Rumi’s Sufi teachings focus on developing control. Consider this teaching: “Words , in themselves, are of no importance. You treat a visitor well, and speak a few kind words to him. He is happy. But if you treat another man to a few words of abuse, he will be hurt. Can a few words really mean happiness or – Read More –
Nelson Mandela (1918-present: aged 94) was the first black President of South Africa (1994-1999) and a hugely inspiration figure. After serving 27 years in prison, he somehow managed to keep his sense of purpose (and humor later saying, “In my country, we go to prison first and then become President”!) to abolish apartheid and establish the – Read More –
“It makes no difference how deeply seated may be the trouble, how hopeless the outlook, how muddled the tangle, how great the mistake. A sufficient realization of love will dissolve it all.” -Emmet Fox I appreciate the imagery of a cave, for I feel it represents a feeling of being trapped or imprisoned. So many – Read More –
1. Be Impeccable With Your Word Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using words to speak against yourself or gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love. 2. Don’t Take Anything Personally Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do – Read More –
Certain Thoughts Are Too Attractive To Just Let Pass By….
The personal sense of self is made up
of a whole bunch of thoughts
that attention has held on to.
Certain thoughts are too attractive
to just let pass by
and so attention holds on to them,
chews on them, elaborates on them.
And because attention has given itself
to a thought in this way,
the thought sticks around,
it becomes part of the personal self,
of who you think you are.
It arises
and you identify with it.
Because you identify with it,
it comes back
and you identify with it again
and in this way it strengthens.
It is constantly reinforcing itself in this way
as a personal sense of who you think you are.
There are sometimes those moments when tragedies seem to happen all at once in different parts of the world. Despite lives lost in casualties of war (at home and abroad) on a daily basis, there are some events that take over the media’s attention due to the sheer number of casualties or non-sensical nature of – Read More –
Oh Companion That Abode Is Unmatched,
Where My Complete Beloved Is.
In that Place There Is No Happiness or Unhappiness,
No Truth or Untruth
Neither Sin Nor Virtue.
There Is No Day or Night, No Moon or Sun,
There Is Radiance Without Light.
There Is No Knowledge or Meditation
No Repetition of Mantra or Austerities,
Neither Speech Coming From Vedas or Books.
Doing, Not-Doing, Holding, Leaving
All These Are All Lost Too In This Place.
No Home, No Homeless, Neither Outside or Inside,
Micro and Macrocosm Are Non-Existent.
Five Elemental Constituents and the Trinity Are Both Not There
Witnessing Un-struck Shabad Sound is Also Not There.
No Root or Flower, Neither Branch or Seed,
Without a Tree Fruits are Adorning,
Primordial Om Sound, Breath-Synchronized Soham,
This and That – All Are Absent, The Breath Too Unknown
Where the Beloved Is There is Utterly Nothing
Says Kabir I Have Come To Realize.
Whoever Sees My Indicative Sign
Will Accomplish the Goal of Liberation.
“When nothing seems to help, I go look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not that blow that did it, but all that – Read More –