return to celestial design

return the mind to quietude

 
A sage said, “In learning, you increase daily; for the Way, you decrease daily.” This “decrease” means decreasing excess to attain centered balance, decreasing trivialities to return to basics, and reducing human desires to return to celestial design.

There may be a hundred human desires, but it is imperative to master oneself first. Mastering yourself is like overcoming an enemy; first you must know where the enemy is before you can send in your troops.

Self-government should be strict, like a farmer weeding, who must remove weeds by the roots before he can be free of concern that they will grow back.

Self-examination is like arresting a robber — you cannot relax at any time.

Self-government is like executing a rebel — you must cut through with one stroke of the sword. Attacking human desire must be like this before it can be successful.

Self-government is a matter of getting rid of what was originally not in us. We should realize this was originally not there by nature and does not become nonexistent only after being overcome.

Conscious development is a matter of preserving what is originally in us. We should realize it is originally there of necessity and does not come to be there by conscious development.

 

The Cultivator of Realization

taoist meditation

 

the work now is to become pure light

victor sillue

 

Darkness

has been given as

a nightshirt to sleep in.

Remember how human beings

were composed from water and dust

for blood and flesh with oily resins heated

in fire to make a skeleton. Then the soul, the divine

light, was breathed into human shapes. The work now is

to help our bodies become pure light. It may look like

this is not happening. But in a cocoon every bit

of worm-dissolving slime becomes silk.

As we take in light, each part

of us turns to

silk.

 

We

made the night

a darkness, but we bring

shining dawnlight out of that.

In the same way the mound of your

grave will bloom with resurrection. Sufis

and those on the path of the heart use darkness

to go within. During the night vigil the universe

is theirs. With all the kings and sultans and

their learned counselors asleep, everyone

is unemployed, except those wakeful

few and the divine

presence.

 

Bahauddin, father of Rumi

the drowned book

 

as soon as you want to understand it

they say there is a pure land

 

Whatever you are doing,

twenty-four hours a day, in all your

various activities, there is something that transcends

the Buddhas and Zen Masters; but as soon

as you want to understand it,

it’s not there.
 

As soon as you try

to gather your attention on it,

you have already turned away from it.

That is why I say you see but cannot

do anything about it.
 
 
Foyan

instant zen

 

decide now to be free

Perry Bible Fellowship

 

You

have to decide

right now to be free

once and for all. Everyone who

has found freedom in this lifetime has

had to make this decision. Now is the time

to have a direct introduction to this moment.

This moment is free of time, of mind, of any notions.

When one abides as the Self, some divine power

takes charge of one’s life. All actions then take

place spontaneously, and are performed

very efficiently, without any

mental effort or

activity.

 

Papaji

and more papaji