Simplicité

“Suffering is a terrible fire; it either purifies or destroys.”

“Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh, and the greatness which does not bow before children.”

“The trees open their hands to the sky and bleed scarlet flowers from their fingertips,”

“Blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places where other people see nothing.”

“Society prepares you for the life that it wants you to lead; it prepares you for the role that it wants you to have. But the spirit within you, unhappy at being confined, can compel you to lead a true life, a significant life full of the vitality of spirit.”

“When I use the word ‘God,’ I am referring to the unfathomable wisdom and love that is woven into the fabric of existence, and which transcends existence at the same time. This is not to deny the confusion, sorrow, and even violence that we can experience in our lives. Apparently, existence contains all possibilities, both positive and negative; since its source is infinite, how could it be otherwise? The problem begins when we conceive of a God who consciously decides what will and will not happen. Then we have to wonder why such a God would decide, or allow, for so many terrible things to occur. There are many elaborate theologies to explain this conundrum away, but in the end, none of them make a whole lot of sense. The problem is not with God, but with our conception of God. We have created God in our own image; that is the problem. God is the Infinite—containing all possibilities and all outcomes. God is not a cosmic someone who directs the events of life.”

“Not everyone will appreciate what you do for them. You have to figure out who’s worth your kindness and who’s just taking advantage of you.”

“Since everything is a reflection of our minds, everything can be changed by our minds.”

“Anything which is troubling you, anything which is irritating you, THAT is your teacher.”

“Meditation practice is relevant because in meditation our conceptual mind relaxes and we can feel who we are at heart.”