The most direct way to understand our life situation, who we are and how we operate is to observe it with a mind that simply notices all events equally. This attitude of non-judgmental, direct observation allows all events to occur in a natural way. By keeping attention in the present moment, we can see more and more the true characteristics of our mind and body process
jack Kornfield, Living Buddhist Masters
Are my boots old? Is my coat torn?
Am I no longer young, and still not half-perfect? Let me
keep my mind on what matters,
which is my work,
which is mostly standing still and learning to be astonished.
The phoebe, the delphinium. The sheep in the pasture, and the pasture.
Which is mostly rejoicing, since all ingredients are here,
which is gratitude, to be given a mind and a heart
and these body-clothes,
a mouth with which to give shouts of joy
to the moth and the wren, to the sleepy dug-up clam,
telling them all, over and over, how it is
that we live forever.
from Mary Oliver, Messenger
When we are disappointed or frustrated, when we’re in pain or when our day’s not going well – these are times when we are likely to … search for an object of blame. Our backbone softens and our heart hardens. Our mantra becomes “If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be having this problem”. We believe someone stole our joy and that becomes our view. When we blame we are failing to deal with our own mind. We’re hardening our frustration and jealousy into a little ball and throwing it at somebody else. The minute we say, “it’s your fault!” we are abdicating the throne of our mind
Sakyong Mipham, Ruling your world
Meditation is simply a question of being. You just quietly sit, your body still, your speech silent, your mind at ease, and allow thoughts to come and go, without letting them play havoc on you. If you need something to do, then watch the breathing. This is a very simple process. When you are breathing out, know that you are breathing out. When you breath in, know that you are breathing in, without supplying any kind of extra commentary or internalized mental gossip.
Sogyal Rinpoche, Essential Advice on Meditation
In this very breath that we take now
lies the secret that all great teachers try to tell us.
Peter Matthiessen
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