There can be hope only for a society which acts as one big family, not as many separate ones.
Anwar el Sadat
WE WILL HELP YOU BECOME WHO YOU WANT TO BE.
What is conducive to the good
Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. 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.
Guatama Buddha
Guatama Buddha
One life
Behind us all is one spirit and one life; how then can we be happy if our neighbor is not also happy?
Hazrat Inayat Khan
Hazrat Inayat Khan
Jesus Christ
I recognize Jesus Christ not only as an unparalleled prophet and the beloved Son of God but also as a supreme oneness-friend of mankind. What he did, what he is doing and what he will be doing is far beyond the domains of history, society and certain levels of spirituality.
As the beloved Son of God, Jesus Christ came into the world to become part and parcel of earth’s existence, and to transform its consciousness from human to divine. True, his mortal years numbered a mere thirty-three, but birthless and deathless is his immortal sacrifice for Heaven and earth.”
Sri Chinmoy
As the beloved Son of God, Jesus Christ came into the world to become part and parcel of earth’s existence, and to transform its consciousness from human to divine. True, his mortal years numbered a mere thirty-three, but birthless and deathless is his immortal sacrifice for Heaven and earth.”
Sri Chinmoy
Blessed are...
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
(Matthew 5.3-12 ESV)
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
(Matthew 5.3-12 ESV)
Abundance
Abundance can be had simply by consciously receiving what already has been given.
Sufi Saying
Sufi Saying
Simplification of life
The simplification of life is one of the steps to inner peace. A persistent simplification will create an inner and
outer well-being that places harmony in one's life.
Peace Pilgrim
outer well-being that places harmony in one's life.
Peace Pilgrim
Measure of health
It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.
Krishnamurti
Krishnamurti
Rejoice
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4: 4-7
Philippians 4: 4-7
The present
"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery. And today? Today is a gift. That's why we call it the present."
-- B. Olatunji
-- B. Olatunji
Spiritual beings
We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience.
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
Prayer of St. Francis (for the second time)
Prayer of St Francis of Assisi
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is Hatred, let me sow Love.
Where there is Injury, Pardon.
Where there is Doubt, Faith.
Where there is Despair, Hope.
Where there is Darkness, Light, and
Where there is Sadness, Joy.
O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much
seek to be consoled as to console;
To be understood, as to understand;
To be loved, as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
And it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is Hatred, let me sow Love.
Where there is Injury, Pardon.
Where there is Doubt, Faith.
Where there is Despair, Hope.
Where there is Darkness, Light, and
Where there is Sadness, Joy.
O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much
seek to be consoled as to console;
To be understood, as to understand;
To be loved, as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
And it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
Honor the now
Honor the now and any form that comes and goes with it. If you honor the now, whatever form this takes is also honored.
Eckhart Tolle
Eckhart Tolle
Miracle of a flower
If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change.
Gautama Buddha
Gautama Buddha
The inner learning creature
You are led in your lifetime by the inner learning creature, the playful, spiritual being that is your real self.
Don't turn away from possible futures before you're certain you don't have anything to learn from them.
You are always free to change your mind and choose a different future, or a different past.
Richard Bach
Don't turn away from possible futures before you're certain you don't have anything to learn from them.
You are always free to change your mind and choose a different future, or a different past.
Richard Bach
Peace
Peace is not a relationship of nations. It is a condition of mind brought about by a serenity of soul. Peace is not merely the absence of war. It is also a state of mind. Lasting peace can come only to peaceful people. ~
Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru
Humility
Humility is the only true wisdom by which we prepare our minds for all the possible changes of life.
George Arliss
George Arliss
This everlasting living soul
The first thing which I can record concerning myself is, that
I was born. These are wonderful words. This life, to which
neither time nor eternity can bring diminution -- this
everlasting living soul, began. My mind loses itself in these
depths.
Groucho Marx
I was born. These are wonderful words. This life, to which
neither time nor eternity can bring diminution -- this
everlasting living soul, began. My mind loses itself in these
depths.
Groucho Marx
Nature
The least movement is of importance to all nature. The entire ocean is affected by a pebble.
Blaise Pascal
Blaise Pascal
Thank you
If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice.
Meister Eckhart
Meister Eckhart
Responsibility
If it's never our fault, we can't take responsibility for it.
If we can't take responsibility for it, we'll always be its victim.
Richard Bach
If we can't take responsibility for it, we'll always be its victim.
Richard Bach
Generosity
You have not lived until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.
Anonymous
Anonymous
A happier you
A Happier You
By Eckhart Tolle
Don't seek happiness. If you seek it, you won't find it, because seeking is the antithesis of happiness. Happiness is ever elusive, but freedom from unhappiness is attainable now, by facing what is rather than making up stories about it.
1. The primary cause of unhappiness is never the situation but your thoughts about it. Be aware of the thoughts you are thinking. Separate them from the situation, which is always neutral, which always is as it is. There is the situation or the fact, and here are my thoughts about it. Instead of making up stories, stay with the facts. For example, "I am ruined" is a story. It limits you and prevents you from taking effective action. "I have 50 cents left in my bank account" is a fact. Facing facts is always empowering.
2. See if you can catch the voice in your head, perhaps in the very moment it complains about something, and recognize it for what it is: the voice of the ego, no more than a thought. Whenever you notice that voice, you will also realize that you are not the voice, but the one who is aware of it. In fact, you are the awareness that is aware of the voice. In the background, there is the awareness. In the foreground, there is the voice, the thinker. In this way you are becoming free of the ego, free of the unobserved mind.
3. Wherever you look, there is plenty of circumstantial evidence for the reality of time—a rotting apple, your face in the bathroom mirror compared with your face in a photo taken 30 years ago—yet you never find any direct evidence, you never experience time itself. You only ever experience the present moment.
4. Why do anxiety, stress, or negativity arise? Because you turned away from the present moment. And why did you do that? You thought something else was more important. One small error, one misperception, creates a world of suffering.
5. People believe themselves to be dependent on what happens for their happiness. They don't realize that what happens is the most unstable thing in the universe. It changes constantly. They look upon the present moment as either marred by something that has happened and shouldn't have or as deficient because of something that has not happened but should have. And so they miss the deeper perfection that is inherent in life itself, a perfection that lies beyond what is happening or not happening. Accept the present moment and find the perfection that is untouched by time.
6. The more shared past there is in a relationship, the more present you need to be; otherwise, you will be forced to relive the past again and again.
7. Equating the physical body with "I," the body that is destined to grow old, wither, and die, always leads to suffering. To refrain from identifying with the body doesn't mean that you no longer care for it. If it is strong, beautiful, or vigorous, you can appreciate those attributes—while they last. You can also improve the body's condition through nutrition and exercise. If you don't equate the body with who you are, when beauty fades, vigor diminishes, or the body becomes incapacitated, this will not affect your sense of worth or identity in any way. In fact, as the body begins to weaken, the light of consciousness can shine more easily.
8. You do not become good by trying to be good, but by finding the goodness that is already within you and allowing that goodness to emerge.
9. If peace is really what you want, then you will choose peace.
Exerpted from Oneness with All Life by Eckhart Tolle. Published by arrangement with Dutton, a member of Penguin Group (USA), Inc. Copywright © 2008 by Eckhart Tolle
By Eckhart Tolle
Don't seek happiness. If you seek it, you won't find it, because seeking is the antithesis of happiness. Happiness is ever elusive, but freedom from unhappiness is attainable now, by facing what is rather than making up stories about it.
1. The primary cause of unhappiness is never the situation but your thoughts about it. Be aware of the thoughts you are thinking. Separate them from the situation, which is always neutral, which always is as it is. There is the situation or the fact, and here are my thoughts about it. Instead of making up stories, stay with the facts. For example, "I am ruined" is a story. It limits you and prevents you from taking effective action. "I have 50 cents left in my bank account" is a fact. Facing facts is always empowering.
2. See if you can catch the voice in your head, perhaps in the very moment it complains about something, and recognize it for what it is: the voice of the ego, no more than a thought. Whenever you notice that voice, you will also realize that you are not the voice, but the one who is aware of it. In fact, you are the awareness that is aware of the voice. In the background, there is the awareness. In the foreground, there is the voice, the thinker. In this way you are becoming free of the ego, free of the unobserved mind.
3. Wherever you look, there is plenty of circumstantial evidence for the reality of time—a rotting apple, your face in the bathroom mirror compared with your face in a photo taken 30 years ago—yet you never find any direct evidence, you never experience time itself. You only ever experience the present moment.
4. Why do anxiety, stress, or negativity arise? Because you turned away from the present moment. And why did you do that? You thought something else was more important. One small error, one misperception, creates a world of suffering.
5. People believe themselves to be dependent on what happens for their happiness. They don't realize that what happens is the most unstable thing in the universe. It changes constantly. They look upon the present moment as either marred by something that has happened and shouldn't have or as deficient because of something that has not happened but should have. And so they miss the deeper perfection that is inherent in life itself, a perfection that lies beyond what is happening or not happening. Accept the present moment and find the perfection that is untouched by time.
6. The more shared past there is in a relationship, the more present you need to be; otherwise, you will be forced to relive the past again and again.
7. Equating the physical body with "I," the body that is destined to grow old, wither, and die, always leads to suffering. To refrain from identifying with the body doesn't mean that you no longer care for it. If it is strong, beautiful, or vigorous, you can appreciate those attributes—while they last. You can also improve the body's condition through nutrition and exercise. If you don't equate the body with who you are, when beauty fades, vigor diminishes, or the body becomes incapacitated, this will not affect your sense of worth or identity in any way. In fact, as the body begins to weaken, the light of consciousness can shine more easily.
8. You do not become good by trying to be good, but by finding the goodness that is already within you and allowing that goodness to emerge.
9. If peace is really what you want, then you will choose peace.
Exerpted from Oneness with All Life by Eckhart Tolle. Published by arrangement with Dutton, a member of Penguin Group (USA), Inc. Copywright © 2008 by Eckhart Tolle
Say yes to what is
The shift in consciousness happens the moment you say 'yes' to what is, because the entire structure of the egoic mind-made self lives on resistance and opposition and on making the now into an enemy. The beautiful thing is that we can step out of thousands of years of collective conditioning, without needing more time to step out of it.
Eckhart Tolle
Eckhart Tolle
Measure of darkness
Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness,
and the word happy would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness.
Carl Jung
and the word happy would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness.
Carl Jung
Ignorance
The recipe for perpetual ignorance is: be satisfied with your opinions and content with your knowledge.
Elbert Hubbard
Elbert Hubbard
Keep a calm spirit
Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.
Saint Francis de Sales
Saint Francis de Sales
The Center
In the course of our lifetime, our personalities are to be transformed and reorganized in such a way that the Ego with its ambitions and goals is no longer the main reference point. Indeed, the guiding element in our personality is to be the will of God, which in psychological language, we call the Self or Center.
John Sanford
John Sanford
What do you carry?
A man sees in the world what he carries in his heart.
Johann Wolfgang Goethe, from "Faust"
Johann Wolfgang Goethe, from "Faust"
Anger
If you are patient in one moment of anger, you will escape a hundred days of sorrow.
Chinese Proverb
Chinese Proverb
Lessons of life
It is not our task to solve another's problems, or take away another's pain. All lessons of life are necessary and produce growth - and therefore joy.
Letters from the Cosmos
Letters from the Cosmos
Our presence liberates others
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn't serve the world.
There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so
that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We are born to make manifest the glory of God [the Spirit] that is within us.
It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other
people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.
Marianne Williamson
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn't serve the world.
There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so
that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We are born to make manifest the glory of God [the Spirit] that is within us.
It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other
people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.
Marianne Williamson
Roles
If we can give up attachment to our roles as helpers, then maybe our clients can give up attachment to their roles as patients and we can meet as fellow souls on this incredible journey. We can fulfill the duties of our roles without being trapped by over-identification with them.
Ram Dass
Ram Dass
The Guest House
This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
even if they're a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably,
She may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.
Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.
Rumi
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
even if they're a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably,
She may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.
Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.
Rumi
Soul work
The aim of soul work is not adjustment to accepted norms or a statistical framework. The goal is a richly elaborated life connected to society and nature. The idea is not to be superficially adjusted, but to be profoundly connected in the heart.
Thomas Moore
Thomas Moore
The Kingdom of Heaven
'Blessed are the poor in spirit,' Jesus said, 'for theirs will be the kindom of heaven.' What does 'poor in spirit' mean? No inner baggage, no identifications. Not with things, nor with and mental concepts that have a sense of self in them. And what is the 'kingdom of heaven'? The simple but profound joy of Being that is there when you let go of identifcations and so become 'poor in spirit.'
Eckhart Tolle
It is hard to understand what 'The Kingdom of Heaven is within you' really means. This is beause it is not understandable to the ego, which interprets it as if something outside is inside, and this does not mean anything. The word 'within' is unnecessary. The Kingdom of Heaven is you. What else but you did the Creator create, and what else but you is His Kingdom? This is the whole message of the Atonement; a message which in its totality transcends the sum of its parts. You, too, have a Kingdom that your spirit created. It has not ceased to create because of the ego's illusions. Your creations are no more fatherless than you are. Your ego and you spirit will never be co-creators, but your spirit and your Creator will always be. Be confident that your spirit and your Creator will always be. Be confident that your creations are as safe as you are.
A Course in Miracles
Eckhart Tolle
It is hard to understand what 'The Kingdom of Heaven is within you' really means. This is beause it is not understandable to the ego, which interprets it as if something outside is inside, and this does not mean anything. The word 'within' is unnecessary. The Kingdom of Heaven is you. What else but you did the Creator create, and what else but you is His Kingdom? This is the whole message of the Atonement; a message which in its totality transcends the sum of its parts. You, too, have a Kingdom that your spirit created. It has not ceased to create because of the ego's illusions. Your creations are no more fatherless than you are. Your ego and you spirit will never be co-creators, but your spirit and your Creator will always be. Be confident that your spirit and your Creator will always be. Be confident that your creations are as safe as you are.
The Kingdom is perfectly united and perfectly
protected, and the ego will not prevail against it. Amen.
protected, and the ego will not prevail against it. Amen.
A Course in Miracles
Don't wait
As we turn inward, we realize: 'I directly affect the universe. I take direct responsibility.' Don't wait for the Guru; Don't wait for the Messiah; Don't wait for the 2nd coming. The real 'I' is here now--within. Wake up and smell the coffee!
Bob Toben & Fred Alan Wolf
Bob Toben & Fred Alan Wolf
Presence of now
Very few human beings are actually where they are, rooted in the presence of now. They are continuously reaching out for more. They're being pulled out of now, which is all there ever is - life itself. Nothing else ever exists except now.
Eckhart Tolle
Eckhart Tolle
Terry
In honor of my brother, Terry, who would be 58-years old today November 4, 1951 - March 8, 2009
THE DRAGONFLY
But, the dragonfly's new body would not go down into the water. He could not get back to tell his friends the good news. Then he understood that their time would come, when they, too, would know what he now knew. So, he raised his wings and flew off into his joyous new life!
Doris Stickney
THE DRAGONFLY
But, the dragonfly's new body would not go down into the water. He could not get back to tell his friends the good news. Then he understood that their time would come, when they, too, would know what he now knew. So, he raised his wings and flew off into his joyous new life!
Doris Stickney
Prayer of St. Francis
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
St. Francis
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
St. Francis
Planning
If you are planning for a year, sow rice.
If you are planning for a decade, plant trees.
If you are planning for a lifetime, educate people.
Chinese proverb
If you are planning for a decade, plant trees.
If you are planning for a lifetime, educate people.
Chinese proverb
Evolve as a family
My hope is that we can start talking about real issues, and not caring about whether God cares about your hemline or the color of your skin. We are here to evolve as one family, and we can't be separate anymore.
Sting
Sting
Religions of humanity
Why not let people differ about their answers to the great mysteries of the Universe? Let each seek one's own way to the highest, to one's own sense of supreme loyalty in life, one's ideal of life. Let each philosophy, each world-view bring forth its truth and beauty to a larger perspective, that people may grow in vision, stature and dedication.
The religions of humanity should be a unifying force, for all the great religions reveal a basic unity in ethics. Whether it be Judaism, Catholicism, Protestantism, Buddhism or Confucianism, all grow out of a sense of the sacredness of human life. This moral sensitivity to the sacredness of human personality -- the Commandments not to kill, not to hurt, not to put a stumbling block in the path of the blind, not to neglect the widow or the fatherless, not to exploit the servant or the worker -- all this can be found in the Bibles of humanity, in all the sacred books. All teach in substance: "Do unto others as you would that others should do unto you." There is, then, a basic unity among the great religions in the matter of ethics. True, there are religious philosophies which turn people away from the world, from the here and now, concentrating life-purposes on salvation for one's self or a mystic union with some supernatural reality. But most of the great religions agree on mercy, justice, love -- here on earth. And they agree that the great task is to move people from apathy, from an acceptance of the evils in life, to face the possibilities of the world, to make life sweet for one another instead of bitter. This is the unifying ethical task of all the religions -- yes, of all the philosophies of humankind. There is no need to force our own theological points of view upon one another or to insist that the moral life grows out of final, absolute authority.
Algernon Black
The religions of humanity should be a unifying force, for all the great religions reveal a basic unity in ethics. Whether it be Judaism, Catholicism, Protestantism, Buddhism or Confucianism, all grow out of a sense of the sacredness of human life. This moral sensitivity to the sacredness of human personality -- the Commandments not to kill, not to hurt, not to put a stumbling block in the path of the blind, not to neglect the widow or the fatherless, not to exploit the servant or the worker -- all this can be found in the Bibles of humanity, in all the sacred books. All teach in substance: "Do unto others as you would that others should do unto you." There is, then, a basic unity among the great religions in the matter of ethics. True, there are religious philosophies which turn people away from the world, from the here and now, concentrating life-purposes on salvation for one's self or a mystic union with some supernatural reality. But most of the great religions agree on mercy, justice, love -- here on earth. And they agree that the great task is to move people from apathy, from an acceptance of the evils in life, to face the possibilities of the world, to make life sweet for one another instead of bitter. This is the unifying ethical task of all the religions -- yes, of all the philosophies of humankind. There is no need to force our own theological points of view upon one another or to insist that the moral life grows out of final, absolute authority.
Algernon Black
Ecology of the whole person
The ecology of the whole person demands that the needs of the whole person be met and synchronized. When we do so, the whole architecture of the soul becomes present and the human soul emerges in its rootedness, authenticity, earthiness, and divinity.
Albert J. LaChance
Albert J. LaChance
Mission on earth
Here is the test to find whether your mission on Earth is finished: if you're alive, it isn't.
Richard Bach
Richard Bach
Ego
The ego will endure the worst agonies of neurotic misery rather than consent to one minute of diminishment of its sense of importance.
Helen Luke
Helen Luke
Emphasis
The trick is in what one emphasizes.
We either make ourselves miserable,
or we make ourselves strong.
The amount of work is the same.
Carlos Castaneda
We either make ourselves miserable,
or we make ourselves strong.
The amount of work is the same.
Carlos Castaneda
Loving thoughts
Spend two minutes a day reassuring yourself that you are made of loving thoughts. Spend the rest of the day acting on those thoughts.
Unknown
Unknown
Ego playing roles
Why does the ego play roles? Because of one unexamined assumption, one fundamental error, one unconscious thought. That thought is: I am not enough. Other unconscious thoughts follow: I need to play a role in order to get more so that I can be more. But you cannot be more than you are because underneath your physical and psychological form, you are one with Life itself, one with Being. In form, you are and will always be inferior to some, superior to others. In essence, you are neither inferior nor superior to anyone. True self-esteem and true humility arise out of that realization. In the eyes of the ego, self-esteem and humility are contradictory. In truth, they are one and the same.
Echkart Tolle
Echkart Tolle
Simple fact
In truth, there is no life outside of the present moment. Sooner or later, we must all come to terms with this simple fact.
Leonard Jacobson
Leonard Jacobson
Take its course
The world is ruled by letting things take their course. It cannot be ruled by interfering.
TaoTe Ching #48
TaoTe Ching #48
Irritation
Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.
Carl Jung
Carl Jung
Foundation
A house must be built on solid foundations if it is to last. The same principle applies to man, otherwise he too will sink back into the soft ground and become swallowed up by the world of illusion.
Sai Baba
Sai Baba
Prosperity
As much as we need a prosperous economy, we also need a prosperity of kindness and decency.
Caroline Kennedy
Caroline Kennedy
Thinking without awareness
Thinking without awareness is the main dilemma of human existence.
Eckhart Tolle
Eckhart Tolle
Positive mental attitude
A strong positive mental attitude will create more miracles than any wonder drug.
Patricia Neal
Patricia Neal
Anyway
People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.
Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.
Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten.
Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.
Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God.
It was never between you and them anyway.
this version is credited to Mother Teresa
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.
Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.
Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten.
Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.
Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God.
It was never between you and them anyway.
this version is credited to Mother Teresa
Think like Einstein
The world is a dangerous place to live;
not because of the people who are evil,
but because of the people who don't do anything about it.
There are two ways to live:
you can live as if nothing is a miracle;
you can live as if everything is a miracle.
It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer.
God always takes the simplest way.
God does not play dice.
God may be subtle, but he isn't plain mean.
Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.
Imagination is more important than knowledge.
In matters of truth and justice, there is no difference between large and small problems, for issues concerning the treatment of people are all the same.
In order to be an immaculate member of a flock of sheep, one must above all be a sheep oneself.
Information is not knowledge.
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education.
It is my conviction that killing under the cloak of war is nothing but an act of murder.
Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
Love is a better teacher than duty.
Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler.
My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind.
We shall require a substantially new manner of thinking if mankind is to survive.
Albert Einstein
not because of the people who are evil,
but because of the people who don't do anything about it.
There are two ways to live:
you can live as if nothing is a miracle;
you can live as if everything is a miracle.
It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer.
God always takes the simplest way.
God does not play dice.
God may be subtle, but he isn't plain mean.
Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.
Imagination is more important than knowledge.
In matters of truth and justice, there is no difference between large and small problems, for issues concerning the treatment of people are all the same.
In order to be an immaculate member of a flock of sheep, one must above all be a sheep oneself.
Information is not knowledge.
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education.
It is my conviction that killing under the cloak of war is nothing but an act of murder.
Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
Love is a better teacher than duty.
Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler.
My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind.
We shall require a substantially new manner of thinking if mankind is to survive.
Albert Einstein
Conformists and troublemakers
Every society honors its live conformists and its dead troublemakers.
Mignon McLaughlin
Mignon McLaughlin
Nourishment of the soul
When the soul is starved for nourishment,
it lets us know with feelings of emptiness, anxiety, or yearning.
Menachem Mendel Schneerson
it lets us know with feelings of emptiness, anxiety, or yearning.
Menachem Mendel Schneerson
Challenges
Life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you,
they're supposed to help you discover who you are.
Bernice Johnson Reagon
they're supposed to help you discover who you are.
Bernice Johnson Reagon
Attitude
The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes.
William James
William James
Gratitude
Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.
Melody Beattie
Melody Beattie
Captain of your soul
I want nothing to do with any religion concerned with keeping the masses satisfied to live in hunger, filth, and ignorance. I want nothing to do with any order, religious or otherwise, which does not teach people that they are capable of becoming happier and more civilized on this earth, capable of becoming master of his fate and captain of his soul.
Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru
Art
People discuss my art and pretend to understand as if it were necessary to understand, when it's simply necessary to love.
Claude Monet
Claude Monet
Infinitely precious things
Ordinary riches can be stolen, real riches cannot. In your soul are infinitely precious things that cannot be taken from you.
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde
Timeless dimension
You are not what happens; you are the space in which it happens. You are not your thoughts; they come and go. You are the vastness in which these thoughts appear and disappear because underneath all your thinking there is the stillness of pure being, pure consciousness, the timeless dimension of yourself.
Eckhart Tolle
Eckhart Tolle
Troubles
I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened.
Mark Twain
Mark Twain
Messages of Christ
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”
“What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul.”
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
Jesus Christ
“What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul.”
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
Jesus Christ
Conscious presence
What is the now? Not the content that fills this moment with sense perceptions, with experiences, with thoughts and emotions. Not the content that fills this moment. That's not the now. That's what happens in the now, the content. The now is deeper, the now is who you are as the space of conscious presence that makes it all possible, that makes the whole world possible.
Eckhart Tolle
Eckhart Tolle
Alive field of aware presence
To be free of thousands of years of conditioning does not require time or future. At this moment you can step out of the movement of thought. And allow quite simply an alert presence to be there. You're not here any longer as the carrier of your personal history, but you're here as an alive field of aware presence.
Eckhart Tolle
Eckhart Tolle
No mistakes
There are no mistakes. The events we bring upon ourselves, no matter how unpleasant, are necessary in order to learn what we need to learn; whatever steps we take, they're necessary to reach the places we've chosen to go.
Richard Bach
Richard Bach
Place in the universe
I’ve always believed in the idea that each of us has a particular place in the universe where we belong, and that if we find it everything will fall into place and we will flourish.
Patrick O’Connell
Patrick O’Connell
Greatest accomplishment
To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Power within
Within each of us lies the power of our consent to health and sickness, to riches and poverty, to freedom and to slavery. It is we who control these, and not another.
Richard Bach
Richard Bach
Made nothing
Are you willing to be sponged out, erased, canceled, made nothing? Dipped into oblivion? If not, you will never really change.
D.H. Lawrence
D.H. Lawrence
Desire nothing
To reach satisfaction in all
desire its possession in nothing.
To come to possess all
desire the possession of nothing.
To arrive at being all
desire to be nothing.
To come to the knowledge of all
desire the knowledge of nothing.
John of the Cross
desire its possession in nothing.
To come to possess all
desire the possession of nothing.
To arrive at being all
desire to be nothing.
To come to the knowledge of all
desire the knowledge of nothing.
John of the Cross
Treat others
Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and you will help them become what they are capable of becoming.
J.W. Von Goethe
J.W. Von Goethe
The soul you were meant to be
Success is having peace within yourself and joy in serving others
that they too may find it. May you have the light of hope, direction, and strength to be the person, the soul you were meant to be.
Howard T. Rainer
that they too may find it. May you have the light of hope, direction, and strength to be the person, the soul you were meant to be.
Howard T. Rainer
Sanity
Show me a sane man and I will cure him for you.
[Show me a sane woman and I will cure her for you].
Carl Jung
[Show me a sane woman and I will cure her for you].
Carl Jung
Gratitude
At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person.Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.
Albert Schweitzer
To educate yourself for the feeling of gratitude means to take nothing for granted, but to always seek out and value the kind that will stand behind the action. Nothing that is done for you is a matter of course. Everything originates in a will for the good, which is directed at you. Train yourself never to put off the word or action for the expression of gratitude.
Albert Schweitzer
Saying thank you is more than good manners. It is good spirituality.
Alfred Painter
Gratefulness is the key to a happy life that we hold in our hands, because if we are not grateful, then no matter how much we have we will not be happy -- because we will always want to have something else or something more.
Brother David Steindl-Rast
Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful.
Buddha
Look at you, you madman! Screaming you are thirsty and dying in a desert, when all around you there is nothing but water!
Kabir
Albert Schweitzer
To educate yourself for the feeling of gratitude means to take nothing for granted, but to always seek out and value the kind that will stand behind the action. Nothing that is done for you is a matter of course. Everything originates in a will for the good, which is directed at you. Train yourself never to put off the word or action for the expression of gratitude.
Albert Schweitzer
Saying thank you is more than good manners. It is good spirituality.
Alfred Painter
Gratefulness is the key to a happy life that we hold in our hands, because if we are not grateful, then no matter how much we have we will not be happy -- because we will always want to have something else or something more.
Brother David Steindl-Rast
Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful.
Buddha
Look at you, you madman! Screaming you are thirsty and dying in a desert, when all around you there is nothing but water!
Kabir
I AM
I am that I am, I am beauty, I am peace, I am joy, I am one with Mother Earth. I am one with everyone within the reach of my voice. In this togetherness, we ask the divine intelligence to eradicate all negatives from our hearts, from our minds and from our actions. And so be it...
Babatunde Olatunji
Babatunde Olatunji
Rekindle the spirit
In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.
Albert Schweitzer
Albert Schweitzer
Being awake
Common sense and a sense of humor are the same thing, moving at different speeds. A sense of humor is just common sense, dancing.
Compared to what we ought to be, we are half awake.
William James
Compared to what we ought to be, we are half awake.
William James
On becoming a person
When I look at the world I'm pessimistic, but when I look at people I am optimistic.
The only person who is educated is the one who has learned how to learn and change.
It is the client who knows what hurts, what directions to go, what problems are crucial, what experiences have been deeply buried.
Carl Rogers
The only person who is educated is the one who has learned how to learn and change.
It is the client who knows what hurts, what directions to go, what problems are crucial, what experiences have been deeply buried.
Carl Rogers
The sane and satisfactory answer
Immature love says: 'I love you because I need you.' Mature love says: 'I need you because I love you'.
Love means to commit oneself without guarantee, to give oneself completely in the hope that our love will produce love in the loved person. Love is an act of faith, and whoever is of little faith is also of little love.
Man is the only animal for whom his own existence is a problem which he has to solve. Love is the only sane and satisfactory answer to the problem of human existence.
Erich Fromm
Love means to commit oneself without guarantee, to give oneself completely in the hope that our love will produce love in the loved person. Love is an act of faith, and whoever is of little faith is also of little love.
Man is the only animal for whom his own existence is a problem which he has to solve. Love is the only sane and satisfactory answer to the problem of human existence.
Erich Fromm
Virtue
This is what you shall do: love the earth and sun, and animals, despise riches, give alms to every one that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants, argue not concerning God, have patience and indulgence towards the people, take off your hat to nothing known or unknown, or to any man or number of men; go freely with the powerful uneducated persons, and with the young, and mothers, of families: read these leaves in the open air every season of every year of your life: re-examine all you have been told at school or church, or in any books, and dismiss whatever insults your soul.
Walt Whitman
Walt Whitman
Mother Earth
We're sitting on our blessed Mother Earth from which we get our strength and determination, love and humility - all the beautiful attributes that we've been given. So turn to one another; love one another; respect one another; respect Mother Earth; respect the waters - because that's life itself!
Phil Lane, Sr. (Yankton Sioux)
Phil Lane, Sr. (Yankton Sioux)
Belief
I believe that:
Imagination is stronger than knowledge
Myth is more potent than history
Dreams are more powerful than facts
Hope always triumphs over experience
Laughter is the cure for grief
Love is stronger than death.
Robert Fulghum
Imagination is stronger than knowledge
Myth is more potent than history
Dreams are more powerful than facts
Hope always triumphs over experience
Laughter is the cure for grief
Love is stronger than death.
Robert Fulghum
Perception
In the sky, there is no distinction of east and west;
people create distinctions out of their own minds
and then believe them to be true
Buddha
people create distinctions out of their own minds
and then believe them to be true
Buddha
Success in therapy
In the process of psychotherapy the issue of success often arises. "How will I know when I am successful? How will I know when I've learned all I have to learn?" Focus not on learning. Rather concern yourself with unlearning. Uncovering your real self and returning to your original state will bring you peace. Ultimate success arrives when you become comfortable in your own being.
Janette Ayd
Janette Ayd
Spiritual teacher
A true spiritual teacher does not have anything to teach in the conventional sense of the word, does not have anything to give or add to you, such as new information, beliefs, or rules of conduct. The only function of such a teacher is to help you remove that which separates you from the truth of who you already are and what you already know in the depth of your being. The spiritual teacher is there to uncover and reveal to you that dimension of inner depth that is also peace.
Eckhart Tolle
Eckhart Tolle
Toxic mind
Those who enjoy their own emotionally bad health and who habitually fill their own minds with the rank poisons of suspicion, jealousy and hatred, as a rule take umbrage at those who refuse to do likewise, and they find a perverted relief in trying to denigrate them.
Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms
Connectedness
When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe....No particle is ever wasted or worn out, but eternally flowing from use to use.
John Muir
John Muir
In the beginning
In the beginning was the Creative Energy:
The Creative Energy was with God
and the Creative Energy was God,
It was with God in the beginning.
Through it all things came to be,
not one thing had its being but through it.
All that came to be had life in it
and that life was the light of persons,
a light that shines in the dark,
a light that darkness could not overpower....
The Creative Energy was the true light
that enlightens all people;
and it was coming into the world.
It was in the world
that had its being through it,
and the world did not know it....
But to all who did accept it
it gave power to become children of God....
The Creative Energy was made flesh,
it pitched its tent among us,
and we saw its glory,
the glory that is its as the only Child of the Creator,
full of grace and full of truth. (John 1:1-5,9,10,12,14.)
Matthew Fox
The Creative Energy was with God
and the Creative Energy was God,
It was with God in the beginning.
Through it all things came to be,
not one thing had its being but through it.
All that came to be had life in it
and that life was the light of persons,
a light that shines in the dark,
a light that darkness could not overpower....
The Creative Energy was the true light
that enlightens all people;
and it was coming into the world.
It was in the world
that had its being through it,
and the world did not know it....
But to all who did accept it
it gave power to become children of God....
The Creative Energy was made flesh,
it pitched its tent among us,
and we saw its glory,
the glory that is its as the only Child of the Creator,
full of grace and full of truth. (John 1:1-5,9,10,12,14.)
Matthew Fox
God within
God expects but one thing of you,
that you should come out of yourself
in so far as you are a created being
and let God be God in you.
Meister Eckhart
that you should come out of yourself
in so far as you are a created being
and let God be God in you.
Meister Eckhart
Peace within
May today there be peace within. May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith. May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content knowing you are a child of God. Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us.
St. Theresa
St. Theresa
True nature
When you look upon another human being and feel great love toward them, or when you contemplate beauty in nature and something within you responds deeply to it, close your eyes for a moment and feel the essence of that love or that beauty within you, inseparable from who you are, your true nature. The outer form is a temporary reflection of what you are within, in your essence. That is why love and beauty can never leave you, although all outer forms will.
Eckhart Tolle
Eckhart Tolle
The mind
A mind not to be changed by place or time, the mind is its own place, and in itself can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven.
John Milton
John Milton
Peace
I believe that to meet the challenges of our times, human beings will have to develop a greater sense of universal responsibility. Each of us must learn to work not just for oneself, one's own family or nation, but for the benefit of all humankind. Universal responsibility is the key to human survival. It is the best foundation for world peace.
Peace, in the sense of the absence of war, is of little value to someone who is dying of hunger or cold. It will not remove the pain of torture inflicted on a prisoner of conscience. It does not comfort those who have lost their loved ones in floods caused by senseless deforestation in a neighboring country. Peace can only last where human rights are respected, where the people are fed, and where individuals and nations are free....
Responsibility does not only lie with the leaders of our countries or with those who have been appointed or elected to do a particular job. It lies with each of us individually. Peace, for example, starts within each one of us. When we have inner peace, we can be at peace with those around us...
When we feel love and kindness toward others, it not only makes others feel loved and cared for, but it helps us also to develop inner happiness and peace.
HH the Dalai Lama
Peace, in the sense of the absence of war, is of little value to someone who is dying of hunger or cold. It will not remove the pain of torture inflicted on a prisoner of conscience. It does not comfort those who have lost their loved ones in floods caused by senseless deforestation in a neighboring country. Peace can only last where human rights are respected, where the people are fed, and where individuals and nations are free....
Responsibility does not only lie with the leaders of our countries or with those who have been appointed or elected to do a particular job. It lies with each of us individually. Peace, for example, starts within each one of us. When we have inner peace, we can be at peace with those around us...
When we feel love and kindness toward others, it not only makes others feel loved and cared for, but it helps us also to develop inner happiness and peace.
HH the Dalai Lama
Small gestures
Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.
Leo F. Buscaglia
Leo F. Buscaglia
The message of pain
Pain (any pain--emotional, physical, mental) has a message. The information it has about our life can be remarkably specific, but it usually falls into one of two categories: We would be more alive if we did more of this and Life would be more lovely if we did less of that. Once we get the pain's message, and follow its advice, the pain goes away.
Peter McWilliams
Peter McWilliams
Living in love
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, 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.
1 Corintians 13:4-7
Love is a word often missed in the practice of psychotherapy. It needs to be used more frequently. If we forget to ask, "Do you live in the presence of love?" we neglect the essence of healing.
Janette Ayd
1 Corintians 13:4-7
Love is a word often missed in the practice of psychotherapy. It needs to be used more frequently. If we forget to ask, "Do you live in the presence of love?" we neglect the essence of healing.
Janette Ayd
True meaning of success
He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much; who has enjoyed the trust of pure women, the respect of intelligent men, and the love of small children; who has filled his niche, and accomplished his task; who has left the world better than he found it, whether by an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul; who has never lacked appreciation of earth's beauty , or failed to express it; who has always looked for the best in others, and given them the best he had; whose life was an inspiration; whose memory a benediction.- - - Bessie Anderson Stanley
This quote is often attributed to both Robert Louis Stevenson and Ralph Waldo Emerson.
This quote is often attributed to both Robert Louis Stevenson and Ralph Waldo Emerson.
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