Everyone’s mind likes saying “but.”
Thinking you are doing it wrong, that the conditions of your life stop you from making friends with yourself – these thoughts might get in the way of noticing what it is like to be you. You might disapprove of who you are, but disapproving is just another way of not being here.
In this case, making friends with yourself could mean lowering your standards….
John Tarrant, What’s it Like to be You?
photo Ian Kirk
Wherever you are, just try being the host.
You will always be at home.
Linji Yixuan, Chan Buddhist, died 866
Accept – then act.
Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it.
Always work with it, not against it
Eckhart Tolle
photo pygarcia
The ‘law of white spaces’ is an important piece of universal legislation that we ignore at our personal and collective peril. The law states that it is the white space between the words on a page that make it readable. Or the silence between two musical notes. Or the rest between periods of action. Without periods of silence and non-action our words and our deeds jumble up into meaningless spirals of stress. We need a web of silence spread around the world just as extensively as the web of technology.
Laurence Freeman, Web of Silence
Awareness is the centre of what we call ‘mind’, but normally of course, the mind is awareness plus regret, or longing, or analysis, or sidetrack and rumbling trains of thought moving forward, backwards – or anywhere except the simply open present. So it takes training, but with guidance and effort, the meditator centres on awareness as the feature of the mind that is constant, irreducible and needs no comment. Consequently, as awareness releases from these associated activities, it is revealed in its depth and warm beauty. It’s a given treasure.
Ajahn Sucitto, Mind out of Time
phto Laitche
One of the words in Tibetan for a person can be translated as “one who is on the go” or a “migrating being”. There is a deep truth in this and we do not have to be at an airport to realize that we’re always going somewhere or continually in transit. There is a tendency to be perpetually “on the go”, moving towards or moving away, always in the search of a perfect feeling.
As long as we chase the myth, trying to get happiness by attempting to manipulate and control life – whether through trying harder to succeed, trying to please others, seeking comfort and diversions or even using spiritual practice to become calm – we will continue to trap ourselves on the roller coaster cycle of personal happiness and unhappiness, And sadly we will never taste the true contentment that comes when we learn how to stay present with what is, exactly as it is.
Ezra Bayda, Beyond Happiness
photo Hans Stieglitz
Mindfulbalance 