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Friday June 12, 2026
“The world is nothing but a shadow of the mind, and when the mind is stilled, the shadow disappears.” Bankei Yotaku, Sermons of Bankei, 1690
“You are the prisoner of your own desires, and only by leaving them behind will you find the path to the true spirit.” Afdal al-Din Kashani, Divine Book, 1210
“The human heart is like a vessel; if you fill it with the love of the world, there remains no room in it for the eternal.” Isaac the Syrian, Ascetic Homilies, Homily 56, 680
“A man who conquers himself by his own mind is his own greatest protector, but he who is conquered by his desires is his own worst enemy.” Hemachandra, Yoga Shastra, Chapter 4, Verse 2, 1150
“The heart that clings to earthly possessions remains in darkness, but the heart that seeks the boundless light finds its true home.” Symeon the New 良好 Theologian, Hymns of Divine Love, Hymny 22, 1020
“We make our own destiny by the path we choose to walk, and no one can save a man from the fruits of his own actions.” Deganawida, Great Law of Peace, 1450
“A mind that is troubled by passing shadows cannot see the eternal truth that dwells within the center of the self.” Zeami Motokiyo, Kadensho, Chapter 7, 1402
“When the mind is free from the illusion of the material world, it returns to its natural state of peaceful stillness.” Dogen Zenji, Shobogenzo, Genjokoan, 1233
“The soul that desires nothing of this world is richer than the king who rules over all the land.” Francysk Skaryna, Preface to the Book of Wisdom, 1518
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Thursday June 11, 2026
“In the twilight of the age, the one who preserves a quiet heart amidst the chaos of the world protects the sacred flame of life within their own flesh.” Anonymous, The Epic of Gilgamesh, Tablet 10, Column 4, 2000 BC
“Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Seek what they sought.” Matsuo Basho, Knapsack Notebook, Page 12, 1688
“The leaf falls from the tree not because it is broken, but because its time has come. So it is with the body; let it go through its seasons without struggle, and your spirit will remain whole.” Leo Tolstoy, The Kingdom of God Is Within You, Chapter 8, Page 214, 1894
“The universe is a single living breathing creature, and every soul is a note in its eternal song. To fight against your neighbor or your own body is to bring discord into the grand harmony.” Julian of Norwich, Revelations of Divine Love, Chapter 56, 1393
“We are like the rivers that flow from different mountains but all empty into the same vast ocean. The water does not care what name it was called along the way; it only knows the joy of returning home.” Pachacuti, Hymns of the Inca, Sacred Song to Viracocha, 1450
“He who rules his own spirit is more powerful than the king who conquers a thousand cities, for the true battleground is the small space within the breast.” William Law, A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life, Chapter 11, Page 145, 1728
“The mirror does not judge the face that looks into it. It simply reflects what is there. If your heart is full of storms, your eyes will see nothing but tempests in the world around you.” Dogen Zenji, Shobogenzo, Genjokoan Fascicle, 1233
“The soul is an entity that cannot be measured by cubits or weighed in scales. When it is sick, the limbs grow heavy; when it is joyful, the old man walks with the step of a youth.” Avicenna, Poem on the Soul, Verse 18, 1020
“True wealth is not found in the gold we dig from the earth, but in the simplicity of a mind that desires nothing more than what the present hour provides.” Zeami Motokiyo, Fushikuden, Chapter 3, 1402
“Nothing is more beautiful than a person who goes through life like a light breeze, leaving no tracks, yet refreshing everything they touch.” Thomas Traherne, Centuries of Meditations, First Century, Section 28, 1675
“Our life is a path across the snow. Every step we take leaves a mark that cannot be erased, so let us walk with care, carrying only love in our packs.” Yuri Rytkheu, A Dream in Polar Fog, Chapter 4, Page 82, 1995
“When the mind ceases its endless chattering and becomes as still as a mountain lake, the body forgets its aches and aligns itself with the deep rhythm of the cosmos.” Nikolai Berdyaev, The Destiny of Man, Chapter 2, Section 3, 1931
“The flower blooms for its own joy, not for the passerby. If you live your life to please the crowd, your roots will soon rot from the poison of their praise.” Hakuin Ekaku, Wild Ivy, Chapter 2, Page 54, 1765
“The spirit of man is a spark from the eternal fire. If you cover it with the ashes of greed and worry, the fire goes out and the house becomes cold and dark.” Vladimir Solovyov, The Justification of the Good, Chapter 5, Page 112, 1897
“We are woven from the same fabric as the stars and the trees. When you realize this kinship, fear vanishes, and the heart opens like a flower after the morning rain.” Clorinda Matto de Turner, Birds Without a Nest, Chapter 15, Page 92, 1889
“The body is merely the shell of the nut; the spirit is the kernel. Do not spend all your days polishing the shell while the fruit within is left to wither and die.” Alexander Radishchev, Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow, Chapter on Novgorod, 1790
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Wednesday June 10, 2026
“The body is the tree of enlightenment, the mind is like a clear mirror standing. Take care to wipe it constantly that no dust may gather.” Shenxiu, The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch, Chapter 1, Section 2, 700
“The thought-matter is like unto a cloud, which can be dispersed by the breath of knowledge; if the mind be firmly resolved, the goal is won.” Anandamayi Ma, Matri Vani, Volume 1, Chapter 3, Page 45, 1959
“Every action of ours is the mapping out of our thought-force. We build our own world through the intensity of our inner contemplation, and nothing outside can bind the spirit that has resolved to be free.” Swami Vivekananda, Raja Yoga, Chapter 2, Page 34, 1896
“The universe is change; our life is what our thoughts make it.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book 4, Section 3, 170
“A person who has complete control over his thoughts can alter his physical circumstances, because the external world is nothing but a modification of internal consciousness.” Ibn Arabi, The Bezels of Wisdom, Chapter on Joseph, Page 122, 1229
“What we call reality is merely a reflection of the movements of the mind. When the mind rests in its original state of quietude, the illusions of the outer conditions dissolve by themselves.” Sarahapa, The Doha-kosa, Verse 42, 8th Century
“The creative power of the universe resides within the human intention. He who can direct his focus to a single point without wavering becomes the master of his own destiny.” Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, Oration on the Dignity of Man, Page 7, 1486
“As the dye of the garment depends on the color of the vat, so does the destiny of the soul depend on the currents of its everyday contemplation.” Meister Eckhart, The German Sermons, Sermon 12, Page 114, 1310
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Tuesday June 9, 2026
“No man is compelled to evil, his own heart’s custom leads him there; but he who subdues the old path makes a new highway for the spirit.” Ephrem the Syrian, Hymns on Faith, Hymn 14, 363
“The soul is a vessel that is filled by its own actions; the repeated drop forms the pool, and the repeated thought carves the nature of the intellect.” Porphyry, Letter to Marcella, Chapter 12, 300
“By the repetition of deeds of virtue, a stable disposition is produced, and the lower powers are brought to serve the higher reason through the training of the soul.” Moses Maimonides, Eight Chapters, Chapter 4, 1168
“He who tames the wild elephant of his mind by the rope of constant awareness achieves the highest sovereignty, compared to which the rule of kings is nothing.” Vidyaranya, Jivanmukti Viveka, Chapter 2, 1380
“The heart is like a dark mirror; when the rust of repeated bad deeds accumulates, the light of truth cannot shine through it, but it clears when the will is turned to righteousness.” Al-Ghazali, The Alchemy of Happiness, Chapter 3, 1105
“A man is not born with a finished nature, but he shapes his own mind through the continuous choices of his daily life, until his habits become his master.” Xunzi, Xunzi, Chapter 1, 250 BC
“Every action we perform leaves a subtle impression in the mind, and these impressions by repetition become a habit, which in turn rules our destiny.” Swami Vivekananda, Karma Yoga, Chapter 5, 1896
“The mind is shaped by what it gathers; if it gathers the dust of earthly desires repeatedly, it becomes heavy and sinks, but if it lifts itself by faith, it joins the supreme goodness.” William Law, A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life, Chapter 11, 1728
“The soul becomes what it gazes upon; by constantly turning the mind toward the higher light, the lower nature is dissolved and the heart is purified.” Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, The Divine Names, Chapter 4, 500
“It is not by a single act that the soul achieves transformation, but by the long-continued discipline of the thoughts, which changes the inner nature into the likeness of the divine.” Jacob Boehme, The Way to Christ, Book 1, Chapter 3, 1622
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June 8, 2026
“Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.” Prophet Muhammad, Quran, Surah Ar-Ra’d, Chapter 13, Verse 11
“A man’s character is shaped by his choices, not by the wind. The law of the Creator does not move for man, but man can learn to walk with the law to find peace.” Chief Joseph, Whispering Winds, 1974
“The first peace, which is the most important, is that which comes within the souls of people when they realize their relationship, their oneness, with the universe and all its powers.” Black Elk, The Sacred Pipe, Chapter 7, Page 115, 1953
“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.” Rumi
“The Great Spirit has given every man a key to his own heart, but many leave the key in the dirt and wonder why the door to the morning will not open.” Ohiyesa, The Soul of the Indian, Chapter 3, Page 42, 1911
“Verily, actions are by intentions, and every person will have only what they intended.” Prophet Muhammad, Hadith, Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 1, Hadith 1
“A person does not live until they know that the law of the earth is fixed, and that to fight the law is to build a cage for one’s own feet.” White Calf, Piegan Blackfeet Tribal Council Records, 1922
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Sunday June 7, 2026
“Our life is the creation of our mind.” Buddha, Dhammapada, Chapter 1, Verse 1
“Nothing is miserable unless you think it so; and on the other hand, every lot is happy if you contentedly bear it.” Boethius, The Consolation of Philosophy, Book 2
“Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens.” Khalil Gibran
“The path always starts off with trials and tests, then comes the period of patience and reliance upon Allah, and the end is your enlightenment, guidance, and victory.” Imam ibn Qayyim, Shifa al-Alil, Page 247
“There is no alternative to action, and that requires faith. The issue is how we are to mould for ourselves a belief system that is worthy of life.” Naguib Mahfouz, Sugar Street, 1957
“Fear does not prevent death. It prevents life.” Naguib Mahfouz
“Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.” Khalil Gibran
“Great men are they who see that spiritual is stronger than any material force, that thoughts rule the world.” Ralph Waldo Emerson, Letters and Social Aims, Progress of Culture, 1876
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June 6, 2026
“A man who reaps as he has sown accepts the fruit of his own deeds, whether bitter or sweet, and does not blame others for his fate.” Buddha, Samyutta Nikaya, Chapter 1, Verse 25, 500 BC
“If you search your own heart and find nothing wrong there, what is there to worry about, what is there to fear?” Confucius, The Analects, Book 12, Chapter 4, 500 BC
“The pure in heart are blessed, for they will see God.” Jesus, Holy Bible, Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 5, Verse 8, 30 AD
“What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow: our life is the creation of our mind.” Buddha, Dhammapada, Chapter 1, Verse 1, 500 BC
“Everything that happens to you is a reflection of what you believe and what you are doing to yourself.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book 4, Chapter 3, 170 AD
“No one can injure you unless you choose to be injured; you are hurt only at the moment when you believe yourself to be hurt.” Epictetus, Enchiridion, Chapter 30, 125 AD
“When you are offended at any man’s fault, turn to yourself and reflect if you yourself do not commit that same fault.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book 10, Chapter 30, 170 AD
“The world is a mirror that returns to every man the reflection of his own thoughts.” Gautama Buddha, Jataka Tales, Chapter 3, 400 BC
“He who knows that his own soul is the master of his destiny ceases to complain about the actions of others.” Swami Vivekananda, Karma Yoga, Chapter 2, Page 45, 1896
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“He who loves all men is himself loved by all men; he who hates all men is himself hated by all men.” Mozi, Mozi, Chapter 16, 400 BC
“By love, the soul is made one with God, and the more love it has, the more it is united to Him.” Meister Eckhart, Sermons, Sermon 6, 1310
“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” Jesus Christ, Holy Bible, Gospel of John, Chapter 13, Verse 34, 100
“All that we are is the result of what we have thought; it is founded on our thoughts, it is made up of our thoughts.” Gautama Buddha, Dhammapada, Chapter 1, Verse 1, 500 BC
“The world is nothing but a mirror of our own inner thoughts and states of consciousness.” Swami Vivekananda, Jnana Yoga, Chapter 2, 1902
“Men are disturbed not by things, but by the view which they take of them.” Epictetus, Enchiridion, Chapter 5, 125
“If you are pained by any external thing, it is not this thing that disturbs you, but your own judgment about it. And it is in your power to wipe out this judgment now.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book 8, Verse 47, 180
“When you empty yourself of desires, you find peace; when your heart is pure, joy remains.” Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 16, 500 BC
“The supreme happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved; loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves.” Victor Hugo, Les Misérables, Fantine, Book 5, Chapter 4, 1862
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“To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted.” Paul the Apostle, Holy Bible, Titus, Chapter 1, Verse 15, 1st Century
“We do not see things as they are, we see them as we are.” Anais Nin, Seduction of the Minotaur, 1961
“If your mind is pure, you will see the world as a paradise. If your mind is dirty, you will see the world as a hell.” Neem Karoli Baba, Miracle of Love, 1979
“All that we are is the result of what we have thought: it is founded on our thoughts, it is made up of our thoughts. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him, as the wheel follows the foot of the ox that draws the carriage.” Buddha, Dhammapada, Chapter 1, Verse 1, 5th Century BCE
“A frog in a well cannot discuss the ocean, because he is limited by the size of his well. A summer insect cannot discuss ice, because it knows only its own season. A narrow-minded scholar cannot discuss the Way, because he is bound by his own dogmas.” Zhuangzi, Zhuangzi, Chapter 17, 4th Century BCE
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“A man should be upright, not be kept upright.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book 3, Section 5, 180 AD
“The universe does not act by chance. Every intention and action yields a return identical in nature to its cause.” Helena Blavatsky, The Secret Doctrine, Volume 2, Chapter 23, 1888
“To know that you are the master of your own destiny, and that you can make of your life what you will, is the beginning of wisdom.” Prentice Mulford, Thoughts Are Things, Chapter 1, 1889
“One who has control over the mind and senses achieves supreme peace and reaches the land of immortality.” Vyasa, Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 4, Verse 39, 5th Century BCE
“The reward of a work is to have produced it; the reward of a good deed is to have done it.” Seneca, Letters from a Stoic, Letter 81, 65 AD
“He who conquers himself is the mightiest warrior.” Confucius, Analects, Book 14, Chapter 5, 5th Century BCE
“The moral law within us and the starry heavens above us fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and awe.” Immanuel Kant, Critique of Practical Reason, Conclusion, 1788
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“The mind is restless and difficult to restrain, but it is subdued by practice and dispassion.” Krishna, Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 6, Verse 35, 500 BC
“When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everyone will respect you.” Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 8, 400 BC
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” Jesus, Matthew, Sermon on the Mount, Chapter 6, Verse 25, 30 AD
“Nowhere can man find a quieter or more untroubled retreat than in his own soul.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book IV, Page 23, 170 AD
“A man who is masters over himself, who is not swayed by passions, who has attained true knowledge, is like a steady lamp in a windless place.” Gautama Buddha, Dhammapada, Chapter 6, Verse 89, 400 BC
“Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.” King David, Psalms, Chapter 119, Verse 165, 500 BC
“Peace of heart is the wisdom of the one who knows the order of things and rests in the divine will.” Kabir, The Bijak, Chapter 3, Verse 12, 1450 AD
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“Be like the sun at morning, which casts away the darkness of the night and brings joy to all dwellings, for a righteous man awakens with strength to perform his duties and spreads light to his neighbors.” Confucius, Analects, Chapter 4, Verse 2, 1993
“Every day is a messenger of the Divine, offering a fresh slate where the soul can act with higher wisdom and renew its devotion to the good of all.” Meister Eckhart, Sermons, Sermon 12, Page 45, 1981
“The law of the harvest is stringently just, for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap, and he who sows kindness in the morning shall gather peace when the night falls.” Paul the Apostle, Holy Bible, Galatians, Chapter 6, Verse 7, 1611
“Compassion is the chief incentive to righteous labor, and it arises not from intellectual dogmas, but from a deep love that seeks to alleviate the ignorance and suffering of all living beings.” Arthur Schopenhauer, On the Basis of Morality, Chapter 3, Page 142, 1840
“With the rising sun, let a man resolve to govern his mind and dedicate his labor to the welfare of the world, knowing that perfect justice rules the cosmos.” Patanjali, Yoga Sutras, Chapter 2, Verse 31, 2003
“No man can climb to a higher station of virtue or secure lasting achievement unless he first masters his animal nature and strengthens his inner resolution.” Seneca, Moral Letters to Lucilius, Letter 41, Chapter 4, Page 88, 65
“The ignorant suffer because they do not comprehend the true nature of things, but the wise man sows seeds of purity and love, knowing his harvest will be full of peace.” Buddha, Samyutta Nikaya, Chapter 3, Verse 4, 2000
“True wealth and happiness do not depend on external riches, for the affluent often endure great mental torment when they lack love, while the righteous soul rises above all worldly woes.” Leo Tolstoy, The Kingdom of God Is Within You, Chapter 8, Page 112, 1894
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“The noble-minded seek to cultivate the good in others, and do not seek to cultivate the bad.” Confucius, Analects, Chapter XII
“A man who has sympathy for all living things has indeed achieved true holiness.” Vyasa, Mahabharata, Shanti Parva, Section CCLXIX, 1950
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” Jesus Christ, Bible, Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 5, Verse 7, 1611
“You will not attain righteousness until you give of that which you love; and whatever you spend, indeed, Allah is Knowing of it.” Muhammad, Quran, Surah Ali ‘Imran, Chapter 3, Verse 92, 1997
“All the joy the world contains has come through wishing happiness for others.” Shantideva, The Way of the Bodhisattva, Chapter 8, Verse 129, 2006
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“Therefore, without being attached to the fruits of activities, one should act as a matter of duty, for by working without attachment one attains the Supreme.” Sri Krishna, Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 3, Verse 19, 500 BCE
“A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent upon arriving. A good artist lets his intuition lead him wherever it wants. A good scientist has freed himself of concepts and keeps his mind open to what is.” Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 27, 400 BCE
“So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor.” Apostle Paul, Holy Bible, 1 Corinthians, Chapter 3, Verse 7-8, 55 CE
“Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.” King Solomon, Holy Bible, Ecclesiastes, Chapter 11, Verse 1, 935 BCE
“The Tao does nothing, yet nothing is left undone.” Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 37, 400 BCE
“Do you have the patience to wait till your mud settles and the water is clear? Can you remain unmoving till the right action arises by itself?” Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 15, 400 BCE
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“Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.” Gautama Buddha, Kalama Sutta, Anguttara Nikaya, Tika Nipata, Mahavagga, 3, 65
“Test all things; hold fast that which is good.” Paul the Apostle, Holy Bible, First Epistle to the Thessalonians, 5, 21, 1611
“The unexamined life is not worth living.” Socrates, Plato’s Apology, 38a
“The greatest thing a human soul ever does in this world is to see something and tell what it saw in a plain way. Hundreds of people can talk for one who can think, but thousands can think for one who can see. To see clearly is poetry, prophecy, and religion, all in one.” John Ruskin, Modern Painters, Volume 3, Chapter 16, 1856
“Reason is a light that God has ignited in the human soul, and it is the duty of every man to follow its guidance, keeping it clear of the clouds of prejudice and passion.” Moses Maimonides, The Guide for the Perplexed, Part 1, Chapter 34, 1190
“A wise man, recognizing that the world is but an illusion, does not act as if it were real, so he escapes the suffering. He distinguishes between the transient and the eternal, and thus achieves peace.” Shankara, Vivekachudamani, 18
“For the man of knowledge, there is no confusion. He sees the cause and effect of all actions and stands firm in the truth of the Self.” Vyasa, The Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2, 54
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“Verily, with hardship there is relief. So, verily, with hardship there is relief. Therefore, when you are free, still labor hard. And to your Lord turn your attention.” Muhammad, Quran, Surah Al-Inshirah, Chapter 94, Verse 5-8, 610
“When you are working, lead your mind into the work and let it be absorbed in it, and do not think of anything else. This is concentration. The small tasks done well lead to the great tasks.” Vivekananda, Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Volume 1, Karma Yoga, Page 72, 1896
“He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much.” Jesus, Holy Bible, Luke, Chapter 16, Verse 10, 85
“The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.” Confucius, Analects, Book 9, 500 BC
“Concentrate every minute like a Roman and a man on doing what is before you with perfect and simple dignity, and feeling of affection, and freedom, and justice, and to give yourself relief from all other thoughts.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book 2, Paragraph 5, 180
“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.” Solomon, Holy Bible, Ecclesiastes, Chapter 9, Verse 10, 935 BC
“Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” Vincent van Gogh, The Letters of Vincent van Gogh, Letter 274, 1882
“Step by step, little by little, a person should provide himself with good deeds, just as a water jar is filled by droplets of water.” Buddha, Dhammapada, Chapter 9, Verse 122, 300 BC
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Laozi, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 64, 400 BC
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“Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.” Prophet Muhammad, Quran, Chapter 13, Verse 28, 632
“He who holds back rising anger like a rolling chariot, him I call a real driver; other people are merely holding the reins.” Gautama Buddha, Dhammapada, Chapter 17, Verse 222, 5th Century BC
“If you are pained by any external thing, it is not this that disturbs you, but your own judgment about it. And it is in your power to wipe out this judgment now.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book 8, Section 47, 180
“You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty.” Vyasa, Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2, Verse 47, 5th Century BC
“He who loses the night-vigil in seeking the world, how does he know that he has lost the water of life for a mouthful of water?” Rumi, Masnavi, Book 6, Page 231, 1273
“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.” Jesus Christ, Holy Bible, Gospel of Luke, Chapter 6, Verse 45, 1st Century
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“He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.” Jesus Christ, The Bible, Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 10, Verse 39, 1611
“The Truth was in my heart, and I did not know it. I was seeking it outside myself, and yet it was within.” Saint Augustine, Confessions, Book 10
“When you know yourselves, then you will be known, and you will understand that you are children of the living Father. But if you do not know yourselves, then you dwell in poverty, and you are poverty.” Jesus Christ, Gospel of Thomas, Saying 3
“The ego is a veil between humans and God. When the ego is removed, the divine light shines through naturally.” Rumi, Masnavi, Book 1
“A man must examine himself, and only then eat of the bread and drink of the cup.” Apostle Paul, The Bible, First Epistle to the Corinthians, Chapter 11, Verse 28, 1611
“An unexamined life is not worth living.” Socrates, Apology, 38a, 399 BC
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“The root of suffering is attachment.” Buddha, Samyutta Nikaya, Chapter 45, Verse 176
“Hell has three gates: lust, anger, and greed. Every sane man should give these up, for they lead to the degradation of the soul.” Vyasa, Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 16, Verse 21
“Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.” Paul the Apostle, Holy Bible, 1 Timothy, Chapter 6, Verse 9
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.” Jesus Christ, Holy Bible, Matthew, Chapter 6, Verse 19
“He who knows that enough is enough will always have enough.” Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 46
“There is no calamity greater than lavish desires. There is no greater guilt than discontent. There is no greater disaster than greed.” Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 46
“Wealth is not having many possessions, but contentment is the wealth of the soul.” Prophet Muhammad, Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 81, Hadith 4
“The soul of the world is sweet, and it is a path of desire; whoever takes from it anything through greed, it will not bless him.” Prophet Muhammad, Sahih Muslim, Book 12, Hadith 119
“He who is greedy for gain troubles his own house, but he who hates bribes will live.” King Solomon, Holy Bible, Proverbs, Chapter 15, Verse 27
“It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor.” Seneca, Letters from a Stoic, Letter 2, Page 34, 65 AD
“No gain satisfies the greedy, nor is any wealth sufficient for them; they always thirst for more.” Saint Augustine, Sermons on the Liturgical Seasons, Sermon 50, Chapter 3, Page 334, 410 AD
“Desire is a contract you make with yourself to be unhappy until you get what you want.” Naval Ravikant, The Almanack of Naval Ravikant, Chapter 2, Page 45, 2020
“He who is content with what has been given to him is the richest of men.” Saint John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 15, Chapter 4, 390 AD
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“For the mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate and very strong, O Krishna, and to subdue it, I think, is more difficult than controlling the wind.” Arjuna, Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 6, Verse 34, 1972
“Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” Paul the Apostle, Second Epistle to the Corinthians, Chapter 6, Verse 2, 2011
“The first teacher of the right is the good heart, for the right is a shadow of the good.” Ohiyesa, The Soul of the Indian, Chapter 4, Page 92, 1911
“Verily, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.” Allah, Quran, Surah Ar-Ra’d, Chapter 13, Verse 11, 2004
“Silence is the absolute poise or balance of body, mind, and spirit.” Ohiyesa, The Soul of the Indian, Chapter 1, Page 11, 1911
“Your remedy is within you, but you do not sense it. Your sickness is from you, but you do not perceive it. You presume you are a small entity, yet within you is enfolded the entire universe.” Ali ibn Abi Talib, Diwan Ali ibn Abi Talib, 2003
“When your mind has become silent, then you will understand that you are not the mind, but the witness of the mind.” Nisargadatta Maharaj, I Am That, Chapter 42, Page 156, 1973
“The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.” Jesus, Gospel of Luke, Chapter 17, Verse 20, 2011
“The greatest of all victories is the victory over oneself.” Plato, Laws, Book 1, 1926
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“Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.” Apostle Paul, Holy Bible, Hebrews, Chapter 10, Verse 35-36, 1st Century
“Fix your mind on me, be devoted to me, offer service to me, bow down to me, and you shall certainly reach me. I promise you this faithfully, for you are incredibly dear to me.” Krishna, Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 18, Verse 65, 500 BCE
“The ancestor of every action is a thought. When a man lives with clarity and purpose, the universe yields to him.” Ralph Waldo Emerson, Essays: First Series, Circles, 1841
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” Apostle Paul, Holy Bible, 2 Timothy, Chapter 1, Verse 7, 1st Century
“To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders. Dedication to a single purpose gives the soul a creative dominion over all circumstances.” Chuang Tzu, The Book of Chuang Tzu, Chapter 13, 300 BCE
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“For this Self alone is the friend of oneself, and this Self alone is the enemy of oneself.” Vyasa, The Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 6, Verse 5
“Beware, in the body there is a piece of flesh; if it is sound, the whole body is sound, and if it is corrupt, the whole body is corrupt, and behold, it is the heart.” Prophet Muhammad, Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 2, Hadith 45
“Everything in the universe is within you. Ask all from yourself.” Rumi, Masnavi
“The All is Mind; the Universe is Mental.” Three Initiates, The Kybalion, Chapter 1, Page 11, 1908
“Within the home of the self, the Mansion of the Lord’s Presence is found.” Guru Amar Das, Guru Granth Sahib, Page 1153
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Jesus, The Bible, Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 6, Verse 33
“He who knows he has enough is rich. He who gives up his self-interest finds fulfillment.” Laozi, Dao De Jing, Chapter 44
“You are the inner reality of the universe; you are the copy of the divine book.” Ibn Arabi, Al-Futuhat al-Makkiyya
“The soul contains in itself the event that shall happen to it.” Ralph Waldo Emerson, Essays: First Series, The Over-Soul, 1841
“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” Solomon, The Bible, Proverbs, Chapter 4, Verse 23
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“The ultimate value of life depends upon awareness and the power of contemplation rather than upon mere survival.” Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, Book X, Chapter 8, 350 BC
“He who has a mind to love his neighbor, his love is large and embraces all things, and it is like the earth, which supports everything and is not partial.” The Buddha, Anguttara Nikaya, Chapter 4, 300 BC
“By the mind, one should raise oneself, not degrade oneself; for the mind alone is the friend of oneself, and the mind alone is the enemy of oneself.” Vyasa, Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 6, Verse 5, 200 BC
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” Paul the Apostle, Holy Bible, 1 Corinthians, Chapter 13, Verse 4
“The truth is like a light that shines in the dark, and the dark has never put it out.” John the Evangelist, Holy Bible, John, Chapter 1, Verse 5
“The soul of man is like the sun, which, though it is one, shines upon all things alike; it is like a flower that opens to the light.” Plotinus, The Enneads, Fourth Ennead, Chapter 3, 270
“The heart is like a mirror, it must be polished to receive the light of Truth.” Al-Ghazali, The Alchemy of Happiness, Chapter 2, 1105
“Love is the bridge between you and everything.” Rumi, Masnavi, Book 1, 1258
“To see the world in a grain of sand, and a heaven in a wild flower, hold infinity in the palm of your hand, and eternity in an hour.” William Blake, Auguries of Innocence, 1803
“The soul that is attached to anything, however much good there may be in it, will not attain to the liberty of divine union.” John of the Cross, Ascent of Mount Carmel, Book 1, Chapter 11, 1588
“As the sun shines upon the good and the bad alike, so the heart of the wise man should be open to all.” Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 49, 400 BC
“The sun shines not on us but in us.” John Muir, John of the Mountains, Chapter 1, Page 12, 1938
“Let your soul stand cool and composed before a million universes.” Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass, Song of Myself, Section 48, 1855
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“Cherish a desire to elevate and help those in suffering, for compassion is the supreme virtue.” Buddha, Dhammapada, Chapter 1, Verse 5, 500 BC
“Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” Paul the Apostle, Holy Bible, Romans, Chapter 12, Verse 15, 57 AD
“True wealth belongs to the soul and consists of wisdom and virtue, which can never be taken away.” Socrates, Phaedo, Page 82, 399 BC
“He who sees the Supreme Lord dwelling equally in all beings, the Imperishable within the perishing, he truly sees.” Krishna, Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 13, Verse 27, 200 BC
“Mudita is the pure joy in the good fortune of others, free from all traces of envy.” Patanjali, Yoga Sutras, Book 1, Sutra 33, 400 AD
“The kingdom of God is within you, and whosoever shall know himself shall find it.” Jesus, Gospel of Thomas, Saying 3, 100 AD
“The light is within you; let it shine to guide your path out of darkness.” Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 33, 400 BC
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“The Kingdom of God is within you.” Jesus Christ, The Bible, Luke, Chapter 17, Verse 21, 1611
“Heaven and hell are not geographical places but states of the soul.” Khalil Gibran, The Wisdom of Gibran, Chapter 3, Page 42, 1920
“The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.” John Milton, Paradise Lost, Book 1, Page 9, Verse 254, 1667
“He who seeks his own happiness by hurting others who also desire happiness will never find happiness in the world to come.” Buddha, Dhammapada, Chapter 10, Verse 131, 1985
“If you want to be happy, practice compassion. If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.” Dalai Lama, The Art of Happiness, Chapter 4, Page 64, 1998
“A man who is caught up in his own self cannot see anything else but his own ego, and that is his hell.” Rumi, The Masnavi, Book 1, Verse 320, 1258
“He who is devoted to the selfless service of others soon attains the Supreme.” Lord Krishna, The Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 5, Verse 6
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” Mahatma Gandhi, Young India, Page 12, 1925
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This one hits hard.
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“Men are disturbed not by things, but by the view which they take of them.” Epictetus, Enchiridion, Chapter 5, 125
“If you are pained by any external thing, it is not this thing that disturbs you, but your own judgment about it. And it is in your power to wipe out this judgment now.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book 4, Page 41, 167
“The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.” John Milton, Paradise Lost, Book 1, Page 9, 1667
“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act 2, Scene 2, 1603
“No one can injure you unless you choose to be injured; you will be hurt at the exact moment when you decide that you are hurt.” Epictetus, Enchiridion, Chapter 30, 125
“If your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything; it is open to everything. In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few.” Shunryu Suzuki, Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind, Prologue, Page 21, 1970
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Mature Spirituality
Stephanie Connolly-Reisner
Spiritual maturity has never been the property of any single religion, spiritual practice, or magical system. It doesn’t arrive through conversion, renunciation, or the number of years someone claims to have practiced, though I do admire the dedication of those who have been called to their spiritual path and have remained there for many years and earned their expertise.
Spiritual maturity isn’t earned by declaring oneself “evolved,” “chosen,” or “above” others. And it certainly isn’t defined by the outer framework, whether that framework is Christianity (or any other Judeo-Christian paradigm), Daemonolatry, paganism, ceremonial magick, Buddhism, or anything else. Maturity is not a label. It’s a way of being.
At its core, spiritual maturity is the willingness to face oneself honestly. Every tradition has language for this – confession, shadow work, repentance, self-examination, purification, alchemical nigredo. The vocabulary changes, but the work is the same. A spiritually mature person can sit with discomfort long enough to understand it. They can acknowledge their own failures without rewriting the story to make themselves the hero or the victim. They can accept responsibility without collapsing into shame or scrambling to find a belief system that will absolve them without requiring transformation. They understand that growth is not a single dramatic pivot but an ongoing process of becoming more honest with themselves.
Sometimes people reach a point where their spiritual practice confronts them with something they don’t want to see whether that be guilt, regret, or the consequences of their choices. Instead of doing the difficult work of integrating that truth, they abandon the path entirely and adopt a new one that allows them to bypass the discomfort. (Spiritual bypassing is a real thing!) This isn’t unique to any tradition. Some people flee Christianity for the occult for the same reason some flee the occult for Christianity: to escape the mirror. When someone adopts a new religion or spiritual path and immediately begins proclaiming it “mature” while dismissing their former path as childish, what they are really doing is trying to distance themselves from the part of their life they don’t want to face. It’s not transformation. It’s avoidance dressed up as enlightenment.
On that same token, a change in spiritual framework can absolutely be a sign of growth. I’m just saying that it can also be a retreat. The difference lies in whether the person is moving toward truth or away from it. A mature transition acknowledges the past without needing to demean it. It recognizes that one’s former path may have served a purpose, even if it no longer fits. It accepts responsibility for the choices made along the way. An immature transition, by contrast, relies on superiority narratives: “I’ve outgrown that,” “I’m more spiritually advanced now,” “Only immature people practice what I used to practice.” That kind of rhetoric isn’t a sign of elevation. It’s a sign of insecurity.
Calling one’s new religion “mature” and labeling other paths “immature” is not evidence of spiritual growth. It’s evidence of spiritual fragility. It’s an attempt to create distance from one’s own past by diminishing it. But maturity doesn’t require tearing down what came before. It doesn’t require rewriting history. It doesn’t require superiority. True maturity is quiet. It’s grounded. It’s self-aware. It doesn’t need applause or validation.
Across traditions, spiritually mature people tend to share certain qualities, not because their religions demand them, but because the inner work naturally produces them. They develop humility, not self-deprecation, but the recognition that they are always learning. They cultivate integrity, aligning their actions with their values. They practice accountability, owning their choices without excuses. They learn discernment, separating personal truth from projection. And they treat other paths with respect, understanding that spiritual experience is vast and varied, and no single framework has a monopoly on depth.
A mature practitioner can walk any path with depth and integrity. An immature practitioner can walk any path superficially and defensively. The difference is not the religion. The difference is the person.
Spiritual maturity is not about what you practice. It’s about how honestly you’re willing to meet yourself. Any path can be a vehicle for growth, or it can act as a hiding place. The work is the same everywhere: to face the truth, to take responsibility, and to transform from the inside out.
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“He who has found the peace of the Kingdom within himself does not look for happiness in external things.” Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ, Book, Chapter 2, 1427
“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Jesus Christ, The Bible, Sermon on the Mount, Matthew Chapter 6, Verse 31-33, 1st Century
“He who sees all beings in the Self, and the Self in all beings, hates no one.” Upanishads, Isha Upanishad, Verse 6, 800 BCE
“The Kingdom of God is within you.” Jesus Christ, The Bible, Sermon, Luke Chapter 17, Verse 21, 1st Century
“When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, Book, Chapter 44, 4th Century BCE
“The soul remains unbothered by outer possessions when it rests in the divine presence.” Teresa of Avila, The Interior Castle, 1577
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“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” Solomon, Bible, King James Version, Proverbs, Chapter 4, Verse 23, 1611
“By three things is the world sustained: by truth, by judgment, and by peace.” Simeon ben Gamliel, Ethics of the Fathers, Chapter 1, Verse 18
“The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.” William James, Principles of Psychology, 1890
“If you are crossed by difficulties, do not lose heart, for the mind itself is the forge where your destiny is hammered into shape.” Guru Nanak, Guru Granth Sahib, Raag Asa, Page 351, 1604
“The mind is like a wild elephant; if it is bound by the rope of mindfulness, it stops destroying the garden of the soul.” Santideva, Bodhicaryavatara, Chapter 5, Verse 3, 700
“He who controls his tongue, his hands, and his desires has built a fortress around his spirit that no enemy can breach.” Menno Simons, The True Christian Faith, Chapter 3, Page 82, 1556
“The heart is a vessel; if you do not fill it with love and truth, the world will readily fill it with its own noise and vanity.” Mechthild of Magdeburg, The Flowing Light of the Godhead, Book 2, Chapter 4, 1250
“Our life is what our thoughts make it, and he who purifies his understanding sits above the reach of fortune.” Plotinus, Enneads, First Ennead, Chapter 4, Section 9, 270
“A man who has mastered his own impulses has conquered a territory vaster than any empire on earth.” Baruch Spinoza, Ethics, Part 4, Proposition 68, 1677
“When the mirror of the soul is polished by moral effort, the light of the divine reflects without distortion.” Al-Ghazali, The Revival of the Religious Sciences, Book 21, Chapter 2, 1105
“He who knows how to govern his own heart can walk through a burning forest without feeling the heat.” Kabir, Bijak, Ramaini 12, Verse 4, 1500
“When you have subdued the ego, you have subdued the only enemy that ever had the power to destroy your peace.” Julian of Norwich, Revelations of Divine Love, Chapter 13, Page 45, 1395
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“He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” Apostle John, Holy Bible, 1 John, Chapter 4, Verse 8, 1611
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” Martin Luther King Jr., Strength to Love, Loving Your Enemies, Chapter 5, Page 47, 1963
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror.” Apostle James, Holy Bible, James, Chapter 1, Verse 22-23, 1611
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.” Apostle Paul, Holy Bible, 1 Corinthians, Chapter 13, Verse 1, 1611
“Conquer the angry man by love. Conquer the ill-natured man by goodness. Conquer the miser with generosity. Conquer the liar with truth.” Buddha, Dhammapada, Chapter 17, Verse 223, 1901
“You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Jesus Christ, Holy Bible, Matthew, Chapter 5, Verse 43-44, 1611
“Whenever you are angry, be assured that it is not only a present evil, but that you have increased a habit, and added fuel to a fire.” Epictetus, Discourses, Chapter 18, 108
“The only way to possess the virtues of Christ is to practice them, for virtue is not an idea but an action of the soul.” Thomas a Kempis, The Imitation of Christ, Book 1, Chapter 1, 1427
“Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book 10, Chapter 16, 180
“To see what is right and not to do it is want of courage or of principle.” Confucius, Analects, Book 2, Chapter 24, 475 BC
“He who knows and does not do, does not yet know.” Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 71, 400 BC
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“The mind is restless, turbulent, powerful and obstinate; to control it is as hard as to control the wind. Yet it can be controlled by constant practice and detachment.” Krishna, Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 6, Verse 34-35, 500 BCE
“A man who conquers himself is greater than one who conquers a thousand men in battle.” Buddha, Dhammapada, Chapter 8, Verse 103, 500 BCE
“He who controls others may be powerful, but he who has mastered himself is mightier still.” Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 33, 400 BCE
“No man is free who is not master of himself.” Epictetus, Enchiridion, Chapter 51, 125 CE
“I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies, for the hardest victory is over self.” Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, Book 3, 350 BCE
“He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.” Solomon, Holy Bible, Proverbs, Chapter 16, Verse 32, 700 BCE
“The powerful man is not the one who can wrestle, but the powerful man is the one who can control himself when he is angry.” Prophet Muhammad, Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 73, Chapter 76, 846 CE
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“Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” King David, Book of Psalms, Chapter 30, Verse 5, 500 BC
“Joy is the inherent nature of the Self. It is not something to be acquired. Sorrow is only a phantom, a passing cloud that hides the eternal sun of your true nature.” Ramana Maharshi, Upadesa Saram, Chapter 1, Page 12, 1928
“The light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” John the Evangelist, Gospel of John, Chapter 1, Verse 5, 90
“Ananda is the true nature of reality. Pain and suffering are temporary modifications of the mind, bound by time and causation, whereas absolute joy remains unaffected and eternal.” Adi Shankara, Vivekachudamani, Chapter 3, Verse 150, 700
“Everything that is contrary to nature is harmful and temporary, while that which is according to nature is enduring and joyful. Evil is nothing but the privation of good, and it has no substantive existence.” Augustine of Hippo, The City of God, Book 11, Chapter 9, Page 450, 426
“Joy is a man’s passage from a less to a greater perfection. Sorrow is a man’s passage from a greater to a less perfection. Since reality is perfect, joy is the realization of truth, while sorrow is an illusion born of inadequate ideas.” Baruch Spinoza, Ethics, Part 3, Page 128, 1677
“The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.” Paul the Apostle, Epistle to the Romans, Chapter 13, Verse 12, 57
“The unreal has no existence; the real never ceases to be. The truth about both has been perceived by the seers of the essence of things.” Vyasa, Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2, Verse 16, 200 BC
“All conditioned things are impermanent. When one sees this with wisdom, one turns away from suffering. This is the path to purification.” Gautama Buddha, Dhammapada, Chapter 20, Verse 277, 400 BC
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“He who has the Law in his hands and does not practice it is like a man who has a lamp but does not light it.” The Buddha, Udana-Varga, Chapter 22, Verse 15, 3rd Century BC
“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” Jesus Christ, Luke, Chapter 6, Verse 46
“The superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions.” Confucius, Analects, Book 14, Chapter 29, 475 BC
“Knowledge of the soul is not for those who do not practice. The self cannot be realized by the weak, nor by the careless, nor by those who practice improper penance.” Upanishads, Mundaka Upanishad, Section 3, Part 2, Verse 4
“The end of man is an action, and not a thought, though it were the noblest.” Thomas Carlyle, Sartor Resartus, Book 2, Chapter 6, 1831
“Righteousness is not that you turn your faces toward the east or the west, but true righteousness is in one who believes in Allah and the Last Day and gives wealth, in spite of love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveler, those who ask for help, and for freeing slaves.” Quran, Al-Baqarah, Chapter 2, Verse 177
“A man is not a believer until his heart is purified, and his heart is not purified until his actions are good.” Muhammad, Hadith of Al-Tirmidhi, 9th Century
“The knowledge which does not lead to action is like a body without a soul.” William Hazlitt, The Plain Speaker, Volume 1, 1826
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“He who conforms to the Way and the Way opens its arms to him willingly. He who conforms to Virtue and Virtue opens its arms to him willingly.” Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 23, 1972
“When one’s nature is simplified, desire diminishes. When desire diminishes, the heart becomes quiet. When the heart is quiet, the Way is reached.” Lie Yukou, Liezi, Chapter 1
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Jesus, The Bible, Sermon on the Mount, Matthew, Chapter 5, Verse 5
“Conquer anger by love. Conquer evil by good. Conquer the stingy by giving. Conquer the liar by truth.” Buddha, Dhammapada, Chapter 17, Verse 223
“Nothing can harm a good man, either in life or after death. His fortunes are not neglected by the gods.” Plato, Apology, Chapter 33, Page 41d, 399 BC
“A man who has established benevolence for himself seeks to establish it for others. A man who wishes to be wise himself seeks to make others wise.” Confucius, Analects, Book 6, Chapter 30
“The supreme good is like water, which nourishes all things without trying to. It flows to the low places that men reject, which is why it is like the Tao.” Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 8, 1989
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Buddhism
“The mind is pure in its original nature; inflation with defilements is an accidental state.” Gautama Buddha, Anguttara Nikaya, Chapter 1, Verse 10, 500 BCE
“When the perception of an ego-self is abandoned, the perception of a separate life is also abandoned, and the mind returns to its pristine clarity.” Buddha, Diamond Sutra, Section 14, 200 BCE
Christianity & Christian Mysticism
“The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” Jesus Christ, Holy Bible Luke, Chapter 17, Verse 20-21, 1611
“The soul has a hidden birthplace where God enters it without a medium, because the soul in its innermost essence is of a divine nature.” Meister Eckhart, German Sermons, Sermon 1, 1320
“To arrive at being all, desire to be nothing in anything; to arrive at knowing all, desire to know nothing in anything.” St. John of the Cross, Ascent of Mount Carmel, Book 1, Chapter 13, Page 45, 1579
Hinduism
“The self-controlled soul, who moves amongst material objects with his senses free from attachment and aversion, attains the grace of God.” Krishna, Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2, Verse 64, 500 BCE
“As a lump of salt dropped into water dissolves with the water, and no one can pick it up again, but wherever one takes the water it tastes salt, even so, my dear, this great, endless, infinite Reality is Pure Intelligence.” Yajnavalkya, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, Chapter 2, Section 4, Verse 12, 700 BCE
Western Philosophy & Transcendentalism
“The soul’s emphasis is always right. We distinguish the announcements of the soul, its flashes of light, from the luminous results of the intellect, because the soul is the projector of this light.” Ralph Waldo Emerson, Essays: First Series, The Over-Soul, Page 120, 1841
“Within man is the soul of the whole; the wise silence; the universal beauty, to which every part and particle is equally related; the eternal One.” Ralph Waldo Emerson, Essays: First Series, The Over-Soul, Page 123, 1841
Sufism / Islam
“He who knows his own self knows his Lord.” Prophet Muhammad, Hadith, 632
“You wander from room to room hunting for the diamond necklace that is already around your neck.” Rumi, The Masnavi, Book 2, 1260
Taoism
“He who purges himself of desires sees the secret essence; he who does not purge himself of desires sees only the outcome.” Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 1, 400 BCE
“The perfect man uses his mind like a mirror; it grasps nothing, it refuses nothing, it receives but does not keep.” Chuang Tzu, The Book of Chuang Tzu, Chapter 7, 300 BCE
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“The sun of God’s glory can only shine within a heart that has been purified from the dross of self.” Bahá’u’lláh, The Seven Valleys, 1860
“To rule one’s self is the greatest triumph, for he who is his own master is a king of the whole world.” Plato, The Laws, Book I
“The mind is the friend of the conditioned soul, and his enemy as well. For him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; but for one who has failed to do so, his mind will remain the greatest enemy.” Krishna, Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 6, Verse 5-6
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” Apostle Paul, Galatians, Chapter 2, Verse 20
“No one is free who has not obtained the empire of himself.” Pythagoras, Golden Verses
“One who has conquered himself is more a king than he who has conquered the world.” Saint Augustine, Sermons
“The light of the soul is the only light that can dispel the darkness of the heart.” Rumi, Masnavi, Book II
“Great is he who is master of his own mind, for he has the power to change his destiny.” Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance, 1841
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“He who knows himself knows his Lord”, Prophet Muhammad, 632
“Your own Self-Realization is the greatest service you can render the world”, Ramana Maharshi, 1950
“The way is not in the sky. The way is in the heart”, Gautama Buddha, Dhammapada, 18, 254, 500 BC
“To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders”, Lao Tzu, 400 BC
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“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit”, Aristotle, The Nicomachean Ethics, Book II, Chapter 1, 350 BC
“To bear trials with a calm mind robs misfortune of its strength and burden”, Seneca, Letters from a Stoic, Letter 24, 65
“Patience and fortitude conquer all things”, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Essays: First Series, Compensation, 1841
“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience”, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nature, Chapter 3, 1836
“One moment of patience may ward off great disaster. One moment of impatience may ruin a whole life”, Chinese Proverb, Ancient Wisdom, 500 BC
“Patience is the companion of wisdom”, Augustine of Hippo, On Patience, Chapter 1, 417
“Desires make slaves out of kings and patience makes kings out of slaves”, Al-Ghazali, The Alchemy of Happiness, Chapter 2, 1105
“Whatever a monk keeps pursuing with his thinking and pondering, that becomes the inclination of his awareness”, Buddha, Dvedhavitakka Sutta, Majjhima Nikaya, 19, 500 BC
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“It is not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.”, Epictetus, Enchiridion, Chapter 5, Page 13, 135 AD
“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms, to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”, Viktor Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning, Part 1, Page 66, 1946
“The ideal man bears the accidents of life with dignity and grace, making the best of circumstances.”, Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, Book 1, Chapter 10, Page 22, 350 BC
“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.”, Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 76, Page 78, 600 BC
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“He who does not love does not know God, for God is love”, Apostle John, Bible, 1 John, Chapter 4, Verse 8, 100
“Hatred is never appeased by hatred in this world. By non-hatred alone is hatred appeased. This is a law eternal”, Gautama Buddha, Dhammapada, Chapter 1, Verse 5, 500 BC
“To be truly human is to be filled with the spirit of love which excludes none and embraces all”, Leo Tolstoy, The Kingdom of God Is Within You, Chapter 8, Page 156, 1894
“The self-governed man, moving among objects, with his senses under restraint, and free from attachment and aversion, attains to a state of serenity”, Vyasa, Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2, Verse 64, 500 BC
“The more a man dies to himself, the more he begins to live to God”, Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ, Book 2, Chapter 12, Page 84, 1418
“He who is filled with love is filled with God himself”, Saint Augustine, Homilies on the First Epistle of John, Homily 7, Section 10, 416
“A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion are the things which renew humanity”, Gautama Buddha, Sayings of Buddha, Chapter 1, Verse 1, 500 BC
“The way to consume the self is to love. The way to find the Truth is to give up the self”, Rumi, The Masnavi, Book 1, 1260
“Charity suffers long, and is kind; charity envies not; charity vaunts not itself, is not puffed up”, Apostle Paul, Bible, 1 Corinthians, Chapter 13, Verse 4, 100
“Love is the only way to grasp another human being in the innermost core of his personality”, Viktor Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning, Part 2, Page 111, 1946
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“He who has no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.” Solomon, The Bible, Proverbs, 25, 28, 700 BC
“Whatever words we utter should be chosen with care for people will hear them and be influenced by them for good or ill.” Buddha, Dhammapada, Chapter 1, Verse 1, 500 BC
“The tongue is but a small part of the body, yet it brags of great things. Behold how great a forest is set on fire by a small fire.” James, The Bible, James, 3, 5, 50 AD
“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” Paul, The Bible, Ephesians, 4, 29, 60 AD
“The best of you are those who have the best character.” Muhammad, Sahih Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 73, Number 56, 850 AD
“When speech is settled, the mind is settled; when the mind is settled, the Self is realized.” Unknown, Upanishads, Chandogya Upanishad, 7, 2, 800 BC
“A man is but the product of his thoughts; what he thinks, he becomes.” Mahatma Gandhi, Ethical Religion, Chapter 1, Page 34, 1922 AD
“One who has control over the mind and senses is a master, but one who is a slave to them is a servant.” Krishna, Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2, Verse 61, 400 BC
“If your heart is simple, you will find no difficulty in speaking the truth.” Confucius, Analects, Book 13, Chapter 27, 500 BC
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“The light of God is within you. Let your own soul be your guide.” Rumi, The Masnavi, Book 1, Page 152, 1258
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Bible, Proverbs, Chapter 3, Verse 5-6, 1984
“Perform your duty equipoised, O Arjuna, abandoning all attachment to success or failure. Such equanimity is called yoga.” Lord Krishna, Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2, Verse 48, 500 BCE
“He who knows the light within himself, and dwells in that light, becomes the light itself.” Upanishads, Chandogya Upanishad, Chapter 3, Verse 13, 800 BCE
“Nothing can bring you peace but yourself. Nothing can bring you peace but the triumph of principles.” Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance, Essays: First Series, Page 83, 1841
“When the heart is pure, the mind is clear, and the soul is at rest, the laws of the universe will provide for all your needs.” James Allen, From Poverty to Power, Chapter 4, Page 62, 1901
“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” Rumi, The Masnavi, Book 2, Page 210, 1262
“Whosoever follows his own internal light will never be led astray by the darkness of the world.” Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 52, Verse 2, 400 BCE
“The kingdom of God is within you.” Jesus Christ, Bible, Luke, Chapter 17, Verse 21, 1611
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“Knowing others is wisdom;
Knowing the self is enlightenment.
Mastering others requires force;
Mastering the self needs strength.
He who knows he has enough is rich.
Perseverance is a sign of will power.
He who stays where he is endures.
To die but not to perish is to be eternally present.”
Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 33, 6th Century BC
“The mind is restless and difficult to restrain, but it is subdued by practice and dispassion. When the mind is at rest, stilled by the practice of yoga, there the spirit enjoys the transcendent happiness which can be grasped only by the higher intelligence.” Lord Krishna, Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 6, Verses 20-35, 5th Century BC
“If you are pained by any external thing, it is not this thing that disturbs you, but your own judgment about it. And it is in your power to wipe out that judgment now.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book 8, Section 47, 161 AD
“Freedom is the only worthy goal in life. It is won by disregarding things that lie beyond our control. Happiness and freedom begin with a clear understanding of one principle: Some things are within our control, and some things are not.” Epictetus, Enchiridion, Chapter 1, 135 AD
“He who has overcome his lower self by the higher self has the self as a friend, but for him who has not subdued the self, the self acts as an enemy.” Lord Krishna, Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 6, Verse 6, 5th Century BC
“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without. The mind is everything. What you think you become.” Gautama Buddha, Dhammapada, Chapter 1, Verse 1, 5th Century BC
“When you are able to rest your mind in the midst of chaos, you have attained the true meaning of peace. Understanding the nature of things as they truly are removes the cause of all suffering.” Adi Shankara, Vivekachudamani, Verse 435, 8th Century AD
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“This is the day which the Lord hath made; we shall rejoice and be glad in it.” Holy Bible, Psalm 118:24, King James Version
“Every day is a fresh beginning. Every morn is the world made new.” Sarah Chauncey Woolsey, Every Day, A Few More Verses, Page 9, 1889
“Every morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.” Gautama Buddha, The Dhammapada, Chapter 1, Verse 1, 500 BC
“Finish every day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense.” Ralph Waldo Emerson, Letters and Social Aims, Progress of Culture, Page 164, 1875
“Each day is a little life: every waking and rising a little birth, every fresh morning a little youth, every going to rest and sleep a little death.” Arthur Schopenhauer, Counsels and Maxims, Chapter 2, Section 9, 1851
“The morning is the most favorable time for the exercise of the mind. After the rest of the night, the mind is clear and the spirit is fresh.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book 5, Section 1, 161 AD
“The sun is new each day.” Heraclitus, On Nature, Fragment 6, 500 BC
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“Therefore, without being attached to the fruits of activities, one should act as a matter of duty, for by working without attachment one attains the Supreme.” Sri Krishna, Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 3, Verse 19, 500 BCE
“He who plants even a tree, has his reward; though he may never eat of its fruit, his children will.” Prophet Muhammad, Al-Adab Al-Mufrad, Book 27, Hadith 479, 7th Century
“The sower soweth the word. And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.” Jesus Christ, Holy Bible (Mark), Chapter 4, Verse 14-20, 1st Century
“It is not the person who is little but the expectation which is great. You should do your duty and leave the rest to God.” Mahatma Gandhi, The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Volume 41, Page 221, 1929
“Our only business is to be the sower. The harvest is not our business; it is the Lord’s.” Mother Teresa, No Greater Love, Chapter 1, Page 12, 1997
“The wise man does not lay up his own treasures. The more he gives to others, the more he has for his own.” Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 81, 6th Century BCE
“I have done my best; that is all I can do. I leave the rest to the Great Spirit.” Black Elk, Black Elk Speaks, Chapter 25, Page 270, 1932
“The duty is ours; the events are God’s.” Samuel Rutherford, Letter to Lady Kenmure, Letter 15, Page 45, 1637
“He who is free from the desire for the fruits of his actions is like the man who has already reached the goal.” Shankara, Vivekachudamani, Verse 540, 8th Century
“Sitting quietly, doing nothing, Spring comes, and the grass grows by itself.” Matsuo Basho, Zen Poems, Section 1, Page 12, 1680
“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 47, 6th Century BCE
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“If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” Dalai Lama, The Art of Happiness, Part 1, Page 22, 1998
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” Mahatma Gandhi, The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Volume 25, Page 503, 1925
“A man who thinks only of himself and is only interested in himself is unhappy. A man who thinks only of others and is interested in others is happy.” Leo Tolstoy, The Law of Love and the Law of Violence, Chapter 15, 1908
“One who acts for the sake of the world, without any self-interest, is a true renunciant.” Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 6, Verse 1, 400-200 BCE
“Happiness is a byproduct of an effort to make someone else happy.” Gretta Palmer, This Week Magazine, December, 1944
“Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less.” C.S. Lewis, The Mere Christianity, Book 3, Chapter 8, 1952
“He who sees all beings in his own self, and his own self in all beings, loses all fear.” Upanishads, Isha Upanishad, Verse 6, 800-500 BCE
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“To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders.” Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 15, 6th Century BC
“When your mind is concentrated, the power of your soul is unleashed. With single-minded devotion, even the impossible becomes possible.” Paramahansa Yogananda, The Second Coming of Christ, Chapter 2, Page 142, 1950
“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.” Solomon, The Bible, Ecclesiastes, Chapter 9, Verse 10, 3rd Century BC
“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones.” Jesus Christ, The Bible, Luke, Chapter 16, Verse 10, 1st Century AD
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“He who seeks for pleasure here and there is like a man who pursues a phantom; he will never find true peace until he looks within.” Gautama Buddha, The Dhammapada, Chapter 24, Verse 334, 5th Century BCE
“Why do you wander about in the world, seeking happiness in the external, when the source of all joy is within your own heart?” Guru Nanak, Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 684, 15th Century
“Men seek retreats for themselves, houses in the country, sea-shores, and mountains; and thou too art wont to desire such things very much. But this is altogether a mark of the most common sort of men, for it is in thy power whenever thou shalt choose to retire into thyself.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book 4, Chapter 3, 180 AD
“Not by wealth, not by progeny, but by renunciation alone is immortality attained. That which is higher than heaven, which is seated in the cave of the heart, that the seekers enter.” Kaivalya Upanishad, Verse 2, 1st Millennium BCE
“For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” Jesus Christ, The Bible (KJV), Matthew, Chapter 16, Verse 26, 1611 AD
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“Verily, never in this world does hatred cease by hatred; hatred ceases by love. This is an eternal law.” Buddha, Dhammapada, Chapter 1, Verse 5, 500 BC
“No man can have a peaceful life who thinks too much about extending it.” Seneca, Moral Letters to Lucilius, Letter 4, Section 4, 65 AD
“When you have shut your doors, and darkened your room, remember never to say that you are alone, for you are not alone; but God is within, and your genius is within.” Epictetus, Discourses, Book 1, Chapter 14, 108 AD
“A man who is not a slave to his own self, but is its master, is the only man who is free.” Leo Tolstoy, The Kingdom of God Is Within You, Chapter 8, Page 162, 1894
“Watch thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” Solomon, Holy Bible King James Version, Proverbs, Chapter 4, Verse 23, 1611
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“He who is greedy for gain troubles his own house, but he who hates bribes will live.” Solomon, Bible, Proverbs, 15, 27, 950 BCE
“It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor.” Seneca, Moral Letters to Lucilius, Letter 2, Section 6, 65 CE
“From desire comes grief, from desire comes fear. He who is free from desire knows neither grief nor fear.” Gautama Buddha, Dhammapada, Chapter 16, Verse 216, 5th Century BCE
“Peace is not found by changing your circumstances, but by changing your heart and letting go of the world’s hold on you.” Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ, Book 2, Chapter 1, 1418
“The soul’s desire for what it lacks is the source of all its troubles, but the soul that finds rest in the divine attains a peace that surpasses all understanding.” Augustine of Hippo, Confessions, Book 1, Chapter 1, 397 CE
“When all the desires that dwell in the heart are cast away, then does the mortal become immortal, then he attains Brahman here in this very body.” Katha Upanishad, Section 2, Chapter 3, Verse 14, 5th Century BCE
“Hell is nothing but self-will, and if there were no self-will, there would be no hell.” Theologia Germanica, Chapter 34, 14th Century
“When you have no desires, you see the mystery. When you have desires, you see only the manifestations.” Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 1, 6th Century BCE
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You can admire a flower, and still know you cannot build a home with it
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“Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10, The Holy Bible, King James Version, 1611
“When there is no desire, all things are at peace.” Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 37, 6th Century BC
“The more he stills his mind, the more he knows. This is why the sage is quiet and remains in silence.” Chuang Tzu, The Book of Chuang Tzu, Chapter 13, 4th Century BC
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The irony of explaining the limitation of language and words, with language and words.
Phrase of the day: Let go
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“When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bonds: Your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction, and you find yourself in a new, great and wonderful world.” Patanjali, Yoga Sutras, Sadhana Pada, 2nd Century BCE
“To the man whose mind is unswerving, who has conquered himself and is always calm, the Supreme Self is already reached.” Lord Krishna, Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 6, Verse 7, 5th-2nd Century BCE
“The man who has no inner life is a slave to his surroundings, as long as he does not command his thoughts, he is a slave to them.” Ralph Waldo Emerson, The Conduct of Life, Chapter 1: Fate, Page 24, 1860
“Mind is the forerunner of all states. Mind is chief; mind-made are they. If one speaks or acts with a pure mind, because of that, happiness follows one, even as one’s shadow that never leaves.” Gautama Buddha, Dhammapada, Yamakavagga, Chapter 1, Verse 2, 5th Century BCE
“He who conquers his own mind is greater than he who conquers a city.” Solomon, Proverbs, Bible, Chapter 16, Verse 32, 10th Century BCE
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“The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn.” Ralph Waldo Emerson, Essays: First Series, History, Page 12, 1841
“Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, magic in it.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Faust, Part 1, Page 14, 1808
“Everything that is now proven was once only imagined.” William Blake, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, Plate 8, 1790
“Man is a being that can only be understood as a possibility, as a project of himself.” Jean-Paul Sartre, Existentialism Is a Humanism, Lecture, Page 22, 1946
“You are what your deep, driving desire is. As your desire is, so is your will. As your will is, so is your deed. As your deed is, so is your destiny.” Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, Chapter 4, Section 4, Verse 5, 700 BCE
“I dream of painting and then I paint my dream.” Vincent van Gogh, Letters to Theo van Gogh, Letter 418, 1885
“Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.” Carl Jung, Psychological Reflections, Page 233, 1945
“Trust in dreams, for in them is hidden the gate to eternity.” Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet, Chapter on Death, Page 81, 1923
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“Above all, don’t lie to yourself. The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others.” Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov, Book IV, 1880
“What you think you become. It is a man’s own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways. There is nothing so disobedient as an undisciplined mind, and there is nothing so obedient as a disciplined mind.” Gautama Buddha, Dhammapada, Chapter 3, Verse 43, 500 BCE
“Letting go gives us freedom, and freedom is the only condition for happiness. If, in our heart, we still cling to anything; anger, anxiety, or possessions, we cannot be free.” Thich Nhat Hanh, The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching, Chapter 12, 1998
“The doorway into a deeper understanding of the dharma is through the direct perception of change, that everything has the nature to change. The less we cling, we begin to see with greater clarity the selfless nature of this whole process.” Joseph Goldstein, Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening, Chapter 5, 2013
“No matter what anyone says or does, my task is to be good. Like gold says my task is to be gold.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book VII, Verse 15, 161 AD
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“Truth alone triumphs, not falsehood. By truth the path to the divine is laid out.” Mundaka Upanishad, 3.1.6, c. 800–300 BCE
“Be free from grief not through insensibility like the irrational animals, nor through want of thought like the foolish, but like a man of virtue by having reason as the consolation of grief.” Epictetus, Enchiridion (Fragments), CLIX, c. 135 AD
“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” Jesus Christ, Gospel of John, Farewell Discourse, 14, 16-17, c. 90 AD
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“The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.” John Milton, Paradise Lost, Book I, lines 254-255, 1667
“If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.” Jesus, Gospel of Matthew, 16:24-25, c. 80 AD
“The sage puts himself last and becomes the first, Neglects himself and is preserved. Is it not because he is unselfish that he fulfills himself?” Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 7, c. 500 BCE
“To be full of things is to be empty of God. To be empty of things is to be full of God.” Meister Eckhart, Sermons – On Detachment, , c. 1320 AD
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“We have been hypnotized, literally hypnotized, by social convention into feeling and sensing that we only exist inside of our skins, that we are not the original big bang, but just something out on the end of it.” Alan Watts, The Nature of Consciousness (Part 4: A Wiggly World), Seminar Series, 1969/1970
“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms, to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” Viktor Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning, Part I Experiences in a Concentration Camp, 1946
“The mind alone is the cause of bondage and liberation. The mind creates the world and the world is the mind’s projection.” Amritabindu Upanishad, Verse 2 ( Krishna Yajurveda), c. 1st Century BCE-1st Century CE
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“Our own life has to be our message.” Thich Nhat Hanh, The World We Have: A Buddhist Approach to Peace and Ecology, found in the opening sections regarding Engaged Buddhism
“When things are investigated, then true knowledge is achieved; when true knowledge is achieved, then the will becomes sincere; when the will is sincere, then the heart is set right, when the personal life is cultivated, then there is peace in this world.” Confucius, The Great Learning (Daxue), Chapter 1 (The Main Text)
“Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Jesus, Matthew 5:16
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Flow state (also called “being in the zone”) is a mental state of optimal experience where a person becomes fully immersed, energized, and focused in an activity.
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What we resist persists
What we cling to eludes us
The wisdom of being detached from outcome is a profound, time-tested principle found across philosophies, spiritual traditions, and modern psychology. It doesn’t mean apathy, laziness, or giving up on goals. Instead, it involves performing your actions with full effort, integrity, and presence while releasing obsessive clinging to specific results, rewards, or “how it must turn out.”
This detachment frees you from anxiety, disappointment, and emotional rollercoasters tied to things beyond your full control (like other people’s responses, luck, timing, or external circumstances).
Paradoxically, it often leads to better performance, greater peace, and sometimes even more favorable outcomes because you’re no longer acting from fear, desperation, or ego-driven pressure.
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When we banish we should invoke
The phrase “nature abhors a vacuum” (from the Latin horror vacui, often linked to Aristotle’s ideas in physics) means that empty space is unnatural and will quickly be filled by something else, whether air, matter, or in human terms, behaviors and influences.
In the context of habits:
Simply letting go of a bad habit (like quitting smoking, drinking, doom-scrolling, procrastination, stinking thinking, or overeating) often fails long-term because it creates an empty “space” in your routine, triggers, time, or emotional needs. That vacuum doesn’t stay empty for long. Without intentional replacement, the old habit tends to rush back in; especially during stress, boredom, vulnerability, or when old cues appear, sometimes even stronger.
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“To be calm in chaos is the sign of one who has mastered himself.” Modern paraphrase from Confucius
“The wise are free from perplexities; the virtuous from anxiety; and the bold from fear” Confucius, Analects 9:29
“The nearer a man comes to a calm mind, the closer he is to strength.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book 2, Chapter 1
“He who has not understanding, whose mind is not constantly held firm, his senses are uncontrolled, like the vicious horses of a chariot driver. He, however, who has understanding, Whose mind is constantly held firm, his senses are under control, like the good horses of a chariot driver.” Katha Upanishad, Chapter 1, Section 3, Verses 5-6
“The right-hand horse is upright and cleanly made, a lover of honor and modesty and temperance. The other is a crooked lumbering animal, the mate of insolence and pride, hardly yielding to whip and spur.” Plato, Phaedrus, The Chariot Allegory – Part of Socrates’ Second Speech
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Plato’s famous chariot allegory of the soul: the charioteer (reason/intellect) must control two horses – one noble and obedient, one base, fiery, and passionate – lest the soul be dragged into chaos. Mastery allows ascent to truth and divine calm; lack of control leads to ruin.
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“Resentment kills a fool, and envy slays the simple.” Job 5:2, Old Testament
“How much more grievous are the consequences of anger than the causes of it.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book XI, Verse 18
“One who holds no hatred toward any being, who is friendly and compassionate, free from possessiveness and ego, balanced in joy and sorrow, and forgiving; such a person is deeply aligned with spiritual wisdom.” Bhagavad Gita 12:13
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“Self-obedience is not repression; it is sovereignty. It means acting from chosen values rather than reactive urges.” Friedrich Nietzsche, Interpretive Commentary from On the Genealogy of Morals (1887), Where he introduces the Sovereign Individual in Section 2
“He who cannot obey himself will be commanded. That is the nature of all living creatures.” Friedrich Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Part III, On Old and New Tablets, Section 29
“Discipline is liberation.” Martha Graham, legendary dancer and choreographer
“Without discipline, there can be no freedom.” Nadia Boulanger, 20th-century classical musician, teacher, conductor, and composer
“Discipline equals freedom” Jocko Willink, former Navy SEAL commander
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“The Lord, as an artful physician, subjects us to various trials, sorrows, illnesses, and misfortunes, in order to purify us like gold in the furnace. A soul that is hardened in various sins does not easily undergo cleansing and healing, but has to be forced to a great extent, and only through lengthy experience in patience and suffering does it become accustomed to virtue” St. John of Kronstadt (19th-century Russian Orthodox saint), My Life in Christ
“Suffering is the greatest treasure on earth; it purifies the soul. In suffering, we learn who our true friend is.” And “Suffering is a great grace; through suffering the soul becomes like the Savior; in suffering love becomes crystallized; the greater the suffering, the purer the love.” St. Faustina Kowalska (20th-century Polish mystic), Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, entry 342 and 343
“Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction.” Isaiah 48:10, Old Testament
“His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” Matthew 3:12, John the Baptist, New Testament
“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” Bynner, The Way of Life According to Lao Tzu
“Only when we are sick of our sickness shall we cease to be sick.” Inspired by Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 71
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“Nothing in the world is as soft or as yielding as water, yet nothing can better overcome what is hard and strong.” Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 78
“Hatred never ceases by hatred, but by love alone is healed. This is an ancient and eternal law” The Buddha, Dhammapada, Chapter on Pairs, Verse 5
“But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Jesus, Matthew 5:44
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“No man is free who is not master of himself.” Epictetus or maybe Pythagorus (?), Johannes Stobaeus, Florilegium 3.6.56
“For one who has conquered his mind, a mind is best of friends, but for one who has failed to do so, a mind is the greatest enemy.” Bhagavad Gita 6.5–6
“Self-conquest is far better than the conquest of others. Not even a god, an angel, Mara or Brahma can turn into defeat the victory of a person who is self-subdued and ever restrained in conduct.” Dhammapada, verses 104–105
“Like a city that is broken into and without walls is a man who has no control over his spirit.” Proverbs 25:28
“Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.” Tao Te Ching, chapter 33
“The word ‘yoga’ is adapted from the Sanskrit word yuj, which means ‘to yoke or bind.’ In that context, yoga is often interpreted as a practice of yoking or controlling the mind and body to achieve union with the true Self. and the Supreme” Summary/Paraphrase from: Patanjali, Yoga Sutras, Yoga Sutra 1.2 and Swami Vivekananda, Raja Yoga
• Yogaḥ — Yoga (from the root yuj, meaning to yoke, to join, to harness, or to unite)
• Citta — Mind-stuff, consciousness, the field of awareness (includes intellect, ego, memory, and subconscious impressions)
• Vṛtti — Fluctuations, modifications, whirlpools, waves, or turnings of the mind (thought patterns, mental activities)
• Nirodhaḥ — Cessation, restraint, control, regulation, stilling, quieting, or mastery”
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“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23
“Do you have the patience to wait till the mud settles and the water is clear? Can you remain unmoving till the right action arises by itself?” Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 15
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‘As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he’ probably gets interpreted as ‘control one’s thinking’ instead of clearing out the debris at the roots, blocking the heart. Change the roots, change the leaves. That’s the premise of James Allen’s message; not supress, bury or deny at the surface.
We don’t have to react to every rotton leaf, we can take note and let them blow away, the work is looking at the root causes, working towards a psychic change.
As far as desire, it is a big word. I desire a psychic change, to let go, and be aligned with a power greater than myself, as a non-enlightened being I also desire earthly comforts, connection etc.. is not the same as I desire to manipulate someone to achieve selfish gains – it’s in the discernment, who is seeking (subconscious, ego, higher self) and how attached I am to the outcomes
Let go and let the heart shine ❤️
“Evil has no positive nature; but the loss of good has received the name ‘evil.’” St. Augustine, Enchiridion on Faith, Hope, and Love, Chapter 3, Section 11
“Evil is not a substance but a corruption of good.” St. Augustine, Confessions (Book VII)
“Whatsoever misfortunes there are here in this world or in the next, they all have their root in Ignorance and in the accumulation of Longing and Desire.” Gautama Buddha, his teachings on the causes of suffering, specifically regarding the “Three Poisons” ignorance, attachment/desire, and aversion
Riddle for the day: How can an egoic mind pursue non-desire without desiring such a state? We can always find paradoxes in language and often the questions change before we get any answers on a spiritual path.
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“We but mirror the world. All the tendencies present in the outer world are to be found in the world of our body. If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. This is the divine mystery supreme. A wonderful thing it is and the source of our happiness. We need not wait to see what others do.” Mahatma Gandhi, Article: “General Knowledge About Health”, 1913
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“Let your heart be at peace. Watch the turmoil of beings, but contemplate their return. Each separate being in the universe returns to the common source. Returning to the source is serenity. If you don’t realize the source, you stumble in confusion and sorrow.” Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching 16
“If you let go a little you will have a little peace; if you let go a lot you will have a lot of peace; if you let go completely you will have complete peace.” Thai Forest Master Ajahn Chah, Oral Teachings
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🐇 🤍 🕊️
“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” Corinthians 13:4-7
“Free from wrong views, greed, and sensual desires, living in beauty and realizing Perfect Understanding, those who practice boundless love will certainly transcend birth and death.” Metta Sutta, On the Fruits of this Practice, Translation – Thich Nhat Hanh
“Simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures. Patient with both friends and enemies, you accord with the way things are. Compassionate toward yourself, you reconcile all beings in the world.” Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 67, On Compassion and Harmony Without Contention
“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:31-32
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“Monks, a statement endowed with five factors is well-spoken. It is spoken at the right time. It is spoken in truth. It is spoken affectionately. It is spoken beneficially. It is spoken with a mind of good-will.” Aṅguttara Nikāya 5.198
“A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.” Proverbs 15:4
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“We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves.” The Dhammapada, Chapter 1: The Pairs, Verses 1-2
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is, his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2
“Such as are your habitual thoughts, such also will be the character of your mind; for the soul is dyed by the thoughts.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book V, Section 16
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“A person who is not disturbed by the incessant flow of desires, that enter like rivers into the ocean, which is ever being filled but is always still, can alone achieve peace.” Bhagavad Gita 2.70
“We are more often frightened than hurt; and we suffer more from imagination than from reality” Seneca, Moral Letters to Lucilius found in Letters from a Stoic, Letter 13, Section 4 On Groundless Fear
“A tranquil heart is the life of the flesh, but envy is rottenness to the bones” Proverbs 14:30
I’ve gone through periods where I was completely turned off by quotes. My defensive reactions would be “the person is just virtue signaling – ‘look at how wise I am’”, or “most people read them, agree, and never change their behavior anyway”, and “when a young person doesn’t have to ride their bike to the library anymore to find wisdom, just about every piece under the sun has been seen online a dozen times by the average teenager and society seems no better for it!”
I now do, as part of my ‘daily reflections’, reading quotes from various sources as a reminder, even entrainment. It is part of my prayers and meditations. I don’t align with them all, even the ones I will post here (James Allen’s time period could be a bit more puritan than ours, and like Keith said, the books on recovery that partly came out of these works hit an effective golden mean between temperance and practicality and serve the newcomer without scaring them off). However, I find some of the most valuable ones often turn out being the ones I initially get a defensive reaction to.
As Carolyn noted about the unconscious; if I allow my conscious ego to sit with it, in quiet, aka: to suspend ‘Narcissist’ from staring at his own reflection long enough to listen to what bubbles up from the waters below, I am able to recognize the part of myself the quote makes me uncomfortable with.
This gives me a chance to transmute it and turn it to good use (to use Jungian terminology) or hand it over to my higher power via a mini 7th step. When the bubbling slows down is when the waters become calm enough that the divinity above can be glimpsed in the waters reflection, beyond my own, and that is when synchronicities and positive life changes start to happen exponentially.
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“You have power over your mind, not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book 4, passage 3
“Mind precedes all mental states. Mind is their chief; they are all mind-wrought. If with an impure mind a person speaks or acts, suffering follows him like the wheel that follows the foot of the ox. If with a pure mind a person speaks or acts, happiness follows him like his never-departing shadow.” The Dhammapada, Chapter 1 “The Pairs”, Verses 1 and 2
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“Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them” Matthew 7:20
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23
“Like a beautiful flower full of color but without fragrance, even so, fruitless are the fair words of one who does not practice them.
Like a beautiful flower full of color and also fragrant, even so, fruitful are the fair words of one who practices them.” The Dhammapada Chapter 4: “Flowers” Verses: 51 and 52
“The sage is good to people who are good… He is good to people who are not good… The Tao is the way of Heaven… It is in harmony with the good.” Tao Te Ching, Ch. 49 & 54
“The gods have given us the power to become like them… by our conduct alone.” Epictetus, Discourses 1.12
“The only thing that matters is to live in accordance with your own nature and with the universal Nature… You have only to will it, and the transformation is complete.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 2.17, 4.4
“All men have a sense of compassion… This sense of right and wrong is the beginning of wisdom… Men everywhere, in their inmost hearts, possess these sprouts of goodness; it is only a matter of cultivating them.” Mengzi, Mencius 2A:6
“The power and capacity of learning exists in the soul already… the instrument of knowledge can only be turned from darkness to light by the whole soul… and this is the whole duty of life.” Goodness is divine and innately knowable; ethical conduct reveals our true divine nature (participation in the Good). Plato, Republic 518c–d
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Congruent
Congruency is integral to authenticity. Duplicity, especially for those given a gift with a platform to influence, cannot be virtue and thus will always end in malady.
One cannot spread vulgarity, puffed up pride, and arrogance under the spotlight to project an image, and then claim to be genuine behind closed doors. In fact one’s integrity, what one represents, carries more power, and Karmic ripples while in the limelight.
The opposite is also hypocritical and leads to suffering; displaying virtue than living a debased life in secret.
Therefore, being congruent in oneself, both in the public eye and the private, is essential for the gift not to become a curse.
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“As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he” Proverbs 23:7
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Women teach us to be the indifferent assholes they love to complain about and then wonder why we kill off the romantic child that some of us were born being.
That child didn’t need training; he needed respect, reverence and protecting. Instead he gets the opposite: disrespect, jealousy games, shit tests, bad bitch attitudes, when he sees the same women give sex, be pleasant, and sacrifice to assholes without making them go through any of these ordeals.
Most men will behave in the way that they see gets rewarded.
I’ve been on both sides and no longer see any benefit to giving my self respect, love, and soul away for cheap sex; nor do I care to sacrifice my character, principles, and dignity to manipulate women for my own selfish desires, so best not to play the game at all.
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I don’t want to be with someone who thinks words mean nothing
That sticks their head in the sand and lets nothing touch them
To me, that is the very definition of a shallow existence
The behavior of a person afraid to love
If words mean nothing, then nothing means anything
Words are how we share meaning
The music, writing, comments, exchanges all cary intent, power, and consequences
Be free, careless, ignorant, hot then cold, manic depressive, a tease, a flake with someone else’s heart
I am not attracted to those who do not have the courage to reciprocate
To those that share unoriginal borish sentiments in songs like “I don’t chase, I attract” – *yawn* or songs by a singer that brags about getting a selfish ego boost from receiving messages she doesn’t reply to *gross*
Those that think so highly of themselves, they think they don’t need to meet someone in the middle but be endlessly pursued
I wanted REAL love, not these circular games that lead nowhere
Pure Arrogance
I am not attracted to those that have to announce that words mean nothing
Revealing how much they really do mean something, and showing the shell they are hiding behind
Otherwise, why say anything at all?
Training season is over (such an insulting song)
“I want you to take control but I’ll stick my fingers in my ear, still do what I want on my terms, and say words mean nothing”
Make it make sense
Wants the power without the accountability
Wants dominance without offering submission
I just wanted love without silly power games – a hand to hold
Two people reaching out for each other
Something real
Something simple
Something effortless
Something true
You showed me who you are
…and I am no longer interested
Plastic Flowers, Plastic Face, Plastic
Post your vulgar, insulting lyrics in songs by insecure, broken, selfish little girls, and degrading memes on Women’s Day
…making men look like foolish chumps
They no longer mean anything
Nothing
Unlike you, I have the courage to admit they once did
I once cared about you, which you made impossible
You are a puffed up shallow caricature, and I am sorry if it is fame and success that turned you into this because as I have said too many times, I saw the heart buried underneath – it is just too far gone to keep smashing myself up against its walls
I am going to continue to use this site to chronicle my cards, the heavens, my practice and journal through writings, songs and photographs
Just know, it is no longer for you
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Want to wear a quality watch – cool
Play music that brags about having one as what props up identity, gives the singer value and makes them special, teaching other women to hoe themselves out for ‘the bag’ and external ‘things’ at any cost – don’t be surprised if people start seeing you as a shallow loser and that’s who you start attracting in your life.
With all the beauty, pain and experiences life offers to sing about, it must really take a sub-par vulgar intelligence to create un-original trash about one’s material possessions and their own puffed up broken egos.
Mindless pawns to the marketing machine of consumption – the opposite of strong and independent!
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Poverty shows you the character of those around you. Wealth shows those around you your character.
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When I was 5 or 6 years old my mom slapped me in the face for something stupid I had said while we were driving in the car and I laughed. My dad would come home, and if having a bad day, would be wearing a scowl that would make everyone sit up straight, even the dog, without him saying a word.
This is primal, biological and even if my mom could have physically overpowered me at 5, she couldn’t intimidate me. No woman ever has physically. I learned this without cultural conditioning. That men and women are completely different when it comes to power.
Some women in this ‘era’ do not comprehend this. With all the tools they have inherited through evolution to exert their wills they try and mimic men with this style of intimidation. It is comical and they come off like jesters – it is clownish.
The irony, I, like a lot of men, have spent a lifetime trying to reign in using brutish force as a means of persuasion. To soften our demeanors and develop skills when dealing with people that are more tactful, and longer lasting, than being a bully.
Yet, in this ‘era’ we entertain nonsense. Behind every puffed up caricature there is usually fear.
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Maybe it is just an idealistic childish dream to believe in real love in a transactional world where people hide behind masks as shields and spend an enormous amount of energy to protect their egos and fill their sense of lack – got to have a heavy watch to be ‘important’, right? To hell with those kids in the diamond mines, it’s all about me.
I see the culture and media as lame fools that think this is what will make them ‘happy’ and truly don’t understand their perspectives but for the grace of God, we can only let others play out what they think they “like it like” and learn if that path will bring them joy or a shallow existence.
A true Machiavellian would mask such desires. Instead, it is like the revealing cries of those that announce “I don’t care what people think” – which if true, there would be no need to say. Judge not lest I be judged – I certainly have had and do have my flawed assumptions, desires and ways to cope – looking at myself. Life isn’t easy for anyone, especially those that come into success. Power and money reveal the character in a person.
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There may be some people that desire power and control for the sake of it. Yet others that truly have a purpose and wield it only as leverage to accomplish an outcome. I believe most seek it to avoid feeling powerless, losing control, their sense of autonomy.
This is the source of rebelliousness. And of Earthly masters it can make good sense. Even if God is a delusion, which the synchronicity and order I’ve experienced says otherwise – pointing at some unfathomable magic behind existence, I do not believe a man and woman can have a long term healthy love without.
Most get trapped in trying to fill a sense of lack with 6-9 month chemical romances. When one day they wake up, after the thrill is gone, and see how inadequate their partner really is at fulfilling them. This is not love but a cocktail of hormones and an attempt to numb unresolved internal trauma.
Without this surrender to a ‘higher power’ by each person in the relationship, the opposite polarities, the weight of the world, the tragedies and desires, there is no chance.
With it, any test, hardship, devastation, love can withstand. Then upon looking back, all the other passionate flings will be seen for what they were, a bad addiction, when compared to the true nourishment and fulfillment of real, lasting love. Something they both revere and cherish as sacred.
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I took this picture at a birthday party in Negril Jamaica when I was 17 backpacking across the country. I felt like an adult and years away from these shining young souls. Sometimes I wonder what became of their lives. They would be in their forties today.
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You never know how life is going to play out. One can go years following a routine, a lifestyle, and one fall, one instance, everything changes with a foot facing sideways, eight breaks and a decade of surgeries.
When one’s identity and career is centered on kinetic living, athleticism, physicality, “Seizing the Day”, it takes a toll and major growth to adjust to a year with a fixator attached into the bones and limited daily activities.
An older mentor of mine remarked: “It was God’s way of slowing you down”. He had a point but I didn’t want to hear that at the time.
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Basit yaşamak zorlaştı
Plastic Flowers (English Translation)
“When did the hydrangeas give up
On making tin cans their home?
In the chaos of those distant cities,
Is there no room left for the joy of life
That buds anew against everything?
Can wild flowers not lift their heads
In the shadow of skyscrapers?
Was the scent of narcissus abandoned
In the rush of those cities?
Living simply has become difficult.
People have surrendered to the city.
Pressed masses of people,
PVC windows, rubber shoes,
Plastic remote controls, nylon relationships.
Plastic lives that want to hold onto beauty
Without making any effort…”
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https://www.patreon.com/posts/25-what-happens-149863161
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DISCIPLINE
Every man addicted to something
Some smoke, some drink, some chase girls, some waste time
But real man, he addicted to discipline
To early wakes, to pray, to training, silence
Discipline does not need motivation
Discipline move without feeling
Discipline say I go anyway
Even when tired, even when lonely
Discipline is best addiction
You want strong life, discipline builds
You want peace, discipline protects
You want respect, discipline earns
No shortcut, only work
Be men with control
Not men with excuse, no cry, no blame
You want better life, start with better habits
Discipline everyday until discipline becomes you
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In The Myth of Freedom and the Way of Meditation, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche explores the paradox that our conventional pursuit of “freedom” is actually what keeps us imprisoned. He argues that what we usually call freedom is just the ego’s attempt to manipulate the world to get what it wants.
Here is a summary of the core themes:
1. The Trap of “Freedom”
Trungpa asserts that most people live in a state of psychological imprisonment created by the ego.
- The Illusion: We think freedom means the ability to satisfy our desires and escape discomfort.
- The Reality: This “freedom” is actually a cycle of reaction. We are slaves to our attractions and aversions, constantly running toward pleasure and away from pain.
2. The Mechanics of Ego
The book breaks down how the ego maintains its territory through “The Six Realms” of existence (states of mind like pride, jealousy, and anger).
- Defense Mechanisms: The ego uses emotions as “security guards” to protect its perceived boundaries.
- Neurosis: Trungpa views our daily anxieties and neuroses not as bugs in the system, but as the very walls of our self-built prison.
* Example of a Realm – The Second One:
The Hungry Ghost Realm (Preoccupation)
In the Preta realm, you are possessed by unquenchable thirst. It is the realm of addiction and “not enough-ness.”
- The Obsession: The feeling of a “huge stomach and a tiny throat.” You see something you want, you get it, but it provides no nourishment, so you immediately look for the next thing.
- The Experience: A perpetual sense of poverty, regardless of how much wealth or affection you actually possess.
3. Meditation as the “Way”
Meditation is presented not as a relaxation technique or a way to get “high,” but as a ruthless tool for honesty.
- Objectivity: It allows us to see our thoughts and emotions without trying to fix or change them.
- Boredom: Trungpa famously highlights the value of boredom in meditation. When we stop trying to entertain ourselves, we begin to see the “cool” and spacious quality of reality.
4. True Freedom (Fearlessness)
True freedom isn’t the absence of constraints; it is the freedom from the hope of something better and the fear of something worse.
- Surrender: It involves giving up the struggle to be “perfect” or “enlightened.”
- The Present: By fully experiencing the “hotness of the fire and the coldness of the ice” in the present moment, we step out of the ego’s narrative and into a state of basic sanity.
Summary Table
| Concept | The Mythical View | The Buddhist View |
| Freedom | Doing whatever I want. | Freedom from the wanting itself. |
| Meditation | Escaping to a peaceful place. | Facing the chaos of the mind directly. |
| Ego | A solid “self” to be protected. | A collection of habits and defenses. |
| Happiness | Accumulating positive experiences. | Relaxing into things as they are. |
“The path is the goal. There is no point in waiting for a future realization.” — Chögyam Trungpa
DISCERNMENT
Another spiritual paradox that is adjacent to victory through surrender is the myth of freedom. What is not free once one is able to grasp that we are all the river, the creator and the creation? Once we grasp more than intellectually the transitory nature, illusion, of self; just a water molecule caught in the flux, the very definition of freedom collapses – free from what? ourselves?
As children, some of us wanted to break ALL of the chains. Railing against the universe for having to abide by its constraints. Rebuking how we evolved, who we were born as, the very gender and other roles we inherited.
It’s like getting angry for the labor of breathing, instead of accepting it for what is, and even finding beauty in it. It’s link to our autonomous natures, having the choice of it being voluntary or automatic. A body function we can consciously override, teaching us that we can access and resist other compulsory behavior – is a gift. Yet it is still a required chore – it is all about the perception.
There are many social, culturally acceptable, behaviors I do not accept. Maybe this is an indication that I have room to expand in my spiritual practice. If enlightenment means accepting all, I certainly am not ready for it.
Sitting in the gym locker room, hearing a celebrated musician bragging about having, through their fame and money, acquired a hundred money grubbing whores and how this gets him blowjobs on private planes repulses me. *Reference: Bad Bunny’s song “Monaco”
How others, that claim to advocate for women, promote and share this ‘rot’ bewilders me. Would anyone want their child to be one of those whores? If not, why propagate it onto the ears of the children of others, teaching them it is socially acceptable?
It puzzles me that the masses will accept this, but rebel against real wisdom. It seems they are more concerned with the source than the content. As a society we are slow to update our scripts, not seeing that often what we think is the rebellious stance has already been mainstream for a time and the real rebellion would be being in defiance to that.
This discernment of what to rebel against, rather than blindly countering everything, is where I choose to be. I listen to my inner voice and try not to get holier-than-thou, but still resist what I see as degrading to society. Maybe my next lifetime I will learn to accept it all, beyond being in deep altered states or contemplative abstraction, but as the everyday ‘living molecule’ – ego.
It’s a mad world.
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CONFORMISTS
A man is looking for a woman that aligns with him
and rebels against the madness of the world.
Not a woman that aligns with the madness of the world
and rebels against him.
Unfortunately, the later is easier to find.
So much so that many weak men have surrendered their inner voice, conscience, in favor of fitting in with them.
When enough of them succumb is usually when civilizations start to collapse. The collective rot from the inside invites bands of stronger men from the outside to overrun what the civilization once had built.
Nothing new. The wheel keeps turning.
As Above So Below
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Women will consciously and subconsciously sabotage each others relationships. Even best friends, that in all other respects are out for each other’s best interests. It is some deep primal instinct. That, and ignorance of men, is why they give each other such awful relationship advice. I’ve seen it too many times to consider it a bug and not a feature.
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I am fortunate to have learned these lessons young. Although not globally famous, within the military and my communication systems career I was well known, had a reputation, received consistent accolades and financial rewards.
I was smart enough not to outwardly act too arrogant. I used the power I had gained to get away with subtle egoic behaviors that hurt myself and others, but at the time felt like I deserved, had earned. Forget it when I was drinking, with no brakes, my demons often revealed themselves.
Looking back, giving it all up in my younger thirties, quitting partying, quitting using woman in relationships to fill what I was lacking, getting honest with myself, and working on myself was a blessing and saved me years of living more blindly.
I had to learn to listen and acknowledge, despite being well read and having lived by thirty more than a lot of people do their entire lives, I didn’t always have the answers. There was room to grow. Having kids helped me see what was real, what wasn’t that stole energy and what kind of example I wanted to be. I grew up, a second, third… time – and still am growing. I try to maintain a zen mind, beginner’s mind about it all.
But for the grace of God go I
Actors I admire because they seem to have avoided these traps themselves, with much more fame and money than I had to contend with.
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Duncan Fleming
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Beauty Lost
Beauty never dies
…but the individual can lose it
Look at Madonna
Claiming self actualization
Without attainment
…the oldest diversion in the book
Able to talk the spiritual talk
Hire teachers from my own tradition
That she could be a guide to anyone
Delusion
…blinded by her arrogance and fame
Years of promoting promiscuity to the youth
Sold to women as freedom and liberation
Entangled her soul
Fed the demons pulling her strings well
Evidenced in her own self mutilation
We cannot hide our behaviors
Defiance to men, Saturn and the Sun
…as if men do not also carry the moon and understand the dark
…as if the Sun is not the source of its illumination
…as if their wisdom denied – yields any virtue
It only leaves calamity for the rebellious
For the spoiled child
The tragic irony
The beauty she clutched has slipped away
Painted on her contorted, defiled face for all to witness
Redemption?
I am not the final judge
My earnest sacrifices gaining a view
From my lowly accent and perch
Clearly looking down at her poor choices
It seems unlikely while she is in this form
Beauty Lost
The life well lived is plain for all to see
The natural beauty radiates eternal
And no amount of wear and tear
No amount of years and weather
Can hide what is REAL
He loves you
Again, who am I to judge
So I will not say but ask:
You, clearly have work on yourself to do
Are you using him as a placeholder?
Are you just infatuated with his infatuation for you?
Are you using him, knowing his heart is on the line, as a safe shelter from facing yourself?
Just another human, drug, behavior to fill the hole?
If my questions are off – my apologies
If your intentions are true friendship, I wish nothing but blessings for you and him
He is a good man
It is clear for all to see, he wants more
If he accepts and is aware of the situation, it is his choice to hang on
Forgive my trespasse for thinking both of you are fooling yourselves
I truly am not privy to direct communication on the matter
My intuition and assumptions are all I have to go by
Choices and taking the easy route have consequences
Playing with another’s soul to satiate one’s own is evidence of a child that has not attained much at all
That is still ruled by demons and addictions
With all love and compassion
Stop trying to prematurely inspire others
When you do not possess the next level of a gift to give
You have had lessons of the past
Attainments of youth
Your charity and journey are not in vain
Coming on 34, you can and should aspire for a higher foothold
To progress you have to, in your heart, let past accomplishments go
Face character defects and past trauma you have not yet undone
Gain the humility to understand your ego cannot get you to the next level
…and accept and adopt a posture that
You know nothing
Surrender
Every gift you were given, your beauty
Is on the line
Stop feeding off of premature accolades
Stop absorbing media that is base and corrosive
That props up and feeds your ego and subconscious desires
…be willing to suffer and do the work
Take these words seriously
I’ve had visions of the older wiser you
…living in grace and propagating inner beauty
Do not throw it away like Madonna
It matters
…and I care
REAL beauty is eternal and can be held on to
As long as you are willing to sacrifice and grow
Let go of yesterday’s wisdom
…and guard and protect your inner light
From your own demons
I do not possess your answers
Earnestly ask your higher self and God
…and the path will be revealed
I have faith and belief you will be victorious
That you will pass on your gift, once cultivated, to many others
You will inspire and light the way for those that need it
I look forward to witnessing that and it would bring me immense joy
Patience and determination will be your strength and chariot
You are loved ❤️
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The Mockery of True Beauty
Want to break real boundaries, limits? Blow past real barriers? Show real courage?
Stop selling and perpetuating the conditioning and conformity to other women (and some men) that they have to buy products to smear on their faces to look good and that REAL beauty comes from inside. That they don’ t have to be another court jester following the herd.
Definitely stop teaching them and normalizing injecting nasty foreign substances into their faces and cutting themselves up with procedures in order to be of value. A healthy person would go crazy walking around with crap stuffed under their skin. Like puss from a pimple they would want to get it out! It seems a sign of mental illness. So unnatural. So obvious. So disgusting. Max Vanity!
It’s always these people with such low self worth projecting to others about confidence. Over preaching about how much they are winners, trend setters, and framing others as in their shadow wanting to be like them. The aware can easily see the mockery. REAL lions do not need to roar. I truly do have compassion and feel sorry for such lost souls. They have been sold a bag of lies.
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WHO CARES?
I wouldn’t wish fame on anyone. The inflated ego seems to be part of the territory. No gratitude, no humility; just “look what I ‘manifested’ all by myself”. Then the virtue signaling as if everyone else would want the same, but just don’t believe in themselves enough and need their guidance!
Using the fruits of this country while shitting on brave heroes, doing real work, that are risking their lives to remove dangerous criminals that disrespected our laws and came in illegally!
Sucking energy from countless automatons spell bound from illusions. Drunk on themselves and their mindless followers. The ego cannot manifest anything, but sure likes to take the credit. Just like low IQ people parrot what you teach them as their own.
You would think they built something, invented something, or cured cancer. Not that I would worship someone who did, but at least it would be more than mere entertainment. Limits? what limits? It’s a well beaten path. Selling what’s ‘in style’. Insufferable.
Just another rich pawn. A ‘shiny’ to sell sell sell.
“Dare to love” says the coward that couldn’t match the amount of direct love and gestures given to her for a year and a half! None of that was needed or required, just respect of yourself, I, and the relationship. It would be comical if it wasn’t so sad.
…there was real magic, a divine gift.
If it is hard for a rich person to get to heaven, fame must make it doubly so.
There is no envy here, only compassion. Maybe a little grudge. For I see it for what it is. I see it for what it could of been.
…and it is sad.
The only option is to Let it Go!
…feel blessed ‘Carrying her essence in my heart 𓇼’
…the REAL that I also see in her
…and trust everything has its rhyme and reason.
- signed – my ego that fell in love with her
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What if heaven is a small garden that one could tend to with their own hands. Instead of chasing the stars one would only have to look within their own backyard. The path less travelled for sure.
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The planner, The schemer, The manipulator, The presenter, The image crafter, The discontent, The controller, The satisfied, The achiever, The director
The actor
Sometimes I am engrossed in the scenes
Other times detached, observing, aware of the dynamic nature of the show
Never in my meditation has ‘The Play’ ceased
No spiritual teacher I respect ever promised it would, could, or should while in this living body
Therefore my practice is not to escape living, but to accept it
To witness the transitory nature of the ego
Understand why it does what it does
…and not be ruled by it
Through that there is mastery in surrender
…and I learn to Let Go
…and serve that which is higher than my animal desires
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“Fiction is the nature of reality” Lyam Thomas Christopher
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When I critique her, my feelings and intentions are of love
…as flawed as they can be
For her ego is my ego, her pride is my pride 🪞
When others’ do so, I want to stab them in the throat 🔪 🩸
Her crumbs are more filling
…than the best baked breads from the finest bakeries
Willingly stepping into Heaven’s oven
– again and again
The fire purifies the soul 🔥
Leaving only what is REAL
I am more content alone
Working on myself, walking this world
Serving that which is higher than my animal desires
Carrying her essence in my heart 𓇼
Than dining on another’s platter
______________________________
If a woman truly desires a man, she will directly reciprocate from the start, follow his lead on how to initiate the relationship, and not risk turning him away by her behaviors.
It is men that she feels she is settling for and are beneath her that she will play games with. Some women will seek out such a dynamic when they are ready to settle down, start a family, out of a desire to be in control. When a man rejects being treated as such, it has nothing to do with fear or him not being able to handle her, and everything to do with self respect.
I’ve been in this game a long time and I have seen the same patterns play out again and again. Requiring a woman respect herself and you in a relationship is not insecurity, it is leadership.
Never settle for a woman that thinks she is settling for you.
jamesnines.com 