When was the last time you looked up and marvelled at a starry night? Do you see the myriad colours and shapes in all you see? Do you stop and smell the scent of the roses? Do you taste the rich flavours of every meal? Do you feel and enjoy the hot shower at the end of a hard day’s work? And perhaps more importantly, are you mindful of your mind, of your thoughts and feelings? Without mental mindfulness, there is no mindfulness of the senses.
there’s a mad dog pulling at his chain a hint of danger in his eye alarm bells raging round his brain and the chimney’s broken in the sky
People cleave to their worldly possessions and selfish passions so blindly as to sacrifice their own lives for them. They are like a child who tries to eat a little honey smeared on the edge of a knife. The amount is by no means sufficient to appease their appetite, but they run the risk of wounding the tongue.
a day or so ago ~ Granville Island Public Market ~ Vancouver, BC is located on the unceded, ancestral and traditional territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlil̓wətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples ~ May 2022
It is almost impossible to practice loving-kindness towards all living beings without addressing, in a meaningful way, the innumerable problems arising in our own lives. It is a contradiction, you see. It does not work. If our heart is tormented because we are not able to accept things the way they are, then it is impossible to open our heart. It is impossible to let go of all of our defenses and embrace others. Therefore we have to constantly practice and deepen our awareness. We have to remind ourselves to accept things as they are…even reciting slogans, phrases like “I shall accept the way things are.”
oh, my mama loves me, she loves me she gets down on her knees and hugs me yeah, she loves me like a rock she rocks me like the rock of ages she loves me
Remind yourself that all sentient beings have at one time been your mother—birthing you, nursing you, caring for you through a helpless stage of life. Imagine this and generate appreciation and goodwill for all sentient beings, whether they cut you off in traffic, compliment your smile, or walk past you without a glance.
The light of the sun is the manifestation of the clarity of the sky; and the sky is the basic condition necessary for the manifestation of the sun’s light. So, too, in the sky two, three, four, or any number of suns could arise; but the sky always remains indivisibly one sky. Similarly, every individual’s state of presence is unique and distinct, but the void nature of the individual is universal, and common to all beings.
just take it slow the sun will show you where to go trust your heart can help you see i have seen the light, it settled me just take it slow
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a walk on Whyte Ave a day or so ago + human who did not agree to be photographed ~ Etown – Amiskwaciwâskahikan ᐊᒥᐢᑲᐧᒋᐋᐧᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ ~ April 2022
In essence, keep your mind relaxed at all times and accept the manifold experiences of life. Look at all situations with a sense of cheer and humor and, just as we may watch a comedy on the television to relieve tension, we should laugh at ourselves and have no tension.
a day ago walking + permission from humans as I learn more about street photography along the way ~ Etown – Amiskwaciwâskahikan ᐊᒥᐢᑲᐧᒋᐋᐧᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ ~ April 2022
How wonderful it would be, I thought, if only we could practice the teachings of the Buddha as he really taught them from his own experience – free from the clouds of religiosity that often surround them. Yet it’s difficult to distinguish the tools themselves from their cultural packaging.
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