Bodhidharma said, “Expel all concurrent causes. Do not give rise to a single thought.”
This is an important part of our training. Concurrent causes are the ones we are carrying with us when we come to sit in meditation. Not giving rise to thoughts means not letting them carry us away. You are not your thoughts.
Daniel Scharpenburg, The Essence of Buddhist Training.
When I rise up
let me rise up joyful
like a bird
When I fall
let me fall without regret
like a leaf.
Wendell Berry, Prayers and Sayings of the Mad Farmer
Intellect gets you to the door,
but it doesn’t take you into the house.
Shams-i Tabrīzī, 1185–1248, Persian poet
It’s like driving a car at night.
You never see further than your headlights,
but you can make the whole trip that way.
E. L. Doctorow, 1931 – 2015, American novelist
What a gift when we can finally make peace with ourselves.
It is time to apply some self-acceptance whenever we find ourselves trying to impress others, wondering whether we’re good enough, or trying too hard to say the right thing.
Melody Beattie
If you remember nothing else, always remember this one great secret: we don’t have to feel any particular way. We don’t have to have special experiences, nor do we have to be any particular way. With whatever arises, whether it’s pleasing or not, try to remember that all we can do is experience and work with whatever our life is right now. No matter what life is and no matter how we feel about it, all that matters in practice is whether we can honestly acknowledge what is going on, and then stay present with the physical experience of that moment.
Ezra Bayda, Zen Heart
