Debbie B

Great advice @kurt and so very right! @Lorcan Your Grandparents have seen so much, think of the history they have personally experienced! They will actually want to know you better as well, no doubt about this. They will not worry at all about your awkwardness, so don't concern yourself about that. Their love is unconditional! Ask your Mum or Dad about your grandparents life.....Is there anything that could trigger questions you might want to ask? Do they need help in their garden? Next time they come round...just stay put, don't wander off...and just listen. It might be awkward at 1st, but you will get used to them. Proud of you!!

Hiya What do you want to be able to cook? Thrifty student dishes? Family foods? Cordon Bleu standard? What is your aim? Cooking is just practice, you must be able to feed yourself...cave man stuff Have you actually tried following a simple recipe....it is not so hard. I love cooking but I wouldn't pay that much... for a basic course. If you want, I can give you very easy practical recipes. You could practice before you go back...you only need say 8 recipes, that can be changed around....impress the Ladies as well of course....I imagine that would not have occurred to you

@electroBeam It is just tough LOVE. And don't fret over girls...you are only 19! It will happen when it does...enjoy your life, never turn down anything, sample all...the good stuff twice! Nothing is sexier than a fulfilled guy who is too busy living, to notice girls!! Then Sweetheart...you become a catch!

I am sad and a bit dismayed. We humans on here are all at different stages of development, I am learning all the time and I love it . But if I see one more 'post' on wanking I shall scream! There is whole world out there. A HUGE PLAYGROUND, if you will. We are part of something AMAZING...I kid you not! And there you are on your computer wasting your life and you want to learn how to meditate! You need to learn how to stand before you can walk. So here is advice from a Lady who has bought up 3 kids.... MOVE! Find something useful to do. Get outside. The job of your dreams will not walk into your bedroom and present itself to you. Neither will the girl of your dreams....She will be off, living her own dream. Learn what makes you happy and repeat...do not waste my time or yours with stupid comments here! Get disciplined in your life....Have dreams! And go all out achieving those Dreams! Work 12 hours a day minimum...That is the effort required! Stop the bloody 'PITY PARTY'...You will be the loser. And nobody will join you...we are out there doing 'LIFE' Work hard, be as good as you can. Life is not always fair...Get over it. You are so lucky to be born now, with all you have, Don't waste it! Read books of great people by all means.....Wouldn't it be great though if you became a great person? It is entirely possible!! My apologies, if you are further up the evolutionary scale but I am FED UP of listening to the whining!

Christmas is actually Pagan. To celebrate the 'Return of the Sun' as in the Winter Solstice. It was adopted by Christianity (4th century or thereabouts) to try and meld together (or destroy) with Paganism. Pagans enjoyed a bit of a knees up in Mid-Winter, drinking, carolling and celebrating, the Powers that be in Christianity decided to adopt it, because they couldn't stamp it out. Think about bringing a tree into your house, a bit odd really ....You are bringing in the 'Green Man' and it is Evergreen ( never a deciduous tree) as a sign of eternal life. I still love Christmas or the Winter Solstice...any excuse for Fun and Joy . Thank you @Live Life Liam

I went to Nepal 9-10 years ago, only for a month, a friend of mine has a Charity over there. This is what I observed. The humility of the people, the kindness, self effacing .... a Rat was running between shops trying to get in a shop doorway, calmly a shop owner picked a piece of board up, put it across the doorway to prevent the Rats entrance, while still holding conversation. We got washed out (monsoon) and the cooks travelling with us opted to walk to the next place, 10-15 miles of incredibly rough terrain, they arrived only an hour after us. 1 of the cooks walked through jungle/ravines, 30 miles for a few days work. I got up one morning to go to toliet ( outside, built for us) to find about 10+ Children waiting, I gave each one a squirt of shower gel, amid much excitement and noise and showed them I wash my hands with it, a joyous moment, it was beautiful, and then berated myself...they have no need for this. Walking a few miles to the standpipe, joining the queue ( to wash my hair) and the Women refused to collect their water, until I had used it and they wouldn't accept any argument. They wouldn't let me carry anything back for them. Some of the Children walked miles to school, ravines and jungle with joy. It is an honour to receive schooling. This is the starting place, from where the children are picked, to become Buddhist Monks. We are all, a million miles away from a 4 year old initiate.

@ajasatya Thank you for the book...

Well, I am new to this forum and new to this whole concept of ...not sure how to describe it...lets say 'Truth'. I find it is easy to accept we are part of one. What I fail to understand is, why it is something worth attaining? It is already. I am just confused about most of these discussions. I am sure I must be missing something.....

@Neo 'I am currently leading a very hectic life which is bad I know'. Why do you say that? Because you know it is bad for you? Or you are pre-judging my judgement? If you run your own business it is because you are usually better than the average, at doing something. You had a vision that you can do it better somewhere along the line or you can offer something new perhaps. I have had 3 businesses so far ( not too bad for a 20 year old who holidays in Barcelona ).... And yes, mixed blessings, but about to start another, as nothing is as satisfying as seeing your creation succeed! It is all about balance. It is about seeing joy. And I think you know that, so you will be absolutely fine.

@Ozisoki I am sorry you have been unwell, but joyful you are beginning to feel more in control. I too, can understand the confusion regarding the whole concept of the 'Truth' and why it is even needed...You need a whole new vocabulary as well! Explanations of meditation to me sound internalised, selfish and subjective...I understand. I am positive it works for so many people, but there are different ways.... And I think you go on this journey ultimately to feel part of something, wanting the connection. A unity if you will. These are things that work for me, to make me feel grounded, they might help you. My 'meditation' works in a much simpler way, I sit on the ground in the garden and instead of excluding everything, I let it all in...I try to focus on a bird singing, the smell of the earth, perhaps the sound of water. I give Thanks. This refreshes me, nothing mystical at all. It hurts me to see pain...I try to fix where I can, try that. The offer of a hand, a smile to a stranger. For me it is connecting in a real way and simply makes me Happy Go for Happy, fulfilled everytime!

@Afonso This is just really basic common sense speaking here.. 1. Perhaps taking this drug is not a big deal....but if it is, can it be undone? When you make decisions you think of consequences, What are the consequences of doing this? You do not know that answer and it looks to me, judging by every ones differing opinion here, they don't either.... there is no hard and fast answer. 2. Why are you asking total strangers if you should do this? Ask someone who has invested time and love in you, ask someone who would give everything to make you happy, because they will have your best interests at heart. People on forums are just passing through... 3. If you have to ask if you should do something, you are not ready....If you knew, you wouldn't need someone elses' opinion, You would just know without needing their opinion. And Yes..'.It is heavy shit' !

Seeing my 1st Hummingbird in the morning and a puppy dying on a pavement with people paying no attention, the same day. Feeling such joy at beauty, following it around the garden quietly, a truly amazing iridescent creature. The puppy was pitiful, not a single person cared, it really upset me, he died in my arms. Rabies I thought, don't know for sure. I was in Cuba, perhaps people had seen so much hardship, a puppy simply did not register. I have also been told that Hispanic Catholics don't believe animals have souls? I have no idea about this, I should have asked. It was not a negative experience, per se.

@Leo Gura My use of Disneyland means 'simply false, plastic, canned joy for the masses' if you will...Sadly, I have been to Disneyland That is mind altering! I have had a reasonably large experience of addictions, although I haven't taken Psychedelics, that is true. And No... I am not about to There is so much of life to experience, but you have to get off your arse. Experience it for yourself. Sitting in your house, will not cut-it! There is so much to do, 1st of all I would suggest...get out of the country you were bought up in, that alone, would give you a different vision of the world. Standing alone helps you grow. I love this world, it is beautiful, we are indeed incredibly fortunate...It is enough for me.

@Neo well they would be wrong Do it for fun or whatever you want, but doing it as a presumably enlightening experience is odd to me. Lets say it worked.... And it showed enlightenment...why would you have to be in 'good' place when you took it? It simply wouldn't matter. It would be a measurable experience and it is obviously not, people get very different experiences. Even the same person can have very different experiences on the same drug. The experience is always incredibly personal, how can you possibly be objective? I think it is a false prophet.

Psychedelic drugs.. Am I missing the point here? Attaining the so called 'Truth' takes time invested, hard work, knowledge attained, honesty, growth, stopping poor habits such as cigarettes, alcohol, perhaps not eating meat (if that is your thing)....surely a trip to Disneyland or the possible total opposite with taking chemicals, Is that the answer? where exactly is the gain? Surely it is the antithesis of mindfulness? @Afonso You are lucky enough to be young, I would think you would deride as much use to put on a pair of hiking boots and go into the woods by yourself for a week, take a tent and live with nature...listen, smell the real world, learn to depend on yourself, sit in the now...shortcuts are not real. Yes, it will take a bit of effort to do...I agree, but if you don't put in effort, you will get nothing out of the experience. 0 effort = 0 reward.