The Tao of the Mind

“A human being is part of the whole, called by us ‘universe,’ a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separate from the rest—a kind of optical delusion of consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.” ~ Albert Einstein, 1921

“Choose not to be harmed and you won’t feel harmed. Don’t feel harmed and you haven’t been.” ~ Marcus Aurelius

“If you don’t get what you want, you suffer; if you get what you don’t want, you suffer; even when you get exactly what you want, you still suffer because you can’t hold on to it forever. Your mind is your predicament. It wants to be free of change. Free of pain, free of the obligations of life and death. But change is a law, and no amount of pretending will alter that reality.” ~ Dan Millman

“To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders.” ~ Lao Tzu

The Tao of Presence

“Begin at once to live and count each separate day as a separate life.” ~ Senaca

Ancient philosopher Epictetus (A.D. 55-135) gave this advice: “Welcome present circumstances and accept the things whose time has arrived. Keep your will in line with events”….. In other words: don’t argue with what IS (in your mind or out aloud). No useless complaining, blaming, getting irritated, making wrong. It’s an enormous waste of energy. It diminishes your ability to think clearly and take effective action. It contaminates your life with negativity, and then you spread it to others. So: GETTING WHAT YOU WANT is great. WANTING WHAT YOU GET is greater. ~ Eckhart Tolle