Spiritual Wisdom

Most people hold on to the past, look forward to the future, and do not embrace the present. Only those who can appreciate what they have now live fully.

Heart Sutra

Spiritual Wisdom

Watchfulness is the path of immortality:
unwatchfulness is the path of death.
Those who are watchful never die:
those who do not watch are already as dead.

The Dhammapada

Spiritual Wisdom

The universe is deathless
because having no finite self it stays infinite.
A man by never being an end in himself
he endlessly becomes himself

Lao Tzu

Food for Thought

If you know your own worth
what need you care about
the acceptance or rejection of others?

Dharma

Beautiful!

Is there a way you can learn to slow down and experience yourself more fully, your life more deeply, and other people in the present moment without adopting a new religious or philosophical ideology? Clark Strand answers with a clear and simple "yes!" Short, compelling reflections show you how to make meditation a part of your daily life, without the complication of gurus, mantras, retreats, or treks to distant monasteries.  What is the proper way to breathe? Where should I meditate? What should I sit on? How often should I practice? You’ll find the answers surprising as Strand breaks down modern-day stereotypes about meditation and leaves the one thing a successful meditation practice truly needs: you.

“Happiness does not come from having much, but from being attached to little.” -Cheng Yen

You can’t hold onto this moment. You can fill with whatever you choose–people, places, things, and dreams. But the only thing that’s certain in life is that the next moment is uncertain. Sometimes it will look a lot like the one before; sometimes it will look completely different.

You can never predict what you’ll gain and lose. That doesn’t have to be frightening–not if you use this as motivation to fully experience and enjoy what’s in front of you.

Notice the joy in your day instead of dwelling on yesterday’s pain. Experience the beauty of the world around you instead of worrying it won’t be there tomorrow. Give yourself credit for all that you’ve done instead of questioning whether it’s enough. Appreciate and enjoy the people you love instead of drowning in petty dramas.

Live this moment like it’s a gift, not a given and then embrace the next one.

This moment will never come again, and it’s yours to fully enjoy.

TinyBuddha

Spiritual Wisdom

Stillness can not be grasped. But, it can be uncovered as a descriptive orientation pointing to the Infinite.

Online Meditation

Visit our online meditation site, which also has videos on introduction to meditation. Since it is still in beta let me hear your feedback!  Enjoy Online Meditation

Detach Yourself From the Body

Your body is nothing but existence come to you, existence reached to you. It is the nearest existence to you, that’s all. Your body is just the nearest corner of it, and then the whole existence is there ― it goes on spreading. Once your attachment is not there, there is no body to you; or, the whole existence has become your body. You are everywhere.

In the body you are somewhere; without the body you are everywhere. In the body you are confined to a particular space; without the body you have no confinement. That’s why those who have known, they say the body is the imprisonment. Not that the body is the imprisonment; really, the attachment to it is the imprisonment. Once your eyes are not focused on the body, you are everywhere.

Whenever the body is forgotten, it is tossed aside unknowingly, unconsciously, joy happens to you. Through Tantra and Yoga you can do it methodologically. Then it is not an accident; then you are the master of it. Then it is not happening to you; then you have the key in your hands and you can open the door whenever you want. Or, you can open the door forever and throw away the key; no need to close the door again.

Joy happens in ordinary life also, but you don’t know how it happens. The happening is always when you are not the body ― remember this. So whenever you again feel any moment of joy, become aware of whether you are the body in that moment or not. You will not be. Whenever joy is, the body is not. Not that the body disappears ― the body remains, but you are not attached to it. You are not attached to it, you are not tethered to it. You have jumped out.

You may have jumped out because of music, you may have jumped out because of a beautiful sunrise, you may have jumped out because a child was laughing, you may have jumped out because you were in love. Whatsoever the cause, but you have jumped out for a moment ― out of the body. The body is there, but tossed aside; you are not attached to it. You have taken a flight.

Through this technique, you know that one who is everywhere cannot be miserable; he is joyous, he is joy. So the more you become confined, the more miserable. Expand, push your boundaries away, and whenever you can, leave the body aside. You look in the sky and clouds are floating: move with the clouds, leave the body here on the earth. And the moon is there: move with the moon. Whenever you can forget the body, don’t miss the opportunity ― go on a journey. And then you will become accustomed to what it means to be out of the body.

To be in the body, your attention is needed to be there. So remember it ― wherever your attention is, you are there. If your attention is in the clouds, you are there. If your attention is in the flower, you are there. If your attention is in money, you are there. Your attention is your being. And if your attention is nowhere, you are everywhere.

The whole process of meditation is to be in such a state of consciousness where your attention is nowhere, there is no object to it. When there is no object to it, there is no body to you. Your attention creates the body. Your attention is your body. And when attention is nowhere, you are everywhere ― joy happens to you. It is not good to say that it happens to you ― you are it. It cannot leave you now; it is your very being.

Osho: Excerpted from The Book of Secrets

“When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” -Lao Tzu

Somewhere along the lines, we’ve gotten it into our heads that a full life involves abundance. We’re told to visualize it, fixate on it, and open up to receiving it because we deserve it and we can have it.

The missing part of that equation is whether or not excess will actually make us happy. The answer is no–not if you weren’t already happy–because happiness is an inside job.

Research actually shows the human brain becomes conditioned to positive experiences, meaning once the initial high of receiving wears off, your mood will return to its baseline–even if you won the lottery.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with wanting. If the world was free from desire, there would be no positive change. What’s important is to realize you can experience peace and joy without attaching to the things you want. That there is nothing lacking in this moment that makes it unworthy of happiness.
What can you do to enjoy this moment, in all its fullness?

TinyBuddha

Still Waters

the storm has passed, there is calm and serenity once more.....
waves crash on the surface, blue grey and salty,
while deep down in the profound spaces of the ocean
within, there is a soul that surrenders and floats
in gratitude, knowing that sometime soon,
perhaps it will find itself in turbulent tempests
again, and yet, it will not matter, for what is will remain,
indestructible, unborn and undying, eternal, beyond
the coming and the going, the making and the unmaking,
of lakes, rivers and ponds, and the moon will reflect
in still waters, under a star-filled night.......
Neeta Bali

“Stress is caused by being ‘here’ but wanting to be ‘there.”‘ -Eckhart Tolle

There will always be the possibility of a tomorrow that could be better than today. Tomorrow you might be more satisfied with your work. Or maybe you’ll be more comfortable financially. Or happier in your relationship.

There’s always going to be a there that sounds like a fantasy–someday when you’ve gotten what you want.

You could easily wrap your whole life around the promise of getting there and tie your emotions to the illusion of getting closer. You could stress out if you don’t think you’re making progress or feel frustrated that you haven’t seen enough results. You could complain to people about feeling stuck and dwell on how much better things would be if only you could get there.

You could do all of that–if you want to choose unhappiness. Because this moment, right now, is your life. And where you are is where you have an opportunity to be happy. Not tomorrow, not where you’ll be then–but right now, in this time and place.

You can fight it and feel stressed or let go and feel peace.

That doesn’t mean you can’t strive for things you want. It just means you’ve realized getting where you want to be doesn’t require you to feel pain where you are.

Dig your heels in and take a deep breath. You are here. Here is your chance to find and experience joy.

www.tinybuddha.com

Spiritual Thought

"May every soul that touches mine, be it the slightest contact, get therefrom some good, some little glance, one kindly thought, one aspiration yet unfelt, one bit of courage for the darkening sky. One gleam of faith to brave the thickening ills of life, one glimpse of brighter skies beyond the gathering mists to make this life worthwhile. "
-George Eliot

I'll be happy....if only......

if only i had this,
if only i had that,
if only he's said this,
if only she'd not said that,
i wish it was different,
i wish i was elsewhere,
i wish the world was a better place,
i wish everyone would care,
i want sunshine and not rain,
i want some heat and not cold,
i want my own place in the sun,
i want as i want it to unfold,
i need more than i have now,
i need to travel and explore,
i need to learn and express,
i need to have more and more,
i'll be happy if i get a house,
i'll be happy with a new car,
i'll be happy if i find love,
i'll be happy if i become a star,
if only i was slimmer,
if only i was pretty,
if only i was clever,
if only i was witty,

if only, i wish, i need, i hope,
i want, i yearn, i long, i ache,
i'll be happy, if only, if only,
everything happened my way.....

a white cloud passing by,
got fed up with my chatter,
gave me a caress on my face,
woke me to what matters.....

right here, right now,
what is, just is,
all is perfect,
like this or like this.....

nothing to get,
nowhere to be,
to accept this "what is"

is the only key......

Neeta Bali

No-Thought for the Day

Judgment is ugly — it hurts people. On the one hand you go on hurting them, and wounding them, and on the other hand you want their love, their respect.It is impossible. You love them, respect them, and perhaps your love and respect may help them to change many of their weaknesses, many of their failures — because love will give them new energy, a new meaning, a new strength. OSHO

Spirituality in Business?

Our spirituality drives our entire direction in life, including our work life. Leaders that have a solid spiritual foundation tend to make the correct ethical choices at work and tend to take selfishness out of the equation.

Robert A. Marchello

Meditation, why?

Meditation is first learning how just to be, secondly learning through your daily actions to keep yourself centered.

Dharma

“If you correct your mind, the rest of your life will fall into place.” -Lao Tzu

You’re stuck.

We’ve all been there. Even the things that normally make you happy begin to bring you down. Worst of all, you can’t seem to understand why.

So you give it time, let it take its course, and just when you think you’ve escaped the funk, something drags you back in. You know it’s happening, but you can’t stop from slipping back under.

What’s happening here is simple. Something—be it your job, peers, or general lifestyle— is contaminating your mind. You’ve lost track of the calmness you know you possess, and it’s like your mind’s been tricked. You’re stuck in a painful and decisive delusion that causes everything to be toxic.

It’s time to wake up. Seriously, the snooze button is off-limits.

You only come to find yourself in these types of negative situations because you’ve let your mind take control. It may seem like other people and circumstances are to blame, but everyone is responsible for their own mental state. Life will never stop throwing you curve balls. The only solution is to change how you internalize and deal with them.

Since completely escaping your mind may seem a bit radical, at the very least, you must correct your thinking.

Our minds are like oceans. Like the tides, thoughts come in and then retreat back. When your mind is stuck, the ebb and flow of your thoughts are all negative. Each new thought process makes the negativity even stronger, creating a snowball effect.

Luckily there is a solution, and you innately have it.

Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras suggests that there is a jewel of pure consciousness within each of us that is waiting to shine through the clouded mind. By intentionally concentrating away from negativity, and instead focusing the flow of thought on something pure, that jewel will become apparent.

Even if you have to fake it at first, you can teach your mind to ignore negative thoughts. The mind works both ways; the flow of thought can be a snowball of positive energy too.

This being said, I invite you to give meditation a try, even if you think it’s not for you. Stretch a little first to loosen your muscles and connect with your body. Sit in a position that’s comfortable for you and take a few deep breaths–or as I like to say, reboot your mind.

When you reboot your mind, you are clear of the past, empty of regrets, and focused on something positive. You’re simply present, connected and peaceful in the moment.

Don’t stress if your mind starts to wander while you’re meditating. Just notice it and pull yourself back to a place of awareness. It helps to focus on a specific point or place so that your meditation practice is an active experience. This place, or the inner-jewel, varies between us all, so it is up to you to find your own. By focusing upon this inner-treasure, your mind will feel less inclined to go down a negative path.

If you find yourself struggling to find this place, meditate on the sun, moon, or water. Pretty soon, this type of meditation will teach you your own unique meditative dance. You’ll feel less easily pulled into a funk when things go wrong outside you, and positive energy will seem more natural.

By learning to live in absorption of this meditative place, you’ll help your problems slowly dissipate. Your funk will fade into a sense of peace that you can nurture every day by connecting with body and your breath.

Andrew Deitrick (TinyBuddha) 

Meditation Thought

Physical experience is the leading edge of thought. The furtherest extension of that thought. You are not at the beginning. You are here on the leading edge, living the manifestation of thought. And as you expose yourself to the contrast within the manifestation, you don new desires which then summons the Life Force.

--- Abraham

The Bamboo Tree

Applies to a lot of situations in life, as well as to meditation!

When the voice and the vision on the inside become more profound, more clear and louder than the opinions on the outside, then you have mastered your life. ~Dr John DeMartini, Philosopher from The Secret

You are loved. All is well.

We would like you to release the word "achieve" or "earn" from your vocabulary and from your understanding, altogether, and we would like you to replace those words with the word "allow". You're wanting to allow your Well-being, not achieve it. It's not something that you need to earn. All you have to do is decide what it is you would like to experience, and then allow it in order to achieve it. It isn't something you have to struggle for or try for. You are all worthy beings. You are deserving of this Well-being.

--- Abraham

Rushing into action, you fail.Trying to grasp things, you lose them.Forcing a project to completion, you ruin what was almost ripe.Therefore the Master takes action by letting things take their course.Lao Tzu 

No-Thought for the Day : Life is a verb. Life is not a noun, it is really "living" not "life." It is not love, it is loving. It is not relationship, it is relating. It is not a song, it is singing. It is not a dance, it is dancing. See the difference, savor the difference. OSHO