Among The Living
“You simply must pay attention!” -Yunmen I’d had the bike for a week. It was my first motorcycle. A good friend and experienced rider told me to always ride like you are invisible. I thought that was great advice. I was following a Chevy van, in the left lane, on Main Street in Mesa. There […]
Nothing is Difficult When You Pay Attention
“Do not fragment your attention but see what each moment calls for.”-Dogen When I stopped trying to make things happen and simply began watching them happen is when everything began to happen perfectly. Back in my mechanic days, I was facing a tedious engine rebuild on a car I hated working on. (It was a […]
When you know what…
“The body is not a collection of atoms but a stately, wondrous being. The mind is not emotional and intellectual entanglements but an unknowable solitary awareness.” -Hung-chih Listening is more fun than letting your mind run amok. The mind—unobserved—is a decision making machine. The number of unknown decisions it makes in five minutes is incomprehensible. […]
Trust Attention
“Once you realize that the road is the goal and that you are always on the road, not to reach a goal, but to enjoy its beauty and its wisdom, life ceases to be a task and becomes natural and simple, in itself an ecstasy.” -Nisargadatta Maharaj The road to trusting attention begins and ends with […]
When you know…
“The body is not a collection of atoms but a stately, wondrous being. The mind is not emotional and intellectual entanglements but an unknowable solitary awareness.” -Hung-chih Listening is more fun than letting your mind run amok. The mind—unobserved—is a decision making machine. The number of unknown decisions it makes in five minutes is incomprehensible. […]
Everything you ever wanted…
“Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, pause from time to time and relax your mind. … Everything you ever wanted is right here in this present moment of awareness.” -Ringyur Rinpoche Nothing solves a problem quicker than a little silence. Experience the inherit peace of silence, even for a brief moment, and you […]
Each Day…
“What is important is to understand the operation of your own mind.” -Krishnamurti Before you arise each morning, lay still for a few minutes, and do this: When you breath in, know that you are breathing in; when you breath out, know you are breathing out. Know that everything is okay. After arising, from time to […]
Begin an Inquiry
“All happiness comes from awareness. The more we are conscious, the deeper the joy.”-Nisargadatta Maharaj Since ancient times, masters from all eras and continents have dedicated their life to pointing out the direct path to self-realization. It is self-inquiry. Begin an enquiry. Sit quietly and ask: who am I? If the answer is a thought, […]
Why Are We Here?
“We are here to awaken from the illusion of our separateness.”-Thich Nhat Hanh Question: Why are we here? Short answer: To find happiness and enjoy living. Freedom is inherent in doing things deliberately. It’s mind-boggling how well everything works out when you pay attention to what you are doing. You could call it deliberate, or […]
Man’s Greatest Weapon
“Awareness, or the experience of simply being aware, has no observable qualities and is, therefore, usually overlooked or ignored. The returning of awareness to itself—being aware of being aware—is … the direct path to lasting peace and happiness.” -Rupert Spira Man’s greatest asset is the capacity to direct attention. When you are caught up in […]