World Religions on Stress Control
World Religions on Stress Control
by
Stephen Lau
by
Stephen Lau
Stress is a common phenomenon in modern life. Doctors and psychologists have focused on stress control through medications and therapies.
But what do world religions say about stress control? Can religions control stress? If not, what else...?
Christianity
Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” Matthew 11:28-29
Being a Christian offers no exemption from the stress of modern living. Believing in an all-loving God does not alleviate the burden of everyday living.
Stress for a Christian, like everybody else, can take on many different shapes and forms, yet in general, for most Christians, stress boils down to one major factor - lack of trust in God.
"Trust the Lord with all your heart, and don't depend on your own understanding. Remember the Lord in all you do, and He will give you success." Proverb 3:5-6
Lack of trust in God stems from the sin of pride - the pride that you can do things on your own or in your own way, and the pride that you can control your destiny through your own efforts. Focusing on the self, instead of on God, is the cause of stress.
Chrisitanity, as one of the world religions on stress control, offers the following:
· Live a life that is ever increasingly Christ-centered.
· Pray often. Through prayers, you speak to God.
· Maintain a healthy relationship with God through daily meditation on His Word, through which God speaks to you.
· Praise God in everything you do. Praising and worshipping God will take your mind off the self, and the related problems. Refocus your attention on God.
"In nothing be anxious, in everything by prayer and supplication, with thankgiving, let your requests be made known to the Lord." Phillipians 4:6-7
· Seek God's guidance in every area and in every decision of your life. Meditate on the following questions:
Will the course considered lead a fellow Christian to sin by your example?
"Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble." 1 Corinthians 8:13
Will the action provide strength and encouragement to your own life?
"All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything." 1 Corinthians 6:12 ". . . but not all things edify." 1 Corinthians 10:23
Will the action ultimately glorify God?
"Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31
If you are truly spending time with God, seeking His will with pure motives, studying the Bible, and obeying Him, He will show you the way. However, He may want you to wait out your wisdom. Sometimes God allows you to experience times of waiting so that He can diffuse you of your own misconceptions, false beliefs, and expectations - times you misconstrue as stress.
Hinduism
Hinduism focuses on the transmigration of souls, which teaches that at death, your soul transfers into some other creature, be it human or animal, as a direct consequence of your karma or the effects of your thoughts and deeds. This transfer process continues until such time that your soul is able to attain to the state of Nirvana, a sublime state free from further rounds of rebirth, old age, disease and death.
According to Hinduism, worldly pleasures are innate in humans. Therefore, naturally, you should experience them first in order to overcome ultimately your desire for them, thereby advancing to more spiritual goals in your life. In the course of such experience in the physical world, you inadvertently create stress for yourself.
Hinduism teaches you to accept any tragedy in life not only as the will of God, but also as a fruit of your previous karma. More importantly, it inspires you to see it as an opportunity for redemption by acting with fortitude and righteousness.
Hinduism, as one of the world religions on stress control, offers the following:
· Apply the concept of karma that things, be they stressful or otherwise, happen for a reason.
· Understand the concept of karma that a stressful situation provides an opportunity for you to grow as a human. There exists a lesson in stress, and your soul is trying to bring that lesson to your consciousness in a way that your mind can comprehend. Stress is a stepping stone to spirituality.
· If karma is the balance of energy, then the negative energy of stress can only be balanced by the positive energy of understanding of what you are stressing over and why.
· Recognize that energy is circular: what you give is what you receive. In other words, if you expend negative energy (your reaction to stress) on anxiety, you will receive negative energy, thereby perpetuating the cycle of negativity. Cultivating stress is one way to create human bondage. Stress is no more than a shift in energy. Recognizing that stress is only a shift in energy can help you handle your stress more effectively. In addition, the law of karma states that your are responsible for your fate, and that you have the choice of generating positive energy, or the choice of succumbing to negative energy to perpetuate the cycle of negativity.
Islam
The Koran states that humans are on this earth only as passengers. Accordingly, you should not have the fear of failure or loss, which is the root cause of stress. A Muslim's destiny is predetermined, so worrying about it is fruitless. As such, you only have "limited free will" - to believe in God or not, or to chose good deeds or bad ones
In Islam, human stress is due to the following:
· Fear of the unknown, and hence the futile attempt to control the destiny
· Losses (human lives and material things) and the subsequent inability for recovery
· Conflict between knowing the truth and refusing to accept the truth
· Rejecting Allah - a disease of the heart ("In their hearts is a disease, and Allah increases their disease. A painful doom is theirs because they lie." Koran, 2:10)
Islam, as one of the world religions on stress control, offers the following:
· In Islam, your destiny is predetermined: you do not have control on your destiny. You have limited free will and your only choice is: choose or reject Allah.
· In Islam, there is no ownership of goods or lives: everything belongs to God and returns to Him. So if you have no ownership, why do you mourn your losses?
· In Islam, the human soul undergoes three stages of internal conflict and development:
As the “passionate soul,” it is prone to evil and sensual pleasures, such as passion and self-gratification, which whet the physical appetite and the ego.
As the “reproaching soul”, it is aware and conscious of evil, resists wrong doings, and asks for God’s grace and mercy to attain salvation.
As the “satisfied soul”, it is in the state of bliss, content and peace. The soul is at peace because it knows that in spite of its failures in this world, it will return to God. Purified of tension, it emerges victorious from the struggle with obstacles blocking the peace of mind and heart.
· In Islam, rejecting Allah is an aggravating disease, and rejection is denial of truth due to human arrogance. Only Allah can heal that disease of the mind and heart. You hold the key to that cure by remembering God at all times, asking for God's forgiveness, and praying and reciting the Koran.
Buddhism
In Buddhism, there is no stress, and you create your own stress through your ego-self, which is essentially your "no-self" because it simply does not exist, except in your own mind.
Buddhism focuses on "emptiness" which is not self-denial, but rather the wisdom of knowing the impermanence of materials things and therefore the abandonment of any futile pursuit of these elusive and evasive goals in life.
Buddhism also emphasizes enlightenment through self-intuition. You will change your perception of what you really are, and more importantly, the insignificance of your attachment to all materials things, including success and love of money. Buddha said, "Craving is the fountainhead of all human miseries." Once your craving ceases, your stress dissipates, and you are filled with composure and peace of mind.
In Buddhism, stress is due to the following:
· Craving for permanence in things which are impermanent
· Refusal to accept the good as well as the bad in life
· Non-enlightenment
Buddhism, as one of the world religions on stress control, offers the following:
· Focus on your non-attachment to worldly things to stop the craving and reinforce the "emptiness" of your ego-self.
· Embrace life as it is - that is, accepting life as it unfolds. Only when you begin to choose good from the bad and the pleasant from the unpleasant, then you mind becomes stressed over your choices and the result of your choices.
· Intuit the sublime wisdom of self-enlightenment through regular Buddhist meditation. (For more information on meditation, go to my website Meditation Techniques.)
Common factors in world religions on stress control
The world religions on stress control share some common factors:
· The need to put trust on the Creator or Higher Being
· The relentless attachment to worldly things
· The inability and the futile attempt to control one’s fate
· The innerl conflict between the heart and the mind due to refusal to confront the ultimate truth
All these common factors in world religion on stress control point to the role of spirituality in conquering stress. In other words, your mind plays a pivotal role in your physiological parameters, that is, the heart, blood pressure, and muscle tension. Physically, your muscles may contract and tense up - and this could be further aggravated by poor posture, which reduces your breathing. (For more information on healthy posture, go to my website Good Posture.) In short, stress can upset your whole body system, leading to poor health and disease.
To control stress, begin with the mind first, not the body. Spiritual health holds the key to a stress-free life. (For more information, go to my website Spiritual Health for Longevity.) But that requires faith and, for many, a long process of healing.
Of course, good exercise can de-stress the body.
Or, in this age of technolgy, you may use a state-of-the-art medical technologgy to relieve your stress. Stress Eraer is a medical device that reverses ergotropic tuning, the harmful process that causes your nerves to respond faster and more strongly to stress, and thus making you more vulnerable to stress.
According to reseach, ergotropic tuning is closely connected to the biological mechanisms of breathing. Stress Eraser not only measures the effects of your breathing but also guides you to control this basic biological activity. Stress Eraser is simple to use: you can put it in your hand and it takes only 15 minutes each night before bedtime to adjust your breathing; this innovative device will reverse of the effects of stress while you sleep.
Also, there are many other different way to overcome stress: for many stress balls can be handy and helpful. Not only can you get stress balls online, but you can also get promotion products like personalized coolers.
Don't underestimate the effects of stress on you overall health. Do something about it while you can.
Copyright© by Stephen Lau
But what do world religions say about stress control? Can religions control stress? If not, what else...?
Christianity
Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” Matthew 11:28-29
Being a Christian offers no exemption from the stress of modern living. Believing in an all-loving God does not alleviate the burden of everyday living.
Stress for a Christian, like everybody else, can take on many different shapes and forms, yet in general, for most Christians, stress boils down to one major factor - lack of trust in God.
"Trust the Lord with all your heart, and don't depend on your own understanding. Remember the Lord in all you do, and He will give you success." Proverb 3:5-6
Lack of trust in God stems from the sin of pride - the pride that you can do things on your own or in your own way, and the pride that you can control your destiny through your own efforts. Focusing on the self, instead of on God, is the cause of stress.
Chrisitanity, as one of the world religions on stress control, offers the following:
· Live a life that is ever increasingly Christ-centered.
· Pray often. Through prayers, you speak to God.
· Maintain a healthy relationship with God through daily meditation on His Word, through which God speaks to you.
· Praise God in everything you do. Praising and worshipping God will take your mind off the self, and the related problems. Refocus your attention on God.
"In nothing be anxious, in everything by prayer and supplication, with thankgiving, let your requests be made known to the Lord." Phillipians 4:6-7
· Seek God's guidance in every area and in every decision of your life. Meditate on the following questions:
Will the course considered lead a fellow Christian to sin by your example?
"Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble." 1 Corinthians 8:13
Will the action provide strength and encouragement to your own life?
"All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything." 1 Corinthians 6:12 ". . . but not all things edify." 1 Corinthians 10:23
Will the action ultimately glorify God?
"Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31
If you are truly spending time with God, seeking His will with pure motives, studying the Bible, and obeying Him, He will show you the way. However, He may want you to wait out your wisdom. Sometimes God allows you to experience times of waiting so that He can diffuse you of your own misconceptions, false beliefs, and expectations - times you misconstrue as stress.
Hinduism
Hinduism focuses on the transmigration of souls, which teaches that at death, your soul transfers into some other creature, be it human or animal, as a direct consequence of your karma or the effects of your thoughts and deeds. This transfer process continues until such time that your soul is able to attain to the state of Nirvana, a sublime state free from further rounds of rebirth, old age, disease and death.
According to Hinduism, worldly pleasures are innate in humans. Therefore, naturally, you should experience them first in order to overcome ultimately your desire for them, thereby advancing to more spiritual goals in your life. In the course of such experience in the physical world, you inadvertently create stress for yourself.
Hinduism teaches you to accept any tragedy in life not only as the will of God, but also as a fruit of your previous karma. More importantly, it inspires you to see it as an opportunity for redemption by acting with fortitude and righteousness.
Hinduism, as one of the world religions on stress control, offers the following:
· Apply the concept of karma that things, be they stressful or otherwise, happen for a reason.
· Understand the concept of karma that a stressful situation provides an opportunity for you to grow as a human. There exists a lesson in stress, and your soul is trying to bring that lesson to your consciousness in a way that your mind can comprehend. Stress is a stepping stone to spirituality.
· If karma is the balance of energy, then the negative energy of stress can only be balanced by the positive energy of understanding of what you are stressing over and why.
· Recognize that energy is circular: what you give is what you receive. In other words, if you expend negative energy (your reaction to stress) on anxiety, you will receive negative energy, thereby perpetuating the cycle of negativity. Cultivating stress is one way to create human bondage. Stress is no more than a shift in energy. Recognizing that stress is only a shift in energy can help you handle your stress more effectively. In addition, the law of karma states that your are responsible for your fate, and that you have the choice of generating positive energy, or the choice of succumbing to negative energy to perpetuate the cycle of negativity.
Islam
The Koran states that humans are on this earth only as passengers. Accordingly, you should not have the fear of failure or loss, which is the root cause of stress. A Muslim's destiny is predetermined, so worrying about it is fruitless. As such, you only have "limited free will" - to believe in God or not, or to chose good deeds or bad ones
In Islam, human stress is due to the following:
· Fear of the unknown, and hence the futile attempt to control the destiny
· Losses (human lives and material things) and the subsequent inability for recovery
· Conflict between knowing the truth and refusing to accept the truth
· Rejecting Allah - a disease of the heart ("In their hearts is a disease, and Allah increases their disease. A painful doom is theirs because they lie." Koran, 2:10)
Islam, as one of the world religions on stress control, offers the following:
· In Islam, your destiny is predetermined: you do not have control on your destiny. You have limited free will and your only choice is: choose or reject Allah.
· In Islam, there is no ownership of goods or lives: everything belongs to God and returns to Him. So if you have no ownership, why do you mourn your losses?
· In Islam, the human soul undergoes three stages of internal conflict and development:
As the “passionate soul,” it is prone to evil and sensual pleasures, such as passion and self-gratification, which whet the physical appetite and the ego.
As the “reproaching soul”, it is aware and conscious of evil, resists wrong doings, and asks for God’s grace and mercy to attain salvation.
As the “satisfied soul”, it is in the state of bliss, content and peace. The soul is at peace because it knows that in spite of its failures in this world, it will return to God. Purified of tension, it emerges victorious from the struggle with obstacles blocking the peace of mind and heart.
· In Islam, rejecting Allah is an aggravating disease, and rejection is denial of truth due to human arrogance. Only Allah can heal that disease of the mind and heart. You hold the key to that cure by remembering God at all times, asking for God's forgiveness, and praying and reciting the Koran.
Buddhism
In Buddhism, there is no stress, and you create your own stress through your ego-self, which is essentially your "no-self" because it simply does not exist, except in your own mind.
Buddhism focuses on "emptiness" which is not self-denial, but rather the wisdom of knowing the impermanence of materials things and therefore the abandonment of any futile pursuit of these elusive and evasive goals in life.
Buddhism also emphasizes enlightenment through self-intuition. You will change your perception of what you really are, and more importantly, the insignificance of your attachment to all materials things, including success and love of money. Buddha said, "Craving is the fountainhead of all human miseries." Once your craving ceases, your stress dissipates, and you are filled with composure and peace of mind.
In Buddhism, stress is due to the following:
· Craving for permanence in things which are impermanent
· Refusal to accept the good as well as the bad in life
· Non-enlightenment
Buddhism, as one of the world religions on stress control, offers the following:
· Focus on your non-attachment to worldly things to stop the craving and reinforce the "emptiness" of your ego-self.
· Embrace life as it is - that is, accepting life as it unfolds. Only when you begin to choose good from the bad and the pleasant from the unpleasant, then you mind becomes stressed over your choices and the result of your choices.
· Intuit the sublime wisdom of self-enlightenment through regular Buddhist meditation. (For more information on meditation, go to my website Meditation Techniques.)
Common factors in world religions on stress control
The world religions on stress control share some common factors:
· The need to put trust on the Creator or Higher Being
· The relentless attachment to worldly things
· The inability and the futile attempt to control one’s fate
· The innerl conflict between the heart and the mind due to refusal to confront the ultimate truth
All these common factors in world religion on stress control point to the role of spirituality in conquering stress. In other words, your mind plays a pivotal role in your physiological parameters, that is, the heart, blood pressure, and muscle tension. Physically, your muscles may contract and tense up - and this could be further aggravated by poor posture, which reduces your breathing. (For more information on healthy posture, go to my website Good Posture.) In short, stress can upset your whole body system, leading to poor health and disease.
To control stress, begin with the mind first, not the body. Spiritual health holds the key to a stress-free life. (For more information, go to my website Spiritual Health for Longevity.) But that requires faith and, for many, a long process of healing.
Of course, good exercise can de-stress the body.
Or, in this age of technolgy, you may use a state-of-the-art medical technologgy to relieve your stress. Stress Eraer is a medical device that reverses ergotropic tuning, the harmful process that causes your nerves to respond faster and more strongly to stress, and thus making you more vulnerable to stress.
According to reseach, ergotropic tuning is closely connected to the biological mechanisms of breathing. Stress Eraser not only measures the effects of your breathing but also guides you to control this basic biological activity. Stress Eraser is simple to use: you can put it in your hand and it takes only 15 minutes each night before bedtime to adjust your breathing; this innovative device will reverse of the effects of stress while you sleep.
Also, there are many other different way to overcome stress: for many stress balls can be handy and helpful. Not only can you get stress balls online, but you can also get promotion products like personalized coolers.
Don't underestimate the effects of stress on you overall health. Do something about it while you can.
Copyright© by Stephen Lau
