Not so long ago people believed in ideologies, systems, and institutions to save all societies. Today, they have given up such hopes and have returned to relying on the individual, on individual freedom,individual initiative, individual creativity.
When in doubt, don't.
Only when we find the quietness in our own minds can we begin to hear our inner teacher, so that we may receive some in-tuition. Only when we are ready to recognise and value the wisdom that we carry at the core of our being will we turn our attention inwards and 'listen in'. But it's been a long time since we truly listened, so a little practice and patience will be needed. Sit down, be quiet and listen in at some point today and you might be surprised at what you hear. Then do it again tomorrow. All you need to do is remember that you are the listener and not the noise.
If you ever find yourself defending a position or justifying anything, it means you have been defeated. It means you have not been able to accept the others point of view, or the fact that you may be wrong. Fear has conquered your mind and your heart. Your defences are up and you are running scared. It's not that the other person has conquered you, it's the self-created fear that is in control. Until you can accept the other (you don't have to agree) and you are not threatened by the other, your victories will be delayed. It's a funny old world when true winning is accepting not resisting, when victory is found in the wisdom to stop fighting and to begin engaging.
To be loved, be lovable.
I reject any path which rejects life, but I can't help loving Sufism because it sounds so beautiful. It gives relief in the midst of battle.
A beautiful form is better than a beautiful face; it gives a higher pleasure than statues or pictures; it is the finest of the fine arts.
Religion is about turning untested belief into unshakable truth through the power of institutions and the passage of time.
If we recognize that all inner and outer effects or results in our lives have causes which can be found within ourselves, then we understand karma or the law of sowing and reaping. If we are aware that we have just awoken to this law, and that we are consciously live with this law in our awareness we will also be aware that we were asleep to this law before - perhaps for a long time, possibly many births. It is therefore highly likely we tried to break the law. What we did not know was we cannot break this law. We cannot take anything without having to pay it back at some future stage. We may receive but we may not take - there is a difference. If we have taken then we must payback. Any form of pain or discomfort - mental, emotional or physical - means it is payback time. The universal debt collector has come to knock on our door. Accounts are being settled. If you can regard all pain, from a bump on the head to an emotional crisis, as the settling of a debt, you will be using the oldest wisdom to respond to life in the most enlightened way. The destination, once all accounts are settled, and all debts paid, is true peace and real freedom. Peace of mind and freedom from all pain.
To climb upwards will be easier if you take others with you
It is better to make use of a chance to change than to try and change your chances.
Innumerable voices have been asserting for some time now that human society is passing through a crisis, that its stability has been gravely shattered. It is characteristic of such a situation that individuals feel indifferent or even hostile toward the group, small or large, to which they belong. In order to illustrate my meaning, let me record here a personal experience. I recently discussed with an intelligent and well-disposed man the threat of another war, which in my opinion would seriously endanger the existence of mankind, and I remarked that only a supranational organization would offer protection from that danger. Thereupon my visitor, very calmly and coolly, said to me: "Why are you so deeply opposed to the disappearance of the human race?
A man's delight in looking forward to and hoping for some particular satisfaction is a part of the pleasure flowing out of it, enjoyed in advance. But this is afterward deducted, for the more we look forward to anything the less we enjoy it when it comes.
Ignorance is the curse of God; knowledge is the wing wherewith we fly to heaven.
Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it.
