Author: Posts

What we regard as obstacles are not really our enemies but could be considered our teachers and friends.  What we call obstacles is the way our experiences teach us where we are stuck.  How we experience obstacles depends mostly on our relationship with ourselves.

There are no secrets to life.  Before we can grasp life as it really is we must overcome sentiment and fear.  To overcome fear, seek knowledge of what we fear.  Knowing fear is the way to defeat it and will get us closer to the truth and part the curtain completely.

If you blame someone else for your failures, there is no end to the blaming. The wise see failure as an opportunity to learn and accept all responsibility for their mistakes.  Fulfill your own obligations, correct all your mistakes, do what you need to do without demanding from others.

During the process of development, progress frequently comes to a standstill.  There might be an obstruction owing to one’s lack of experience or from exterior circumstances.  In this situation store up your energy, preparing for your next move but remain calm and truthful.

Quote: When an archer misses the mark, he seeks the reason for his failure within himself.

Do not judge, or try to grasp whatever arises in your mind. What we call good or bad we should simply acknowledge as just thinking.  Let all thoughts come and go as if touching a bubble with a feather.  This practice prepares us to stop struggling and discover a fresh unbiased state of being.

All our efforts are temporary; they ride the current of natural events and disappear according to the dictates of the situation.  It is best to realize the transitory nature of things and work with them.  Understanding the world’s ephemeral nature can be the biggest advantage of all.

Embracing a simple, honest, and virtuous way of life returns you to the subtle essence of life.  If your practice of these truths is only partial, your transformation is only partial as well.  Adapt these universal truths as a way of life and you will become whole.

True joy comes from within, but we are tempted by diversions that come streaming in from without.  Build your inner stability and strength, then amusements and outside indulgences will not be tempting.  Do not depend on external influences to control your life.

Quote: Simple for me may be difficult for others.

Let things that enter your life wake you up; to do this be open, be curious, accept everything that comes along and let it teach you what it will.  You can try to do everything to make your world perfect, but the old stuff always appears until you have learned your lesson.

Use patterns for planning your day and for your entire life.  Each day match your interim patterns against your master goals.  Learn to improvise when unpredictable things happen or things that don’t go according to your plan.  Discern the pattern of any changes and make changes as necessary.

As society grows more intelligent there seems to be less happiness and more trouble because intelligence is not the same as wisdom.  You can find happiness by being modest, simple and truthful.  By this way of living, you will discover your original pure nature, and the innate wisdom of the universe.

When things are going well, work with perseverance and determination to make full use of this time.  Care for all things and exclude no part of humanity, in doing so you must always adhere to what is right.  Remember everything is transitory and descent follows every rise.

Quote: How do you feel when you are aligned and authentic?

Being alone is usually something we choose not to invite in, we desire to escape it and find someone to keep us company.  Try having a relaxed, even curious relationship with loneliness, this can help us discover things about ourselves and begin to enjoy ourselves more.

We want to utilize all parts of our being, body, mind, and spirit, when we do our self-cultivation practice.  Once you awaken your energy through this practice, you will produce a state of being and understanding of life, rather than just a mere intellectual understanding of it.

To save the world, develop an awareness of the subtle truths, calm your mind, follow the ancient teachings, merge your virtue with the universal virtue and extend it to the world without expectations of reward.  This way you will be in harmony with the universe.

Generally, when something is complete, we let the success turn our heads and look for something else to do.  When something is complete, we should guide its course to the start of another new achievement, this way the first achievement will not start to decay or decline.

Quote: Accept and love yourself unconditionally.

We may cause harm to ourselves by not having the courage and respect to look at ourselves honestly and gently.  We may cause harm to others by our actions, speech and thoughts.  Not causing harm is the basis of an enlightened society and the beginning of a sane world.

Maintaining flexibility, both literally and metaphorically, is a necessary part of life.  The more flexible you keep your mind and body, the greater your physical and mental health.  Daily long gentle stretching as we age will maintain our flexibility, of body, mind, and soul.

Would you like to liberate yourself from the lower realms of life?  Would you like to save the world from the degradation and destruction it seems destined for?  Then step away from the shallow mass movements and quietly go to work on your own self-awareness.

By contemplating the forms that exist in nature, we come to understand the times and its changing demands.  Through contemplation of the forms existing in society it becomes possible to shape the world.  By this contemplation the world as ideas become manifest.

Quote: If you can’t explain it to a six-year-old, you don’t understand it yourself.

Look for the gaps, that space between thoughts, the natural occurrence after an unexpected noise, shock or moment of awe.  Just being present like this introduces us to unshakable confidence.  Create these gaps by pausing to look at the sky or to listen intently.

Walking in nature creates a unity of mind, body, and spirit.  Away from the rush and bustle of society one is free to observe nature’s lessons.  It is called “nature bathing” in some societies.  There are a thousand meanings in every view, just open yourself up to see the scripture of the landscape.

Realize that all things change, then there is nothing you will try to hold on to.  You cannot control the future; you might as well relax into it and accept it no matter what it brings.  There is an ancient tale that says whatever happens, you look at it without judgement and say, “some good some bad”.

When a change happens, look for the lessons it can teach you rather than reacting in your old habitual ways.  Learn from others reactions to the change and take time to pause and observe to see if this is the way you should respond.  Everything that happens to you is useful to you in some way.

Quote: You create your own reality, there is no one else to blame.

The way to resolve our resistance to life is to meet it face-to-face, looking closely with an open mind, not looking at things with expectations that they will get better, or there is a cure for something.  Learn to accept what is while looking for the positive aspects of your situation.

We let thoughts and doubts from past activities carry over into the present.  This leads us to conflict.  Instead of allowing this to happen we should act without leaving consequences.  By resolving problems each day to our utmost satisfaction will keep our mind free of lingering impressions.

Neither become obsessed with circumstances nor forgo awareness of them.  Let go of all conflict and strife, practice unswerving kindness and unending patience.  Give whatever you can without restraint, you then become one with the receiver and both become the giver.

Human society should hold together through common interests that allow each person to feel part of the whole.  What is required is that we unite with others, this is accomplished by sincerity in forming relationships with a common goal and working together towards that goal.

Quote:  Learning without close association with others is like learning to swim without water.

Others will show you where you are stuck, they say or do something, and you automatically react in your familiar ways of shutting down or getting worked up.  Without others provoking you, you remain ignorant of your habitual responses and cannot transform yourself.

We ourselves are the battleground for good and evil, there is no need to look beyond our world.   Everything to be understood is within us.  All that must be transcended; the pain and scars of the past is within us.  All the power of transcendence is also within us.

Abandon fancy theologies and imaginary ideas. A true teacher doesn’t act as a guru or messiah, because he doesn’t want to keep people dependent on him.  When people start to treat him as something special, he nips their adoration in the bud and points to their inner messiah.

Like the cycle of the seasons, there is also a cycle of good and bad times.  When unfavorable times come, look for the opportunities they bring you, while waiting for the change back to favorable times.  Do not become attached to the times as change, like the seasons, is inevitable.

Quote: The best portion of a good man’s life is his little nameless, unencumbered acts of kindness and of love.

Meditation is not some special ideal, it’s just being there with the experience whatever it is.  Being aware of pleasure and pain, our confusion and our wisdom in every moment of our ordinary everyday lives is meditation, this is the perfect meditation teacher.

Worry is a problem that seems to be rampant.  It is a cancer of the emotions, concern gone compulsive.  Compassion, even in the in the face of overwhelming odds, is the way to rid ourselves of worry.  Taking care of yourself and doing good for those you meet is enough.

Any fragment of the mind apart from heart, spirit, human community, and the natural law of the universe is going against your own true nature.  We sometimes confuse knowledge with knowing.  Forget the 10,000 things, be open and curious, practice the “Don’t Know Mind”.

When you discover you are distancing and alienating yourself from others, you need to  set about eliminating that which blocks your way.  Rouse yourself inwardly, with moderation and goodwill, hasten to that which supports you, then all occasion for remorse will disappear.

Quote: Worry is an addiction that interferes with compassion.