Archive for May, 2008
The following Passage from The Pilgrimage by Paulo Coelho, is one of the most amazing passages I have ever read, it’s about fighting for our dreams and overcoming the many obstacles in life. I like to think it was fate that left a copy of this book for me at my bedside table while I was traveling in Spain; it was an omen that inspired me to begin my own Pilgrimage and travel to the sacred Cathedral of Saint James in Northern Spain. It was the first piece to a literary puzzle that I would begin to unravel regarding my destiny in life.
“It is the pleasure of searching and the pleasure of the adventure. You are nourishing something that’s very important-your dreams. We must never stop dreaming. Dreams provide nourishment for the soul, just as a meal does for the body. Many times in our lives we see our dreams shattered and our desires frustrated, but we have to continue dreaming. If we don’t, our soul dies… …The Good fight is the one we fight because our heart asks it of us… …The Good fight is the one that’s fought in the name of our dreams. When we’re young our dreams first explode inside us with all of their force, we are very courageous, but we haven’t yet learned how to fight. With great effort, we learn how to fight, but by then we no longer have the courage to go into combat. So we turn against ourselves and do battle within. We become our own worst enemy. We say that our dreams were childish, or too difficult to realize, or the result or our not having known enough about life. We kill our dreams because we are afraid to fight the good fight. The first symptom of the process of killing our dreams is lack of time… The Busiest people I have known in my life always have time enough to do everything. Those who do nothing are always tired and pay no attention to the little amount of work they are required to do. They complain constantly that the day is too short. The Truth is, they are afraid to fight the good fight… The second symptom of the death of our dreams lies in our certainties. Because we don’t want to see life as a grand adventure, we begin to think of ourselves as wise and fair and correct in asking so little of life. We look beyond the walls of our day-to-day existence, and we hear the sound of lances breaking, we smell the dust and the sweat, and we see the great defeats and the fire in the eyes of the warriors. But we never see the delight, the immense delight in the hearts of those engaged in the battle. For them, neither victory nor defeat is important; what’s important is only that they are fighting the good fight. And, finally, the third symptom of the passing of our dreams is peace. Life becomes a Sunday afternoon; we ask for nothing grand, and we cease to demand anything more than we are willing to give. In that state we think of ourselves as being mature; we put aside the fantasies of our youth, and we seek personal and professional achievement. We are surprised when people our age say that they still want this or that out of life. But really, deep in our hearts, we know that what has happened is that we have renounced the battle for our dreams-we have refused to fight the good fight. When we renounce our dreams and find peace, we go through a period of tranquility. But the dead dreams begin to rot within us and to infect our entire being. We become cruel to those around us, and then we begin to direct this cruelty against ourselves…What we sought to avoid in combat-disappointment and defeat-came upon us because of our cowardice. And one day, the dead, spoiled dreams make it difficult to breath, and we actually seek death. It’s death that frees us from out certainties, from our work, and from that terrible peace of Sunday afternoons.” The Pilgrimage by Paulo Coelho P. 58
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Tags: Coelho, dreams, good fight, The Pilgrimage
Only the fool compares the true beauty of a sunset or mountain top view. They must be admired individually without any attempt to compare or contrast. Just sit back, take a deep breath and suck it the entire splendor of the moment before you. For me, gazing upon sunsets is a truly wonderful experience. The soul of the universe reveals its grand and vast beauty in the sky as the sun sinks down below the horizon line: the sky changing with each moment before you in an escalading array of remarkable colors that grow more beautiful as time fades before you. I tried not to miss a single one during my stay in Costa Rica. To the true admirer, each is as spectacular as the next. You can feel the wonderful power of the sun that makes the seasons change; the flower bloom, and brings life to our planet. A captivating experience no writer could ever hope to transcend to his or her readers. Even those unknowing souls can peacefully enjoy a moment of enlightened clarity and soothing calm. It is a moment to enjoy alone, with friends or a lover: enlightenment seeping ever more closely to the heart and mind. Before you are some pictures of the beauty I want to share with the world from my journey to a new distant land; each individually as beautiful as the one before it. I hope are able to enjoy; for I was able to marvel.
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Tags: , breathtaking, enjoy, splendor, sunset
This is part 3, in a continuing series on Shambhala by Chogyam Trungpa. Click here if you missed part 1 or part 2, Part 4, or Part 5. In Tibet, as well as many other Asian countries, there are stories about a legendary kingdom that was a source of learning and culture for present-day Asian societies. According to the legends, this was a place of peace and prosperity, governed by wise and compassionate rulers. The citizens were equally kind and learned, so that, in general, the kingdom was a model society. This place was called Shambhala. Chogyam Trungpa Synchronize mind and body
- When you are completely mindful in the present moment, mind and body are synchronized. Here, synchronizing mind and body is connected with developing fearlessness, in the sense of being accurate and direct in relating to the phenomenal world. You begin to realize that you have a perfect right to be in this universe. You can uplift yourself and appreciate your existence as a human being. This discovery is the first glimpse of what is called the Great Eastern Sun, which is the sun of human dignity, the sun of human power.
By the dance of the setting sun, the entire world becomes cowardly
- The warrior’s vision of how to lead a sane and dignified life, is based on celebrating life. It is contrasted to the setting sun what is going down and dissolving into darkness. Setting-sun vision is based on trying to ward off death. It is based on fear. In the world of the setting sun, we are constantly afraid of ourselves, ashamed of who and what we are.
The food of the setting sun fills everyone with grease and fat
- In the setting-sun or degraded approach, you have a giant vision, beyond anything you can consume, and you get bloated and end up throwing things away. Great Eastern Sun vision is that the world is very sacred, so you have to constantly serve your world and clean it up. It’s not necessary to overindulge. Also, because you appreciate the world, you don’t leave a mess in it.
Always return to the primordial ground
- In this world, there are always possibilities of original purity, because the world is clean to begin with. Similarly, our physical and psychological existence is originally clean. We may smear the situation with our conflicting emotions, but fundamentally, our existence is all good, and it is all launder able. This is what we mean by basic goodness: the pure ground that is always there, waiting to be cleaned. We can always reconnect with the primordial ground.
All-Victorious, you have nothing to conquer
- Being all-victorious is not a matter of talking yourself into believing that everything is okay. Rather, if you actually look, if you take your whole being apart and examine it, you find that you are genuine and good as you are. In fact, the whole of existence is well-constructed, so that there is very little room for mishaps. There are, of course, constant challenges. But for the true warrior, there is no warfare. You are never at war with your world.
These passages are taken from Chogyam Trungpa’s book Shambhala: the sacred path of the warrior.
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Tags: , buddhist, Eastern sun, Shambhala, tradition
The Shambhala teachings are founded on the premise that there is a basic human wisdom that can help to solve the world’s problems. This wisdom does not belong to any one culture or religion, no does it come only from the West or the East. Rather, it is a tradition of human warriorship that has existed in many cultures at many times throughout history. Chogyam Trungpa Each week I will be posting 5 principles for living a life with fearlessness and gentleness. This is part 2 of the Shambhala teachings by Chogyam Trungpa Don’t assume the posture of a wilted flower.
- When you slouch, you are trying to hide your heart, protecting it by slumping over. Through the practice of sitting still and following your breath as it goes out and dissolves, you are connecting with your heart. By simply letting yourself be, as you are, you develop genuine sympathy toward yourself. When you sit erect, you proclaim to yourself and to the rest of the world that you are going to be a warrior, a fully human being.
Hope and Fear cannot alter the seasons.
- The four seasons occur free from anyone’s demand or vote. The natural law and order of this world is not “for” or “against” you. There is a natural law and order that allows you to survive, which is basically good. We often take for granted or reject this basic law and order in the universe, but we should think twice. We should appreciate what we have. We should feel that it is wonderful to be in this world.
Awaken the genuine heart of sadness.
- Awakened heart comes from being willing to face your state of mind. It is a natural situation of fullness. The genuine heart of sadness comes from this feeling that your nonexistent heart is full. Your experience is so raw, tender, and personal that even if a tiny mosquito lands on you, you feel its touch.
To experience fearlessness, it is necessary to experience fear.
- The essence of cowardice is to not acknowledge the reality of fear. Fear takes many forms. Fear is expressed as restlessness: how we move, how we talk, how we chew our nails, how we sometimes put out hands in our pockets uselessly. We have to realize our fear and reconcile ourselves with fear. However, acknowledging fear is not a cause for depression. Because we possess such fear, we can potentially experience fearlessness.
Go beyond Fear.
- When you examine your fear, if you look beneath the veneer of your nervousness, you find sadness. Nervousness is cranking up, vibrating all the time. When you slow down, when you relax with your fear, the sadness is calm and gentle. In the Shambhala tradition, discovering fearlessness comes from working with the softness of the human heart.
Click here if you missed part 1 on Shambhala: The Sacred path of the Warrior, Click here for Part 3, Part 4, or Part 5.
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Tags: , Chogyam trungpa, path, sacred, Shambhala
cute (ky t) adj. cut·er, cut·est 1. Delightfully pretty or dainty.2. Obviously contrived to charm; precious: 
Promise me you’ll never forget me because if I thought you would I’d never leave.” Winnie the Pooh
“”I don’t see much sense in that,” said Rabbit.
“No,” said Pooh humbly, “there isn’t. But there was going
to be when I began it. It’s just that something
happened to it along the way.””
Winnie the Pooh
You haven’t lost your smile at all, it’s right under your nose. You just forgot it was there.”
Winnie the Pooh
“Love is what makes two people sit in the middle of a bench when there is plenty of room at both ends” Winnie the Pooh
“Some love one, some love two. I love one, and that is you.” Winnie the Pooh
“It is more fun to talk with someone who doesn’t use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like “What about lunch?”
Winnie the Pooh
If the person you are talking to doesn’t appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear.” Winnie the Pooh
Don’t underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can’t hear, and not bothering.” Winnie the Pooh
“A little Consideration, a little Thought for Others, makes all the difference.” Winnie the Pooh
“You can’t stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.”
Winnie the Pooh
“Sometimes, if you stand on the bottom rail of a bridge and lean over to watch the river slipping slowly away beneath you, you will suddenly know everything there is to be known.” Winnie the Pooh
Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.” Winnie the Pooh
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Tags: , cute, photo, Winnie the Pooh, wisdom
I love reading and sharing quotes. A great quote can motivate, energize, and enlighten the mind. I have compiled a list of quotes on the energy within all of us to help elevate the end of your week. I hope you enjoy!
Ralph Lauren:
- A leader has the vision and conviction that a dream can be achieved. He inspires the power and energy to get it done.
William Blake:
- Energy is an eternal delight, and he who desires, but acts not, breeds pestilence
Shakti Gawain:
- The more willing you are to surrender to the energy within you, the more power can flow through you.
Norman Vincent Peale:
- The more you lose yourself in something bigger than yourself, the more energy you will have.
Oprah Winfrey:
Thomas A. Edison:
- The first requisite for success is the ability to apply your physical and mental energies to one problem incessantly without growing weary.
Anthony Robbins:
- The higher your energy level, the more efficient your body. The more efficient your body, the better you feel and the more you will use your talent to produce outstanding results.
Henry Ford:
- Most people spend more time and energy going around problems than in trying to solve them.
Samuel Johnson:
- Genius is that energy which collects, combines, amplifies, and animates.
Sarah Bernhardt:
- Life begets life. Energy creates energy. It is by spending oneself that one becomes rich.
Vincent van Gogh:
- Don’t hold to anger, hurt or pain. They steal your energy and keep you from love.”
Teilhard de Chardin:
- Love is a sacred reserve of energy; it is like the blood of spiritual evolution”
Mark Twain:
- And what is a man without energy? Nothing - nothing at all.
Benjamin Franklin:
- Energy and persistence alter all things.
Dale Carnegie:
- Do you remember the things you were worrying about a year ago? How did they work out? Didn’t you waste a lot of fruitless energy on account of most of them? Didn’t most of them turn out all right after all?
Unknown Author:
- America’s number one energy crisis is Monday morning.
Sebastien-Roch Nicolas De Chamfort:
- A person of intellect without energy added to it; is a failure.
Aristotle:
- The energy of the mind is the essence of life.
Thomas Alva Edison:
- It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan.
Chogyam Trungpa:
- Compassion automatically invites you to relate with people because you no longer regard people as a drain on your energy.”
Eleanor Roosevelt:
- You can have anything you want if you want it desperately enough. You must want it with an inner exuberance that erupts through the skin and joins the energy that created the world.
Mahatma Gandhi:
- I have learned through bitter experience the one supreme lesson to conserve my anger, and as heat conserved is transmitted into energy, even so our anger controlled can be transmitted into a power that can move the world.”
Sheilah Graham:
- You can have anything you want if you want it desperately enough. You must want it with an inner exuberance that erupts through the skin and joins the energy that created the world.
Sister Corita Kent:
- Love the moment and the energy of the moment will spread beyond all boundaries.
Roberto Clemente:
- If I would be happy, I would be a bad ballplayer with me, when I get mad; it puts energy in my body.
William James:
- Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out they’ve got a second. Give your dreams all you’ve got and you’ll be amazed at the energy that comes out of you.
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Tags: , energize, energy, motivate, quote
