If we try to protect ourselves from suffering, we become fearful and alienated, caring only for the people close to us. If we primarily try to shield ourselves from discomfort we suffer, yet if we don’t close off and let our heart hurt, we discover our kinship with all beings.
It is good to have sacred sites in the world, and it is good for us to go on pilgrimages. Ultimately it is not the place that is important, it is what you feel that is lasting. Go with a humble attitude and let your heart be moved by what you experience.
We are stuffed with trivia, the more trivia the more anxieties. We are led to believe consequences are grave when we fail to distinguish good from evil. Don’t become obsessed with trivialities; be open and accept all things as they are and share this simple idea with others.
When times are bad submit to them and remain quiet. It may be impossible to counteract the conditions of the time; it is not cowardice but wisdom to submit and avoid actions. A law of nature is at work; evil is not destructive to the good alone but inevitably destroys itself as well.
Quote: Deem the needs, desires, and ambitions of others as valuable as your own.