Philosophy 04 (Jan 25 - Dec 26)

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The Power of Right View

Understanding the technique itself, is not that difficult.

It is learning right view about impermanence and emptiness that is crucial, engaging in the practice, that allows us to be free from suffering.

- Rebecca Li, “Beyond the Words”

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Waking Up the Mind

We can be curious and open. We can inquire.

And eventually, if we are lucky, the mind will wake up to itself and know its true nature.

- Teah Strozer, “Rain”

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Beginning Practice

Being fully aware of something you enjoy is one way you can start to build up practice, patience and perseverance.

- José Shinzan Palma, “Take Five”

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Release Delusion

Although renunciation may express itself in outward forms, its essence is the letting go of the mind’s habits of delusion.

Even just a moment of such release is powerful because it provides a reference point, an alternative to the false sense of self we ordinarily experience. 

- Joseph Goldstein, “Love as the Expression of Emptiness”

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Perpetual Flowing

Instead of separate, discrete entities, everything is flowing, interacting and impinging on each other.

We and the sun and the trees, all is perpetual flowing.

- Joanna Macy, “Positive Disintegration”

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Begin Again

Beginning again and again is the actual practice.

Sharon Salzberg, “How to Forgive: A Meditation”

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Unqualified Plenitude

Enlightenment is the recognition of the unqualified plenitude of every moment and situation, of the immaculate suchness of all things, just as they are.

- David L. Barnhill, “A Giant Act of Love: Reflections on the First Precept”

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Find Freedom

Our spiritual life depends upon knowing that we are both consciousness itself and wholly flawed and human — our practice is to learn to love both.

- Jack Kornfield, “Finding Freedom Right Here, Right Now”

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Failure Is Natural

Do not fear failure.

Whatever happened in the past is past; do not worry about it happening again.

Before you meet with success, failure is natural and necessary.

As a baby learns to walk, it keeps falling down. Is this failure?

- Sheng Yen, “Being Natural”

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Resting on Your Breath


It’s creative to arrange your attention in a different way than we do habitually.

Imagine just resting on your breath.

That sounds insane to a lot of people—maybe impossible, maybe attractive.

People usually like it. They may even have a few moments of respite and tremendous gratitude.

- Anne C. Klein, “Ritual as an Opening to Love”