When your mind is raging

Enemies tried to kill the Buddha by releasing an intoxicated bull elephant named Nalagiri into the narrow street where the Buddha was walking. Those who saw the mad elephant charging shouted warnings to the Buddha and his monks to get out of the way. All the monks fled except for the Buddha and his faithful attendant Ananda [who] bravely moved in front of his master. Gently, the Buddha pushed Ananda to one side and faced the immensely powerful charging elephant alone.

Perhaps the Buddha thought something like this “Dear Nalagiri, the door of my heart is open to you, no matter what you ever do to me. You may swat me with your trunk or crush me under your feet, But I will give you no ill will”

The Buddha gently placed peace in the space between him and the dangerous elephant.in a few seconds the elephant’s rage had subsided, and he was meekly bowing before the Compassionate One…

When your mind is raging, use kindfulness and letting go. Make peace with your crazy mind instead of fighting it. Don’t use force to subdue your raging bull elephant of a mind.

Ajahn Brahm, Kindfulness

Healthy energies

The more you can free yourself from

your internalization of the gaze of others,

the more liberated you feel…[and]…the more you will unleash the healthy energies of the mind.

Thanissaro Bhikkhu, Under your Skin

Let it flow

Can’t just “let it go”?

That’s because emotions are not like rocks we can drop and throw.

They are more like drops of water that need to run through us.

So don’t let it go

Let it flow

Lori Deschene, Tiny Buddha blog

Every moment

Wear gratitude like a cloak

and it will feed every corner of your life.

Rumi

Other peoples ideas

Ester asked why people are sad.

That’s simple,” says the old man. “They are the prisoners of their personal historyEveryone believes that the main aim is to follow a plan. They never ask if that plan is theirs or if it was created by another person. They accumulate experiences, memories, things, other people’s ideas, and it is more than they can possibly cope with. And that is why they forget their dreams.”

Paulo Coehlo, The Zahir

Sunday Quote: heart

Everybody is nothing until you love them

Tennessee Williams, The Rose Tattoo