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Health and money can help us, of course. But the real source of peace and joy is our mind. The mind wants to be peaceful; this is really its natural state. - Tulku Thondup
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Karma is both very simple and very complex. Like all Buddhist teachings, it’s taught not to discourage students but to inspire them to go forward. At its simplest, its logic is threefold: What’s your situation? How did you get here? What are you going to do about it? -- Judy Lief
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May I become at all times, both now and forever,
a protector of those without protection,
a guide for those who have lost their way,
a ship for those with oceans to cross,
a bridge for those with rivers to cross,
a sanctuary for those in danger,
a lamp for those without light,
a place of refuge for those who lack shelter,
and a servant to all in need,
for as long as space endures,
and for as long as living beings remain.
Until then may I, too, abide to dispel the misery of the world.
- Shantideva
a protector of those without protection,
a guide for those who have lost their way,
a ship for those with oceans to cross,
a bridge for those with rivers to cross,
a sanctuary for those in danger,
a lamp for those without light,
a place of refuge for those who lack shelter,
and a servant to all in need,
for as long as space endures,
and for as long as living beings remain.
Until then may I, too, abide to dispel the misery of the world.
- Shantideva
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Because people know that they are judged largely on the basis of their appearance, many people spend far more time working on how they look than on how they behave. - Rabbi Joseph Telushkin
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When you look at spiritual leaders, when you look at religious teachers, you find there probably aren’t as many saints as you would hope. It isn’t for lack of trying; people are just often bad at being saints. - Koun Franz
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Working a job or being involved in the business world is an extraordinary learning opportunity and a very underrated spiritual training ground. You spend eight hours a day at work, but only 20 minutes to an hour a day practicing on the cushion. But those eight hours are also a practice. You’re practicing being kind to yourself, having compassion for others, being insightful, developing good work habits, teamwork, leadership, and so on. - David Nichtern
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The origin of suffering is not desire, but attachment, fixation, or objectification of the desire. - David Nichtern
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Here’s a common sense approach to evaluating life satisfaction from author Chris Prentiss. In his book, Zen And The Art Of Happiness, he writes: “If who you are and what you have is what you want, if you’re satisfied with the conditions of your life, congratulations – do more of what you’ve been doing and you’ll get more of what you already have. But if who you are, what you want, what you have, and your current conditions are less than what you want or are different from what you want, you have to make some changes, basic changes, inner changes. Failure to make those changes will find you fruitlessly continuing to seek the things you desire as the years pass by.”
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If I am ill, I am happy, because I exhaust past negative karma.
If I am healthy, I am happy, because I have a fit mind and body for practice and virtuous actions.
If my illness benefits beings, I pray to the Three Jewels that I may be sick.
If recovering from illness benefits beings, I pray to the Three Jewels that I may be cured.
If my death benefits beings, I pray that I may die.
If my life benefits beings, I pray that I may live.
—Gyalse Ngulchu Tokme Zangpo
If I am healthy, I am happy, because I have a fit mind and body for practice and virtuous actions.
If my illness benefits beings, I pray to the Three Jewels that I may be sick.
If recovering from illness benefits beings, I pray to the Three Jewels that I may be cured.
If my death benefits beings, I pray that I may die.
If my life benefits beings, I pray that I may live.
—Gyalse Ngulchu Tokme Zangpo
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To love is, first of all, to accept ourselves as we actually are. That is why in this love meditation, ‘Know thyself’ is the first practice of love. When we practice this, we see the conditions that have caused us to be the way we are. This makes it easy for us to accept ourselves, including our suffering and our happiness at the same time. - Thich Nhat Hanh