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July 14 - July 23, 2023
Evil can be transformed into good, and vice versa. They are completely organic things.
“I am here for my breathing; I am here for my body; I am here for my troubles, for my depression, and for my suffering.”
A flower needs water to live, and the person you love needs your presence! Your presence is the most precious gift you can give him or her. “Dear one, I am here, really here, for you.”
When you turn on the television, for instance, you run the risk ingesting harmful things, such as violence, despair, or fear. At that moment, you say to yourself with mindfulness, “I don’t need these things. I already have suffering, violence, anger, and despair in me. I refuse to watch these programs. I am going to seek out things that are refreshing in nature, healing and helpful things. I will practice walking meditation; I will make contact with the blue sky, with spring, with the song of birds. I will play with my little girl, my little boy. I’ll do those kinds of things.”
The Buddha said, “The past no longer exists, and the future is not yet here.” There is only a single moment in which we can truly be alive, and that is the present moment. Being present in the here and now is our practice.
I have arrived, I am home, In the here and in the now. I am solid, I am free, In the ultimate I dwell.
In Buddhism, it is said that love and compassion are made out of one substance, which is called understanding. If you understand, you can love. But if understanding is not there, it is impossible for you to accept and love someone.
In; out. Deep; slow. Calm; ease. Smile; release.
And in your everyday life, just as you do not do violence to your breathing, do not do violence to your body, nor to your anger or depression.
the most precious gift you can give to your loved one is your true presence, with body and mind united in solidity and freedom.
In true love, there is no place for pride.
When you do that, the Buddha does it at the same time with you, because the Buddha is in you. All of us practice this mantra along with you—you have the support of the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha in uttering these words.
“Are you sure of your perceptions?”
Stopping is peace. Stopping is happiness. Buddhist meditation consists of stopping and looking deeply, samatha and vipasyana. Deep looking helps you to stop, and stopping helps you to look deeply.
You will not have to defend Buddhism; you will not have to die for Buddhism. Buddhism has no need for martyrs.
If nirvana is a concept to you, then you are a prisoner. Burn nirvana, burn impermanence, and burn non-self if they ever become concepts!
We have to wake up! We have to make it possible for the moment of awareness to manifest. This is the practice that will save us—this is the revolution.
We are not prisoners of our senses. We are not prisoners of our bodies or our minds. We must become free of our body and free of our mind.
