What are we when there is no one doing anything, no one attaining anything, no place to go?
There “is” no place to go.
The whole foundation is already here in each one of us.
It is the same in all of us.
There is only one foundation, which is presence, wholeness, boundless love.
Toni Packer, The Wonder of Presence: And the Way of Meditative Inquiry
Watching the show, without getting swept up in it, leads to greater peace of mind
Life does not consist mainly – or even largely – of facts and happenings.
It consists mainly of the storm of thoughts that is forever blowing through one’s head.
Mark Twain
Wisdom is not the gathering of more facts and information, as if that would eventually coalesce into truth.
Wisdom is precisely a different way of seeing and knowing the “ten thousand things” in a new way.
I suggest that wisdom is precisely the freedom to be truly present to what is right in front of you. Presence is wisdom! People who are fully present know how to see fully, rightly, and truthfully. Presence is the one thing necessary for wisdom, and in many ways, it is the hardest thing of all. Just try to keep 1) your heart space open, 2) your mind without division or resistance, and 3) your body not somewhere else — and all at the same time!
Most religions just decided it was easier to believe doctrines and obey often-arbitrary laws than the truly converting work of being present. Those who can be present will know what they need to know, and in a wisdom way.
Richard Rohr, The Naked Now, Learning to See as the Mystics See
When you take the time to draw on your listening-imagination, you will begin to hear this gentle voice at the heart of your life. It is deeper and surer than all the other voices of disappointment, unease, self-criticism and bleakness. All holiness is about learning to hear the voice of your own soul. To enter into the gentleness of your own soul changes the tone and quality of your life. Your life is no longer consumed by hunger for the next event, experience or achievement. You learn to come down from the treadmill and walk on the earth. You no longer squander yourself on things and situations that deplete your essence. You know now that your true source is not outside you. Your soul is your true source and a new energy and passion awakens in you.
John O’Donoghue, Divine Beauty: The Invisible Embrace
One should say before sleeping,
“I have lived many lives. I have been a slave and a prince. Many a beloved had sat upon my knees and I have sat upon the knees of many a beloved.
Everything that has been shall be again.”
W.B. Yeats
Your job may change, your relationships may change, your body may change, your beliefs may change, your desires may change, your ideas about your role in the world may change, but the essence of who you are is the continuity of awareness that has no beginning or end. Your thoughts, beliefs, expectations, goals, and experiences may come and go, but the one who having the experiences – the experiencer – remains.
Deepak Chopra, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga
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