Via Tricycle: Brief Teachings Spring 2016 Select wisdom from sources old and new

This impulse to record and create meaning of the little details and moments of life—as [Georgia] O’Keeffe said, “to paint what I see”—is arguably the birthplace of art, and it starts with being awake to the moments of our lives as they are passing. It begins, in other words, with mindfulness.

—Scott Barry Kaufman and Carolyn Gregoire, "Brief Teachings Spring 2016"

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Via Daily Dharma / August 7, 2016: Art Begins with Mindfulness

This impulse to record and create meaning of the little details and moments of life—as [Georgia] O’Keeffe said, 
“to paint what I see”—is arguably the birthplace of art, and it starts with being awake to the moments of our lives as they are passing. It begins, in other words, with mindfulness.

—Scott Barry Kaufman and Carolyn Gregoire, "Brief Teachings Spring 2016"

Via Ram Dass

August 7, 2016

If I go into the place in myself that is love, and you go into the place in yourself that is love, we are together in love. Then you and I are truly in love, the state of being love. That’s the entrance to Oneness. That’s the space I entered when I met my guru.

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día- Flower of the day - 08/08/2016

“Quando pode observar os pensamentos, as emoções e as sensações que passam por você sem criticar ou julgar, você está obtendo uma grande vitória sobre a mente. Em outras palavras, você está se tornando senhor da própria mente. Dessa maneira, você começa a acessar o nível da alma e a empoderar o espírito. Você começa a se perceber como um fragmento do Divino. Mas esse fragmento não se divide, ele é eterno, pois ele é o próprio Divino. Você tem um vislumbre da Unidade.”

“Cuándo puedes observar los pensamientos, emociones y sensaciones que pasan por ti sin criticar o juzgar, estás obteniendo una gran victoria sobre la mente. En otras palabras, te estás convirtiendo en señor de tu propia mente. De esta manera, comienzas a acceder al nivel del alma y empoderar al espíritu. Empiezas a percibirte como un fragmento de lo Divino. Pero este fragmento no se divide, es eterno, porque es la propia Divinidad. Tienes una vislumbre de la Unidad.”

“When we can observe our thoughts, emotions and sensations that pass through us without criticizing or judging them, we gain a great victory over the mind. We become sovereign over the mind. As such, we begin to have access to the level of the soul that empowers the spirit. We begin to perceive ourselves as a piece of the divine. This fragment is not divided. It is eternal because it is divinity itself. We are given a glimpse of unity.”

Via Daily Dharma / August 8, 2016: A Child’s View of Buddha

I think Buddha is light. In this light is a triangle of all-colored light, and inside the light is a human-animal-sea-creature-bird-Being.

—Caroline Kornfield, "Children Talking about ‘Buddha’"

Via Daily Dharma / August 6, 2016: Meeting Every Moment Completely

What is essential in the practice [of kyosaku, the “encouragement stick”] is to meet each moment completely, to be whole, to meet each back, each shoulder, each need as required. To be nothing but the stick and the blow.

—Sallie Jiko Tisdale, "The Encouragement Stick: 7 Views"

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día- Flower of the day - 05/08/2016

“A meditação em si não é uma técnica e não requer esforço. Porém, para que a meditação possa acontecer, se faz necessário dedicar-se a uma técnica específica, a fim de desenvolver a disciplina e a concentração necessárias para essa experiência. Mas esse é um processo que tem suas fases: às vezes você se sente muito bem e realiza sua prática com grande facilidade, mas, às vezes, quando se depara com camadas muito profundas de resistência e apego, você precisa fazer um grande esforço para ficar quieto. Nesse caso, eu sugiro que você temporariamente faça outra coisa, de preferência alguma atividade física.”

“La meditación en sí misma no es una técnica y no requiere esfuerzo. Sin embargo, para que la meditación suceda, es necesario dedicarse a una técnica específica, con el fin de desarrollar la disciplina y la concentración necesaria para esta experiencia. Pero este es un proceso que tiene sus fases: a veces te sientes muy bien y realizastu práctica con gran facilidad, pero a veces, cuando te enfrentascon capas muy profundas de resistencia y apego, necesitas hacer un gran esfuerzo para quedarte quieto. En este caso, te sugiero que temporalmente que hagasotra cosa, de preferencia alguna actividad física.”

“Meditation itself is not a technique and doesn’t require effort. However, in order for meditation to happen, it is necessary to dedicate ourselves to a specific technique through which we can develop the discipline and concentration needed to set the stage for this experience to flourish. However, this is a process that has certain phases. Sometimes, we feel very good and we can perform our practice with great ease. Other times, when we are faced with very deep layers of resistance and attachment, we need to make great effort to stay quiet. In this case, I suggest you temporarily do something else, preferably some physical activity.”

Via Daily Dharma / August 5, 2016: Study Deepens Faith

Faith is a quality that grows as you question, explore, and really put teachings into practice. The more you study, the less dogmatic you get.

—Sharon Salzberg, "Then & Now"

Via Science and Metaphysics / FB:

Via Daily Dharma / August 4, 2016: Overcoming Hatred

Hatred is worse than anger. Anger, irritation, is not that bad. But it will definitely become hatred if you don’t take care of it.

—Ngawang Gelek Demo Rinpoche, "What to Do When the Anger Gets Hot"

Via Ram Dass

August 3, 2016

This is the path of love. The path of the heart. Like all paths, it is fraught with pitfalls and traps, and most of our emotions are either in the service of our minds or our frightening things that overwhelm us and make us afraid so we protect ourselves from them.

So we come through life a little bit like hungry ghosts. We are beings that have huge needs for love, but seemingly it’s like we have some kind of amoeba that doesn’t allow us to digest our food. So, though we get love, it goes through us and then we need love all over again. This conception is so deep within all of us that we’ve built an entire reality around it, and we think that’s the way it is; that everybody needs love and that if you don’t get it you are deprived, and that the more of it the better, and you need it every day from everything. In that sense it’s like an achievement; you see people that are achievers. The minute they achieve something it becomes irrelevant, and their awareness turns to the next achievement because they are addicted to the practice, not to the goal.

Via Daily Dharma / August 3, 2016: On Art-making

When you sit down, all that you’re exposed to is your own mind, there is nothing else... Just to remain in that space and to let things arise and fade without having to grasp at them makes one realize that everything is already here, that no higher teaching is needed or to be grasped at.

—Robert Beer, "Art Making the Artist"

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día- Flower of the day - 02/08/2016

“O ódio é um mecanismo de defesa que se manifesta como destrutividade, tanto em relação ao outro como a si mesmo. Mas a destrutividade só se mantém porque existe uma ligação entre a energia sexual e o sofrimento, ou seja, existe um certo prazer envolvido nesse processo. Em algum momento da sua biografia, você teve que usar a sua energia vital, que é a mesma energia sexual, para anestesiar a dor, e isso estabeleceu uma conexão entre o prazer e o sofrimento. Por trás do ódio sempre existe dor. E por trás da dor está o verdadeiro Eu.”

“El odio es un mecanismo de defensa que se manifiesta como destructividad, tanto hacia el otro como hacia ti mismo. Pero la destructividad solo se mantiene porque existe una unión entre la energía sexual y el sufrimiento, es decir, hay cierto placer involucrado en este proceso. En algún momento de tu biografía, tuviste que utilizar tu energía vital, que es la misma energía sexual, para anestesiar el dolor, y esto estableció una conexión entre el placer y el sufrimiento. Por detrás del odio siempre hay dolor. Y por detrás del dolor está el verdadero Yo.”

“Hatred is a self defense mechanism that manifests as destruction both to ourselves as well as to the other. Destructivity continues because there exists a connection between our sexual energy and suffering. There is a certain pleasure that is involved in this process. At one point in our personal story, we had to use our vital energy, our sexual energy, to numb the pain. In doing so, a connection was made between pleasure and suffering. Behind hatred, there is always pain. Beyond this pain is the true self.”

Via Daily Dharma / August 2, 2016: Alternative Meditation

No matter who you are, you can’t sit still all the time. And some people just find it virtually impossible to stay seated and mindful with the levels of pain and agitation and anger they feel. But they can walk with it.

—Jon Kabat-Zinn, "Walking: Meditation on the Move"

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día- Flower of the day - 1/08/2016

“Nossa ideia de 'eu' é muito limitada. Ela nasce da relação entre o pensamento e a forma. Nós acreditamos ser um corpo, um nome, uma história, e nossos pensamentos são criados a partir dessa crença. Nós acreditamos ser algo que precisa ser traduzido em palavras e ter um determinado valor. Dessa ideia limitada de 'eu', nasce a ideia de 'meu' - 'eu' e 'meu' formam nossa referência de identidade. E é essa identificação com a forma que nos impede de perceber a profundidade da vida.”

“Nuestra idea de' yo' es muy limitada. Nace de la relación entre el pensamiento y la forma. Creemos ser un cuerpo, un nombre, una historia, y nuestros pensamientos son creados a partir de esta creencia. Creemos ser algo que necesita ser traducido en palabras y tener un determinado valor. De esta idea limitada de' yo', nace la idea de 'mío' - 'yo' y 'mío' forman nuestra referencia de identidad. Y es esta identificación con la forma que nos impide percibir la profundidad de la vida.”

“Our idea of self is very limited. It is born out of our relationship from thought to form. We believe we are a body, a name, a certain story, and our thoughts are created from these beliefs. We think we are something that can be translated into words and that has a specific value. From this limited idea of ‘me’, the idea of ‘mine’ is born. ‘Me’ and ‘mine’ form our reference points to our identity. This identification with form is what prevents us from experiencing the profoundness of life.”

Via Daily Dharma / August 1, 2016: Sky Mind, Cloud Thoughts

We cannot push the clouds away, but we can allow the clouds of thought to gradually dissolve until finally all the clouds have vanished. Ultimate realization occurs when there is no trace of the cloud layers whatsoever.

—Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, "As the Clouds Vanish"

Via Daily Dharma / July 31, 2016: Balance and Acceptance

Equanimity is not insensitivity, indifference, or apathy. It is simply nonpreferential. Under its influence, one does not push aside the things one dislikes or grasp at the things one prefers. The mind rests in an attitude of balance and acceptance of things as they are.

—Sayadaw U Pandita, "A Perfect Balance"

Via Daily Dharma / July 29, 2016: On Equanimity

Equanimity takes interest in whatever is occurring simply because it is occurring. Equanimity does not include aversive states of indifference, boredom, coldness, or hesitation. It is an expression of calm, radiant balance that takes whatever comes in stride.

—Shaila Catherine, "Equanimity in Every Bite"

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor día- Flower of the day - 28/07/2016

“Se você já está podendo ser honesto a ponto de admitir suas mentiras, significa que o processo de transformação e cura que te tira do círculo vicioso do sofrimento já iniciou. Esse é o início da transcendência. E estando nesse estágio, você não suporta ficar na mentira por muito tempo. Muitas vezes, você não consegue dormir porque já viu que, em algum momento, você terá que dar um salto. Existe um buraco no meio do seu caminho e você precisa ter coragem de pular. Então, o que tira o seu sono é o medo.”

“Si ya estas pudiendo ser honesto al punto de admitir tus mentiras, significa que el proceso de transformación y cura que te saca del círculo vicioso del sufrimiento ya se inició. Ese es el inicio de la transcendencia. Y estando en este estadio, no soportas quedarte en la mentira por mucho tiempo. Muchas veces, no consigues dormir porque ya viste que en algún momento tendrás que dar un salto. Existe un agujero en el medio de tu camino y necesitas tener coraje para saltar. Entonces lo que te quita el sueño es el miedo.”

“If we are able to be honest enough to admitour lies, the process of transformation and healing that will allow us to exit the vicious cycle of suffering has already begun. This is the beginning of transcendence. While we are in this stage, we can no longer tolerate lying for very long. Many times, we can’t even sleep because we have already seen that, at one point, we will have to jump. We know that there is a pothole on our path and we will have to have the courage to jump. So, what robs us of our sleep is fear.”