M.J. Rose

This is incredibly good news for all of us: Our beloved Dalai Lama is not throwing in the towel. And in other news, he may appoint a woman as his eventually successor. Wow.

Dalai Lama Not Retiring After Hospitalization
The Dalai Lama May Choose a Woman as His Successor
By KAREN RUSSO (ABC News)

The Dalai Lama has been hospitalized several times since the summer, including a stay in Delhi last week for a pinched nerve, leading to speculation the aging spiritual leader may be ready for retirement.

Tibetan exiles decide to stay the course with “middle way.”

Not true.

“Basically, he’s better,” said Tenzin Taklha, a senior aide to the Dalai Lama. “He’s wearing a neck collar to give him a little bit of rest. He has resumed his schedule.”

The self-proclaimed “semiretired” Dalai Lama, 73, has led the Tibetan people for the last 50 years and said that he has no intention of fully retiring any time soon…

For the rest of the article and a video segment with the Dalai Lama, click here.

In a study reported by the British Medical Journal it was discovered that connections make us happier.

“The same team that demonstrated obesity and smoking spread in networks has shown that the more happy people you know, the more likely you are yourself to be happy.

And getting connected to happy people improves a person’s own happiness…”

This of course comes as no surprise for those of us who religiously use social networks and connect via blogs, websites, and email. I can vouch that when I am in touch with old friends and new friends over the internet I do feel more connected in general and that makes me happier. However, if these electronic connections were my ONLY connections to other humans I think the idea would backfire. We need real human interaction to feel truly alive.

Here is some Reincarnationist homework for the rest of the week: Reach out to at least one of your online connections in person. Meet up at a park, a cafe, or invite them over for dinner. I dare you. (And then please come back and let us know in a comment how that interaction made you feel.)

Thank you Gina for sharing this touching Reincarnation Diary with  us…

My past lives come back to me in dreams. I’ve had the dreams as long as I can remember. I’ve counted 6 separate past lives so far. This is one:

I am standing on a train platform in a long gray dress. The wind whips dust around my feet. A young man in walks toward me. He’s carrying a bundle of blue cloth and black boots. I know that I’m in love with him and I know he’s about to leave. Someone is shouting far away. The young man has to hurry. He kisses me and I whisper, “Please don’t go.” He doesn’t answer but thrusts something flat into my hand and turns and runs to the train. I wave as I watch the train leave, but I know I’ll never see him again. I look down to my hand and see that I’m holding a photograph of him.

In second dream I had about this life I was an old woman. I was lying in a bed in a dimly lit room. My sister was sleeping in a chair close to the bed. I pulled the faded photograph of the young man off the bedside table and stared at it. I started to cry and said outloud, “I waited but you didn’t come back.” I hear thunder. I kiss the photo and say, “We’ll be together soon.”

When I had the second dream my sister (in this life) woke me up and told me I was crying in my sleep and mumbling “we’ll be together soon”.