Live Like it’s Always…
“The eternal life is given to those who live in the present.”-Wittgenstein “Everything good has awareness for its root.” -Bodhidharma Be present. Be attentive. Live like it’s always now. Although maybe not obvious, being alive to the present moment is the best way to be. On first hearing that, the mind will rebel with a question: […]
Know You Are…
“Stop thinking, and end your problems.” -Lao Tzu Everything is known by awareness. The peace that comes with simply being aware, unfortunately, is eroded by thinking too much. But the good news: Peace can be restored with mindfulness training. Sit alone in a quiet room. Be aware of the sensation of breathing. Know you are […]
A Quiet Mind is…
“You don’t need any methods to get rid of the wrong ideas you have about yourself. All you have to do is stop believing them.” -Annamalai Swami Believing obscures well being. Agree without believing, and you will live without suffering. Simple facts are often difficult to comprehend. You were born free, without words and their corresponding […]
Attention Games
“To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work.” -Mary Oliver Awareness is pure intelligence, which we know as attention. Unlike children, we are seldom fully absorbed in any activity. Unfortunately, adults pay attention only when challenged. Especially in today’s fast-paced technological evolution, paying attention is a vanishing art. The gift of attention, however, […]
All you have to do is…
“Mindfulness destroys habitual tendencies.” -Tsoknyi Rinpoche We don’t question the mind’s antics. A few of its pranks… At the pole position is comparison, which is the breeding ground of: Desire. In the sense of wanting to change what is unchangeable. When you don’t want anything to be different, you are naturally happy. Regret. Can you do […]
Rest in appreciation of…
“Never allow yourself to mistake outward appearances for reality.”-Huang Po All we can say about any particular thing or experience is but a heap of generalizations and partial descriptions. Take, for example, what we say is a mountain. On its surface is a multitude of plants and trees, birds, insects and animals, and an […]
Why Worry?
“If you have a problem that can be fixed, then there is no use in worrying. If you have a problem that cannot be fixed, then there is no use in worrying.” –Buddhist proverb All problems breed, multiply, and thrive in inattention. When you are alone, if you spoke every thought, all personal problems would quickly […]
Learn to live by…
“Here is my secret: I don’t mind what happens.” -Krishnamurti Knowing when to not care is a path to inner peace. Learn how to live by studying nature. Birds fly, find food and eat, roost up safely for the night, and drop dead from a branch or while flying—and never wonder if they are doing […]
The Exchange
“Just be aware, mirrorlike, right now.”-Pai-chang “Turn your attention back upon yourself and observe.”-Lin-chi As children,We ask.And quickly, are told.Unknowingly acceptingWords from another,Belief replaces wonder.Endlessly tortured by the alphabet,We imagine,Somehow –Things can be different (from how they are).Eventually,Driven to doubtAll we have accumulated –At last,We open to wonder, again.Should wonder appear, however:Be careful not toRemember […]
Learned versus Insight Knowledge
“Shift your attention from words to silence and you will hear.” -Nisargadatta Maharaj There is no relationship between learned and insight knowledge. Learned knowledge is received from others; initially, from parents and schooling. Everything we think we know is only what we have been told, remembered, and believed to be true. Learned knowledge changes continuously […]