During a long retreat, I had what seemed to me the earthshaking revelation that we cannot be in the present and run our story lines at the same time! It sounds pretty obvious, I know, but when you discover something like this for yourself, it changes you.
Pema Chodron, When Things fall Apart
You will only grab hold of concepts if you follow the storyline.
Sayadaw U Tejaniya
And from a more recent Irish writer:
All the possibilities of your human destiny are asleep in your soul. You are here to realize and honor these possibilities. When love comes in to your life, unrecognized dimensions of your destiny awaken and blossom and grow. Possibility is the secret heart of time.
John O’Donohue, Anam Chara
Because of the day that is in it….
Dia dar gcoimead agus Dia dar dteagasc, Dia dar seoladh ar bhothar ar leasa
(May God keep us and teach us
and lead us on the right way)
Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig : Happy Saint Patrick’s Day.
When we emphasise our personality we create problems, because the personal qualities are different for each one of us. We have our common human problems: old age, sickness and death; but there are attitudes, cultural expectations and assumptions wherein we differ, and these are conditioned into the mind after we are born. Because of this, I often say to people, ‘Whatever you think you are, that’s not what you are.’ The personality, the self-consciousness, the fears and the desires of the mind are what they are. In practice, we are not trying to dismiss them or add to them, or make any problems or difficulties around them. We are willing to let them be what they are. They feel this way, they have this quality; they arise and cease. And in that cessation, there’s the realisation of the peace, the bliss and the serenity of just being — and there’s no self in it.
Ajahn Sumedho, True but not right, right but not true
The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers.
M Scott Peck
Underneath our nice, friendly facades
there is great unease. If I were to scratch below the surface of anyone I would find fear and anxiety running amok.
We all have ways to cover them up.
We overwork, over-drink, overeat;
we watch too much television,
we look for relationships.
We are always doing something to cover up our basic existential anxiety.
Charlotte Joko Beck
Mindfulbalance 