WE CAN REJECT EVERYTHING ELSE: religion, ideology, all received wisdom. But we cannot escape the necessity of love and compassion. This, then, is my true religion, my simple faith. In this sense, there is no need for temple or church, for mosque or synagogue, no need for complicated philosophy, doctrine or dogma. Our own heart, our own mind is the temple. The doctrine is compassion. Love for others and respect for their rights and dignity, no matter who or what they are: ultimately these are all we need. DALAI LAMA
I think God is on Earth, inside every living being. What we call “the divine” is none other than the energy of awakening, of peace, of understanding, and of love, which is to be found not only in every human being but in every species on Earth.
THICH NHAT HANH
a little peace here,
a little peace there,
and pretty soon
all the peaces
will fit together
to make one big
peace everywhere.
SWAMI BEYONDANANDA
HENRY MILLER 1891-1980. “TROPIC OF CAPRICORN””TROPIC OF CANCER”
THE AIM OF LIFE IS TO LIVE and to live means to be aware, joyously, drunkenly, serenely, divinely aware.
EVERY day th choice is presented to us, to live up to the spirit that is in us or deny it.
EVEN IF one’s whole life were a mistake — there is always time to change.
EVERY MOMENT is a golden one for him who has the vision to recognize it as such.
IF there is to be any peace it will come through being, not having.
IT IS WITH THE SOUL that we grasp the essence of another human being not with the mind, nor even with the heart.
THE MOMENT one gives close attention to any thing, even a blade of grass it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself.
DEVELOP an interest in life as you see it; the people, things, literature, music — the world is simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls and interesting people. Forget yourself.
ONE’S destination is never a place but rather a new way of looking at things.
DESTINY is what you are supposed to do in life. Fate is what kicks you in the ass to make you do it.
MUSIC IS THE CAN-OPENER OF THE SOUL.
SURELY every one realizes at some point along the way the he is capable of living a far better life that the one he has chosen.
THE FULL and joyful acceptance of the worst in oneself may be the only sure way of transforming it.
THERE’S NOTHING WRONG WITH THE WORLD. What’s wrong is our way of looking at it.
EVERYTHING HINGES ON HOW YOU LOOK AT THINGS.
TO MAKE LIVING ITSELF AN ART — THAT IS THE GOAL.
WHATEVER there be of progress in li9fe comes not through adaptation but through daring.
MAN has demonstrated that he is master of everything — except his own nature.
THE ONE THING we can never get enough of is love. And the one thing we never give enough is love.
A BOOK LYING IDLE ON A SHELF IS WASTED AMUNITION.
EVERYTHING we put our eyes to, everything we run away from, everything we deny, denigrate or despise, serves to defeat us in the end.
WHATEVER NEEDS TO BE AMINTAINED THROUGH FORCE IS DOOMED.
ALL GROWTH is a leap in the dark, a spontaneous unpremeditated act without benefit of experience.
The only important journey is the journey within.
BY choosing to live above the ordinary level we create extraordinary problems for ourselves.