SEOUL, South Korea--(BUSINESS WIRE)--2019 Seoul International Buddhism Expo (BEXPO) will be held at the Seoul Trade Exhibition & Convention (SETEC) from November 14th to 17th.

PAUSE: Breathe in, Breathe out is the tagline of BEXPO 2019. This year, 488 booths have been registered by 331 companies from home and oversea. The estimated visitors would be more than 70,000.

The exhibition consists of three halls. The 1st hall, Joy of Practice Daily Meditation' will be the exhibition that introduces new meditation trends using mobile applications in the age of technology.

'Joy of Art - The 7th Buddha Art Festival (BAF) will be held in the 2nd hall, where visitors can appreciate Buddhist art from a variety of perspectives and see artworks from traditional to modern styles, such as paintings, statues, and Dancheong.

In 3rd Hall, the Joy of Daily Life has a special interior proposal. It is an interior design and product exhibition where you can explore decorating options of your own meditation room so that you can concentrate on your inner self after a busy day.

On 15th, Being With Dying (BWD) will be introduced for the first time in Korea. You can learn how to connect and care for yourself and others with the basic wisdom of death. Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) will be held on 16th to take care of yourself with warm awareness. Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) will be held on 17th to focus on each moment and control the stress.

The Seoul Relax Week program introduces spaces and classes where you can relax your body and mind in Seoul including Bongeunsa Temple. You will find various relaxing spaces and programs such as meditation, yoga, counseling, movement, music, vegetarianism, and temple stay.

Hong Seung-do, Secretary General of the Buddhism Expo (BEXPO), said, "the spiritual cultural heritage and method of practicing Korean Buddhism, like meditation, is one of the best mental and cultural gems that Korea can present to the world. This year's expo will play a key role in leading the spiritual culture of the world."

For more information on the 2019 Seoul International Buddhism Expo, please visit http://en.bexpo.kr/.

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2019 Seoul International Buddhism Expo to Be Held under the Theme of Meditation: Habit of Being Every Moment 'Pause: Breathe in, Breathe out' from...

Yong Oh was searching for a refuge from his stress and negative emotions 13 years ago when he committed to Buddhist teachings.

It felt like I was being tossed and turned by my mind, said Oh, a teacher at the Durango Dharma Center.

Nationally, many are turning to meditation and mindfulness rooted in Buddhism in search of peace from internal strife, he said. The National Center for Health Statistics found late last year that 14.2% of adults were meditating in 2017, up from 4.1% in 2012.

In Ohs case, the Buddhist teachings have provided relief from self-judgment, self-hatred and worry.

The practice also helped him cope with tragedy. A car crash four years ago killed his father and left his mother with brain damage, he said. After the accident, he became his mothers caretaker and later took on an intense travel schedule to learn the Buddhist teachings.

There is no way, I think, I could have managed it without this practice, he said.

Oh, 47, now shares Buddhist practices with others at retreats across the country and as a member of the Dharma Centers spiritual leadership council. He also answers questions from meditation practitioners on Ten Percent Happier, a phone app for people seeking to improve their sleep, mindfulness and relationships.

He is the first new member on the Dharma Centers spiritual leadership council in eight years and was invited to join because of his deep level of training, said Erin Treat, the resident teacher.

Having Yong join our council means theres a deepened breadth and depth of local leadership, she said.

The Durango Dharma Center attracts about 130 residents to weekly Monday night meetings and is growing, she said.

Oh said he now enjoys teaching, but it was tough at first as an introvert something that had guided his life in the past.

Overcoming obstaclesAs an introvert, Oh was drawn to a career in acupuncture.

Previously, he worked as a graphic designer in New York City. He left the city in 2006 to practice acupuncture in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and dove into his Buddhist practice. Oh was born in South Korea, and his heritage may have influenced his interest in the practice, he said.

He loved the practice and eventually started teaching, but found it excruciating in the beginning because he was afraid of public speaking. At one point, on his way to teach a class, he remembered thinking: Maybe if I get into a car accident, I wont have to teach, he said.

But Oh kept saying yes to training opportunities to further his teaching abilities. He is now in a four-year program through the Insight Meditation Society, learning to lead residential meditation retreats.

At some point, I started to enjoy it rather than it being an ordeal I just had to endure and get through, he said.

He moved to Durango about three years ago and was drawn by the size and caliber of the Dharma Center.

Center board member and volunteer Kate Siber said she appreciates Ohs style of teaching and the example he sets for practitioners.

There is something about his presence that feels very calm and grounded and steady, and that can be very supportive to people, she said.

The meditation practice itself helps practitioners achieve greater resilience to stress and respond to life events from a place of balance and clarity, Siber said.

Mindfulness has the power to amplify the joyful things and the wonderful things of life and also seems to make the challenging things land more softly, Siber said.

To help more people feel comfortable at the Dharma Center, Oh started the People of Color Sangha over the summer. Sangha means community.

While Buddhism was practiced for thousands of years in Asia, the Insight Meditation tradition that Oh is training in was brought to the U.S. in the 1970s by American Jewish teachers who learned the practices while traveling in Asia. In the decades since, the practice has drawn many white, upper class practitioners, Oh said.

There have been people who have been attracted to dharma who havent felt welcome or safe, or its just been too intimidating to go into a place where they are going to be the only person of color, he said.

The new group at the Durango Dharma Center is intended to help those who self-identify as a person of color to find support.

The idea isnt that we are trying to separate ourselves out. Its a little bit of extra support for people who might need it, he said.

The center has also started a group for those who are gay, lesbian, transgender, intersex, queer and nonbinary.

The groups are intended to create deliberate spaces of belonging to encourage an environment of ease, relaxation and trust, Treat said.

Its a deeper culture of belonging and welcome, she said.

The groups also represent the growth of mindfulness practice and Buddhism in town, she said.

There is a group for nearly everyone who wants to participate, she said.

mshinn@durangoherald.com

Read more here:
Buddhist teacher shares practical tools that relieved his self-hatred, worry - The Durango Herald

Buddhist art and origins at London display

London, Oct 29 (IANSlife) Now open at Londons British Library, a significant exhibition on Buddhism is exploring the roots, philosophy and contemporary relevance of one of the worlds major religions, from its beginnings in north India in the 6th century BCE, to having over 500 million followers across the world today.

Titled ''Buddhism'', the magnificent 120-object show has on display rare treasures, from colourful scrolls, painted wall hangings to embellished folding books, highlighting the art contained within Buddhist manuscripts and early printed works.

The exhibition also features contemporary art from Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan and Taiwan as well as ritual objects used in Buddhist practice that provide a window into everyday life in Buddhist communities in the 21st century.

Encompassing the life of the Buddha, Buddhist philosophy, the spread of Buddhism and Buddhist practice today, highlight items include:

1. A 7.6 metre-long 19th century Burmese illustrated manuscript detailing the early life of the Buddha.

2. The most comprehensive woodblock-printed work depicting and describing scenes from the life of the Buddha, including 208 beautiful hand-coloured illustrations from China, created in 1808.

3. A copy of the Lotus Sutra in a lavishly decorated scroll from Japan, written in gold and silver ink on indigo-dyed paper dating back to 1636, one of the most popular and most influential Buddhist texts of Mahayana Buddhism.

4. A rare Buddhist manuscript in the shape of a bar of gold from Thailand dated 1917, known as ''Sankhara bhajani kyam'', going on display for the first time.

5. The ''Hyakumanto darani'' or ''One Million Pagoda Dharani,'' the oldest extant examples of printing in Japan and some of the earliest in the world, dating 764-770 CE.

6. One of the oldest illustrated extant palm leaf manuscripts, ''Pancharaksha'', an illustrated ritual text on the Five Protections from Nepal, dated 1130-1150 CE.

7. A lavishly gilded and lacquered Thai palm leaf manuscript with new research revealing it was commissioned by a queen of Siam, with a silk cover designed by her, demonstrating the role of women in Buddhism, 19th century.

8. An 18th-century copy of the Tibetan Book ''Bar do thos grol'', a guide through the stages between death and rebirth, commonly known in the West as ''Tibetan Book of the Dead,'' which helped popularise Buddhism in the 20th century in Europe.

It runs from October 25, 2019 to February 23, 2020 and spans 20 countries over 2,000 years.

(Siddhi Jain can be contacted at siddhi.j@ians.in)

--IANS

sj/sdr/lh

Disclaimer :- This story has not been edited by Outlook staff and is auto-generated from news agency feeds. Source: IANS

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Buddhist art and origins at London display - Outlook India

Buddhist monks at an event organised by Gujarat chapter of Buddhas Light International Association, an international Buddhist organisation, in Ahmedabad, on Sunday. (Express Photo: Javed Raja)

Around 1,500 Dalits from different parts of Gujarat resolved to follow Buddhism at a function organised at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Memorial in Shahibaug area of Ahmedabad on Sunday.

The function, organised by the Gujarat chapter of Buddhas Light International Association (BLIA), an international Buddhist organisation, was presided over by Hsin Bau, the religious head of BLIA, and Buddhist monk from Taiwan. A number of Buddhist monks from India and abroad took part. People took the pledge to follow Buddhism after getting themselves registered with BLIA for the function.

Those who were present on the occasion included former BLIA president of Gujarat chapter and current Congress MLA from Dasada constituency Naushad Solanki and former BJP MP Ratilal Varma.

Current president of Gujarat chapter of BLIA Tushar Shripal said nearly 1,400 persons got themselves registered for the programme. Solanki, an Elder Adviser of BLIA in Gujarat, said that there were many people among the 1,400-odd people who took the pledge to follow Buddhism for the first time.

Manjula Makwana, a resident of Surendranagar in Saurashtra, who embraced Buddhism along with her husband, Ghanshyam Makwana, and three children at the function, said, Equality is the only reason for us to embrace Buddhism. As Hindus we did not find equality We are witnessing lot of discrimination and atrocities against people of Scheduled Caste (Dalits). Surendranagar is notorious for it.

Nisarg Parmar, an engineer from Naroda area of Ahmedabad who is pursuing his Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), was another Dalit who pledged to follow Buddhism a the function. As many as around 25 persons from Nisargs extended family took the pledge to follow Buddhism at the function.

Speaking to The Indian Express on reasons behind his pledge, Parmar said, We used to follow Hinduism. But we do not like the discrimination and caste hierarchy in it. Buddhism is preaching equality. So, today we have taken the pledge to follow Buddhism I want India to be the best in the world. But I think one of the biggest hurdles in its progress is this caste system that discriminates people and treats them unequally, he added.

Recently, on Vijayadashami or Dussehra, around 500 Dalits from different parts of Gujarat embraced Buddhism at three separate functions in Ahmedabad city, Mehsana and Idar of Sabarkantha district.

See more here:
1,500 Dalits from across Gujarat embrace Buddhism for equality - The Indian Express

The disparity between common Japanese religious practices and belief-centric views of religion was again brought into relief when a prominent psychology professor from the US, who was temporarily visiting my lab in Japan, encountered the domestic co-existence of Buddhist and Shinto altars. Most traditional family homes in Japan house both a Buddhist altar to honour deceased relatives (butsudan) and a Shinto altar, called a god-shelf (kami-dana), to bring blessings. This pluralistic practice goes largely unremarked upon by Japanese people, but it can be striking for those from more exclusive religious backgrounds. When the US professor learned of the practice, he turned to a Japanese colleague and asked if he had two altars in his home. Yes, at his familys house, he answered. The professor asked in astonishment which of the two systems, if either, was the one that he really believed in. My Japanese colleague was puzzled. Neither, he said, and then clarified: or maybe both! He had never really thought much about whether he believed in altars before, he explained.

Christopher Kavanagh

I am a Buddhist. Buddhism, specifically Zen Buddhism, more precisely Soto Zen and koan introspection as a piece, centers my life. It focuses my attention, it guides ever step I take. It is who I am.

I am a Buddhist, if a Buddhist of a liberal sort. Of course that liberalism speaks to the profound assumptions with which I engage the world.

In my case its as someone who embraces the modern and post modern scientific world view. In his book the Universe in a Single Atom the Dalai Lama says If scientific analysis were conclusively to demonstrate certain claims in Buddhism to be false, then we must accept the findings of science and abandon those claims. I believe that. And that privileging of the scientific investigation very much influences how I engage my religion.

And there are other things that weave into who I am and how I engage the world, and what I understand of my Buddhism.I am especially aware of how I engage Buddhism is heavily marked by my Christian upbringing and my graduate studies in a contemporary, if liberal, Protestant seminary,itself a member of a pan-religious theological union, through which I wandered learning much of the methodologies with which I engage spirituality and the world.

For instance, when trying to understand ordination within Japanese-derived Soto Zen, I relied about equally on historical analysis of Vinaya ordination and its reform in Japan, together with the Christian ordination notions of ontological and functional ministries. Then in trying to understand the ritual life of a Soto priest I found myself immediately seeing it through my earlier critical analysis of the Christian Eucharist.

Within this I see how I recapitulate in the most personal terms how a religion enters a culture and begins immediately to adapt and to re-interpret.

Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself, (I am large, I contain multitudes.)

And, you know, thats okay.

In his article that I cite at the beginning of this briefest of reflections, itself more a tease toward something larger, cognitive antropologist Christopher Kavanagh throws away a phrase, circumscribed relativism. I find it delicious. And compelling.

Relativism, the doctrine that knowledge, truth, and morality exist in relation to culture, society, or historical context, and are not absolute. But modified by circumscribed, to define or mark off carefully. With emphasis on carefully. With respect. With humility.

We are, in speaking of religion, approaching the most important things of our human lives, the questions and the findings of meaning and purpose. Nothing less.

So, as we approach that burning bush, (am I doing it again?), we need to take off our shoes and approach humbly.

Its absolutely critical we understand ourselves and our limitations. So, deep looking is called for. But, also to respect the mysteries of our human condition, and maybe, to accept that wisdom arises where it arises. Wisdom cannot be contained. Not even by the greatest of systems.So, while I fully embrace the great story of evolution, I find I can only understand it through poetry. And poetry is always self-contradictory.

It will never be either or. It will always be both and

It will always be messy. It will always be seen obliquely, through the corner of the eye rather than straight on, through a glass darkly, rather than through plate glass.

Tell all the truth but tell it slant Success in Circuit liesToo bright for our infirm DelightThe Truths superb surpriseAs Lightning to the Children easedWith explanation kindThe Truth must dazzle graduallyOr every man be blind

A little darker. Perhaps.

But, much more true

Read more from the original source:
Toward a Circumscribed Relativism: Another Mind Bubble from an Aging Western Zen Priest - Patheos

This week, several Unitarian Universalists addressed themes of identity, belonging, inclusion, and welcome.

Doug Muder sorts through a liberal view of intervention.

When we do decide to pull out of a country, we need a withdrawal plan rather than just a tweet announcing our departure. First, we need a plan to get our own people out of the country safely. And second, we need to do right by the people who have helped us, and who will likely be targeted for death after we leave. If nothing else, that means doing something Trump hates to do: welcoming refugees to the United States. (The Weekly Sift, October 21)

Celebrating the recent historic spacewalk by two female astronauts, Erika Hewitt points to previous delays as an example of diversity falling short of true inclusion.

Remember (especially if you identify as male) that wherever you go, systems and structures were built with ONE kind of person in mind, and often the obstacles dont appear until its too late. This is also true of white supremacy culture, ableism culture, and all of the other invisible snares of oppression. Lets keep snipping those snares, one cord at a time. (Facebook, October 18)

James Ford reflects on what it means to claim a Buddhist identity.

I believe the only appropriate way of understanding the precepts regarding sexuality turn on respect and care and mutuality. . . . I assert these positions I hold are Buddhist, if a liberal Buddhist.

Others, I know, think this means I am not a Buddhist. Or, at best, a marginal Buddhist.

But then many Buddhists think the same about Zen Buddhists in general.

The upshot is probably, while quite important, the question of who and who is not a Buddhist is going to remain ambiguous. The deal, as I see it, in a sort of bottom line way is not Buddhism, but Buddhisms

And, me, Im comfortable with that. (Monkey Mind, October 24)

Dan Harper writes that you dont need to be affiliated with a congregation to be a UU.

What is permanent about Unitarian Universalism? That you live an ethical life. That you challenge yourself to use your reason to engage with religion. That you allow yourself to doubt. That you allow your religious attitudes to change and evolve. That you value the Western religious tradition of which anglophone Unitarian Universalism is a part, while remaining open to insights from non-Western religious traditions. That you are in conversation with other UUs.

That last point deserves elaboration: How can non-affiliated UUs stay in conversation with other UUS? Through sudden villages, conferences and gatherings of a few days or a week where you get to meet other UUs face-to-face. Through reading UU writers, and listening to UU podcasts. Through online contacts: social media, blogs, email, whatever. (Yet Another Unitarian Universalist, October 23)

John Beckett answers the question of how a polytheist can be a Unitarian.

The first thing to understand is that contemporary Unitarian Universalism is not the Unitarian Christianity of Channing, the Universalism of Murray and Ballou, or the Transcendentalism of Emerson. Nor for that matter is it the Humanism of the mid-20th century. It is the direct descendant of all those traditions and it contains elements of them, but it has evolved into something quite different.

Contemporary Unitarian Universalism is based not on common creeds or theologies, but rather on shared values, beginning with the inherent worth and dignity of every person. Those shared values are why monotheists, polytheists, and non-theists can gather together . . . and worship together. UU worship does not affirm the primacy of any deities or beliefs about deities. Rather, it affirms the primacy of living together in a way that is respectful, sustainable, and mutually supportive. (Under the Ancient Oaks, October 24)

David Breeden describes the concentric circles of human connection first imagined by the Greek stoic philosopher Hierocles.

A decolonized, cosmopolitan Humanism calls us to widen our circles.

Yet, herein lies a problem: What if the concentric circles dont keep expanding because of national policy? If you happen to live in the United States, for example, many of your fellow citizens see no need to expand the circles to include other animals, the citizens of other nations, or the planet. Many Americans wish only to be a circle of Americans.

In this way, from a practical viewpoint, the building out of Heirocles circles breaks down.

How do we live an ethical life of expanding circles of compassion when a majority of our fellow citizens dont wish to draw the circle wider?

Thats the question that contemporary Humanists are working hard to answer. (Medium, October 24)

Follow this link:
Interdependent Web: Expanding circles of compassion - uuworld.org

While Diwali is a cause for massive celebration in India, Hinduism is a minority religion in the United States. So, when it comes to acknowledging the holiday, people may be wondering, "What's the appropriate message?"

Diwali, also known by the Sanskrit word Deepavali, is a five-day festival and one of the most important Hindu festivals in India. Over the years, the holiday has become one that's celebrated across India by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and some Buddhists. Often called the "festival of lights," the holiday celebrates the victory of light over darkness and good over evil.

Occurring annually on the 15th day of the month of Kartik on the Hindu calendar, this year, celebrations began on Friday, but the main day is Sunday. Deepavali means "rows of lighted lamps," according to BBC, and during Diwali, houses, shops and public places will be decorated with small oil lamps called diyals.

Given the joyous nature of the holiday, if you chat with friends who observe Diwali, it's perfectly appropriate to wish them a "Happy Diwali."

If "Happy Diwali," is a bit simple for your style and you're looking for something with a little more oomph to it, try one of these recommendations from the Times of India:

Another greeting option to send is "Shubh Diwali," meaning "Happy Diwali" in Hindi, one of the two official languages of India.

The story of Diwali varies based on location, according to National Geographic, although every tale plays into the theme of good triumphing over evil. In Northern India, its origin goes back to Rama, a major deity, defeating Ravana, a demon-king. People in Southern India celebrate it as the day the god Krishna, defeated the demon Narakasura. In Western India, Diwali is the day the god Vishnu sent the demon king Bali to rule the netherworld.

For Sikhs, Diwali is a day to celebrate the release of the Sixth Guru Hargobind from captivity, according to the Hindu American Foundation. Jains consider the day that Lord Mahavira achieved enlightenment. Some Buddhists also commemorate the occasion as the day Ashok Vajiayadashami embraced Buddhism as his faith.

Although Diwali lasts five days, the main celebration occurs on the third day, known as Lakshmi Puja. On that day, people prepare to welcome Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth, by keeping their homes spotlessly clean, according to the Times of India. People will also deliver sweet treats and gifts to their friends and family.

Diwali celebrations are most prominent in India, but people across the globe will commemorate the holiday.

Go here to see the original:
Diwali Greetings: Diwali Wishes in English and How to Say Happy Diwali in Hindi - Newsweek

The site of Ayodhya, at least till the end of the 6th or early 5th century BC, was considered too forested for human habitation. (Photo: Vishal Srivastava)

Gautama Buddhas Phena Sutta (The Foam) is said to have been composed in Ayodhya. On a certain occasion, when he was staying here, he thus addressed the brethren:

Like to a ball of foam this body is:Like to a bubble blown these feelings are:Like to a mirage unsubstantialPerception: pithless as a plantain trunkThe activities: a phantom, consciousness.

Millennia later, when John Stratton Hawley, a professor of religion from Barnard College, New York, visited Ayodhya a month after the demolition of the Babri Masjid, he asked; Where is all that rubble?

He was told that it had mostly been carted off. That said, however, the mosque itself was not made of huge blocks of stone. It had used large bricks of the old Jaunpuri style. This is something Hawley and his co-writer Vasudha Narayanan concluded in The Life of Hinduism (2006). So the expectation of finding massive blocks of stones as rubble was misplaced.

But beyond the rubble, or the absence of it, and the temple-versus-mosque tension that Ayodhya now evokes, the Phena Sutta brings to mind the many other strands of India which can be found in reference to Ayodhya.

The site of Ayodhya, at least till the end of the 6th or early 5th century BC, was considered too forested for human habitation. Its early inhabitants are said to have come from the regions to the south and west of the area and were a part of the urban iron age culture known as the Northern Black Polished Ware Culture.

In Mauryan times, it is believed that Buddhism and Jainism prospered here. Saketa, found in ancient Buddhist texts, and Vishaka, Vinaya or Vinita, mentioned in Jain texts can be identified with Ayodhya. The oldest religious tradition at Saketa appears to have been the worship of tribal images. Uttarakuru, where Mahavira preached, had a shrine of Yaksha Pasamiya.

The Buddhist scripture Samyutta Nikaya speaks of the Buddha dwelling in Ayojjha. Historian BC Law in Historical Geography of Ancient India (1954) says that Ayojjha represents the Sanskrit Ayodhya of the Ramayana and the A-yu-te of Hiuen Tsiang.

Another traveller from China, Fa-Hien, called it Sha-Che. Fa-Hien, who visited around 400 AD, wrote, the country yielded good crops, was luxuriant in fruit and flower, and had a genial climate. The people had agreeable ways, were fond of good works, and devoted to practical learning. There were above 100 Buddhist monasteries, and more than 3,000 Brethren who were students of both the Vehicles

When Hiuen Tsang visited Ayodhya (7th century AD), it had become an important religious centre under the Guptas. He found 1,000 monasteries and 3,000 monks studying books of both the Great (Mahayana) and the Little (Hinayana) Vehicles of Buddhism.

BC Law also points out that Ayodhya was the birthplace of the first and fourth Jain Tirthankaras. It is called Ishvakubhumi in Jain writings, and the first Tirthankara, Rishabhanatha, is believed to have been born here. Prof BB Lal, former director-general of the Archaeological Survey of India, conducted excavations in Ayodhya between 1975-76 and found a terracotta image showing a Jain ascetic. Ascribed to the 4th century AD, it is the oldest image found in Ayodhya.

The Mani Parbat, one of the oldest mounds of the city, which archaeologist AE Cunningham photographed in the 1860s, is where Buddha is said to have preached from. (This has become part of Hindu folklore, and is believed to be part of the hill, containing the sanjeevani herb, that Hanuman carried from the Himalayas to revive the injured Lakshmana on the battlefield.)

By the close of the 6th and early 5th century, BCE, Ayodhya is said to have emerged as an important marketplace as it was at the junction of two important highways. During the period of the Buddha and the Mahavira, merchants became significant, financially supporting preachers. There was a lot of riverine trade, too, as boats carried goods such as slaves, commodities of everyday use, ghee, honey, beeswax, lac, condiments and stones. The intense activity is established by the large number of coins found in Ayodhya. The coins disappeared after the first two centuries AD, perhaps reflecting a slowdown in economic activity. According to John Allan in the Catalogue of the Coins of Ancient India (1936), Ayodhya experienced a shortage of gold coins after the 5th century AD. They were later found only in the 11th century AD.

The tussle to stake ownership over Ayodhya, and define it by the Hindu-Muslim question, has concealed the myriad other factors that have gone into making the city and, by implication, India.

Lord Ram as a bodhisattva in the Anamaka Jataka. Or Vimalsuris Paumachariyam (a Jain version of the Ramayana) which characterises the Rama Katha characters as creations of the Jain tradition? That is another story. Or stories.

More:
Long ago, by the Sarayu - The Indian Express

Fear. It cuts like a knife and goes way too deep for far too many people. It can severely impact your ability to achieve personal or professional goals, experience happiness or develop a meaningful career. How you deal with it or not will impact your ability to achieve and sustain success.

Getty

While anxiety and depression can make fear feel like a best friend, disappointment and regret can make it feel like an enemy. Whatever you know about fear, you are likely to know that, rational or irrational, it has the ability to cause extreme fight or flight reactions even complete inaction to circumstances and events. Still, like an old, familiar friend, some of us are hard pressed to let it go.

Neuropsychologist Theo Tsaousides says in Psychology Today that, when the fear is overwhelming, you experience fright: You neither fight nor flee; in fact, you do nothing. I can certainly attest to this from professional and personal experience. For more than two decades, Ive served in roles to include a social worker, business educator, management consultant, executive coach, chief executive and keynote speaker, and people from all over the globe have felt safe to share their fears and anxieties with me. Ive also had to overcome my own fears and demonstrate the mental fortitude to be truly successful.

Success is predicated upon an ability to understand and appreciate fear. And before experiencing success, we need to figure out how to overcome these three specific fears for long-term personal and career success.

If every single human being could voluntarily decide to stand in one of two lines, one for failure and one for success, Im willing to bet everything I have that there would be very few people (if any at all) in the line for failure. From the youngest of ages, we are taught to go out into the world and succeed. We are taught that success is better than failure. We are taught that winners succeed and losers fail.

After years of programming, it becomes abundantly clear that failure brings disappointment, shame, embarrassment or humiliation while success brings honor, praise, pride and dignity. Naturally, we start to have an aversion to failure. But having an aversion to failure isnt the same as having a paralyzing fear of it. People with an overwhelming fear of failure do things like

I dont know anyone whos actually okay with rejection. Most of us want some level of acceptance from others, and this is normal. But there is a big difference between being uncomfortable with rejection and being so afraid of it that you let it stop you cold from achieving personal or professional success.

Ultimately, fear of rejection is a reflection of the anxiety you have with not being accepted. It is an indication that you may have an excessive need to belong or an excessive fear of being judged or ridiculed. People with an overwhelming fear of rejection do things like

Say it aint so. How can anyone be afraid of success? Fear of success is real. Some people have a crippling fear of success and are more afraid to succeed than they are to fail. Success means change, and it can bring an unwelcomed spotlight of attention and many new detractors. The more successful you become, the more you get noticed. While getting noticed often brings on more admirers, it also brings on more haters.

Another reason people fear success is that it creates new standards and expectations, and people get stressed about how to manage those standards and expectations. When you succeed, you raise the bar. Others start to expect more from you and hold you accountable for higher levels of performance than you were delivering prior to the successful project, initiative or activity. The fear of success is about fearing pressure and resisting accountability. It is a fear of new attention and expectations.

Even though success can bring honor, praise and pride, it also brings anxiety and new accountabilities. This can become debilitating. People with an overwhelming fear of success do things like

Although these three fears are challenging, they are rather normal and common. Successful people experience many of the same fears as everyone else. The difference is that successful people dont let it become so overwhelming that the fear negatively impacts their personal or professional success.

Here are four categories of specific things you can do to overcome the fear of failure, the fear of rejection and the fear of success.

This was created by Brian Tracy, author and consultant, to help with overcoming fear of failure and rejection.

I highly recommend that you apply the action steps above so that you can manage even overcome your fears and achieve the personal and professional success you want.

Read this article:
3 Fears You Need To Overcome If You Want To Be Successful - Forbes

MALVERN, Pa., Oct. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --Neuronetics, Inc. (NASDAQ: STIM), a commercial stage medical technology company focused on designing, developing and marketing products that improve the quality of life for patients who suffer from psychiatric disorders, today announced a partnership with Success TMS, a healthcare provider specializing in transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a non-drug, non-invasive treatment for adult patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). As part of a three-year agreement, Success TMS will offer Neuronetics' NeuroStar Advanced Therapy system as its preferred TMS device at 21 locations across six states.

Sparked by Founder Jonathan Michel's personal journey losing his sister, Alex, to suicide after her five-year battle with the disease, the facility's flagship location opened in 2018 in Lake Worth, FL to treat local residents. Michel and his leadership team have since pursued a far-reaching, rapidly-growing expansion strategy to provide compassionate care to depression sufferers. The practice has seen both organic and inorganic growth in the last year, with the aim of "ridding the world of depression" as per Alex's last request.

Today, Success TMS is one of the leading TMS Therapy providers in the US, treating hundreds of patients each day and every day in Alex's honor. Neuronetics is the global leader in TMS therapy for depression, and the uncompromised focus of both companies on maximizing patient outcomes led to this collaborative partnership. Success TMS has helped many patients with NeuroStar TMS, which uses magnetic pulses to stimulate areas of the brain that are underactive in depression.1,2

"The Success TMS team understands the hardship of depression firsthand. We've seen this disease in friends and loved ones and believe in the power of providing specialized care in order to maximize successful outcomes for patients," said Randy Syrop, CEO and Co-Founder of Success TMS. "NeuroStar Advanced Therapy is the treatment that makes this possible. We know because we have seen it work, and we're excited about this partnership because it means more sufferers will have access to this treatment, giving hope to those who need it most and offering true remission from this disease."

Under the terms of the partnership, Success TMS will offer NeuroStar Advanced Therapy TMS systems at all its locations. This partnership is expected to allow for the treatment of thousands of patients across Success TMS's clinic locations. Success TMS plans on continuing its aggressive growth by launching new clinics in both existing and new regions over the next 18 months, including four in South Florida by 2019 year end Miami, Coral Gables, Key Biscayne, and Boca Raton (successtms.com/locations).

"Success TMS is at the forefront of exceptional patient service, fueled by a very personal connection to depression," said Chris Thatcher, President and CEO of Neuronetics, Inc. "We're proud to expand our relationship with such a dedicated practice in a united fight against this disease that affects too many."

Formore information on both companies, visit neurostar.comand successtms.com.

About NeuroStar Advanced TherapyNeuroStar Advanced Therapy is the market leader in transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a non-invasive form of neuromodulation. NeuroStar Advanced Therapy is the #1 TMS choice of doctors, and is widely available acrossthe United States.

NeuroStar is reimbursed by most commercial and government health plans, including Medicare and Tricare. In addition, there are programs in place, such as NeuroStar Reimbursement Support, to help patients and providers obtain coverage and reimbursement for NeuroStar Advanced Therapy.

NeuroStar is indicated for the treatment of Major Depressive Disorder in adult patients who have failed to receive satisfactory improvement from prior antidepressant medication in the current episode. In an NIMH-funded, independent, randomized controlled trial, patients treated with TMS using a clinical-trial version of the NeuroStar TMS System were 4.2 times more likely to achieve remission compared to patients receiving sham treatment (P= 0.02; odds ratio = 4.05).3The most common side effect is pain or discomfort at or near the treatment site, which usually resolves within one week. It is contraindicated in people with non-removable conductive metal in or near the head.

NeuroStar is a registered trademark of Neuronetics, Inc. For more information and full safety and prescribing information, visitwww.neurostar.com.

AboutNeuroneticsNeuronetics, Inc.is a commercial-stage medical technology company focused on designing, developing, and marketing products that improve the quality of life for patients who suffer from psychiatric disorders. Our first commercial product, the NeuroStar Advanced Therapy System, is a non-invasive and non-systemic office-based treatment that uses transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS, to create a pulsed, MRI-strength magnetic field that induces electrical currents designed to stimulate specific areas of the brain associated with mood. The system is cleared by theUnited States Food and Drug Administration, orFDA, for the treatment of Major Depressive Disorder in adult patients who have failed to achieve satisfactory improvement from prior antidepressant medication in the current episode. NeuroStar is also available in other parts of the world, includingJapan, where it is listed underJapan'snational health insurance. Additional information can be found atwww.neuronetics.com.

Forward-Looking StatementsStatements in the press regardingNeuronetics, Inc.(the "Company") that are not historical facts constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements may be identified by terms such as "outlook," "potential," "believe," "expect," "plan," "anticipate," "predict," "may," "will," "could," "would" and "should" as well as the negative of these terms and similar expressions. These statements include those relating to: the Company's expectations regarding the build out of and demand for its NeuroStar Advanced Therapy System, including with respect to trends in the incidence of depression, and its expectations or beliefs regarding future applications and development of the System; and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing items. These statements are subject to significant risks and uncertainties and actual results could differ materially from those projected. The Company cautions investors not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this release. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks and uncertainties related to: continued availability and adequacy of coverage and reimbursement from third-party payors for treatments using the Company's products; physician and patient demand for treatments using the Company's products; developments in respect of competing technologies and therapies for the indications that the Company's products treat, including depression; product defects; the Company's ability to obtain and maintain intellectual property protection for its technology; and developments in regulation intheUnited States, Japanand other applicable jurisdictions. For a discussion of these and other related risks, please refer to the Company's recentSECfilings which are available on theSEC'swebsite atwww.sec.gov. These forward-looking statements are based on the Company's expectations and assumptions as of the date of this press release. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no duty or obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information, future events or changes in the Company's expectations.

1Post A, et al. J Psychiatric Research, (2001)

2Liston C, et al. Biol Psychiatry, (2014)

3George MS, et al. Arch Gen Psychiatry, (2010)

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Neuronetics and Success TMS Partner to Increase Patient Access to Leading Depression Treatment, NeuroStar Advanced Therapy - WFMZ Allentown