Author: Posts

You should never have expectations for others, just be kind to them.  If people mess up, do anything you can to bring some happiness into their lives.  Setting goals for others can be aggressive, really wanting a success story for ourselves, we are asking them to live up to our ideals.

In the competitive world we give expression to our ambitions.  In meditation we cannot use this attitude, we must not expect any gain.  If we look for results, they elude us, expect no ambitions to be fulfilled; only then will the inner force manifest.

If you want to become a better person, study that which serves the nature of life, and then offer it to the world.  If you study with devotion, and wholeheartedly, all things in the universe will be in harmony and everything in your life will reflect this practice.

The real nature of man is originally good, but it became clouded by contact with earthly things, and therefore needs purification before it can shine forth in its native clarity.  Practice purification, this will widen your awareness and bring you clarity.

Quote: We have to do the best we can.  This is our sacred human responsibility.  Einstein

When we start to interrupt calling ourselves names, patting ourselves on the back, we are doing something extremely brave.  Slowly we move towards an open state, moving towards a place of no handholds, no footholds, no mind holds, giving us a feeling of freedom.

Without the experience, we are easily fooled by appearances.  We must learn to discern the personality of others in spite of the facades they project.  Position yourself in the most advantageous way possible and draw on your experience to pierce the trickery of others.

To interfere with nature is to try to seek control, this causes distress and produces exhaustion.  Let things come and go effortlessly without desire.  If you never expect results, you never will be disappointed, if you are never disappointed your spirit never grows old.

To remove obstacles in life, join forces with others of like mind; in this way you succeed.  You also must have the will to persevere even if the action appears to lead away from the goal.  An obstruction that only lasts for a time is useful for self-development.

Quote: Believe nothing, no matter where you heard it or who said it, even if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense. —The Buddha

Problems are a projection of your own mind, the unwanted parts of yourself you want to get rid of.  Problems will go away by working with them using compassion and patience.  If they still linger on, remember when the resistance is gone, so are the problems.

No matter how minor or how great, you must make choices every minute.  Unfortunately, you can never go back and make comparisons or try one way or another.  The irony of life is that it is a one-way journey.  Therefore, there is only wisdom to guide you.

Use your intuition as the main guide in your life, you have an inner knowing; use it.  If you embrace things sincerely, they will always be there for you, this way you will know others by what you do yourself.  The genuine person is straightforward, with nothing to hide, nothing to defend. 

The very gradualness of development makes it necessary to have perseverance, for perseverance alone prevents slow progress from dwindling into nothing.  Gentleness with perseverance that comes from inner calm will ensure success.

Quote: Be it remembered that we command nature, as it were, by obeying nature’s laws.

The more we get to know our judgementalness, pettiness and arrogance we realize they are not sins, but workable habits of the mind.  The more we get to know them, the more they lose their power, and we come to trust our basic simple nature, free of all dualities.

Knowledge is more than accessing or processing information. One should never stop learning, never stop exploring, never stop going on adventures.  Be like the explorers of old.  The learning they acquired for themselves will always surpass those who merely read about their exploits.

Living life is easy of you don’t cling to good and bad; let go of preferences and everything will become clear.  We cannot remain indifferent to the suffering of the world.  We all need to increase our service along with our understanding using our two natural attributes: awareness and action.

If contention is not resolved properly it could lead to the use of force. Using force is evil and should be approached with the utmost caution.  There are only two kinds of war that can be justified, overthrowing a tyrant and protecting a country from invasion.

Quote: It’s the little things that build big things.

Compassionate action, being there for others, speaking in a way that communicates, without making ourselves right or wrong.  The larger alternative is to open up to what we feel and begin celebrating aspects of ourselves that we found so impossible before.

Conservation is impossible without a sound understanding of cycles.  Unless we remember how precious something is, how much effort it took to come into being, we do not value it.  We are part of these same cycles; we should contemplate and act within that context. 

We cannot attain clarity and simplicity by avoiding the world.  Do your work, take care of others, practice virtue without expecting it of others, and when you understand the higher truths retain an ordinary manner, this is true clarity, true simplicity, true living.

In life conflict between differing opinions arises everywhere.  Generally, dispute arises from not having the flexibility in considering the others opinion.  Whether you win or lose is not enjoyable.  It is better to solve the dispute before it goes too far, usually by meeting your opponent halfway.

Quote:  The person who never alters his opinions is like standing water and breeds reptiles of the mind.

It is not in your best interest to reinforce thoughts and feelings of unworthiness.  Ask yourself do I want to strengthen what I am feeling now and cut myself off from my basic goodness?  Remind yourself that your fundamental nature is unconditionally open and free.

We may feel we are more fortunate than others, but don’t we have layers of misfortune, confusion, and selfishness to dissolve ourselves?  The light of our soul is bright, but dense clouds of ignorance obscure it.  What are you doing to make your life brighter? 

Practice the four cardinal virtues.  First reverence for all life; love and respect for all beings and things.  Second, sincerity; this manifests as honesty, simplicity, and faithfulness.  Third, kindness, and being gentle with yourself and others.  The fourth service to others with no expectation of reward.

If we remain at the mercy of moods, of hope and of fear, aroused by the outer world, we lose out inner consistency of character.  Then our experiences are merely effects produced by the outside world, not experiences evoked by our own true nature.

Quote: Understanding human needs is half the job of meeting them.

Pay attention to the ordinary details of everyday things, this way you are expressing appreciation toward the living quality found in everything.  This combination of mindfulness and appreciation connects us fully with reality and brings us joy.

A mandala is used as a mindfulness tool. You begin at the outer perimeter and work your way towards the center, becoming completely absorbed.  Reaching the center helps you dissolve all normal egotistic notions, and the profundities of the mind should be open. 

What good is it to spend your life accumulating material things or conforming to others conventions?  Live simply, virtuously true to your nature, ignore time, relinquishing ideas, and concepts, drawing no line between what is spiritual and what is not.

When inner worth mounts with great force, there is danger when this force comes to power you may forget to ask what is right and being intent on movement may not wait for the right time.  Great power and force must be indissolubly united with what is right.

Quote: We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful what we pretend to be.

As we train in opening our hearts, discovering the soft spot, we feel more joy, the joy that comes from appreciation of our basic goodness.  We do this by being present, training in mindfulness and unconditional friendliness, having patience and letting the process evolve naturally.

Do not take things for granted, remember how everything that comes to you fits in an overall scheme.  Every ordinary moment, every detail, should be a celebration of your personal understanding.  Acknowledge the qualities of everyday things and have gratitude for both the good and bad in your life. 

If you want to know the truth of all things, stop talking about it, start to relax your body, quiet your senses, and return your mind to its original clarity.  You will then realize you are not separate from others, or the oneness of all things, and the truth will surround you.

Speaking clearly and acting simply in a non-aggressive manner with perseverance will help you succeed at any task.  The idea that the yielding overcomes the rigid or the soft overcomes the hard is the wisdom permeating these ancient teachings.

Quote: The great use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it.

To feel loving kindness for others we first must train in being honest, loving, and compassionate towards ourselves.  Without unconditional loving kindness for ourselves it is difficult, if not impossible, to genuinely feel it for others. No matter how we feel, we can aspire to be happy.

Look within, beyond the physical body, you have the faculties to do so.  Focus your mind away from sensual input and you will discover a new mode of perception.  Searching in this way you will begin to understand, and all your doubts will cease.

You can accept everything, truly extend your goodwill in every direction.  Or you can deny everything, recognizing that everything you see and think is a falsehood, an illusion, a veil over the truth.  Both paths lead to the spontaneous awareness of the harmonious oneness.

After finishing your own tasks use your strength in the service of others.  Help where help is needed but weigh carefully how much you can help without doing harm.  Only when this feeling exists can you give yourself unconditionally, without hesitation.

Quote: Never do anything against conscience, even if the state demands it. —Einstein

If we look for that soft heart we guard so carefully, we can’t find it.  All we find is a kind of tenderness with some sadness.  This sadness is not about somebody mistreating us.  The sadness is an inherent sadness, unconditional sadness, this is sometimes called “the genuine heart of sadness”.

Questions for contemplation.  When working are you happy with what you do?  When speaking are your words without guile?  When you meet the suffering do you help?  When you meet conflict do you work towards harmony?  When facing problems are you farseeing and tenacious?

We can know the world, but first we must know ourselves.  We can do this without going anywhere.  Live a quiet, simple life, free of ideas and concepts.  Find contentment in the practice of undiscriminating virtue; this will become a sanctuary for yourself and all beings.

The same principals apply to managing a household as to governing a country.  From the courteous manner of one household a whole state can become courteous.  With the spirit of sincerity and mutual love one is able to create a harmonious situation anywhere, in any circumstance. 

Quote: Don’t worry about life, just do it, you don’t have to be perfect.