~ The Buddhist Sutra of Mindfulness speaks about the meditation on the corpse: meditate on the decomposition of the body, how the body bloats and turns violet, how it is eaten by worms until only bits of blood and flesh still cling to the bones, meditate up to the point where only white bones remain, which in turn are slowly worn away and turn into dust. Meditate like that, knowing that your own body will undergo the same process. Meditate on the corpse until you are calm and at peace, until your mind and heart are light and tranquil and a smile appears on your face. Thus, by overcoming revulsion and fear, life will be seen as infinitely precious, every second of it worth living.
~ To meditate does not mean to fight with a problem.
To meditate means to observe.
Your smile proves it.
It proves that you are being gentle with yourself,
that the sun of awareness is shining in you,
that you have control of your situation.
You are yourself,
and you have acquired some peace.
~ Drink your tea slowly and reverently,
as if it is the axis
on which the world earth revolves
- slowly, evenly, without
rushing toward the future;
Live the actual moment.
Only this moment is life.
~ Relief, Peace, well-being, joy and better relations with others will be possible if we practice mindfulness in our everyday life. I am convinced that everybody can practice mindfulness, even politicians, political parties, even the Congress. This is a body that holds the responsibility for knowing the nation's situation well, and knowledge of this kind requires the practice of looking deeply. If our elected officials are not calm enough, do not have enough concentration, how can they see things deeply? [True Love, in the chapter titled 'Everybody Should Practice Mindfulness']
~ ....there is a great deal of hatred and anger and discrimination. How is it possible, in such a state, for people to practice deep looking with the aim of achieving a deep knowledge...So it is necessary to practice mindfulness- it could be Buddhist or Christian- but it is necessary to bring mindfulness to our everyday life. If you are a journalist, a teacher, or a filmmaker you should practice mindfulness- for the sake of your own calm and your own happiness, but also for that of other people as well. Because we need your calm, your compassion, your understanding. So we should be mindful as individuals but also as a community, as a family, as a nation. [True Love, in the chapter titled 'Everybody Should Practice Mindfulness']
~ everyday we do things, we are things that have to do with peace. If we are aware of our life..., our way of looking at things, we will know how to make peace right in the moment, we are alive.
~ Keeping your body healthy is an expression of gratitude to the whole cosmos - the trees, the clouds, everything.
~ People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar.
~ The practice of peace and reconciliation is one of the most vital and artistic of human actions.
~ Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.
~ Smiling is very important. If we are not able to smile, then the world will not have peace. It is not by going out for a demonstration against nuclear missiles that we can bring about peace.It is with our capacity of smiling, breathing, and being peace that we can make peace.
~ If in our daily life we can smile, if we can be peaceful and happy, not only we, but everyone will profit from it. This is the most basic kind of peace work.
~ We must not be attached to a view or a doctrine, even a Buddhist one. .. . The Buddha said that if in a certain moment or place you adopt something as the absolute truth, and you attach to that, then you will no longer have any chance to reach the truth. Even when the truth comes and knocks on your door, and asks you to open the door, you won't recognize it. So you must not be too attached to dogma--to what you believe, and to what you perceive. [in an interview with Diane Wolkstein featured in Parabola Vol 30 No 4]
~ You who are journalists, writers, citizens, you have the right and duty to say to those you have elected that they must practice mindfulness, calm and deep listening, and loving speech. This is a universal thing, taught by all religions. [True Love, in the chapter titled 'Everybody Should Practice Mindfulness']
~ People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air,but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don't even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child -- our own two eyes. All is a miracle.

The Art of Power Thich Nhat Hanh

We usually think of power as a force in our lives that enables us to control and dominate others. It is a vital source of energy in individuals, groups, and nations. Buddhist monk and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh reframes the art of power and gives us a fresh and spiritual way of thinking about it and incorporating it in our lives. He states:

"Our society is founded on a very limited definition of power, namely wealth, professional success, fame, physical strength, military might, and political control. My dear friends, I suggest that there is another kind of power, a greater power: the power to be happy right in the present moment, free from addiction, fear, despair, discrimination, anger, and ignorance. This power is the birthright of every human being, whether celebrated or unknown, rich or poor, strong or weak."

Thich Nhat Hanh presents the five powers which Buddhists see as the foundation of real happiness: faith, diligence, mindfulness, concentration, and insight. They are real sources of energy and, if practiced regularly, are able to transform the quality of our lives. For example, mindfulness enables us to truly be present and not living in the past or the future. Thich Nhat Hanh gives an illustration of this from his own life:

"When I was a sixteen-year-old novice monk, my teacher taught me to open the door and close the door with one hundred percent of myself. One day, my teacher asked me to get something for him. Because I loved him very much, I was eager to do it, so I rushed to do this task and closed the door quickly.

"My teacher called me back: 'Novice, come back here.' I went back to him. I joined my palms and looked at him. He said, 'Novice, this time go out mindfully and close the door behind you mindfully.' That was the first lesson he gave me on the practice of mindfulness."

Think what a difference it would make in your life if you did more things with one hundred percent of yourself! This kind of power adds richness to our days and does not cause any suffering for others. It is quite different from the savage uses of power to frighten or hurt others.

Thich Nhat Hanh talks about the three virtues that are required if we are to be true leaders: the virtue of cutting off anger, craving and ignorance; the virtue of embracing others with loving kindness and compassion; and the virtue of insight which is the art of looking deeply. Imagine the president of the United States or the CEO of a large multinational corporation acting in accord with these virtues. The author challenges political leaders to be calm, to use loving speech, to empathize with the suffering and difficulties of others, and to talk to them with love and compassion. Such a spiritual approach would increase the happiness of all.

The Art of Power is a bold and visionary work that reframes power, ambition, success, happiness, love, and peace. We love the way Thich Nhat Hanh is able to startle us with his perception of things. Take, for example, the following: "The war on terrorism has forced us to look at each other as potential terrorists. When you travel by plane, you are searched. They are not looking for your Buddha nature; they are looking for your terrorist nature." At least now we can look upon those who search us and see their Buddha nature!

The book concludes with a section of meditations to cultivate power in everyday situations. Thich Nhat Hanh always comes back to practices, and that is why his spiritual work is so important and humanizing.

Book Review
By Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat

Grayson Chance

Gnothi Seaution ( know yourself )

Who you think you are is also connected with how you see yourself treated by others. Many people complain others do not treat them well enough. “I don’t get any respect, attention, acknowledgment,” they say. “I’m being taken for granted.” When people are kind, they suspect hidden motives. “Others want to manipulate me, take advantage of me. Nobody loves me.” Who they think they are is this: “I am a needy ‘little me’ whose needs are not being met.” This basic misperception of who they are creates dysfunction in all their relationships. They believe they have nothing to give and that the world or others are withholding from them what they need. Their entire reality is based on an illusory sense of who they are. It sabotages situations, mars all relationships. If the thought of lack- whether it be money, recognition, or love- has become part of who you think you are, you will always experience lack. Rather than acknowledge the good that is already in your life, all you see is lack. Acknowledging the good that is already in your life is the foundation for all abundance. The fact is: whatever you think the world is withholding from you, you are withholding from the world. You are withholding it because deep down you think you are small and that you have nothing to give.
"Even the least among you can do all that I have done, and greater things." ~Jesus~
Try this for a couple of weeks and see how it changes your reality. Whatever you thing people are withholding from you- praise, appreciation, assistance, loving care, and so on- give it to them. You Don’t have it? Just act as if you had it, and it will come. Then, soon after you start giving, you will start receiving. You cannot receive what you don’t give. Outflow determines inflow. Whatever you think the world is withholding from you, you already have, but unless you allow it to flow out, you won’t even know you have it. This includes abundance. The law that outflow determines in flow expressed by Jesus in this powerful image: “Give and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap.”
The source of all abundance is not outside you. It is part of who you are. However, start by acknowledging and recognizing abundance without. See the fullness of life all around you. The warmth of the sun on your skin, the display of magnificent flowers outside a florist’s shop, biting into a succulent fruit, or getting soaked in an abundance of water falling from the sky. The fullness of life is there at every step. The acknowledgment of that abundance that is all around you awakens the dormant abundance within. Then let it flow out. When you smile at a stranger, there is already a minute outflow of energy. You become a giver. Ask your self often: “What can I give here; how can I be of service to this person, this situation?”
You don’t need to own anything to feel abundant, although if you feel abundant consistently things will almost come to you. Abundance comes only to those who already have it. It sounds almost unfair, but of course it isn’t . it is a universal law. Both abundance and scarcity are inner states that manifest as your reality. Jesus puts it like this; “For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he will be taken away.”

If you want to understand more about yourself I recommend reading “A New Earth” by Eckhart Tolle