straightening out the mind

"Like the archer straightening his arrow and perfecting his aim, the practitioner of meditation straightens out the mind while aiming his or her attentional energy at its object. Learning to drop what we’re doing, however momentarily, and to genuinely pay attention in the present moment, without attachment or bias, helps us become clear, just as a snow globe becomes clear when we stop shaking it and its flakes settle."

- Lama Surya Das, "The Heart-Essence of Buddhist Meditation", tricycle.com

love is the doorway

“Love is the doorway to oneness with all things, to being in harmony with the entire universe.”

- Ram Dass & Rameshwar Das. “Polishing the Mirror.” Sounds True.

the eternal present

“To live in the here and now is to have no regrets about the past, no worries or expectations for the future. To be fully present in each moment of existence is to live in total contentment, in peace and love. To enter into this presence is to reside in a different state of being, in a timeless moment, in the eternal present.”

- Ram Dass & Rameshwar Das. “Polishing the Mirror.” Sounds True.

quieting the mind

“Ram Dass again went on the road, lecturing tirelessly for two and a half decades. Over and over, he conveyed, with humor and stories and quotes, a shift from the Western achievement model of “making it happen” and “just doing it” to quieting the mind and being in the moment, being present and attentive and loving—just being.”

- Ram Dass & Rameshwar Das. “Polishing the Mirror.” Sounds True.

when we see new possibilities

“life holds moments when our perspective dramatically shifts, when our assumptions are deeply challenged, when we see new possibilities or sense for the first time that whatever has been holding us back from freedom or creativity or new ventures might actually be overcome.”

- Sharon Salzberg. “Real Happiness - Enhanced Ebook Edition.” Workman Publishing, 2010.

don’t regret what cannot be changed

"In a classic sutra, the Buddha had said that if someone shoots you in the foot, don’t pick up the bow and shoot yourself in the foot again. Don’t make your suffering worse by arguing with what’s so. That’s a second arrow. Accept pain. Don’t criticize yourself, or others, for feeling pain: that is a second arrow. Don’t regret what cannot be changed, or try to predict what cannot be known."

- Katy Butler, "A Life Too Long", tricycle.com

unconditional openness

"Whether we’re seeking inner peace or global peace or a combination of the two, the way to experience it is to build on the foundation of unconditional openness to all that arises. Peace isn’t an experience free of challenges, free of rough and smooth—it’s an experience that’s expansive enough to include all that arises without feeling threatened."

- Pema Chödrön, "Unlimited Friendliness", tricycle.com