Author: Posts

Stop struggling, it’s not about winning or losing, but about ceasing to struggle with life and relax as it is.  That is what we are doing in our self-cultivation practice, it’s about relaxing without struggling, just be, let this attitude spread to the rest of your life.

Why should you act a certain way to please others?  Do things from your inner awareness and from your own feelings.  Change when it pleases you, your life is flexible.  If you let others shape you then you will never know independence and peace.

To eliminate suffering in the world, then eliminate all that is dark and negative in yourself.  If you want to awaken all of humanity, then awaken all of yourself.  The greatest gift you have to give humanity is that of your own self-transformation.

If you are too firm in character, you will have difficulty dealing with others.  If not firm enough, you will have difficulty dealing with the course of life.  Do not be concerned whether your plans will fail or succeed just proceed with life gradually and steadily.

Quote: To worry and grieve over the chaos of the world is like weeping into a river to increase its water in fear of it dying up.

Negative shame is accompanied by guilt and self-denigration, it is pointless and no help to us, in fact it will cause us harm.  Positive shame is when we have harmed ourselves or anyone else and feel sorry for having done so; this allows us to grow from our mistakes.

If we want to be successful, pay attention to the small things.  If we are waiting for the big thing, the small chances slip right by us.  Do not wait for the perfect opportunity to do something big, pay attention to the small things, they may grow to be big things.

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”.

Difficulties and obstructions throw a man back on himself.  Do not blame others for your mistakes, look for the errors within yourself, and through this introspection, any obstruction becomes an occasion for inner enrichment and education.                                                                                                                                                                    

Quote: No one does anything he doesn’t want to do.

Hope and fear is a feeling with two sides, as long as there is one there is always the other.  Hope and fear come as a sense that we lack something, and we are unable to sit, relax and be ourselves.  If we hold on to hope and fear, they rob us of the present moment.

True friendship is such that even after years apart, when you meet again, the friendship is as true as ever.  Your friends’ circumstances may appear to have changed for the worse and even though you may have the means to help him, don’t, unless he asks.  This is true friendship.

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.

If you wish to influence others, first start by cultivating your own personality.  This practice must be allowed to take its course, being hasty would not be wise.  Gentleness that is adaptable, but at the same time penetrating, is the outer form that should proceed from inner calm.

Quote: To manage the mind, know there is nothing, and then relinquish all attachment to the nothingness.

Letting go of your security and just being in the moment may seem uncomfortable and frightening, but it gives you a chance to see the world as it is.  Be inquisitive about the unknown and the unanswerable question of what comes next because this awakens your own wisdom mind.

Free yourself from the thought that spirituality is something special, just for special people like sages and yogis, and not for us normal folks. The ultimate levels of understanding are available to all, all we must do is reach out for it.  If we are seekers we shall find.

Do not become obsessed with circumstances or forgo awareness of them.  Avoid following impulses that destroy the wholeness of your mind.  If you wish to gain recognition, develop your virtue and extend it to the world, practice unswerving kindness and unending patience.

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 force that can be justified, overthrowing a tyrant and protecting a country from invasion.

Quote: Action is creative. Thought, word, and deed are the three levels of creation.

We need to let things go and let some air into the basement of the stale old heart we have.  By doing this we will realize the fundamental limitless wealth we possess.  Share all this wealth and even the small everyday things you have with others, don’t be stingy and keep it all to yourself.

Consciousness or soul is our deepest most subtle humanity.  It is gentle, does not scheme, isn’t aggressive, it is just part of everyday life.  Even if we do not consider ourselves a spiritual person, we have many experiences relating to the soul such as “that music stirs the soul”.

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.  Cleanse yourself of all the cobwebs of cluttered fragments that paralyze the mind.  In this way we will function as our own holistic physicians.

To resolve any conflict, sit down with your adversary face to face.  Generally, dispute arises from not having the flexibility in considering the others opinion.  Whether you win or lose is not enjoyable, it’s better to solve the dispute before it goes too far, usually by meeting your opponent halfway.

Quote: Remember, you cannot always have what you want, but you may experience whatever you have.

Patience is the antidote to anger, by patience we don’t mean “grin and bear it”.  Instead of reacting suddenly, smell it, look at it, and open yourself  to seeing what’s there.  The journey of patience involves relaxing, opening to what is happening with a sense of wonder.

In order to bring about pleasure in life we must sink down deep roots and connect to the earth.  This will give you a deep connection to the energy that arises in all parts of the body.  In order to do this, learn methods that focus on and cultivate body, mind and spirit.

Passions and desires weave a binding net around you.  Worldly confrontation and the trap of duality makes you stiff and inflexible.  To change this, look inside your heart, keep looking, keep listening too, until the sights and sounds disappear by themselves.

In ancient times moral strength was more important than physical strength.  Parading one’s powers and trying to outshine others brings about misfortune.  Be sincere and truthful act with courtesy, do not attempt anything that is not in harmony with the times.

Quote:  Choose to make a life, rather than a living.

When we feel inadequate or unworthy, we want to hold on to what we have and are afraid of feeling worse than we do already.  The cause of our aggression and fear begins to dissolve when we move past this poverty of holding on to things, both physically and mentally.

Competition challenges you to do your best, but if you think of winning as vanquishing others you fall into dangerous egotism.  Winning should be thought of as attainment and of knowing you did your personal best.  Once you win your share, know when to leave and start anew.

When you have no enemy, you will always be victorious.  If you have enemies never underestimate them.  Underestimating your enemy is thinking that they are evil, thus you become an enemy yourself.  Victory will always go to the one that knows how to yield.

When your work has ended look back on your conduct and the consequences of your actions.  If the effects were good, then good fortune will be the result.  It is only by the consequences of your actions and the fruit of your labours that you can judge what to expect.

Quote: Just list your questions. Just start somewhere. Go.

When we train in the art of peace, even though we have noble intentions, we are not given any promises that all will be okay. Instead, simply look deeply at joy and sorrow, hoping and fearing, laughter and crying, at all that lives and dies.  We learn that which truly brings peace is gratitude and tenderness.

You may think of meditation as a relaxation exercise or spiritual cultism.  Meditation is an act that occurs simultaneously on all levels of a person’s life.  Meditation can have profound effects on your life such as improved circulation, calmer mind, stabilized emotions, just to name a few.

Life is a competition with everybody and everything.  In competition we want our opponents to be at their best.  It’s not that you don’t want to compete, but you want to do it in the spirit of play.  In this way you are like a child at play, in harmony with life.

Increase and decrease come of their own time.  In a time of scanty resources, you must simplify; this will give you the strength for further undertakings.  Draw on the strength of your inner attitude for what lacks externally.  Even with slender means the sentiment of the heart can be expressed.

Quote: You get your life to “take off” by first becoming very clear in your thinking about it.  Think about what you want to be, do, and have.

Emotional turmoil begins with an initial perception of a sight, sound, or thought, which leads to a feeling of discomfort.  When you feel that initial tug: remain steady, relax into the energy you feel, stay with the experience, let the energy move through you without getting stuck.

Imaginative action is very important.  For imagination to manifest into being you need decisiveness and control; this is the process of creating something new.  We should explore every new possibility that appeals to us with wise action, this is the way to build the force of our character.

There are those that say the ancient teachings are nonsense.  Others call them lofty and impractical, but to those who have looked inside themselves, this nonsense makes perfect sense, and those who put them into practice this loftiness have roots that go deep.

With the spirit of sincerity and mutual respect you are able to create a harmonious situation anywhere, in any circumstances.  If a family is in harmony, then the neighborhood will be in harmony.  If neighborhoods are in harmony, then the county will be in harmony.

Quote: The first step is learning to monitor your thoughts; to think about what you are thinking about.