“The Kingdom of God is within us” (Gandhi) and most probably we are one step away from it. It's a search through quotidian life, the search for a meaning, the search for a way within or out.
24 June 2017
Week 2017-25
[#discovery, #models]
"We will discover the nature of our particular genius when we stop trying to conform to our own or to other people's models, learn to be ourselves, and allow our natural channel to open." (Shakti Gawain)
[#complexity, #simplicity]
"Reduce the complexity of life by eliminating the needless wants of life, and the labors of life reduce themselves." (Edwin Way Teale)
[#learning, #perfection]
"Perfecting oneself is as much unlearning as it is learning." (Edsger W. Dijkstra)
[#complexity, #simplicity]
"Great truths are simple because they are of universal application. Truth itself is always simple. Complexity is due to man's ignorance." (Swami Vivekananda)
[#gaia]
"Constantly regard the universe as a single living being, having one substance and one soul; observe how all creation relates to the cosmic consciousness of this one living being. Observe too how everything moves with its impulse, working together to create all events, continuously spinning its delicate thread in the amazing complexity of its web." (Marcus Aurelius)
[#peacefulness, #change]
"Peace of mind comes from not wanting to change others, but by simply accepting them as they are. True acceptance is always without demands and expectations." (Dr. Gerald Jampolsky, "Love Is Letting Go of Fear", 1979)
[#illness, #human nature]
"Illnesses do not come upon us out of the blue. They are developed from small daily sins against Nature. When enough sins have accumulated, illnesses will suddenly appear." (Hippocrates)
[#self control, #strength]
"You have power over your mind - not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength." (Marcus Aurelius)
[#acceptance]
"When faced with any difficulty of life, resolve it by following these four steps: face it, accept it, deal with it and let it go." (Sheng Yen)
[#learning #acceptance]
"Reading doesn’t mean accepting everything you read, it means reasoning everything you read." (Amit Kalantri)
17 June 2017
Week 2017-24
"Man has such a predilection for systems and abstract deductions that he is ready to distort the truth intentionally, he is ready to deny the evidence of his senses only to justify his logic." (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
"Only in the eyes of love you can find infinity." (Sorin Cerin, “Wisdom Collection: The Book of Wisdom”)
"If there is anything more dangerous to the life of the mind than having no independent commitment to ideas, it is having an excess of commitment to some special and constricting idea." (Richard Hofstadter)
"The problem with introspection is that it has no end." (Philip K. Dick)
"Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children" (Khalil Gibran)
"If you live the sacred and despise the ordinary, you are still bobbing in the ocean of delusion." (Lin-chi)
"You can only apprehend the Infinite by a faculty superior to reason, by entering into a state in which you are your finite self no longer." (Plotinus, "Enneads")
"The essence of all things is one and the same, perfectly calm and tranquil, and shows no sign of 'becoming'; ignorance, however, is in its blindness and delusion oblivious of Enlightenment, and, on that account, cannot recognize truthfully all those conditions, differences, and activities which characterize the phenomena of the Universe." (Ashvaghosha, "The Awakening of Faith", cca. 2nd century)
"All action results from thought, so it is thoughts that matter." (Sai Baba)
"Civilization begins with order, grows with liberty and dies with chaos." (Will Durant)
"Only in the eyes of love you can find infinity." (Sorin Cerin, “Wisdom Collection: The Book of Wisdom”)
"If there is anything more dangerous to the life of the mind than having no independent commitment to ideas, it is having an excess of commitment to some special and constricting idea." (Richard Hofstadter)
"The problem with introspection is that it has no end." (Philip K. Dick)
"Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children" (Khalil Gibran)
"If you live the sacred and despise the ordinary, you are still bobbing in the ocean of delusion." (Lin-chi)
"You can only apprehend the Infinite by a faculty superior to reason, by entering into a state in which you are your finite self no longer." (Plotinus, "Enneads")
"The essence of all things is one and the same, perfectly calm and tranquil, and shows no sign of 'becoming'; ignorance, however, is in its blindness and delusion oblivious of Enlightenment, and, on that account, cannot recognize truthfully all those conditions, differences, and activities which characterize the phenomena of the Universe." (Ashvaghosha, "The Awakening of Faith", cca. 2nd century)
"All action results from thought, so it is thoughts that matter." (Sai Baba)
"Civilization begins with order, grows with liberty and dies with chaos." (Will Durant)
Labels:
action,
balance,
chaos,
commitment,
illusion,
infinity,
logic,
love,
meditation,
order,
philosophy,
reason,
thought,
truth,
wisdom
10 June 2017
Week 2017-23
[#reality, #illusion]
"The unreal is more powerful than the real, because nothing is as perfect as you can imagine it." (Chuck Palahniuk)
[#meaning]
"Challenging the meaning of life is the truest expression of the state of being human." (Viktor E. Frankl)
[#wisdom, #doubt]
"The beginning of wisdom is found in doubting; by doubting we come to the question, and by seeking we may come upon the truth." (Pierre Abélard)
[#knowledge, #wisdom]
"Don't be conceited about your own knowledge. Take advice from the ignorant as well as the wise, since there is no single person who embodies perfection nor any craftsman who has reached the limits of excellence. The perfect word is as rare as an emerald, yet it may be found among the maidservants working at the millstone." (Ptah-hotep)
[#limits, #belief]
"When a man is denied the right to live the life he believes in, he has no choice but to become an outlaw." (Nelson Mandela)
[#knowledge, #mystery]
"Perplexity is the beginning of knowledge." (Kahlil Gibran)
[#love, #identity]
"The things that we love tell us what we are." (Thomas Aquinas)
[#quest, #learning]
"I have been a seeker and I still am, but I stopped asking the books and the stars. I started listening to the teaching of my soul." (Rumi)
[#beauty, #fragility]
"The best people possess a feeling for beauty, the courage to take risks, the discipline to tell the truth, the capacity for sacrifice. Ironically, their virtues make them vulnerable; they are often wounded, sometimes destroyed." (Ernest Hemingway)
[#patience, #trust]
"Patience does not mean to passively endure. It means to be farsighted enough to trust the end result of a process. It means to look at the thorn and see the rose, to look at the night and see the dawn." (Rumi)
[#understanding, #discrimination]
"Those who judge will never understand, and those who understand will never judge." (Wilson Kanadi)
03 June 2017
Week 2017-22
"Cleansing the mind does not require water. Practicing generosity does not require wealth." (Sam van Schaik, “Tibetan Zen”)
"The only way to survive eternity is to be able to appreciate each moment." (Lauren Kate Fallen)
"When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy." (Rumi)
"The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience." (Eleanor Roosevelt)
"Do not confine your children to your own learning, for they were born in another time." (Hebrew proverb)
"Silence is not an absence of sound but rather a shifting of attention toward sounds that speak to the soul." (Thomas Moore)
"People generally see what they look for, and hear what they listen for." (Harper Lee, "To Kill a Mockingbird")
"A person who becomes fatigued when unhappy is useless. Meeting with people should be a matter of quickly grasping their temperament and reacting appropriately […] This is a function of both the heart and words." (Miyamoto Musashi & Yamamoto Tsunetomo, "The Samurai Series: The Book of Five Rings, Bushido & Hagakure")
"The book to read is not the one that thinks for you but the one which makes you think." (Harper Lee)
"No matter what people call you, you are just who you are. Keep to this truth. You must ask yourself how is it you want to live your life. We live and we die. This is the truth that we can only face alone. No one can help us. So consider carefully, what prevents you from living the way you want to live your life." (Shams Tabrizi)
"The only way to survive eternity is to be able to appreciate each moment." (Lauren Kate Fallen)
"When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy." (Rumi)
"The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience." (Eleanor Roosevelt)
"Do not confine your children to your own learning, for they were born in another time." (Hebrew proverb)
"Silence is not an absence of sound but rather a shifting of attention toward sounds that speak to the soul." (Thomas Moore)
"People generally see what they look for, and hear what they listen for." (Harper Lee, "To Kill a Mockingbird")
"A person who becomes fatigued when unhappy is useless. Meeting with people should be a matter of quickly grasping their temperament and reacting appropriately […] This is a function of both the heart and words." (Miyamoto Musashi & Yamamoto Tsunetomo, "The Samurai Series: The Book of Five Rings, Bushido & Hagakure")
"The book to read is not the one that thinks for you but the one which makes you think." (Harper Lee)
"No matter what people call you, you are just who you are. Keep to this truth. You must ask yourself how is it you want to live your life. We live and we die. This is the truth that we can only face alone. No one can help us. So consider carefully, what prevents you from living the way you want to live your life." (Shams Tabrizi)
Labels:
action,
awareness,
education,
experience,
happiness,
human nature,
joy,
learning,
mind,
perception,
purity,
purpose,
quest,
silence,
thought,
values
27 May 2017
Week 2017-21
"We can ignore reality, but we cannot ignore the consequences of ignoring reality." (Ayn Rand)
"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it." (Harper Lee, To Kill A Mockingbird)
"When you step beyond your own gate, you face a million enemies." (Gichin Funakoshi)
"When you resist the flow of life, what you are actually resisting is your own inner nature, for everything that happens to us is a reflection of who we are. This isn’t a mystical statement; it is part of the apparatus of perception. To perceive is to grasp the meaning of something." (Deepak Chopra)
"Do not follow the ideas of others, but learn to listen to the voice within yourself. Your body and mind will become clear and you will realize the unity of all things." (Dōgen)
"What we perceive and what we understand depends upon what we are." (Aldous Huxley)
"The only fence against the world is a thorough knowledge of it." (John Locke)
"In the life cycle of every conflict, there is a point when it’s large enough to be recognized, but small enough to be resolved." (Daniel Dana)
"Love is a natural kind of meditation. And meditation is a supernatural kind of love." (Osho)
"When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about." (Haruki Murakami, Kafka on the Shore)
"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it." (Harper Lee, To Kill A Mockingbird)
"When you step beyond your own gate, you face a million enemies." (Gichin Funakoshi)
"When you resist the flow of life, what you are actually resisting is your own inner nature, for everything that happens to us is a reflection of who we are. This isn’t a mystical statement; it is part of the apparatus of perception. To perceive is to grasp the meaning of something." (Deepak Chopra)
"Do not follow the ideas of others, but learn to listen to the voice within yourself. Your body and mind will become clear and you will realize the unity of all things." (Dōgen)
"What we perceive and what we understand depends upon what we are." (Aldous Huxley)
"The only fence against the world is a thorough knowledge of it." (John Locke)
"In the life cycle of every conflict, there is a point when it’s large enough to be recognized, but small enough to be resolved." (Daniel Dana)
"Love is a natural kind of meditation. And meditation is a supernatural kind of love." (Osho)
"When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about." (Haruki Murakami, Kafka on the Shore)
20 May 2017
Week 2017-20
[#budo, #perception]
"The true value of Budo is to train the mind to see clearly and maintain spiritual strength." (Toshitsugu Takamatsu)
[#practice, #method]
"Be soft in your practice. Think of the method as a fine silvery stream, not a raging waterfall. Follow the stream in its course. It will go its own way, meandering here, trickling there. It will find the grooves, the cracks, the crevices. Just follow it. Never let it out of your sight. It will take you." (Master Sheng Yen)
[#happiness]
"Happiness is your nature. It is not wrong to desire it. What is wrong is seeking it outside when it is inside." (Ramana Maharshi)
[#force, #fight]
"Who overcomes by force, hath overcome but half his foe." (John Milton)
[#patience, #expectations]
"The two hardest tests on the spiritual road are the patience to wait for the right moment and the courage not to be disappointed with what we encounter." (Paulo Coelho)
[#illusion, #wisdom]
"Losing an illusion makes you wiser than finding a truth." (Ludwig Börne)
[#knowledge]
"All our knowledge is ourselves, to know." (Alexander Pope)
[#knowledge, #learning]
"Each excellent thing, once learned, serves for a measure of all other knowledge." (Philip Sidney)
[#certainty, #knowledge]
"Living is a form of not being sure, not knowing what next or how. The moment you know how, you begin to die a little." (Agnes de Mille)
[#mind, #attachment]
"What do you hang on the walls of your mind?" (Eve Arnold)
"The true value of Budo is to train the mind to see clearly and maintain spiritual strength." (Toshitsugu Takamatsu)
[#practice, #method]
"Be soft in your practice. Think of the method as a fine silvery stream, not a raging waterfall. Follow the stream in its course. It will go its own way, meandering here, trickling there. It will find the grooves, the cracks, the crevices. Just follow it. Never let it out of your sight. It will take you." (Master Sheng Yen)
[#happiness]
"Happiness is your nature. It is not wrong to desire it. What is wrong is seeking it outside when it is inside." (Ramana Maharshi)
[#force, #fight]
"Who overcomes by force, hath overcome but half his foe." (John Milton)
[#patience, #expectations]
"The two hardest tests on the spiritual road are the patience to wait for the right moment and the courage not to be disappointed with what we encounter." (Paulo Coelho)
[#illusion, #wisdom]
"Losing an illusion makes you wiser than finding a truth." (Ludwig Börne)
[#knowledge]
"All our knowledge is ourselves, to know." (Alexander Pope)
[#knowledge, #learning]
"Each excellent thing, once learned, serves for a measure of all other knowledge." (Philip Sidney)
[#certainty, #knowledge]
"Living is a form of not being sure, not knowing what next or how. The moment you know how, you begin to die a little." (Agnes de Mille)
[#mind, #attachment]
"What do you hang on the walls of your mind?" (Eve Arnold)
13 May 2017
Week 2017-19
"Truth is not to be found outside. No teacher, no scripture can give it to you. It is inside you and if you wish to attain it, seek your own company. Be with yourself." (Osho)
"When the search for truth is confused with political advocacy, the pursuit of knowledge is reduced to the quest for power." (Alston Chase)
"It is better to live your own destiny imperfectly than to live an imitation of somebody else's life with perfection." (Bhagavad Gita)
"Sadness gives depth. Happiness gives height. Sadness gives roots. Happiness gives branches. Happiness is like a tree going into the sky, and sadness is like the roots going down into the womb of the earth. Both are needed, and the higher a tree goes, the deeper it goes, simultaneously. The bigger the tree, the bigger will be its roots. In fact, it is always in proportion. That's its balance." (Osho)
"If you wish to be a warrior prepare to get broken, if you wish to be an explorer prepare to get lost, and if you wish to be a lover prepare to be both." (Anon)
"Wisdom is perishable. Unlike information or knowledge, it cannot be stored in a computer or recorded in a book. It expires with each passing generation." (Sid Taylor)
"Men are wise in proportion, not to their experience, but to their capacity for experience." (James Boswell)
"There are gaps between the fingers; there are gaps between the senses. In these gaps is the darkness which hides the connection between things." (Idris Parry)
"Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt." (John Muir)
"Seeking means to have a goal; but finding means to be free, to be receptive, to have no goal. You, O worthy one, are perhaps indeed a seeker, for in striving towards your goal, you do not see many things that are under your nose." (Hermann Hesse)
"When the search for truth is confused with political advocacy, the pursuit of knowledge is reduced to the quest for power." (Alston Chase)
"It is better to live your own destiny imperfectly than to live an imitation of somebody else's life with perfection." (Bhagavad Gita)
"Sadness gives depth. Happiness gives height. Sadness gives roots. Happiness gives branches. Happiness is like a tree going into the sky, and sadness is like the roots going down into the womb of the earth. Both are needed, and the higher a tree goes, the deeper it goes, simultaneously. The bigger the tree, the bigger will be its roots. In fact, it is always in proportion. That's its balance." (Osho)
"If you wish to be a warrior prepare to get broken, if you wish to be an explorer prepare to get lost, and if you wish to be a lover prepare to be both." (Anon)
"Wisdom is perishable. Unlike information or knowledge, it cannot be stored in a computer or recorded in a book. It expires with each passing generation." (Sid Taylor)
"Men are wise in proportion, not to their experience, but to their capacity for experience." (James Boswell)
"There are gaps between the fingers; there are gaps between the senses. In these gaps is the darkness which hides the connection between things." (Idris Parry)
"Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt." (John Muir)
"Seeking means to have a goal; but finding means to be free, to be receptive, to have no goal. You, O worthy one, are perhaps indeed a seeker, for in striving towards your goal, you do not see many things that are under your nose." (Hermann Hesse)
06 May 2017
Week 2017-18
"To be satisfied with a little, is the greatest wisdom; and he that increaseth his riches, increaseth his cares; but a contented mind is a hidden treasure, and trouble findeth it not." (Akhenaton)
"The truth which makes men free is for the most part the truth which men prefer not to hear." (Herbert Agar)
"An act of imagination is an act of self-acceptance." (Richard Hugo, "Triggering Town")
"We are on a journey to keep an appointment with whatever we are." (Gene Roddenberry)
"Belief can convert the mundane into the miraculous." (Charles F Glassman)
"Every man is the sum total of his reactions to experience. As your experiences differ and multiply, you become a different man, and hence your perspective changes. This goes on and on. Every reaction is a learning process; every significant experience alters your perspective." ( Hunter S. Thompson )
"Staring at the light of another blinds the view of our own." (Charles F Glassman)
"Man is not what he thinks he is, he is what he hides." (André Malraux)
"I do not fix problems. I fix my thinking. Then problems fix themselves." (Louise L. Hay)
"The truth which makes men free is for the most part the truth which men prefer not to hear." (Herbert Agar)
"An act of imagination is an act of self-acceptance." (Richard Hugo, "Triggering Town")
"We are on a journey to keep an appointment with whatever we are." (Gene Roddenberry)
"Belief can convert the mundane into the miraculous." (Charles F Glassman)
"Every man is the sum total of his reactions to experience. As your experiences differ and multiply, you become a different man, and hence your perspective changes. This goes on and on. Every reaction is a learning process; every significant experience alters your perspective." ( Hunter S. Thompson )
"Staring at the light of another blinds the view of our own." (Charles F Glassman)
"Man is not what he thinks he is, he is what he hides." (André Malraux)
"I do not fix problems. I fix my thinking. Then problems fix themselves." (Louise L. Hay)
29 April 2017
Week 2017-17
"Using someone else’s ruler to measure your self-worth will always leave you short." (Charles F Glassman)
"Flow with whatever is happening and let your mind be free.
Stay centered by accepting whatever you are doing.
This is the ultimate." (Chuang Tzu)
"When meditation is mastered,
the mind is unwavering,
like the flame of a lamp in a windless place." (Bhagavad Gita)
"What cannot be known is more revealing than what can." (John D. Barrow, "Impossibility", 1998)
"Knowing your own darkness is the best method for dealing with the darkness of other people." (Carl Jung)
"All great things have their origin in that which is small." (Lao Tzu)
"I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by conscious endeavor. (Henry David Thoreau)
"Exploring your imagination is the first step to understanding your heart." (Anon)
"Every man is guilty of all the good he didn't do." (Voltaire)
"It seldom happens that a man changes his life through his habitual reasoning. No matter how fully he may sense the new plans and aims revealed to him by reason, he continues to plod along in old paths until his life becomes frustrating and unbearable—he finally makes the change only when his usual life can no longer be tolerated." (Leo Tolstoy)
"Flow with whatever is happening and let your mind be free.
Stay centered by accepting whatever you are doing.
This is the ultimate." (Chuang Tzu)
"When meditation is mastered,
the mind is unwavering,
like the flame of a lamp in a windless place." (Bhagavad Gita)
"What cannot be known is more revealing than what can." (John D. Barrow, "Impossibility", 1998)
"Knowing your own darkness is the best method for dealing with the darkness of other people." (Carl Jung)
"All great things have their origin in that which is small." (Lao Tzu)
"I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by conscious endeavor. (Henry David Thoreau)
"Exploring your imagination is the first step to understanding your heart." (Anon)
"Every man is guilty of all the good he didn't do." (Voltaire)
"It seldom happens that a man changes his life through his habitual reasoning. No matter how fully he may sense the new plans and aims revealed to him by reason, he continues to plod along in old paths until his life becomes frustrating and unbearable—he finally makes the change only when his usual life can no longer be tolerated." (Leo Tolstoy)
22 April 2017
Week 2017-16
"Love is not always fireworks and magic. Often we’ll experience it in the form of patience, acceptance, loyalty, and mutual respect." (Charles F Glassman)
"To make a great dream come true, the first requirement is a great capacity to dream; the second is persistence." (Cesar Chavez)
"Too many people are thinking of security instead of opportunity. They seem more afraid of life than death." (James F. Byrnes)
"The true measure of a man is not his intelligence or how high he rises in this freak establishment. No, the true measure of a man is this: how quickly can he respond to the needs of others and how much of himself he can give." (Philip K. Dick)
"Men are not moved by things, but the views they take of them." (Epitectus)
"To exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly." (Henri Bergson)
"Keep constantly in mind in how many things you yourself have witnessed changes already. The universe is change, life is understanding." (Marcus Aurelius)
"Knowledge without action is insanity and action without knowledge is vanity." (Imam al-Ghazali)
"Thinking will not overcome fear but action will." (W. Clement Stone)
"Nothing hurts a good soul and a kind heart more than to live amongst people who cannot understand it." (Hazrat Ali ibn Abi Talib)
"To make a great dream come true, the first requirement is a great capacity to dream; the second is persistence." (Cesar Chavez)
"Too many people are thinking of security instead of opportunity. They seem more afraid of life than death." (James F. Byrnes)
"The true measure of a man is not his intelligence or how high he rises in this freak establishment. No, the true measure of a man is this: how quickly can he respond to the needs of others and how much of himself he can give." (Philip K. Dick)
"Men are not moved by things, but the views they take of them." (Epitectus)
"To exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly." (Henri Bergson)
"Keep constantly in mind in how many things you yourself have witnessed changes already. The universe is change, life is understanding." (Marcus Aurelius)
"Knowledge without action is insanity and action without knowledge is vanity." (Imam al-Ghazali)
"Thinking will not overcome fear but action will." (W. Clement Stone)
"Nothing hurts a good soul and a kind heart more than to live amongst people who cannot understand it." (Hazrat Ali ibn Abi Talib)
Labels:
action,
altruism,
change,
comfort,
dreams,
fear,
hardship,
knowledge,
love,
perspective,
understanding
15 April 2017
Week 2017-15
"If we do not believe within ourselves this deeply rooted feeling that there is something higher than ourselves, we shall never find the strength to evolve into something higher." (Rudolf Steiner)
"We come to love not by finding the perfect person but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly." (Sam Keen)
"A man should learn to detect and watch that gleam of light which flashes across his mind from within." (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
"In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe and enough shadows to blind those who don't." (Blaise Pascal)
"Student: Master tell me, is death the end or is it the beginning?
Master: Tell me, is the water in the river which flows, new or old?" (Zen story)
"True spirituality is to be aware that if we are interdependent with everything and everyone else, even the smallest, least significant thought, word and action has real consequences throughout the universe." (Sogyal Rinpoche)
"He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how." (Friedrich Nietzsche)
"Dare to reach out your hand into the darkness, to pull another hand into the light." (Norman B. Rice)
"Man is not the creature of circumstances. Circumstances are the creatures of men." (Benjamin Disraeli)
"I have come to believe that the whole world is an enigma, a harmless enigma that is made terrible by our own mad attempt to interpret it as though it had an underlying truth." (Umberto Eco)
"We come to love not by finding the perfect person but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly." (Sam Keen)
"A man should learn to detect and watch that gleam of light which flashes across his mind from within." (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
"In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe and enough shadows to blind those who don't." (Blaise Pascal)
"Student: Master tell me, is death the end or is it the beginning?
Master: Tell me, is the water in the river which flows, new or old?" (Zen story)
"True spirituality is to be aware that if we are interdependent with everything and everyone else, even the smallest, least significant thought, word and action has real consequences throughout the universe." (Sogyal Rinpoche)
"He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how." (Friedrich Nietzsche)
"Dare to reach out your hand into the darkness, to pull another hand into the light." (Norman B. Rice)
"Man is not the creature of circumstances. Circumstances are the creatures of men." (Benjamin Disraeli)
"I have come to believe that the whole world is an enigma, a harmless enigma that is made terrible by our own mad attempt to interpret it as though it had an underlying truth." (Umberto Eco)
Labels:
altruism,
belief,
change,
circumstances,
faith,
light,
love,
mystery,
perception,
perfection,
purpose,
spirituality,
thought
08 April 2017
Week 2017-14
[#duality, #light]
"There are two kinds of light - the glow that illumines, and the glare that obscures." (James Thurber)
[#wisdom, #thought]
"Thinking and doing, doing and thinking, these are the sum of all wisdom. Both must move ever onward in life, to and fro, like breathing in and breathing out. Whoever makes it a rule to test action by thought, thought by action, cannot falter, and if he does, will soon find his way back to the right road." (Goethe)
[#mastery, #strength]
"The only means of strengthening one's intellect is to make up one's mind about nothing - to let the mind be a thoroughfare for all thoughts." (John Keats)
[#character, #mastery]
"You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one." (Henry David Thoreau)
[#belief]
"An idealist believes the short run doesn't count. A cynic believes the long run doesn't matter. A realist believes that what is done or left undone in the short run determines the long run." (Sydney J. Harris)
[#feelings, #thought]
"Life is a tragedy for those who feel, and a comedy for those who think." (Jean de La Bruyère)
[#patience]
"To endure the unendurable is true endurance." (Japanese saying)
[#simplicity]
"If people never did silly things, nothing intelligent would ever get done." (Ludwig Wittgenstein)
[#action, #love]
"The grand essentials of life are something to do, something to love, something to hope for." (Thomas Chalmers)
[#knowledge]
"Nothing is enough for the man to whom enough is too little." (Epicurus)
"There are two kinds of light - the glow that illumines, and the glare that obscures." (James Thurber)
[#wisdom, #thought]
"Thinking and doing, doing and thinking, these are the sum of all wisdom. Both must move ever onward in life, to and fro, like breathing in and breathing out. Whoever makes it a rule to test action by thought, thought by action, cannot falter, and if he does, will soon find his way back to the right road." (Goethe)
[#mastery, #strength]
"The only means of strengthening one's intellect is to make up one's mind about nothing - to let the mind be a thoroughfare for all thoughts." (John Keats)
[#character, #mastery]
"You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one." (Henry David Thoreau)
[#belief]
"An idealist believes the short run doesn't count. A cynic believes the long run doesn't matter. A realist believes that what is done or left undone in the short run determines the long run." (Sydney J. Harris)
[#feelings, #thought]
"Life is a tragedy for those who feel, and a comedy for those who think." (Jean de La Bruyère)
[#patience]
"To endure the unendurable is true endurance." (Japanese saying)
[#simplicity]
"If people never did silly things, nothing intelligent would ever get done." (Ludwig Wittgenstein)
[#action, #love]
"The grand essentials of life are something to do, something to love, something to hope for." (Thomas Chalmers)
[#knowledge]
"Nothing is enough for the man to whom enough is too little." (Epicurus)
01 April 2017
Week 2017-13
[#success, #learning]
"The whole secret of life is to be interested in one thing profoundly and in a thousand things well." (Horace Walpole)
[#action, #chance]
"Don't wait for extraordinary opportunities. Seize common occasions and make them great." (Orison Swett Marden)
[#strength, #will]
"Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will." (Gandhi)
[#errors]
"Nowadays most people die of a sort of creeping common sense, and discover when it is too late that the only things one never regrets are one’s mistakes." (Oscar Wilde, "The Picture of Dorian Gray")
[#limits, #chance]
"It is by fighting the limitations, temptations, and failures of the world that we reach our highest possibilities." (Helen Keller)
[#truth, #quest]
"Don’t keep searching for truth. Just let go of your opinions." (Seng Ts'an)
[#acceptance]
"We often refuse to accept an idea merely because the tone of voice in which it has been expressed is unsympathetic to us." (Friedrich Nietzsche)
[#altruism, #meaning]
"Life has meaning only if one barters it day by day for something other than itself." (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry)
[#limits, #human nature]
"The greatest enemy of the individual is the individual himself." (Saul Alinsky)
"The whole secret of life is to be interested in one thing profoundly and in a thousand things well." (Horace Walpole)
[#action, #chance]
"Don't wait for extraordinary opportunities. Seize common occasions and make them great." (Orison Swett Marden)
[#strength, #will]
"Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will." (Gandhi)
[#errors]
"Nowadays most people die of a sort of creeping common sense, and discover when it is too late that the only things one never regrets are one’s mistakes." (Oscar Wilde, "The Picture of Dorian Gray")
[#limits, #chance]
"It is by fighting the limitations, temptations, and failures of the world that we reach our highest possibilities." (Helen Keller)
[#truth, #quest]
"Don’t keep searching for truth. Just let go of your opinions." (Seng Ts'an)
[#acceptance]
"We often refuse to accept an idea merely because the tone of voice in which it has been expressed is unsympathetic to us." (Friedrich Nietzsche)
[#altruism, #meaning]
"Life has meaning only if one barters it day by day for something other than itself." (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry)
[#limits, #human nature]
"The greatest enemy of the individual is the individual himself." (Saul Alinsky)
25 March 2017
Week 2017-12
[#opportunity]
"[...] if we are to have any future, we must create that future ourselves." (Beatrice Bruteau)
[#love, #altruism]
"People who exude love are in every way like rivers - they stream. And when they collect possessions and things that they like, they are apt to give them to other people. Did you ever notice that when you give things away, you keep getting more? That, as you create a vacuum, more flows in?" (Alan Watts)
[#control, #change]
"Nature is not a force over which we must triumph, but the medium of our transformation." (Marilyn Ferguson)
[#suffering, #fear]
"To suffering there is a limit; to fearing, none." (Francis Bacon)
[#perspective]
"Judge people from where they stand, not from where you stand." (H. Jackson Brown, Jr.)
[#reality, #change]
"To change our realities we have to change our myths." (Riane Eisler)
[#human nature, #control]
"The domination of nature leads to the domination of human nature." (Edward Abbey, "Beyond the Wall”, 1984)
[#quest]
"The great blessings of mankind are within us and within our reach; but we shut our eyes, and like people in the dark, we fall foul upon the very thing we search for, without finding it." (Seneca the Younger)
[#acceptance, #certainty]
"Let go of certainty. The opposite isn’t uncertainty. It’s openness, curiosity and a willingness to embrace paradox, rather than choose up sides. The ultimate challenge is to accept ourselves exactly as we are, but never stop trying to learn and grow." (Tony Schwartz)
[#limits, #knowledge]
"It is what we know already that often prevents us from learning." (Claude Bernard)
"[...] if we are to have any future, we must create that future ourselves." (Beatrice Bruteau)
[#love, #altruism]
"People who exude love are in every way like rivers - they stream. And when they collect possessions and things that they like, they are apt to give them to other people. Did you ever notice that when you give things away, you keep getting more? That, as you create a vacuum, more flows in?" (Alan Watts)
[#control, #change]
"Nature is not a force over which we must triumph, but the medium of our transformation." (Marilyn Ferguson)
[#suffering, #fear]
"To suffering there is a limit; to fearing, none." (Francis Bacon)
[#perspective]
"Judge people from where they stand, not from where you stand." (H. Jackson Brown, Jr.)
[#reality, #change]
"To change our realities we have to change our myths." (Riane Eisler)
[#human nature, #control]
"The domination of nature leads to the domination of human nature." (Edward Abbey, "Beyond the Wall”, 1984)
[#quest]
"The great blessings of mankind are within us and within our reach; but we shut our eyes, and like people in the dark, we fall foul upon the very thing we search for, without finding it." (Seneca the Younger)
[#acceptance, #certainty]
"Let go of certainty. The opposite isn’t uncertainty. It’s openness, curiosity and a willingness to embrace paradox, rather than choose up sides. The ultimate challenge is to accept ourselves exactly as we are, but never stop trying to learn and grow." (Tony Schwartz)
[#limits, #knowledge]
"It is what we know already that often prevents us from learning." (Claude Bernard)
Labels:
acceptance,
altruism,
certainty,
change,
control,
fear,
human nature,
knowledge,
limits,
love,
opportunity,
perspective,
quest,
reality,
suffering
18 March 2017
Week 2017-11
[#growth, #reality]
"Every spirit builds itself a house; and beyond its house a world; and beyond its world, a heaven... Build, therefore, your own world." (Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Nature”, 1836)
[#happiness, #quest]
"People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they’re not on your road doesn’t mean they’ve gotten lost." (H. Jackson Browne)
[#knowledge, #chaos]
"Don't worry that your life is turning upside down.
How do you know that the side you are used to is better than the one to come?" (Rumi)
[#confidence, #knowledge]
"Confidence is not about being always right, but always knowing what to do when things go wrong." (Anon)
[#learning]
"Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” (Thomas H. Huxley)
[#education]
"Children have to be educated, but they have also to be left to educate themselves." (Abbe Dimnet, "Art of Thinking", 1928)
[#love, #wisdom]
"Remember, one can only know what one is capable of loving. There is no wisdom without love." (Shams Tabrizi)
[#learning, #truth]
"The most useful piece of learning for the uses of life is to unlearn what is untrue." (Antisthenes)
[#education, #inquiry]
"The journey for an education starts with a childhood question." (David L Finn)
[#learning, #perception]
"Through learning we re-create ourselves. Through learning we become able to do something we never were able to do. Through learning we re-perceive the world and our relationship to it. Through learning we extend our capacity to create, to be part of the generative process of life. There is within each of us a deep hunger for this type of learning." (Peter Senge)
"Every spirit builds itself a house; and beyond its house a world; and beyond its world, a heaven... Build, therefore, your own world." (Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Nature”, 1836)
[#happiness, #quest]
"People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they’re not on your road doesn’t mean they’ve gotten lost." (H. Jackson Browne)
[#knowledge, #chaos]
"Don't worry that your life is turning upside down.
How do you know that the side you are used to is better than the one to come?" (Rumi)
[#confidence, #knowledge]
"Confidence is not about being always right, but always knowing what to do when things go wrong." (Anon)
[#learning]
"Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” (Thomas H. Huxley)
[#education]
"Children have to be educated, but they have also to be left to educate themselves." (Abbe Dimnet, "Art of Thinking", 1928)
[#love, #wisdom]
"Remember, one can only know what one is capable of loving. There is no wisdom without love." (Shams Tabrizi)
[#learning, #truth]
"The most useful piece of learning for the uses of life is to unlearn what is untrue." (Antisthenes)
[#education, #inquiry]
"The journey for an education starts with a childhood question." (David L Finn)
[#learning, #perception]
"Through learning we re-create ourselves. Through learning we become able to do something we never were able to do. Through learning we re-perceive the world and our relationship to it. Through learning we extend our capacity to create, to be part of the generative process of life. There is within each of us a deep hunger for this type of learning." (Peter Senge)
11 March 2017
Week 2017-10
"Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things." (Winston Churchill)
"Where shall we begin? There is no beginning. Start where you arrive. Stop before what entices you. And work! You will enter little by little into the entirety. Method will be born in proportion to your interest." (Auguste Rodin)
"The most dangerous of our prejudices reign in ourselves against ourselves. To dissolve them is a creative act." (Hugo von Hofmannsthal)
"[…] there are no backwaters. There is only one river, and we are all in it." (Scott Russell Sanders, “Writing from the Center”, 1997)
"There is another interesting paradox here: by immersing ourselves in what we love, we find ourselves. We do not lose ourselves. One does not lose one’s identity by falling in love." (Lukas Foss)
"If you look for the truth outside yourself, it gets farther and farther away." (Tung-shan)
"If one will just think about what he is to do for the day at hand, he will be able to do anything. If it is a single day's work, one should be able to put up with it. Tomorrow, too, is but a single day." (Hagakure)
"Maturity of mind is the capacity to endure uncertainty." (John Finley)
"No object is mysterious. The mystery is in your eye." (Elizabeth Bowen)
"There is no passion to be found playing small - in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living." (Nelson Mandela)
"Where shall we begin? There is no beginning. Start where you arrive. Stop before what entices you. And work! You will enter little by little into the entirety. Method will be born in proportion to your interest." (Auguste Rodin)
"The most dangerous of our prejudices reign in ourselves against ourselves. To dissolve them is a creative act." (Hugo von Hofmannsthal)
"[…] there are no backwaters. There is only one river, and we are all in it." (Scott Russell Sanders, “Writing from the Center”, 1997)
"There is another interesting paradox here: by immersing ourselves in what we love, we find ourselves. We do not lose ourselves. One does not lose one’s identity by falling in love." (Lukas Foss)
"If you look for the truth outside yourself, it gets farther and farther away." (Tung-shan)
"If one will just think about what he is to do for the day at hand, he will be able to do anything. If it is a single day's work, one should be able to put up with it. Tomorrow, too, is but a single day." (Hagakure)
"Maturity of mind is the capacity to endure uncertainty." (John Finley)
"No object is mysterious. The mystery is in your eye." (Elizabeth Bowen)
"There is no passion to be found playing small - in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living." (Nelson Mandela)
04 March 2017
Week 2017-09
[#values]
"The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it." (Henry David Thoreau)
[#knowledge, #quest]
"There is no shame in not knowing; the shame lies in not finding out." (Russian saying)
[#attachment, #freedom]
"Do not permit the events of your daily lives to bind you, but never withdraw yourselves from them. Only by acting thus can you earn the title of a Liberated One." (Huang Po)
[#hope, #focus]
"I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest." (Dalai Lama)
[#change, #strength]
"When you blame others, you give up your power to change." (Dr. Robert Anthony)
[#hope, #fear]
"We promise according to our hopes, and perform according to our fears." (François de La Rochefoucauld)
[#learning, #experience]
"Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so." (Douglas Adams)
[#knowledge, #unknown]
"People value that part of knowledge which is known. They do not know how to avail themselves of the Unknown in order to reach knowledge. Is this not misguided?" (Zhuang Zhou)
[#faith, #hope]
"Faith has to do with things that are not seen and hope with things that are not at hand." ( Thomas Aquinas )
[#success, #dreams]
"Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life – think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success." (Swami Vivekananda)
"The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it." (Henry David Thoreau)
[#knowledge, #quest]
"There is no shame in not knowing; the shame lies in not finding out." (Russian saying)
[#attachment, #freedom]
"Do not permit the events of your daily lives to bind you, but never withdraw yourselves from them. Only by acting thus can you earn the title of a Liberated One." (Huang Po)
[#hope, #focus]
"I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest." (Dalai Lama)
[#change, #strength]
"When you blame others, you give up your power to change." (Dr. Robert Anthony)
[#hope, #fear]
"We promise according to our hopes, and perform according to our fears." (François de La Rochefoucauld)
[#learning, #experience]
"Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so." (Douglas Adams)
[#knowledge, #unknown]
"People value that part of knowledge which is known. They do not know how to avail themselves of the Unknown in order to reach knowledge. Is this not misguided?" (Zhuang Zhou)
[#faith, #hope]
"Faith has to do with things that are not seen and hope with things that are not at hand." ( Thomas Aquinas )
[#success, #dreams]
"Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life – think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success." (Swami Vivekananda)
25 February 2017
Week 2017-08
"Perhaps the most important thing we can undertake toward the reduction of fear is to make it easier for people to accept themselves; to like themselves." (Bonaro Overstreet)
"Pick the assumptions to pieces till the stuff they are made of is exposed to plain view - this is the cardinal rule for understanding the basis of our beliefs. (Eric Temple Bell, "The Search for Truth")
"Pick the assumptions to pieces till the stuff they are made of is exposed to plain view - this is the cardinal rule for understanding the basis of our beliefs. (Eric Temple Bell, "The Search for Truth")
"If you limit your actions in life to things that nobody can possibly find fault with, you will not do much." (Lewis Carroll)
"So many things are possible just as long as you don't know they're impossible." (Norton Juster)
"You will, if you’re wise and know the art of travel, let yourself go on the stream of the unknown and accept whatever comes in the spirit in which the gods may offer it." (Freya Stark)
"In my experience, there is only one motivation, and that is desire. No reasons or principle contain it or stand against it." (Jane Smiley)
"A man's maturity consists in having found again the seriousness one had as a child at play." (Friedrich Nietzsche)
"Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind." (Seneca the Younger)
"It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation." (Herman Melville)
"There can only be one solution to any problem: a change in attitude and in consciousness." (Gregg Braden)
"So many things are possible just as long as you don't know they're impossible." (Norton Juster)
"You will, if you’re wise and know the art of travel, let yourself go on the stream of the unknown and accept whatever comes in the spirit in which the gods may offer it." (Freya Stark)
"In my experience, there is only one motivation, and that is desire. No reasons or principle contain it or stand against it." (Jane Smiley)
"A man's maturity consists in having found again the seriousness one had as a child at play." (Friedrich Nietzsche)
"Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind." (Seneca the Younger)
"It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation." (Herman Melville)
"There can only be one solution to any problem: a change in attitude and in consciousness." (Gregg Braden)
Labels:
acceptance,
action,
assumptions,
chance,
change,
desire,
fear,
growth,
imitation,
limits,
motivation,
perception,
play,
problem solving,
quest,
success,
unknown,
wisdom
18 February 2017
Week 2017-07
"Remember that happiness is a way of travel – not a destination." (Roy M. Goodman)
"If you are going to doubt something, doubt your limits." (Don Ward)
"Be quiet in your mind, quiet in your senses, and also quiet in your body. Then, when all these are quiet, don't do anything. In that state truth will reveal itself to you." (Kabir)
"Do not try to satisfy your vanity by teaching a great many things. Awaken people's curiosity. It is enough to open minds; do not overload them. Put there just a spark. If there is some good inflammable stuff, it will catch fire." (Anatole France)
"Real difficulties can be overcome; it is only the imaginary ones that are unconquerable." (Theodore N. Vail)
"Stand up to your obstacles; do something about them. You will find that they haven’t half the strength you think they have." (Zen saying)
"If you want to succeed in this world you don't have to be much cleverer than other people, you just have to be one day earlier." (Leó Szilárd)
"Regardless of your lot in life, you can build something beautiful on it." (Zen saying)
"Look for knowledge not in books but in things themselves." (William Gilbert)
"Wandering re-establishes the original harmony which once existed between man and the universe." (Anatole France)
"If you are going to doubt something, doubt your limits." (Don Ward)
"Be quiet in your mind, quiet in your senses, and also quiet in your body. Then, when all these are quiet, don't do anything. In that state truth will reveal itself to you." (Kabir)
"Do not try to satisfy your vanity by teaching a great many things. Awaken people's curiosity. It is enough to open minds; do not overload them. Put there just a spark. If there is some good inflammable stuff, it will catch fire." (Anatole France)
"Real difficulties can be overcome; it is only the imaginary ones that are unconquerable." (Theodore N. Vail)
"Stand up to your obstacles; do something about them. You will find that they haven’t half the strength you think they have." (Zen saying)
"If you want to succeed in this world you don't have to be much cleverer than other people, you just have to be one day earlier." (Leó Szilárd)
"Regardless of your lot in life, you can build something beautiful on it." (Zen saying)
"Look for knowledge not in books but in things themselves." (William Gilbert)
"Wandering re-establishes the original harmony which once existed between man and the universe." (Anatole France)
11 February 2017
Week 2017-06
"Speed is useful only if you are running in the right direction." (Joel Barker)
"Man stands in his own shadow and wonders why it’s dark." (Zen saying)
"The difficulty lies, not in the new ideas, but in escaping the old ones, which ramify, for those brought up as most of us have been, into every corner of our minds." (John Maynard Keynes)
"They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself." (Andy Warhol)
"Do not permit the events of your daily life to bind you, but never withdraw yourself from them." (Zen saying)
"True happiness consists not in the multitude of friends, but in their worth and choice." (Samuel Johnson)
"Chaos in the world brings uneasiness, but it also allows the opportunity for creativity and growth." (Tom Barrett)
"To uncover the truth is not difficult, but to follow the truth is formidable." (Chinese saying)
"Never underestimate the joy people derive from hearing something they already know." (Enrico Fermi)
"Man stands in his own shadow and wonders why it’s dark." (Zen saying)
"The difficulty lies, not in the new ideas, but in escaping the old ones, which ramify, for those brought up as most of us have been, into every corner of our minds." (John Maynard Keynes)
"They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself." (Andy Warhol)
"Do not permit the events of your daily life to bind you, but never withdraw yourself from them." (Zen saying)
"True happiness consists not in the multitude of friends, but in their worth and choice." (Samuel Johnson)
"Chaos in the world brings uneasiness, but it also allows the opportunity for creativity and growth." (Tom Barrett)
"To uncover the truth is not difficult, but to follow the truth is formidable." (Chinese saying)
"Never underestimate the joy people derive from hearing something they already know." (Enrico Fermi)
Labels:
action,
attachment,
cause and effect,
chance,
change,
chaos,
friendship,
happiness,
human nature,
joy,
knowledge,
limits,
quest,
success,
thought,
truth
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