we might as well stop struggling

the subtle universe appears

 

Milarepa,

the twelfth-century Tibetan

yogi who sang wonderful songs about

the proper way to meditate, said that the mind

has more projections than there are dust motes in a

sunbeam and that even hundreds of spears couldn’t put

an end to that. As meditators we might as well stop struggling

against our thoughts and realize that honesty and humor

are far more inspiring and helpful than any

kind of solemn religious striving

for or against

anything.

 

Pema Chodron

 

no one else gives this to you

smoke ’em if you got ’em

 

We already

have what we need.

The wisdom, the strength,

the confidence, the awakened heart

and mind are always accessible here and now.

We are just uncovering them. We are rediscovering

them. We’re not inventing them or importing

them from somewhere else.

They’re here.

 

That’s why

when we feel caught

in darkness, suddenly the clouds

can part. Out of nowhere we cheer up

or relax or experience the vastness

of our minds. No one else

gives this to

you.

 

Pema Chodron