Buddhist Spirituality Inspiration
Early Morning Buddhist Spirituality Inspiration - 5/15/2013
Technorati Tags: Buddha Buddhist Buddhism Meditation Dharma
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Life Coach extraordinaire Tim Brownson drew my attention to this interesting infographic last week, and I promptly forgot about it until stumbling across it again last night.
According to the graphic's creators, by the end of 2012, at least 91 schools located in 13 states were planning to implement meditation course for their students. High school students practicing meditation for a month had 25% less absence and 38% fewer suspension days when compared to other students.
Students improved scores in their attention by practicing meditation and students found that their aggressive behavior was reduced. Students practicing focused meditation committed fewer rule infractions.
Read More @ Source
After 34 days of blogging on mindfulness and compassion I'm getting a little tired of the sound of my own voice, so I'm plucked some sayings from the Pali canon. The Pali canon is part of the oldest strata of teachings that we have available to us. It comprises of teachings that were memorized and passed down orally for several hundred years before being written down. The Pali canon was just one of many such bodies of teachings, which existed in numerous languages. Sadly, the Muslim invasions of India resulted in the destruction of the bulk of these other canons, and the Pali canon is the only complete collection available to us. It happened to survive because the Pali texts had been exported to Sri Lanka, which wasn't subject to Muslim invasion.
I've indicated with each quote who the speaker is, and linked the name to the original source, so that you can see the quotes in context.
Alison DeShaw Rowe, University of Wisconsin-Madison: Groundbreaking research at the University of Wisconsin–Madison is the focus of the new documentary film, "Free the Mind," which debuts in Madison tomorrow, May 15.
Directed by Danish filmmaker Phie Ambo, the film chronicles the life-changing experiences of combat veterans and children who took part in mindfulness-based research studies – focused on an enhanced and calm awareness of one's physical and mental state – at the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds (CIHM) at the UW–Madison Waisman Center, led by psychology and psychiatry professor Richard Davidson.
CIHM's "Kindness Curriculum" study…
Read the original article »
Read More @ Source
Women all over the world are reacting to actress Angelina Jolie's revelation today (May 14) that she has undergone a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery.
The emotions, as seen in the comments section of Jolie's op-ed in the New York Times, range from gratitude to Jolie for telling her story, to feeling "braver" about approaching a breast cancer diagnosis or treatment, to those who lament that the care that Jolie received may not be available to all women.
In Jolie's piece, she revealed that she has a "faulty" BRCA1 gene that put her at high risk for breast cancer, a disease that claimed her mother's life at age 56. She detailed the reasons for her decision to undergo a double mastectomy several months ago, as well as her feelings now that it's over.
Some commenters on the piece said they were thankful. "Thanks for your story. As a public figure, you may be able to influence someone to take preventative action," despite their fears, one commenter wrote. "Thank you, Angelina, for going public on this most private subject. I applaud your bravery," another said.
The gratitude that some women are expressing to Jolie likely stems from the level of intimacy with her that they now feel, said Dr. Tina Walch, a psychiatrist specializing in women's issues at Zucker Hillside Hospital in Glen Oaks, N.Y.
"She's one of the sexiest women in the world, and now she's approachable, she's normalized. You can see her in your living room," Walch said.
While many women wouldn't even share such details with acquaintances or co-workers, Jolie has shared her decision with the world. This makes some women feel thankful for her story because they feel they have gained a relationship with her, Walch said.
Some commenters talked about feeling safer. "Thank you for your bravery and strength, Angelina Jolie. You've made me feel less vulnerable as a woman," one wrote. Another said, "I am having a prophylactic bilateral double mastectomy with reconstruction on Wednesday morning … I've been terrified for weeks … After reading Ms. Jolie's story told with such grace, a little of the terror has diminished."
One reason such feelings arise is because Jolie's op-ed powerfully demonstrates that a woman's sex appeal and her femininity don't hinge on her breasts, Walch said.
"Her breasts are a big part of how she looks, and how men react to her. But this surgery doesn't change our opinion of her — she's still very sexy," Walch said. "Women think, 'Now, I can foresee myself going thru this, and not be viewed in a less desirable way.'"
Other commenters on the op-ed sounded chagrined by the fact that the health care Jolie received is not available to everyone. "I am truly glad that things worked out so well for you … But not every woman has options," one wrote. Another said, "I just hope there comes a day when everyone can afford the level of care I'm sure she had. The elephant in the room is always the cost."
Walch said Jolie certainly had help and options that others don't have. "She has resources, and some may feel slightly resentful, or just not feel wonderful about this piece," Walch said. "They may think, 'it's easy for you to say that this helped you, but I have to still take care of my children, and I can't have reconstructive surgery," she added.
For people who feel that way, the piece may be hard to read or discuss, Walch said.
However, the piece may help to improve the situation for those women, Walch said. "With more people talking about this, awareness goes up, funding can go up. It can't help but improve things for women who don't have resources," she said.
Follow Karen Rowan @karenjrowan. Follow MyHealthNewsDaily @MyHealth_MHND, Facebook & Google+. Originally published on LiveScience.
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Women who are genetically predisposed to breast cancer, such as actress Angelina Jolie, face a difficult dilemma in terms of their options, experts say.
In a New York Times Op-Ed article, Jolie revealed today (May 14) that she had a double mastectomy to prevent breast cancer. Jolie said she carries a mutation in the BRCA1 gene, which significantly increases her risk of developing the disease.
For those with BRCA gene mutations, deciding what to do can have psychological and financial implications, and affect family members as well as the patient, said Dr. Myra Barginear, a breast medical oncologist at the Cancer Institute of North Shore Long Island Jewish Health Systems in New York.
Ultimately, the decision is an individual one made by a woman in consultation with her doctor, Barginear said. Factors such as a woman's family history of the disease, and whether she has had children can sometimes play a role in her choice, she said. Jolie's mother died of breast cancer at age 56.
According to the Susan G. Komen Foundation, a nonprofit organization that funds breast-cancer research and advocates for patients, a double mastectomy can reduce the risk of developing breast cancer by 90 percent or more for women at high risk. (Jolie said her risk before her surgery was 87 percent and is now less than 5 percent). Some women choose to have this procedure because "it eases their worries about getting breast cancer," the Komen Foundation says.
But there are also other options.
For instance, women may decide to undergo "active surveillance" for breast cancer, meaning they will get tested for the disease early and often. It is recommended that women at high risk of breast cancer get both a mammogram and an MRI every year starting at age 25, and a breast exam every six to 12 months, the Komen Foundation says. These tests do not decrease the risk of getting breast cancer, but may diagnose cancer in its early stages, Barginear said.
Chemoprevention, or taking medication to reduce breast-cancer risk, is another option. However, the medications — such as Tamoxifen, an estrogen blocker — are only suitable for some women, and can increase the risk of blood clots and uterine cancer, the Komen Foundation says. There is also little information regarding how much the treatment reduces breast-cancer risk among BRCA-mutation carriers, and researchers are still studying which high-risk women would benefit most from the treatment.
BRCA mutations are not common; in the general population, about 1 in 400 people have BRCA mutations, according to the National Cancer Institute. And BRCA mutations account for just 5 to 10 percent of breast cancers and 15 percent of ovarian cancers, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Women with BRCA mutations are at increased risk for breast and ovarian cancer, though the exact risk for an individual will vary depending on other factors.
The average woman in the United States has an 12 percent chance of getting breast cancer by age 85, according to the Komen Foundation. Some studies show that women with mutations in the BRCA1 gene have a 50 to 70 percent chance of getting breast cancer by age 70, and women with mutations in the BRCA2 gene have a 40 to 60 percent chance, the foundation says.
Factors such as having a family member with breast cancer, as Jolie did, further increase breast-cancer risk, said Annette Lee, an associate investigator at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in Manhasset, New York.
The BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are thought to keep cancer in check by repairing damage to DNA, Lee said. Mutations in these genes interfere with this repair.
"If you can't repair DNA, you accumulate mutations, and that contributes to the development of cancer," she said.
Follow Rachael Rettner @RachaelRettner. Follow MyHealthNewsDaily @MyHealth_MHND, Facebook & Google+. Originally published on LiveScience.
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As the Buddha said,
I hope you're finding all this useful. If you haven't had a chance to read these posts yet, then of course they'll be there for you in the future.
Many people have said that they've benefited from this writing I'm doing, and it's even been suggested that I turn all these posts into a book. I feel a slight knot of anxiety in my belly whenever this is suggested, because I know how much work is involved in putting a book together, even when you have plenty of raw material to work with. But we'll see…
Anyway, did you know it's taking me close to half of my working hours every week to keep up these blog posts? I love doing it; I find it rewarding to reflect on my practice and to share it; I find it rewarding beyond words to hear that other people are benefitting from what I'm doing here. But every hour I'm writing for you is an hour I'm not earning anything. (We don't carry ads on Wildmind).
I need your help.
I've only been able to write so much recently because of the support of readers like you, because of the support of people who see the benefits of practicing, and who appreciate having spiritual sustenance. In fact, Wildmind wouldn't be here without their support.
So I'm appealing to you to make a donation to Wildmind to help support what I'm doing. One-time donations are great (click on the button labelled "donate"); recurring donations are even more helpful (use the drop-down menu to select an amount and then click on the button that says "subscribe").
In supporting Wildmind, not only will you be helping yourself, but you'll be helping to make the world a more compassionate place.
Thank you!
Bodhipaksa
"The person whose mind is always free from attachment, who has subdued the mind and senses, and who is free from desires, attains the supreme perfection of freedom from Karma through renunciation."
~The Buddha
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Posted: 15 May 2013 07:00 AM PDT
Life Coach extraordinaire Tim Brownson drew my attention to this interesting infographic last week, and I promptly forgot about it until stumbling across it again last night.
According to the graphic's creators, by the end of 2012, at least 91 schools located in 13 states were planning to implement meditation course for their students. High school students practicing meditation for a month had 25% less absence and 38% fewer suspension days when compared to other students.
Students improved scores in their attention by practicing meditation and students found that their aggressive behavior was reduced. Students practicing focused meditation committed fewer rule infractions.
Read More @ Source
Posted: 14 May 2013 11:00 PM PDT
After 34 days of blogging on mindfulness and compassion I'm getting a little tired of the sound of my own voice, so I'm plucked some sayings from the Pali canon. The Pali canon is part of the oldest strata of teachings that we have available to us. It comprises of teachings that were memorized and passed down orally for several hundred years before being written down. The Pali canon was just one of many such bodies of teachings, which existed in numerous languages. Sadly, the Muslim invasions of India resulted in the destruction of the bulk of these other canons, and the Pali canon is the only complete collection available to us. It happened to survive because the Pali texts had been exported to Sri Lanka, which wasn't subject to Muslim invasion.I've indicated with each quote who the speaker is, and linked the name to the original source, so that you can see the quotes in context.
- The Buddha's disciple, Vangisa: "Well taught are the Four Noble Truths by the Seeing One, the Awakened One, the Kinsman of the Sun, out of compassion for living beings."
- The Buddha: "Rightly speaking, were it to be said of anyone: 'A being not subject to delusion has appeared in the world for the welfare and happiness of many, out of compassion for the world, for the good, welfare and happiness of gods and humans,' it is of me indeed that rightly speaking this should be said."
- The Buddha: "Out of compassion for beings, I surveyed the world with the eye of an Awakened One. As I did so, I saw beings with little dust in their eyes and those with much, those with keen faculties and those with dull, those with good attributes and those with bad, those easy to teach and those hard, some of them seeing disgrace & danger in the other world. Just as in a pond of blue or red or white lotuses, some lotuses — born & growing in the water — might flourish while immersed in the water, without rising up from the water; some might stand at an even level with the water; while some might rise up from the water and stand without being smeared by the water — so too, surveying the world with the eye of an Awakened One, I saw beings with little dust in their eyes and those with much, those with keen faculties and those with dull, those with good attributes and those with bad, those easy to teach and those hard, some of them seeing disgrace & danger in the other world."
- The Buddha: "In five ways, young householder, the parents … show their compassion [for their children]: they restrain them from evil, they encourage them to do good, they train them for a profession, they arrange a suitable marriage at the proper time they hand over their inheritance to them. In these five ways do … parents show their compassion to their children. Thus is the East covered by them and made safe and secure."
- The Buddha: "In five ways, young householder, do teachers … show their compassion [for their students]: they train them in the best discipline, they see that they grasp their lessons well, they instruct them in the arts and sciences, they introduce them to their friends and associates, they provide for their safety in every quarter. "The teachers … show their compassion towards them in these five ways."
- The Buddha: "Friends and associates .. [of] a clansman show compassion to him in five ways: they protect him when he is heedless, they protect his property when he is heedless, they become a refuge when he is in danger, they do not forsake him in his troubles, they show consideration for his family. The friends and associates [of] a clansman show their compassion towards him in these five ways."
- The Buddha: "Ascetics and brahmans [i.e. homeless and householder spiritual teachers] [of] a householder show their compassion towards him in six ways: they restrain him from evil, they persuade him to do good, they love him with a kind heart, they make him hear what he has not heard, they clarify what he has already heard, they point out the path to a heavenly state. In these six ways do ascetics and brahmans show their compassion towards a householder."
- The Buddha: "An individual keeps pervading the first direction [East] — as well as the second direction, the third, & the fourth — with an awareness imbued with compassion. Thus he keeps pervading above, below, & all around, everywhere & in every respect the all-encompassing cosmos with an awareness imbued with compassion: abundant, expansive, immeasurable, free from hostility, free from ill will. He savors that, longs for that, finds satisfaction through that."
- The Buddha: "Whatever is to be done by a teacher with compassion for the welfare of students, that has been done by me out of compassion for you. Here are the roots of trees. Here are empty places. Get down and meditate. Don't be lazy. Don't become one who is later remorseful. This is my instruction to you."
- The lay-follower Dhammika, to the Buddha: "Having investigated all knowledge and being compassionate towards beings you have announced the Dhamma, a revealer of what is hidden, of comprehensive vision, stainless, you illuminate all the worlds."
- The Buddha: "The Dhamma should be taught with the thought, 'I will speak out of compassion.'"
- The Buddha: "Develop the meditation of compassion. For when you are developing the meditation of compassion, cruelty will be abandoned."
- King Pasenadi of Kosala, having received weight-loss instructions from the Buddha: "Indeed the Buddha has shown me compassion in two different ways: for my welfare right here and now, and also for in the future."
- The Buddha, to his disciple Kassapa: "Very good. It seems that you are one who practices for the happiness of many, out of compassion for the world, for the welfare, benefit, and happiness of beings human and divine."
- The Buddha: "In this community of monks there are monks who remain devoted to the development of good will: such are the monks in this community of monks. In this community of monks there are monks who remain devoted to the development of compassion: such are the monks in this community of monks. In this community of monks there are monks who remain devoted to the development of appreciation: such are the monks in this community of monks. In this community of monks there are monks who remain devoted to the development of equanimity: such are the monks in this community of monks. In this community of monks there are monks who remain devoted to the development of unattractiveness: such are the monks in this community of monks. In this community of monks there are monks who remain devoted to the development of the perception of impermanence: such are the monks in this community of monks. In this community of monks there are monks who remain devoted to mindfulness of in-&-out breathing."
- The Buddha: "When this concentration [of lovingkindness] is thus developed, thus well-developed by you, you should then train yourself thus: 'Compassion, as my awareness-release, will be developed, pursued, handed the reins and taken as a basis, given a grounding, steadied, consolidated, & well-undertaken.' That's how you should train yourself. When you have developed this concentration in this way, you should develop this concentration with directed thought and evaluation, you should develop it with no directed thought and a modicum of evaluation, you should develop it with no directed thought and no evaluation, you should develop it accompanied by rapture… not accompanied by rapture… endowed with a sense of enjoyment; you should develop it endowed with equanimity."
- The Buddha: "The Buddhas radiate compassion on the world."
- The Buddha: "When one gives birth to hatred for an individual, one should develop compassion for that individual. Thus the hatred for that individual should be subdued."
- The Buddha: "And as for a person who is impure in his bodily behavior & verbal behavior, and who does not periodically experience mental clarity & calm, how should one subdue hatred for him? Just as when there is a sick man — in pain, seriously ill — traveling along a road, far from the next village & far from the last, unable to get the food he needs, unable to get the medicine he needs, unable to get a suitable assistant, unable to get anyone to take him to human habitation. Now suppose another person were to see him coming along the road. He would do what he could out of compassion, pity, & sympathy for the man, thinking, 'O that this man should get the food he needs, the medicine he needs, a suitable assistant, someone to take him to human habitation. Why is that? So that he won't fall into ruin right here.' In the same way, when a person is impure in his bodily behavior & verbal behavior, and who does not periodically experience mental clarity & calm, one should do what one can out of compassion, pity, & sympathy for him, thinking, 'O that this man should abandon wrong bodily conduct and develop right bodily conduct, abandon wrong verbal conduct and develop right verbal conduct, abandon wrong mental conduct and develop right mental conduct. Why is that? So that, on the break-up of the body, after death, he won't fall into the plane of deprivation, the bad destination, the lower realms, purgatory.' Thus the hatred for him should be subdued."
- The Buddha: "Here someone, abandoning the killing of living beings, becomes one who abstains from killing living beings; with rod and weapon laid aside, gentle and kindly, he abides compassionate to all living beings."
- The Buddha: A person renowned for his bounty,
Compassionate towards all beings,
Distributes alms gladly.
"Give! Give!" he says. Like a great storm cloud
That thunders and rains down
Filling the levels and hollows,
Saturating the earth with water,
Even so is such a person.
Having righteously gathered wealth
Which he obtains by his own effort,
He fully satisfies with food and drink
Whatever beings live in need.
Posted: 14 May 2013 10:00 PM PDT
Buddhism assumes the continuity of absolute spirit (ekacitta) which is infinite. From this the notion of transmigration (punarbhava) is accepted as fact. We are, primordially, absolute spirit which is coursing or transmigrating through its formations/distortions in an effort to find itself which involves a super cognition (sambodhi). All of Buddhism, it can be argued, springs out of the continuity of absolute spirit which is attempting to cognize itself, thus transcending its forms, ending its transmigration, once and for all.
This is hard for the average person to accept, much less modern Zen Buddhisms who lean towards materialism. But without faith in absolute spirit, no salvation is possible. One is lost forever in transmigration trapped, as it were, in a fractal-like universe without limit or end. On this note, death is certainly not an end (only for the deluded materialist). It is an end only for our temporal body but not the animative side of it which is spirit.
Looking at Buddhism from this particular vantage point, when it comes to comparing it with other religions, doesn't find too many if any peers. This is partly because not too many religions accept the primacy of spirit which means the world is not a creation of a creator got but, instead, is a discrimination of spirit which continually fails to recognize itself in its forming activity. This loss of spirit's sense of itself, which falls within each of us; which drives us onward to chase after the derivative forms of spirit, is our ignorance and our suffering which cannot be undone without first, the acceptance of spirit as being ultimately real.
Read More @ Source This is hard for the average person to accept, much less modern Zen Buddhisms who lean towards materialism. But without faith in absolute spirit, no salvation is possible. One is lost forever in transmigration trapped, as it were, in a fractal-like universe without limit or end. On this note, death is certainly not an end (only for the deluded materialist). It is an end only for our temporal body but not the animative side of it which is spirit.
Looking at Buddhism from this particular vantage point, when it comes to comparing it with other religions, doesn't find too many if any peers. This is partly because not too many religions accept the primacy of spirit which means the world is not a creation of a creator got but, instead, is a discrimination of spirit which continually fails to recognize itself in its forming activity. This loss of spirit's sense of itself, which falls within each of us; which drives us onward to chase after the derivative forms of spirit, is our ignorance and our suffering which cannot be undone without first, the acceptance of spirit as being ultimately real.
Posted: 14 May 2013 07:00 PM PDT
Alison DeShaw Rowe, University of Wisconsin-Madison: Groundbreaking research at the University of Wisconsin–Madison is the focus of the new documentary film, "Free the Mind," which debuts in Madison tomorrow, May 15.Directed by Danish filmmaker Phie Ambo, the film chronicles the life-changing experiences of combat veterans and children who took part in mindfulness-based research studies – focused on an enhanced and calm awareness of one's physical and mental state – at the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds (CIHM) at the UW–Madison Waisman Center, led by psychology and psychiatry professor Richard Davidson.
CIHM's "Kindness Curriculum" study…
Read the original article »
Read More @ Source
Posted: 14 May 2013 06:00 PM PDT
 |
| CREDIT: Dreamstime |
The emotions, as seen in the comments section of Jolie's op-ed in the New York Times, range from gratitude to Jolie for telling her story, to feeling "braver" about approaching a breast cancer diagnosis or treatment, to those who lament that the care that Jolie received may not be available to all women.
In Jolie's piece, she revealed that she has a "faulty" BRCA1 gene that put her at high risk for breast cancer, a disease that claimed her mother's life at age 56. She detailed the reasons for her decision to undergo a double mastectomy several months ago, as well as her feelings now that it's over.
Some commenters on the piece said they were thankful. "Thanks for your story. As a public figure, you may be able to influence someone to take preventative action," despite their fears, one commenter wrote. "Thank you, Angelina, for going public on this most private subject. I applaud your bravery," another said.
The gratitude that some women are expressing to Jolie likely stems from the level of intimacy with her that they now feel, said Dr. Tina Walch, a psychiatrist specializing in women's issues at Zucker Hillside Hospital in Glen Oaks, N.Y.
"She's one of the sexiest women in the world, and now she's approachable, she's normalized. You can see her in your living room," Walch said.
While many women wouldn't even share such details with acquaintances or co-workers, Jolie has shared her decision with the world. This makes some women feel thankful for her story because they feel they have gained a relationship with her, Walch said.
Some commenters talked about feeling safer. "Thank you for your bravery and strength, Angelina Jolie. You've made me feel less vulnerable as a woman," one wrote. Another said, "I am having a prophylactic bilateral double mastectomy with reconstruction on Wednesday morning … I've been terrified for weeks … After reading Ms. Jolie's story told with such grace, a little of the terror has diminished."
One reason such feelings arise is because Jolie's op-ed powerfully demonstrates that a woman's sex appeal and her femininity don't hinge on her breasts, Walch said.
"Her breasts are a big part of how she looks, and how men react to her. But this surgery doesn't change our opinion of her — she's still very sexy," Walch said. "Women think, 'Now, I can foresee myself going thru this, and not be viewed in a less desirable way.'"
Other commenters on the op-ed sounded chagrined by the fact that the health care Jolie received is not available to everyone. "I am truly glad that things worked out so well for you … But not every woman has options," one wrote. Another said, "I just hope there comes a day when everyone can afford the level of care I'm sure she had. The elephant in the room is always the cost."
Walch said Jolie certainly had help and options that others don't have. "She has resources, and some may feel slightly resentful, or just not feel wonderful about this piece," Walch said. "They may think, 'it's easy for you to say that this helped you, but I have to still take care of my children, and I can't have reconstructive surgery," she added.
For people who feel that way, the piece may be hard to read or discuss, Walch said.
However, the piece may help to improve the situation for those women, Walch said. "With more people talking about this, awareness goes up, funding can go up. It can't help but improve things for women who don't have resources," she said.
Follow Karen Rowan @karenjrowan. Follow MyHealthNewsDaily @MyHealth_MHND, Facebook & Google+. Originally published on LiveScience.
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Posted: 14 May 2013 05:00 PM PDT
Jen Mulson, The Gazette: We all could use a lot more metta in our lives.
The Pali (a Middle Indo-Aryan language) word means loving kindness. Metta meditation is a practice that allows you to generate feelings of goodwill and love for yourself, your loved ones, those you feel neutral about and those you find difficult.
Pat Komarow, a local yoga and meditation teacher, will guide a metta meditation at Buddha Day at Marmalade at Smokebrush on Saturday. You don't have to be a Buddhist to attend.
"It's so powerful because it's unconditional," she said. "It's foreign to the Western world…
Read the original article »
Read More @ Source
The Pali (a Middle Indo-Aryan language) word means loving kindness. Metta meditation is a practice that allows you to generate feelings of goodwill and love for yourself, your loved ones, those you feel neutral about and those you find difficult.
Pat Komarow, a local yoga and meditation teacher, will guide a metta meditation at Buddha Day at Marmalade at Smokebrush on Saturday. You don't have to be a Buddhist to attend.
"It's so powerful because it's unconditional," she said. "It's foreign to the Western world…
Read the original article »
Read More @ Source
Posted: 14 May 2013 03:00 PM PDT
 |
| Pink ribbons have become a symbol of the fight to cure breast cancer. CREDIT: Maria Dryfhout, |
In a New York Times Op-Ed article, Jolie revealed today (May 14) that she had a double mastectomy to prevent breast cancer. Jolie said she carries a mutation in the BRCA1 gene, which significantly increases her risk of developing the disease.
For those with BRCA gene mutations, deciding what to do can have psychological and financial implications, and affect family members as well as the patient, said Dr. Myra Barginear, a breast medical oncologist at the Cancer Institute of North Shore Long Island Jewish Health Systems in New York.
Ultimately, the decision is an individual one made by a woman in consultation with her doctor, Barginear said. Factors such as a woman's family history of the disease, and whether she has had children can sometimes play a role in her choice, she said. Jolie's mother died of breast cancer at age 56.
According to the Susan G. Komen Foundation, a nonprofit organization that funds breast-cancer research and advocates for patients, a double mastectomy can reduce the risk of developing breast cancer by 90 percent or more for women at high risk. (Jolie said her risk before her surgery was 87 percent and is now less than 5 percent). Some women choose to have this procedure because "it eases their worries about getting breast cancer," the Komen Foundation says.
But there are also other options.
For instance, women may decide to undergo "active surveillance" for breast cancer, meaning they will get tested for the disease early and often. It is recommended that women at high risk of breast cancer get both a mammogram and an MRI every year starting at age 25, and a breast exam every six to 12 months, the Komen Foundation says. These tests do not decrease the risk of getting breast cancer, but may diagnose cancer in its early stages, Barginear said.
Chemoprevention, or taking medication to reduce breast-cancer risk, is another option. However, the medications — such as Tamoxifen, an estrogen blocker — are only suitable for some women, and can increase the risk of blood clots and uterine cancer, the Komen Foundation says. There is also little information regarding how much the treatment reduces breast-cancer risk among BRCA-mutation carriers, and researchers are still studying which high-risk women would benefit most from the treatment.
BRCA mutations are not common; in the general population, about 1 in 400 people have BRCA mutations, according to the National Cancer Institute. And BRCA mutations account for just 5 to 10 percent of breast cancers and 15 percent of ovarian cancers, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Women with BRCA mutations are at increased risk for breast and ovarian cancer, though the exact risk for an individual will vary depending on other factors.
The average woman in the United States has an 12 percent chance of getting breast cancer by age 85, according to the Komen Foundation. Some studies show that women with mutations in the BRCA1 gene have a 50 to 70 percent chance of getting breast cancer by age 70, and women with mutations in the BRCA2 gene have a 40 to 60 percent chance, the foundation says.
Factors such as having a family member with breast cancer, as Jolie did, further increase breast-cancer risk, said Annette Lee, an associate investigator at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in Manhasset, New York.
The BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are thought to keep cancer in check by repairing damage to DNA, Lee said. Mutations in these genes interfere with this repair.
"If you can't repair DNA, you accumulate mutations, and that contributes to the development of cancer," she said.
Follow Rachael Rettner @RachaelRettner. Follow MyHealthNewsDaily @MyHealth_MHND, Facebook & Google+. Originally published on LiveScience.
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Posted: 14 May 2013 02:00 PM PDT
As the Buddha said, "Looking after oneself, one looks after others.Over the last 33 days of our 100 Days of Lovingkindness, I've written a blog post every day. Here's a list of all the posts I've written, offering teachings on developing lovingkindness and compassion.
Looking after others, one looks after oneself."
(Attānaṃ rakkhanto paraṃ rakkhati.
Paraṃ rakkhanto attānaṃ rakkhati.)
I hope you're finding all this useful. If you haven't had a chance to read these posts yet, then of course they'll be there for you in the future.
Many people have said that they've benefited from this writing I'm doing, and it's even been suggested that I turn all these posts into a book. I feel a slight knot of anxiety in my belly whenever this is suggested, because I know how much work is involved in putting a book together, even when you have plenty of raw material to work with. But we'll see…
Anyway, did you know it's taking me close to half of my working hours every week to keep up these blog posts? I love doing it; I find it rewarding to reflect on my practice and to share it; I find it rewarding beyond words to hear that other people are benefitting from what I'm doing here. But every hour I'm writing for you is an hour I'm not earning anything. (We don't carry ads on Wildmind).
I need your help.
I've only been able to write so much recently because of the support of readers like you, because of the support of people who see the benefits of practicing, and who appreciate having spiritual sustenance. In fact, Wildmind wouldn't be here without their support.
So I'm appealing to you to make a donation to Wildmind to help support what I'm doing. One-time donations are great (click on the button labelled "donate"); recurring donations are even more helpful (use the drop-down menu to select an amount and then click on the button that says "subscribe").
In supporting Wildmind, not only will you be helping yourself, but you'll be helping to make the world a more compassionate place.
Thank you!
Bodhipaksa
