"There is no enlightenment outside of daily life." Thich Nhat Hanh Probably the biggest drawback to seeking enlightenment is the fact that we already are enlightened. We arrived as enlightened as we leave. What is enlightened under these circumstances? Simply the knowing that we are miracles in our ordinariness. Just sitting on a cushion at... Continue Reading →
"Nothing is more permanent than the temporary." - A. E. Stallings Life unfolds as BitterSweet in my perceptual world. A friend went into the hospital to have a standard operation, only to find out that he has stage 4 cancer that's aggressive. All of a sudden priorities change, and things that didn't seem important suddenly... Continue Reading →
"The death of human empathy is one of the earliest and most telling signs of a culture about to fall into barbarism." - Hannah Arendt It's the statement that influenced me to read Hannah's book, "The Human Condition." Empathy: The ability to understand and share the feelings of another. When my friend is "sad" I... Continue Reading →
"The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up." - Paul Valery We talk about "waking" up in terms of enlightenment, but I'm more concerned about the waking up in the morning. I notice those first moments can really impact the entire day, most the time without me noticing it. A... Continue Reading →
There's a pleasure in being reminded of the value of ordinary life." - Karen Thompson Walker Or, being Ok with life as it unfolds. Being Ok with the ordinary everyday ups and downs in life, riding the moment, accepting what appears with some equanimity and dignity. I never wish for others to be anything outside... Continue Reading →
"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anais Nin One of my favorite answers is "I don't know." When I want to be encouraging I say, "I don't know, keep going." If I have one suggestion that that works, it's keep going. Sometimes a person gets annoyed, "what kind of a teacher... Continue Reading →
"Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life." - Pablo PIcasso "Your quality of life will depend on the focus of your attention." - C. Huber Two statements that are really offering the same "answer" to what to do when we are overwhelmed. I become overwhelmed when my focus of attention remains... Continue Reading →
"I think laughter and smiling are one of the best antidotes to aging that you could possibly have." - Demi Moore I live in a country that has little respect for age, we ship our elder's off and store them out of sight. Not everyone does this, but the country favors youth and panders to... Continue Reading →
"A relationship where you can be weird together is the best choice." - Paul Coelho Sometimes I fool myself into thinking that human connections are permanent, in the sense that they don't have to be nurtured. And it's true in a way, I just visited with a friend I hadn't seen in a few years,... Continue Reading →
"Forever is composed of nows." - Emily Dickinson The newest theory is the universe goes on forever, and we are stuck in the middle of eternity. Of course the rocket scientists are arguing over this, and will undoubtedly come up with something. Our species demands answers, and seems to need beginnings and endings. The universe... Continue Reading →
“Opinions are fantasy. They may be based on fact or not. Opinion presents personal bias and pre-conclusion. Opinions are language trading cards, we use them to gain value and hope to make them true. – People’s Dharma Circle
“The quality of your life will depend entirely upon the focus of your attention.” – Huber
