Thursday, December 31, 2015

Via FB:


Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day 31/12/2015

“Este foi um ano de importantes aprendizados e conquistas que ecoarão por toda a existência. Temos muito a agradecer. Sementes de luz e amor foram plantadas - sementes de uma vida nova, cuja essência é ter a coragem de fazer o bem e de viver em paz; de renunciar a reclamação e de aprender a se relacionar sem machucar e ser machucado. Este é um tempo de cura; todos os apegos estão sendo despedaçados. Nessa batalha do amor, nosso escudo é a aceitação e nossa espada é o perdão. Que tenhamos mais paciência e bom humor para deixar ir embora o que tem que ir, para podermos receber a vida nova.”

“Este fue un año de importantes aprendizajes y conquistas que resonarán por toda la existencia. Tenemos mucho queagradecer. Semillas de luz y amorfueron plantadas, semillas de una vida nueva, cuya esencia es tener el coraje de hacer el bien y de vivir en paz, de renunciar al reclamo y de aprender a relacionarse sin lastimar ni ser lastimado. Este es un tiempo de cura, todos los apegos están siendo despedazados. En esta batalla del amor, nuestro escudo es la aceptación y nuestra espada es el perdón. Que tengamos más paciencia y buen humor para dejar ir lo que tiene que irse, para que podamos recibir la vida nueva.”

"This was a year of important lessons and achievements that will echo in our lives forever. We have a lot to be thankful for. Seeds of light and love were planted.Seeds of a new life will grow, whose essence is to have the courage to do good and to live in peace; to renounce complaints and learn to relate without hurting others and being hurt. This is a time of healing, and all attachments are being broken. In this battle of love, our shield is acceptance and our sword is forgiveness. May we have more patience and good humor to let go of what needs to leave, so that we may receive anew life."

Today's Daily Dharma: A Simple Understanding

A Simple Understanding
Lord Buddha says that all you have to know is what you are, how you exist. You don't have to believe anything. Just understand your mind; how it works, how attachment and desire arise, how ignorance arises, and where emotions come from. It is sufficient to know the nature of all that; that alone can bring you happiness and peace.
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Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day 30/12/2015

“É importante lembrar que só colhemos o que plantamos. Essa é uma lei básica da natureza. Por exemplo, se você planta couve, você colhe couve e não outra coisa. Mas muitas vezes você questiona o que acontece na vida dizendo: ‘Eu estou colhendo couves, mas não plantei couves!’ Isso não pode ser verdade - o karma nunca erra o endereço.” 

“Es importante recordar que solo cosechamos lo que plantamos. Esta es una ley básica de la naturaleza. Por ejemplo, si plantas repollo, cosechas repollo y no otra cosa. Pero muchas veces cuestionas lo que sucede en la vida diciendo: “Estoy cosechando repollos, ¡pero no planté repollos! Esto no puede ser verdad”,el karma nunca se equivoca de dirección.”

"It is important to remember that we only reap what we sow. This is a basic law of nature. For example, if we plant kale, we will harvest kale – not anything else.Often times, we question what happens in life saying,‘I'm picking kale, but I didn’t plant kale.' This cannot be true: karma never delivers to the wrong address.”

Today's Daily Dharma: Going Nowhere Fast

Going Nowhere Fast
If you miss the here, you are likely also to miss the there. If your mind is not centered here, it is likely not to be centered just because you arrive somewhere else.
—John Kabat-Zinn, "Walking: Meditation on the Move"
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Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day 29/12/2015

“Quando entramos em comunhão com o Eu interior mais profundo, com o Ser eterno que nos habita, experimentamos uma grande abertura de coração. Nesse momento, o amor flui generosamente, sem querer nada em troca. Essa comunhão ocorre num campo que a mente não explica – o campo da Graça. Sem que você possa explicar, você está amando. Sem que possa entender, você está feliz. Quando menos espera, você está saboreando o gosto doce de uma fruta, mas não sabe como ela chegou até você.”

“Cuando entramos en comunión con el Yo interior más profundo, con el Ser eterno que nos habita, experimentamos una gran apertura de corazón. En ese momento, el amor fluye generosamente, sin querer nada a cambio. Esta comunión ocurre en un campo que la mente no explica, el campo de la Gracia. Sin que puedas explicarlo,estás amando. Sin que puedas entenderlo, estás feliz. Cuando menos lo esperas, estás saboreando el gusto dulce de una fruta, pero no sabes cómo ella llegó hasta ti.”

"When we enter into communion with our deepest inner self, with the eternal Being that inhabits us, we experience a great heart-opening. In that moment, love flows generously, without wanting anything in return. This communion occurs in a field that cannot be explained by the mind –it is the field of grace. Without being able to explain why, you are loving. Without understanding why, you are happy. When you least expect it, you're savoring the sweet taste of a fruit, but do not know how it came to pass."

Today's Daily Dharma: The Spirit of Recognition

The Spirit of Recognition
Paying attention provides the gift of noticing and the gift of connecting. It provides the gift of seeing a little bit of ourselves in others, and of realizing that we’re not so awfully alone.
—Sharon Salzberg, "A More Complete Attention"
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Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day 28/12/2015

“No decorrer do tempo, as nossas ações inconscientes geram consequências impactantes não somente em nossas vidas, mas para o planeta como um todo. Precisamos tomar atitudes concretas para minimizar esse impacto. Mas é importante compreender que mudar o mundo lá fora sem mudar nosso mundo interno não trará a mudança que queremos ver no mundo. O externo é reflexo do interno. O que estamos vendo no mundo é uma manifestação da ignorância que nos habita.”

“En el transcurso del tiempo, nuestras acciones inconscientes generan consecuencias impactantes no solamente en nuestras vidas, sino para el planeta como un todo.Necesitamos tomar actitudes concretas para minimizar este impacto. Pero es importante comprender que cambiar el mundo de afuera sin cambiar nuestro mundo interno, no traerá el cambio que queremos ver en el mundo. Lo externo es reflejo de lo interno. Lo que estamos viendo en el mundo es una manifestación de la ignorancia que nos habita.”

"Over time, our unconscious actions generate consequences that impact not only our own lives, but the planet as a whole. We need to take concrete action to minimize this impact. Yet it is important to understand that we can't create a new world simply by implementing outer change without also changing our inner world. The outer reflects the inner. What we are seeing in the world is a manifestation of the ignorance that inhabits us.”

Today's Daily Dharma: Mind as Water, Mind as Ice

Mind as Water, Mind as Ice
The Right Mind is the mind that does not remain in one place. It is the mind that stretches throughout the entire body and self. The Confused Mind is the mind that, thinking something over, congeals in one place.
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Sunday, December 27, 2015

Via Evolver Social Movement / FB:


Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day 27/12/2015

“É importante que possamos tomar consciência das limitações geradas pelos condicionamentos mentais, pois eles geram separação. E a separação é a raiz da guerra. Você pode não concordar com determinada ideologia ou crença, mas isso não pode ser motivo para criar barreiras e fechar o seu coração. É muito bom que hajam pessoas pensando de modo diferente, pois uma ajuda a outra a ampliar a visão.”

“Es importante que podamos tomar consciencia de las limitaciones generadas por los condicionamientos mentales, porque ellos generan separación. Y la separación es la raíz de la guerra. Puedes no concordar con determinada ideología o creencia, pero esto no puede ser motivo para crear barreras y cerrar tu corazón. Es muy bueno que haya personas pensando de modo diferente, porque una ayuda a la otra a ampliar la visión.”

"It is important that we become aware of the limitations generated by our mental conditioning because they generate separation. And separation is the root of warfare. One may disagree with a particular ideology or belief, but that is not a reason to create barriers and close our hearts. The fact that some people think differently than others do can only help in expanding one's understanding.”

Today's Daily Dharma: When the World Says Hello

When the World Says Hello
Imagine for a moment that everything you see, hear, smell, touch, and taste is your very best friend. The spoon in your hand and the distant sound of traffic; the raindrops running down your back and the smell of dirty laundry; the blue sky and the flavor of cumin—these are not mere passing encounters with two-dimensional items. Instead, imagine for a moment that everything you are experiencing is your very, very best friend saying hello.
—Michael Carroll, "Gently Bowing"
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Via FB:



Saturday, December 26, 2015

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day 26/12/2015

“Por trás do sombreiro está a luz. A escuridão não tem existência própria - ela é a ausência da luz. Um raio de luz é suficiente para dissipar as trevas da ignorância. Somente uma onda de amor é suficiente para acalmar tempestades de ódio. Mas para isso precisamos estar receptivos à luz. É verdade que a escuridão milenar de uma caverna se dissipa imediatamente com um pequeno raio de luz, mas para a luz penetrar essa escuridão, é preciso haver uma fenda; é preciso haver abertura. E abertura ou receptividade é sinônimo de humildade.”

“Por detrás de la sombra está la luz. La oscuridad no tiene existencia propia, es la ausencia de la luz. Un rayo de luz es suficiente para disipar las tinieblas de la ignorancia. Solamente una onda de amor es suficiente para calmar tempestades de odio. Pero para esto necesitamos estar receptivos a la luz. Es verdad que la oscuridad milenaria de una caverna se disipa inmediatamente con un pequeño rayo de luz, pero para que la luz penetre esa oscuridad, es necesario que haya una grieta, es necesario que haya una abertura. Y apertura o receptividad es sinónimo de humildad.”

“Behind the shadow there is light. Darkness does not have an existence of its own – it is but the absence of light. A ray of light is enough to dissipate the darkness of ignorance. A single wave of love is enough to calm all the storms of hatred. However, in order for this to be so, we need to be receptive to the light. It is true that acave’s ancient darkness dissipates immediately with a small ray of light, but in order for the light to penetrate this darkness, there must be a gap or an opening. This openness and receptivitybegins with humility."

Today's Daily Dharma: Taking Control of Habit

Taking Control of Habit
Each step may seem to take forever, but no matter how uninspired you feel, continue to follow your practice schedule precisely and consistently. This is how we can use our greatest enemy, habit, against itself.
—Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche, "Tortoise Steps"
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Friday, December 25, 2015

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day 25/12/2015

“‘Ame a Deus sobre todas as coisas e tudo mais vos será acrescentado’. Se entregue para Deus e tudo o que você precisa chega. Essa é a essência da transmissão de Jesus. Mas, na minha visão, a principal pérola transmitida por esse grande mestre passou despercebida. Quando estava sendo crucificado e agredido ele disse: ‘Pai, perdoa-lhes pois eles não sabem o que fazem.’ Se puder experienciar esse grau de perdão e de compaixão, você se torna um com Deus - você está livre.” 

“‘Ama a Dios por sobre todas las cosas y todo lo demás se os dará por añadidura”. Entrégate a Dios y todo lo que necesitas llega. Esta es la esencia de la transmisión de Jesús. Pero en mi visión, la principal perla transmitida por este gran maestro pasó desapercibida. Cuando estaba siendo crucificado y agredido él dijo: “Padre, perdónalos porque no saben lo que hacen”. Si pudieras experimentar este grado de perdón y de compasión, te vuelves uno con Dios, estás libre."

" 'Seek the Kingdom of God above all else... and he will give you everything you need' (Matthew 6:33). Surrender yourself to God and everything you need comes. This is the essence of Jesus’ transmission. In my opinion, the main pearl transmitted by this great master teacher passed unnoticed. While he was being crucified and beaten he said, 'Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.' If you can experience this degree of forgiveness and compassion, you become one with God, and you are free."

Today's Daily Dharma: Generous Gratitude

Generous Gratitude
Gratitude, the simple and profound feeling of being thankful, is the foundation of all generosity. I am generous when I believe that right now, right here, in this form and this place, I am myself being given what I need.
—Sallie Jiko Tisdale, "As If There Is Nothing to Lose"
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Today's Daily Dharma: Baby Buddha

Baby Buddha
We must grow up, just like a newborn baby. The infant born today and the adult 25 years later is essentially the same person, isn't he? He is not someone else. Right now, our nature is the buddha nature. When fully enlightened, it will also be the buddha nature.
—Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, "As the Clouds Vanish"
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Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Via Elephant Buddhadharma / FB:


Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day 23/12/2015

“Uma famosa frase da bíblia diz: ‘A Verdade vos libertará’. E tenho constatado que isso é verdade. Por isso tenho dito que a honestidade é a mais urgente e necessária forma de amor que precisamos desenvolver neste momento da jornada evolutiva. Ela é a base, a fundação do templo da consciência. Se você não pode ser honesto, seu processo evolutivo é interrompido.”

“Una famosa frase de la biblia dice: "La Verdad os hará libres". Y he constatado que esto es verdad. Por eso vengo diciendo que la honestidad es la forma más urgente y necesaria de amor que precisamos desarrollar en este momentodel camino evolutivo. Es la base, los cimientosdel templo de la conciencia. Si no puedes ser honesto, tu proceso evolutivo es interrumpido.”

“A famous passage of the Bible (John 8:32) reads, ‘The truth will set you free.’ I have experienced that this really is true. Honesty is the most urgent and necessary form of love that we need to develop at this moment of our evolutionary journey. Honesty is the foundation of the temple of consciousness. If we cannot be honest, our evolutionary process is interrupted.”

Today's Daily Dharma: The Value of Intention

The Value of Intention
I regularly advise people to discover what their deepest intention is. What do they really want? What is the heart’s deepest wish? While some people have worthwhile intentions for their meditation, the practice can have greater value when it is clearly connected to what is most important to us.
—Gil Fronsdal, "Evaluate Your Meditation"
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Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day 22/12/2015

“Através das práticas espirituais, estamos batendo na porta da Verdade. Mas é importante lembrar que a Verdade não pertence a uma determinada religião ou tradição espiritual específica - ela simplesmente é. Ela foi e sempre será a mesma. Aquilo que é verdadeiro não muda de acordo com as circunstâncias externas.”

“A través de las prácticas espirituales, estamos golpeando la puerta de la Verdad. Pero es importante recordar que la Verdad no pertenece a una determinada religión o tradición espiritual específica, simplemente es. Fue y siempre será la misma. Aquello que es verdadero no cambia según las circunstancias externas.”

“Through spiritual practices, we are knocking on Truth’s door. It is important to remember that the truth doesn’t pertain to any one particular religion or specific spiritual tradition. The truth simply is. The truth has always been and will always be the same. That which is true doesn’t change according to external circumstances.”

Today's Daily Dharma: Look Deeply at your Life

Look Deeply at Your Life
To practice the dharma is to look into the content of one’s life in a very deep way. To do this, one must be able to discern between one’s strengths and one’s shortcomings.
—Ogyen Trinley Dorje, the 17th Karmapa, "Intelligence & Investigation"
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Monday, December 21, 2015

Via K-LOVE Morning Show / FB:


Via Towleroad: Tim Cook Takes ’60 Minutes’ Inside Apple and Talks About His Own Coming Out: WATCH

Tim Cook

Last night 60 Minutes and Charlie Rose went inside Apple and spoke with CEO Tim Cook, Jony Ive, Angela Ahrendts, Eddie Cue, and other top officials about the company’s innovation, its secrecy, its design lab, the new ‘spaceship’ campus it is building in Cupertino, encryption, taxes, and host of other issues.

Rose also spoke with Cook about his decision to come out of the closet last year.
Said Cook:

“When you’re in a minority group it gives you a sense of empathy of what it’s like to be in the minority and you begin to look at things from different point of views, and I think it was a gift for me.”
 
Cook added:

“Honestly, I value my privacy. I’m a very private person. But it became increasingly clear to me that if I said something that it could help other people. And I’m glad, because I think that some kid somewhere, some kid in Alabama, I think if they just for a moment stop and say ‘if it didn’t limit him, it may not limit me.’ Or, this kid that’s getting bullied. Or worse, I’ve gotten notes from people contemplating suicide. And so if I could touch just one of those, it’s worth it. And I couldn’t look myself in the mirror without doing it.”

Watch Inside Apple, in two parts, below:
 
 

"All I Want For Christmas Is You" MUSIC VIDEO - Steve Grand


Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day 21/12/2015

“Em um sangha ou comunidade espiritual, é comum vermos buscadores tomados por um ‘ego espiritual’. Os mais adiantados quase não são vistos, e aqueles que precisam de atenção, estão realmente chamando atenção. Porém, você não deve se incomodar com isso, pois é o próprio ego que se incomoda com o ego do outro. Estando livre disso, você não liga para o que o outro está fazendo. Ele está na sua viagem, querendo sentir-se especial mas você não liga, pois sabe que é o que ele precisa viver; que é somente uma fase. Portanto, não se preocupe com o outro – trate de olhar para si mesmo.”

“En un sangha o comunidad espiritual, es común ver a los buscadores tomados por un "ego espiritual". Los más adelantados apenas son vistos, y aquellos que necesitan de atención, están realmente llamando la atención. Sin embargo, no debes incomodarte con esto, ya que es el propio ego el que se incomoda con el ego del otro. Estando libre de esto, no te enganchas con lo que el otro está haciendo. Él está en su viaje, queriendo sentirse especial pero no te molesta,porque sabes que es lo que precisa vivir; que solo es una fase. Por lo tanto, no te preocupes con el otro - trata de mirar hacia ti mismo.”

“In a sangha or spiritual community, it is common to find seekers taken over by the ‘spiritual ego.’ Truly advanced seekers are almost invisible, while those who yearn for attention really clamor for it. But please don’t be bothered by this, for it is the ego itself that is bothered by the ego in the other. If you are free of this, you won’t even pay attention to what the other is doing. That person may be in their own trip wanting to feel special, but you don’t get affected because you know this is what that person is needing to go through, that it's just a phase. In sum, don’t worry about the other, and take a good look at yourself.”

Today's Daily Dharma: Brave Uncertainty

Brave Uncertainty
Anxiety, heartbreak, and tenderness mark the in-between state. It's the kind of place we usually want to avoid. . . . When we are brave enough to stay in the middle, compassion arises spontaneously.
—Pema Chödrön, "The In-between State"
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Sunday, December 20, 2015

Via FB:


Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day 20/12/2015

“Você só fica satisfeito se o outro olha para você de determinada maneira. Então você tenta fazer com que ele olhe pra você sempre desse jeito, porque assim você se sente amado. Você força o outro a fazer do seu jeito para poder sentir-se feliz e amado. E se o outro não faz do jeito que você quer, você fica infeliz. Isso não é felicidade, muito menos amor. Se a sua felicidade depende do comportamento do outro, então você não é feliz. A verdadeira felicidade vem de dentro.”

“Solo quedas satisfecho si el otro te mira de determinada manera. Entonces intentas hacer que te mire siempre de esta manera, porque asíte sientes amado. Fuerzas al otro a hacerlo a tu manera para que puedas sentirte feliz y amado. Y si el otro no lo hace de la manera que quieres, te sientes infeliz. Esto no es felicidad, y mucho menos amor. Si tu felicidad depende delcomportamiento del otro, entonces no eres feliz. La verdadera felicidad viene de adentro.”

"We often feel satisfaction when the other looks at us, but only if it's done in a particular way. We eventually start subtly 'forcing' the other to always look at us in that way so we feel loved and happy. If the other does not concede, we become unhappy – but this isn't happiness at all, much less is it love. If our happiness depends on the other's behavior, then we are not really happy. True happiness comes from within."

Today's Daily Dharma: The Two Freedoms

The Two Freedoms
Whatever your difficulties—a devastated heart, financial loss, feeling assaulted by the conflicts around you, or a seemingly hopeless illness—you can always remember that you are free in every moment to set the compass of your heart to your highest intentions. In fact, the two things that you are always free to do—despite your circumstances—are to be present and to be willing to love.
—Jack Kornfield, "Set the Compass of Your Heart"
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Friday, December 18, 2015

Today's Daily Dharma: A Useful Mind

A Useful Mind
Like an umbrella, a mind is only useful when it is open. The first step toward maintaining an open mind is to understand the nature of mind or self.
—Gerry Shishin Wick Sensei, "Zen in the Workplace"
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Thursday, December 17, 2015

End of a Surreal Year



Earthquakes, floods, landslides, political messiness... Three very dear women taken from us... two so suddenly that it left most of us gasping... And yet, I now have a permanent visa, we have a permanent home in a lovely city, and as the year ends, our son is about to present us with a grandchild.

I am even more confirmed that all of us are afraid, afraid for our lives, afraid for our fragile and corrupt crumbling environments and infrastructures, and the political and social institutions that seem to be incapable of resolving the problems that threaten to engulf us all. So many are afraid that we are loosing the gains that we worked so hard to achieve. I see that. 

And yet...

And yet, I see so many people rising out of this morass... Most notably, my team in Nepal, they lost hundreds of friends, neighbors, family members and colleagues and yet are thriving... producing research, checking in every day or so... all of this when the political situation there is impossible. I see my students, colleagues and family members here in Brasil that despite the rancor, and hateful dialogue, hug you, reach out, open the door, say hello... I am grateful to my amigos in the States who check in and share their jokes and love. I am deeply grateful and honored to call you all friends, family, amigos!

What these trips and living abroad have shown us is how now more than ever, just how very fragile everything is, and yet at the same time, this fragility gives us the opportunity to see in people we meet, such grace, such talent, such strength, such light!  I am absolutely sure that we are all one people. That we have so much, much, much more in common than what we perceive, as are our curious differences. 

This year, more than ever, has shown us just how fragile things are, yet it is this light, that seems to shine in each one of us, that allows us to give our humanity a chance. It is the hundred little simple things we can all do to fight back, to not give into the darkness, that gives us our humanity... opening a door, picking up some liter, greeting your neighbors, showing up on time, giving a seat to someone else on the bus, saying hello and smiling to everyone... 

This is one of the best forms of protest, and the best way I know that keeps the darkness at bay.  Each small act can and will become a butterfly effect…



Daniel Orey, Ph.D.

Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day 17/12/2015

“É de grande valia ampliar a percepção para tomar consciência do que te isola do outro. Você perceberá que por trás da separação existe julgamento, comparação e uma série de crenças que fazem com que você se proteja e se mantenha isolado. Vá olhando para tudo isso, mas procure ir mais fundo: encontre o núcleo, a origem dessa crenças, pois isso é o que te impede de se unir – ao outro e ao seu próprio coração. Quando toca esse núcleo, você tem a chance de virar uma chave e de transformar completamente a sua vida.”

“Es de gran valor ampliar la percepción para tomar conciencia de lo que te aísladel otro. Te darás cuentade que por detrás de la separación existe juicio, comparación y una serie de creencias que hacen que te protejas y te mantengas aislado. Anda mirando todo esto, pero trata de ir más profundo: encuentra el núcleo, el origen de estas creencias, ya que esto es lo que te impide unirte, al otro y a tu propio corazón. Cuando tocas este núcleo, tienes la oportunidad de girar una llavey de transformar completamentetu vida.”

"It is of great value to expand our perception and become aware of what isolates us from the other. We may notice that behind the separation exists judgment, comparison and a series of beliefs that make us seek to protect ourselves and remain isolated. Continue to observe this, but try to go deeper: find the core, the origin of these beliefs, as this is what prevents us from uniting with each other and with our own hearts. When we tap into this core, we have a chance to turn the key and completely transform our lives."

Today's Daily Dharma: Teach by Example

Teach by Example
It is not by preaching or expounding the sutras (scriptures) that you fulfill the task of awakening others to self-realization; it is rather by the way you walk, the way you stand, the way you sit and the way you see things.
—Thich Nhat Hanh, "Walking: Meditation on the Move"
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