Philosophy 04 (Jan 25 - Dec 26)

[winston]

Everything Belongs to No One

Everything is changing, everything is interdependent — and there is no one to whom any of it belongs.

- Andrew Olendzki, “Keep It Simple”

[winston]

Love in Action

There are many ways to express love in action and they begin with mindfulness.

They begin with awareness.

They begin with our ability to touch our suffering and the suffering of others.

- Devin Berry, “Love in Action”

[winston]

Freeing Ourselves from Suffering

By combining wisdom and method, we can free ourselves from all types of suffering.

Investigation followed by conviction, allows us to first understand the functioning of reality and then to put that understanding into our meditation practice.

- Khenchen Konchog Gyaltshen

[winston]

Realizing the Ultimate Phenomena

When we truly realize the ultimate truth of all phenomena, we’ll give rise to irreversible faith and take the ultimate refuge in the ultimate three jewels, which is none other than the very nature of our own mind.

- Khenpo Sodargye, “Four Kinds of Faith”

[winston]

Uniqueness in Awakening

An enlightened you is still you.

Personal uniqueness, preferences and styles, can be developed and accentuated, by awakening rather than eliminating them.

- Dale S. Wright, “Why Enlightenment Isn’t One-Size-Fits-All”

[winston]

Presence Is Life

Knowledge is as lifeless as things of the past — awareness or presence, is life in its totality.

- Charles Genoud, “The Body as Presence”

[winston]

Trusting This Moment

In awakened awareness there’s no grasping.

It’s a simple, immanent act of being here, being patient.

It takes trust, especially trust in yourself. No one can make you do it or magically do it for you.

Trusting this moment is therefore very important.

- Ajahn Sumedho, “Trusting in Simplicity”

[winston]

Practice Deep Listening

When we practice deep listening, we can help the person we’re listening to, remove the perceptions that are making them suffer.

We can restore harmony in our partnerships, our friendships, our family, our community, our nation and between nations. It is that powerful.

- Thich Nhat Hanh, “Listening to Our Ancestors”

[winston]

The Place of Poetry

As we engage the matter of life and death, as we take up the way, we’re being invited into the place of poetry.

Awakening is always like finding a poem. It touches and transforms.

- James Ishmael Ford, “Way of Magical Realism”

[winston]

The Fullness of Your Humanity

Sometimes spiritual practices can have a neutralizing effect, flattening feelings rather than stimulating them.

To hold to the center is not about becoming a spiritual zombie; it is about living the fullness of your own humanity.

You are alive, so be fully alive.

- Wendy Egyoku Nakao, “Hold to the Center!”