There was never a child so lovely but his mother was glad to get him to sleep.
I define joy as a sustained sense of well-being and internal peace - a connection to what matters.
Each day provides its own gifts
A man who has not passed through the inferno of his passions has never overcome them.
Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me, and I may not like you.
Ignore me, and I may not forgive you. Encourage me, and I may not forget you.
No dead principles can help, but only living consciousness. Be absolutely unprincipled and just follow life.
The constant assertion of belief is an indication of fear.
To transform breakdowns into breakthroughs is the whole function of a master. The psychotherapist simply patches you up. That is his function. He is not there to transform you. You need a meta-psychology, the psychology of the buddhas.
It is the greatest adventure in life to go through a breakdown consciously. It is the greatest risk because there is no guarantee that the breakdown will become a breakthrough. It does become, but these things cannot be guaranteed. Your chaos is very ancient - for many, many lives you have been in chaos. It is thick and dense. It is almost a universe in itself. So when you enter into it with your small capacity, of course there is danger. But without facing this danger nobody has ever become integrated, nobody has ever become an individual, indivisible.
Zen, or meditation, is the method which will help you to go through the chaos, through the dark night of the soul, balanced, disciplined, alert. The dawn is not far away, but before you can reach the dawn, the dark night has to be passed through. And as the dawn comes closer, the night will become darker.
Consider the postage stamp; its usefulness lies in the ability to stick to one thing till it gets there.
What you cannot enforce, do not command.
I try to learn from the past, but I plan for the future by focusing exclusively on the present. That's were the fun is.
We must all hear the universal call to like your neighbor like you like to be liked yourself.
The less you open your heart to others, the more your heart suffers.
When you love someone,
all your saved-up wishes start coming out.
There is benefit for you in every situation. If, that is, you know how to look for it. The idea behind steady spiritual progress is to see every circumstance and situation (particularly those that challenge you) as a tailor-made lesson in your personal plan for self-development. For example, in a situation where hurtful or angry words were exchanged, why not see it as the chance either to perceive things about your own character which need changing or to rehearse some virtue or quality that you need to put into practice more often? Actually, we should be grateful for the opportunity to evaluate ourselves. In this way you can transform anything into a constructive lesson. Never think that you've learned enough and now can stop. You should love it when people try to correct you or give you advice. It keeps you alert and gives you plenty of opportunity to put your truth into practice. It's a sign of great danger to be unable to accept criticism and instead use your understanding to criticise others. Realise deeply the significance of every moment, and your spiritual progress will be assured.
