Author: Posts

All of us, including animals, believe the best way to live is to avoid pain and discomfort.  A more interesting way to live is to be curious, whether the object of our curiosity is bitter or sweet.  We can endure a lot to find out how we tick and how our world ticks, how the whole thing “just is”.

We all want to be daring, creative, original and do things in new ways, but unless we return over and over again to the basics and remember our roots, we cannot truly soar.  Without this thorough grounding, we cannot be creative and never issue forth with true power.

Do you wish to free yourself of mental and emotional knots?  There are two paths available.  The first being acceptance, affirm everyone and everything.  The second is that of denial, recognizing that everything you see and think is a falsehood.  Both paths lead you to awareness of the great oneness.

You cannot avoid difficult situations.  Remain calm and establish a positive attitude while looking for ways to solve the problem and consider a way to prevent the situation from worsening.  You can always find a way to transform a bad situation into something positive.

Quote: Play the game of life, be receptive to whatever comes to you, good or bad.

Some people find the ancient teachings helpful because they encourage us to be kind to ourselves.  When we feel bad some way about ourselves, kindness towards ourselves is the way to treat this feeling.  This then becomes the basis for extending the same unconditional kindness towards others.

Today is the 108^th day, an important number to the ancients.  Numbers are important in our lives, but are only symbols, a way to project order on to the universe.  Numbers form a world with mysteries to explore and exploit, if our understanding is deep enough.

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, giving to others selflessly without expectation of reward.

We must not protest or revolt because something is wrong, but more importantly, if we want to establish a new system or better order, we must work diligently with people of like mind.  The key is to seek out these wise and virtuous persons to work with to establish a new way.

Quote:  I have learned to seek my happiness by limiting my desires, rather than in attempting to satisfy them.

Fundamental richness is available in each moment, all you have to do is relax.  Relax when the phone rings, relax looking at the clouds in the sky, relax all the time.  A focused relaxation practice enables us to see the simplicity in the way things are, just be there directly.

We recognize the necessity of daily activity in life, but also, we need to take time each day to reflect on the day’s events and return to the source of all things for daily renewal.  This back-and-forth movement between the source and daily activity is the movement of all things.

If you don’t know when enough is enough you will never have enough. There is no greater illusion than fear.  If you can look through fear you will always be safe.  Pain and happiness are conditions of the mind, cultivate the mind, body and spirit.  If you understand this, peace and harmony naturally arise.

Be equanimous and agreeable when you deal with others, when performing service be respectful and serious, be thorough and precise in activity, be careful and prudent in your speech.  Although manners and conduct are not self-cultivation, do not slight them.

Quote: “We have nothing to fear but fear itself”.  I would say, “not even that”. President Roosevelt

Our habitual tendency is to struggle with what is happening to us or the world around us.  Dissolve this dualistic way of thinking because everything that happens is workable.  We can do this by moving towards difficulties, rather than backing away or avoiding them.

If we want to be unencumbered by the weight of knowledge and have a sense of freedom we need to return to a state of deep intuitiveness.  This is not the same as selfish behavior, just doing what you feel like doing, but beyond the interference of the sense of self.

If you correct your mind the rest of your life will fall into place.  This is true because the mind governs all aspects of our lives.  To correct your mind, stop compulsive thinking, avoid daydreaming.  This allows your original insight to emerge, then your mind will be tranquil and clear.

Joy rests on firmness and strength within, manifesting itself outwardly as yielding and gentle.  This joyful mood is infectious and promotes harmonious relationships with others.  Truth and strength must dwell in the heart, gentleness reveals itself with social intercourse.

Quote: Remember the blessings in your life.

When we cling to thoughts and memories, we are clinging to what cannot be grasped.  When one thought has entered and another has not yet begun, rest in that gap.  Train in returning to that gap, the present moment, all compassion and inspiration comes from that.

It is our own egotism that leads us to define ourselves as individuals.  Understanding the nature of compassion, we realize that our separation from others is artificial.  Once we find compassion in our hearts, we will understand our essential oneness with all things.

To eliminate the vexation of the mind, it is a matter of not-doing.  Simply avoid becoming attached to what you see and think.  Relinquish the notion that you are separate from the mind of the universe.  This way you can recover your pure insight and see through all illusions.

When leading people be open to all, “see” them as they really are without judgement, regarding who they are individually, with their talents and limitations. When leading also be aware of what is generally needed at that moment and how that can be done.

Quote:  Look at something and say: “Yes, I can make it better.”

Loving kindness towards ourselves doesn’t mean getting rid of anything.  Accept yourself as you are, we can still be crazy, angry, jealous, and have feelings of unworthiness.  That’s what we study, that’s what we come to know with tremendous curiosity and interest.

Life can be so competitive and challenging that we need to be ready for the challenges and problems that each day brings.  Each day dedicate yourself to maintaining your character and perpetuating your development, but the proper use of your talents is equally essential.

The ancients didn’t over emphasize the intellect, but integrated mind, body, and spirit in all things.  This allowed them to become masters of knowledge rather than victims of concepts.  They valued old ways that had been proven effective and valued new ways if they could be proven effective.

Once we have accomplished something, it is tempting to relax and forget about troubling over the details at the finish.  These are times when everything appears to be balanced, complete and in harmony; this is the time to recognize the moments that bode change to an unbalanced state.

Quote: Do less thinking and pay more attention to your heart.

When we feel most stuck, even then, we are never separated from the awakened state.  When our neurosis feels far more basic than our wisdom, it is there for us.  Even ordinary people like us can find this openness of our heart, it is our true and natural condition.

The hands teach us not to be selfish, the mouth to give thanks with words, the nose to learn from our environment, the eyes to show compassion and sincerity, the ears to keep our balance; all parts teach us to both give and receive.  If our senses are so noble, shouldn’t we be as well?

Nothing in the realm of thoughts or ideologies is absolute, because of this there is nothing more futile that relying on the mind.  Quiet your thinking, quit making distinctions between one thing and another, just stay in your centre, and accept all things as being part of you.

Adornment is not only putting on external ornamentation, it is more important to enhance the inner essence and thereby improve our inner vitality, warmth, and life balance.  We see real beauty when there is vitality, warmth and balance showing through a creature or a creation. 

Quote: When you speak to Nature correctly, she always answers in the same way.

What causes suffering is trying to avoid the facts of life, trying to avoid pain and seeking happiness, but pain and difficulty are all a part of life and cannot be avoided.  Practice accepting all that comes your way and looking for the learning and healing that all things bring you.

Look within to gain self-awareness, but we may be confused if we try to look with our eyes.  Look within using inner vision, using your inner eye or third eye centered in your brain.  Discover and use this mode of introspection to gain greater awareness.

We know that the manipulations of the mind are dreams, and delusions.  This causes your thinking to become chatter and contradiction.  Hold one idea and another competes with it, soon these two will conflict with a third. Keep your mind undivided and let things go, just be.

Inner activity means the movement of inner thoughts; outer activity means external action that happens.  Inner activity is the realm of the self, outer activity is the realm of the other.  If you are genuine with the inner you will be genuine in your actions, and conversely.

Quote: You don’t have all the time in the world, so don’t waste it help others*help yourself*help make the world a better place.

In any situation we can find out what is true by studying ourselves, look at all your emotions both the good and the painful, everything.  There is a lot of encouragement to do this, and self-cultivation gives us the method. You have to find out for yourself what is true.

When the mind is focused it can become the most powerful force we know.  Explore all the dimensions of your mind, until you find a wholly integral mode of consciousness.  To do this select an aspect of your mind and delve into it by daily focus, by studying it.

It is a universal law that what you do, say and think determines what happens in your life.  Recognize that you and this law are one, cultivate yourself in accord with it, bringing moderation to your actions and speech and clarity to your mind.  This is a profound simple truth, what you do, say, and think is what you are.

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 should be done with absolute unselfishness then even difficult and dangerous tasks can be accomplished.

Quote: All things are born of being, being is born of non-being.