Letting go of the desire to control

We can feel the possibility of balance in our lives,

when we recognize that life is not in our control

Jack Kornfield

Kindness towards oneself

Sylvia Boorstein’s wise way of working with her heart when she’s worrying or anxious

“Sweetheart, you are in pain. Relax. Take a breath.

Let’s pay attention to what is happening.

Then we’ll figure out what to do”

Sunday Quote: Magic

We ourselves cannot put any magic spells on this world.

The world is its own magic.

Suzuki Roshi

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The sun always rises

The sun shines day after day without fail, yet if clouds appear to make the sky overcast, it can’t be seen. It still comes up in the east every morning and goes down in the west. The only difference is that you can’t see it because it’s hidden behind the clouds. The sun is your original mind, the clouds are your illusions. You are unaware of this mind because it’s covered by illusions and can’t be seen. But you never lose it,  not even when you go to sleep.

The unborn mind that your mothers have given you is thus always there, wonderfully clear and bright and illuminating.

Bankei Yōtaku (1622-1693), Rinzai Zen master, 

who emphasized our original nature or inner aliveness,  which he terms the Unborn 

Wide enough

The peace that we are looking for is not peace that crumbles as soon as there is difficulty or chaos. Whether we’re seeking inner peace or global peace or a combination of the two, the way to experience it is to build on the foundation of unconditional openness to all that arises.

Peace isn’t an experience free of challenges, free of rough and smooth, it’s an experience that’s expansive enough to include all that arises without feeling threatened.

Pema Chodron 

Making space

In silence there is eloquence.

Stop weaving and see how the pattern improves.

Rumi