Today,
like every other day,
we wake up empty and frightened.
Don’t open the door to the study and begin reading.
Take down a musical instrument. Let the beauty
we love be what we do. There are hundreds
of ways to kneel and kiss
the ground.
Posts Tagged → awakening
a choice between fear and love
The world is
like a ride at an amusement park,
and when you choose to go on it, you think it’s real,
because that’s how powerful our minds are. And the ride goes up
and down and round and round and it has thrills and chills
and it’s very brightly colored and it’s very loud.
And it’s fun, for a
while.
Some people
have been on the ride
for a long time, and they begin to
question: ‘Is this real? Or is this just a ride?’
And other people have remembered, and they come
back to us and they say ‘Hey! Don’t worry, don’t
be afraid — ever — because this is just a
ride.’ And we kill those
people.
…We always kill
those good guys who try and
tell us that — ever notice that? — and we
let the demons run amok. But it doesn’t matter,
because it’s just a ride, and we can change it any time we want.
It’s only a choice. No effort. No worry. No job. No savings
and money. Just a choice, right now, between fear and
love. The eyes of fear want you to put bigger locks
on your door, buy bigger guns, close yourself
off. The eyes of love, instead, see all
of us as one.
now, into a better ride. Take all that money
we spend on weapons and defense each year and, instead,
spend it feeding, clothing and educating the poor of the world,
which it would do many times over — not one human being
excluded — and we can explore space together,
both inner and outer, forever.
In peace.
maintaining quiet awareness
Maintaining
quiet awareness from
moment to moment, you’ll see
that your enlightenment is not separate
from the ordinary world but one with it.
It doesn’t come from some distance to
get to you and it doesn’t go away
when you stop attending to it.
Make awareness continuous,
though, and it will
surround
you.
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can now buy
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the cost of one hardcover
book.
a moment of great influence
A moment of
great influence is at hand.
Prepare wisely and act
accordingly.
The image of the hexagram Fêng is that of thunder and lightning filling the sky. It signifies a period of tremendous power which, like all such moments, only lasts for a time. Here we are instructed how to know when the moment is ripe, and what to do when it is not.
Our influence in the world naturally ebbs and flows. At one moment others are full of mistrust, and forward movement is impossible. In the next, by steadfastly clinging to what is true and good, we reawaken their receptivity and growth can take place. Only by carefully observing these cycles—the openings and closings of others to our influence—can we achieve greatness. To do this, we must cultivate an attitude of independent watchfulness. In this state of quiet observation we open our hearts to the aid of the Sage, who in turn opens our eyes to what is possible and what is not. This clarity enables us to move with strength and grace when the time is right, and in this we achieve abundance.
Fêng also advises us that influence cannot last forever; as the sun rises, so it must set. When receptivity gives way to mistrust and our influence begins to wane, we ought not struggle to fortify or prolong it. Modesty and detachment require that we accept the turning of the tide. By letting go of the passing moment and entering the next with a correct and balanced attitude, we save ourselves for a more beneficial time.
from The I Ching, or Book of Changes
ebooks & apps of the Tao the Ching, I Ching,
Hua hu Ching, Wei wu Wei Ching,
You
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the ultimate stillness
When we reach
the ultimate stillness, we
joyfully become aware that this mind
of ours is empty, without any things,
and extends infinitely in
all directions.