(KP-2) How Psychology is Catching up to Buddhism
4 yr old admonishing tourists flouting Covid norms | Simple acts of kindness | Skin is not a boundary between inner and outer world
Life Lesson
Learning from Buddhism and Psychology
Buddha said that pleasure evaporates and it will leave us unsatisfied. But that is how the brain is designed by natural selection. It has been designed on purpose to be that way, otherwise, we won't evolve as a species and our genes won't get transferred to the next generation.
The short-lived nature of pleasure motivates us to keep pursuing goals that help get our genes to the next generation.
Buddhism says we should be skeptical of our feelings and thoughts as they are not necessarily truthful guides to reality.
Evolutionary psychology also says that our minds are not naturally designed to see the truth but just to survive and pass on the genes.
Our minds are built this way so it is conducive to survival during human evolution.
To learn more, you can enroll in this free course on Coursera
Productivity/Self-Help
In this fast-paced life, we don’t have time to exercise or go out due to Covid.
So, many a time we have to multi-task, though I am mostly against it, to make good use of our time.
In a similar vein, I’d advise you to get a small trampoline. It’s fun to bounce while on the phone or watching TV and simultaneously activating your lymphatic system to rid your body of toxins.
Feel-Good Positive Story
By now, this story probably has become viral nationwide but still, it's worth sharing it due to the message it conveys to us.
A 4 yr old child who sells balloons to support his family when instead he should be enrolled in a school, was admonishing 'educated' tourists, who were grossly violating Covid protocols, to wear masks. He even wielded a stick in his hand because maybe he knew that Punishment is justice for the unjust.
My friend Abhay from the Dhauladhar Cleaners group, who also manages the Dharamshalalocal Instagram page went live with him on Instagram. You can watch the live session here.
Podcasts/Books/Videos Suggestion
Recently, I came across this video on Youtube showcasing the small acts of kindness that anyone can do in our day-to-day lives.
What I learned from this video is that to be kind to others, to help people:
We don’t have to be rich
We don’t have to be powerful
Anyone can do it in their daily life.
It can be as small as helping an old lady cross the road.
Quote to Ponder Upon
Alan Watts on the inner and outer world:
“Your skin doesn’t separate you from the world; it’s a bridge through which the external world flows into you, and you flow into it.”
Well, that’s all from this week. Hope you liked it :)
See you next week!
Vry nic....good job👍