Author: Posts

We cause harm to ourselves by not having the courage and respect to look at ourselves honestly and gently.  We 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.

The first level of truth is experience, once you experience something you know about it.  The second is reasoning which is borne out by analysis and cannot be verified immediately.  The third is direct intuitive knowing which is knowing with absolute certainty.

Chase after money and security and your heart will never unclench.  If you seek people’s approval, you become bound to them. Share with others these teachings and you will be immersed in the blessings that come from that. Do your work and step back, let it be, this is the path to serenity.

We are often among people who don’t belong to our own sphere.  In this case we should be aware not to become intimate with them through force of habit.  Maintaining sociability without intimacy is the only attitude towards such people, giving us freedom.

Quote: Why are we all trying to outdo each other when we have all come from the same home?  Rumi

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.

All traditions and customs should be reviewed periodically not to degenerate into superstition.  The true substance of any tradition can take new form without compromising its inherent character, otherwise they become outmoded beliefs and fade away.

If you have a benevolent heart, you will nourish your community without trying to.  Be simple and generous, do work you enjoy, don’t try to control, don’t compare, don’t compete, be content with just being who you are; this way you will be in harmony with all others.

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 favourable times.  Do not become attached to the times as change like the seasons is inevitable.

Quote: There are no mistakes, it’s all learning. 

Having resistance to things that we can do nothing about is futile.  Not looking at things with expectations that things will get better or there is a cure for something is a gift we can give ourselves.  Accept what is and look for the positive aspects of your situation.

Journaling on a daily basis is a tool that gives you a way to solve daily problems.  For larger problems write about them by writing about the positive and negative aspects of the problem.  By doing this you can usually find the answer you require.

Let go of all desires, detach yourself from all things, dissolve all duality, the idea of good and bad, beautiful and ugly, etc.; practice undiscriminating virtue towards everything and everybody.  These practices are the beginning of liberation and a harmonious oneness with all things.

Remember everyday of our lives is part of a continuum of change and development.  When responding to change do not respond to isolated events but respond to the whole process.  Find innovative and new ways to respond to changes, avoid your old habitual ways.

Quote: Love is but a melting of the boundaries between self and others. 

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.

When people are dying, merely being with them or holding hands is eloquence enough.  Even though they may not respond they can feel your presence and hear you.  The last sense you lose is your hearing, just the sound of your voice will comfort them.

Your spirit energy is always with you, and you can use it in any way you want; it is inexhaustible.  It is the infinite gateway to mysteries within mysteries.  If you attempt to fix a picture of spirit in your mind you will lose it.  Why not be content with simply experiencing it?

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: Wear gratitude like a cloak and it will feed every corner of your life. Rumi

This very moment is the perfect teacher, it is always with us, it is the most profound instruction we can receive.  Awareness is found in our pleasure and our pain, our confusion, and our wisdom; it is available in each moment of our ordinary lives.

Whenever the optimal time of day is for you, use this time for self-cultivation.  If it is early morning when it is quiet and fresh, immerse yourself in these energies.  If it is evening, put your cares of the day aside rest and relax, use the gestating powers of the dark.

Settle your mind like the universe settles the stars in the night sky.  Connecting your mind to that subtle origin it will become calm and tranquil, then it will naturally expand, and ultimately your mind becomes as vast and immeasurable as the night sky.

No matter how difficult a situation is, there is always a solution.  Your attitude is the most important part of that solution.  Do not act with undo haste or continue in your old ways or be content with partial success.  Have a plan before beginning and reflect on finishing.

Quote: Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.

Everyday there is more aggression throughout the world and that pain escalates indefinitely.  Ask yourself,  “Am I going to add to the aggression in the world?”  When things get edgy take time to ask yourself,  “Am I going to be the aggressor or am I going to practice acceptance and peace?”

In life the only thing that causes us separation is our ego because we place ourselves before others and other things.  Divest yourself from self-importance and desire for success.  You can intuitively sense the right direction to go, feeling the divine energy and life’s vital flow.

To cleanse oneself of contaminations such as anger, resistance, or self-absorption practice undiscriminating virtue.  To practice virtue, give without limitations, without prejudice, and without expectations.  If your willingness to give is limited, so is your ability to receive.

Change comes whether one prepares for it or not.  It should be noted that making or preparing for change is considered a good practice.  Engaging with society and others will help you notice and prepare for changes; also, it will help you find a way to deal with change and society.

Quote: Without good and evil we simply will live totally in our human natures.

When we act out or tell someone off there is some relief for the moment, but it doesn’t last.  If we surrender and drop the story line, there is tenderness under all that harshness.  By being kind to ourselves, we become kind to others, done properly it benefits everybody.

If we are to accept life’s sad parts, we must also embrace its good parts.  As long as you have behaved responsibly, there is nothing wrong with enjoying the best of what life presents to you.  Act as if you are nature’s favorite, who is to say otherwise?

To accept all things means to hold no anger or resistance toward anything, rid yourself of any concept of separation.  Foregoing antagonism and separation you enter into the harmonious oneness with all things.  Acceptance is the very essence of life.

Look at things exactly as they are and, when faced with an obstacle, rather than plunging ahead be patient; otherwise you may become agitated.  Patience is not mere empty hoping; it has the inner certainty of reaching your goal regardless how insurmountable the situation is.

Quote: Next day is a new day, do not pressure yourself if today did not meet your expectations.

To be fearless is not really to overcome fear, its to come to know its nature.  To do this, develop compassion for yourself and others and not always wanting things to work out on your own terms, just be curious.  Relax, befriend your feelings, then you begin to understand.

We have three sheaths: the outer physical body that incorporates primitive drives and instinct, the inner one is the mind that includes reasoning and sense of individuality.  At our core is the soul, it is absolute, it is beyond senses, thoughts and all relativity.

When things arise, let them come; when things depart, let them go.  Don’t possess, don’t expect.  Practice undiscriminating virtue, take care of those who are deserving also, equally take care of those who are not.  These practices calm the mind and bring one into harmony with all things.

If you have opposition, do not proceed to brusquely, limit yourself to producing gradual effects in small matters.  This will help you achieve success because opposition does not preclude all agreement.  Opposition can represent a polarity, that can be very useful.

Quote: Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change. 

When we think something is going to bring us pleasure or misery, we really don’t know what is going to happen.  Letting there be room for not knowing is the most important thing of all.  We don’t know if it is the end of a story or the beginning of a great adventure.

You are the only one to blame for your habits and your shortcomings.  Equally, it is a mistake to lose self esteem simply because you have some flaws.  Looking at your shortcomings and taking steps to eliminate them should be looked at as a dispassionate project.

The truth is always right there before you, and what you need is always right in front of you, all you need to do is open your mind and heart and look.  You can do this by being present in this moment, accepting that you don’t know, then the truth will become clear.

Every relationship between individuals bears in it the danger that a wrong turn may be taken, leading to misunderstandings and disagreements.  If you remain mindful and aware, you will succeed in avoiding the pitfalls that confront close relationships with others.

Quote: We are disturbed not by what happens to us, but by our thoughts about what happens. Epictetus

Practicing being gentle with yourself helps awaken your genuine heart.  This compassion, this clarity, this openness, is like something we have forgotten.  Lightening up in your practice, sitting there being gentle with yourself, you are rediscovering something.

What we do only has meaning in the here and now, it will not remain in the next instant.  Just do what you can for the present and leave everything else to happen naturally.  We all strive to do things, but there is truly nothing to be done.  Be born again each morning.

We are told to be “good” in the framework of an inhuman world,  the ancients tell us to transcend every false premise of our culture, and to be reborn in the form of our essential humanity, which needs no tests of performance, wealth, achievement or goodness to validate itself.

Seeking harmony should be based on a concern that is universal.   It is not the private interests of some individuals, but rather the goals of the majority.  Seeking harmony is a matter of being selfless, then even difficult and dangerous tasks can be accomplished.

Quote: The more clearly you understand yourself and your emotions, the more you become a lover of what is. – B. Spinoza