "Be" in your being, allowing you to thrive in the bedrock of Nirvana.
1. Hold up the Inner MirrorReflection through meditation holds the key to unlocking an individual's true potential. A sought-after skill on a spiritual seeker's resume, meditation is simple and easy to do, yet many journey through life not ever knowing or benefiting from its transfo...

13 Astonishing Fallacies about Meditation

The following is a compilation of the comments/questions that have come up during my talks and in general conversations. Notice how the human mind is conditioned to aimlessly question everything and to resist new experiences. My responses are in Italics.
1. Meditation is for monks and holy people....and for you and me!
2. Meditation is weird and wacky.Meditation is as weird and wacky as riding a bicycle.
3. Meditation is selfish.If that's true, then any activity we engage in -- eating, sleeping...

Four Mantras for Relationship Success by Thich Nhat Hanh

On Sunday, May 6, the Venerable Vietnamese Buddhist monk, teacher, author, poet and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh appeared on Super Soul Sunday on Oprah's OWN network. In a rare interview with Oprah herself, the inspirational monk and gentle spirit discussed his dedication to mindful meditation. Of the many things he talked about, his "four mantras" for relationship success were truly powerful. These mantras are for use not just in intimate relationships, but also in professional, social, an...

13 Inspiring Quotes to Warm up Your Day

“What day is it,?" asked Pooh.
"It's today," squeaked Piglet.
"My favorite day," said Pooh.”