Philosophy 05 (Aug 25 - Dec 26)

[winston]

Leave It Up to Dharma

The important thing is to do honest work and leave the rest to fate, the muse, the dharma.

You can’t control the outcome. You can’t make things right.

- Jack Haubner, “Happens to the Heart”

[winston]

Being Open to the Ordinary

What we think is rare, is not really so; what’s rare is our being open to it, right in the midst of the ordinary.

- Shinge Sherry Chayat, “In the Midst of the Ordinary”

[winston]

What Is Enlightenment?

Enlightenment isn’t something we march toward and one day, somehow, we grab it.

Enlightenment is the ending in yourself, of that hope, for something other than life being as it is.

- Charlotte Joko Beck, “Just Snow, Just Now”

[winston]

Stability Is an Illusion

Impermanence means that the appearance of stability we take for granted in everyday life, for practical purposes, is ultimately an illusion, the construction of a mind infused with desire and fear.

- C. W. Huntington, “Seeing Things as They Are”

[winston]

Pain Is a Friend

Pain is a friend, a good friend.

Just as it is only our closest friends who will tell us hard truths, pain is there to make sure we pay attention to problems and to respond quickly and appropriately.

- Annalisa Rakugo Castaldo, “The Noble Truth of Pain”

[winston]

Everything Has Meaning

Everything that exists in this world has a meaning.

It is beyond presumption for human beings to decide merely based on their needs or likes and dislikes, what is valuable and what is not.

- Masahiro Mori

[winston]

Contemplating Space

The more you contemplate space, the more you are aware of the dissolution of everything you have assumed to be real, lasting and reliable — including your motivation and your practice.

- Tsony, “Facing Fear”

[winston]

Fearless and Ready

The generosity of material support and teachings generate courage for consequential times.

Fearlessness is expressed in the timeless gesture of the upheld naked palm indicating the absence of weapons and a readiness to meet all that arises.

- Wendy Johnson, “A Zen Harvest”

[winston]

Recognize Skillful Means

When you’re feeling frustrated that you can’t change someone’s harmful opinions or terrible judgment, it’s important to recognize the skillful means you can use to care for yourself and others.

- Kimberly Brown, “Want to Change Someone’s Mind? Try This Instead.”

[winston]

Shifting Our Behavior

Our minds are not the most useful tools when it comes to shifting our behavior.

Few people are successful at thinking their way out of disorganization.

- Andrew Mellen, “Unstuff Your Life”