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The Truth Is Never Far Away

We tell stories about who we are and what life is, but seldom see that they’re only stories. The good news is that the truth is never far away. It’s right here, in fact, posing as backdrop.

– Erik Hansen, “The Island”

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“”Get-What-You-Want”” Buddhism

Some of us already have the material basics; some of us do not. All of us want a respite from suffering. And the thirst for nirvana is no less a desire than is the hope for a better job or the wish that one’s grandchildren will carry on the family’s Buddhist traditions. We all practice get-what-you-want Buddhism; we just want different things.

– Jan Nattier, “Visible & Invisible “

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Dance is one of the most powerful things that we can do. The women of Congo have really taught me, because they’ve suffered the worst atrocities on this planet, and yet their capacity to dance and transform their pain into power is remarkable.

– Eve Ensler

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Just as a solid rock is not shaken by the storm, even so the wise are not affected by praise or blame.

– The Buddha

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24. True happiness is based on peace.

“Many people think excitement is happiness-. But when you are excited you are not peaceful. True happiness is based on peace.”

– Thich Nhat Hanh

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Integrating Realization

Spiritual realization is relatively easy compared with the much greater difficulty of actualizing it, integrating it fully into the fabric of one’s daily life. Realization is the movement from personality to being, the direct recognition of one’s ultimate nature, leading toward liberation from the conditioned self, while actualization refers to how we integrate that realization in all the situations of our life.

– John Welwood, “The Psychology of Awakening”

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The Basic Fuel for Practice

Awareness of the truth of suffering and impermanence always provides fertile ground for spiritual practice.

– Pamela Gayle White, “Who Are We Without Our Memories?”

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The basis of all integrity is accepting what’s happening in the present moment. Fighting reality, through denial, minimization, fantasy, or avoidance, puts everything we think and do on a wobbly foundation. To accept reality, we must allow ourselves to know everything we know and feel everything we feel–not ten minutes ago, not ten minutes from now, just right at this very moment.

– Martha Beck, The Integrity Cleanse

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Gentle Meditation

Although we are not often taught this, the most skillful way through an impasse in meditation is to become aware of it and of what holds it together and keeps it running. To do this, you need to keep doing the meditation instructions that have gotten you to this point, but instead of following them “harder,” try approaching them in a softer, gentler manner. Do them loosely, and don’t do them all of the time.

– Jason Siff, “The Problem with Meditation Instructions”

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Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. This is the interrelated structure of reality.

– ­ Martin Luther King, Jr.

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