Today’s meditation journey takes a look at the world around us with a slight pause to recognize what society has created… "If being appropriate means conforming to a deeply pathological society, then be wildly inappropriate. If finally seeing the oppressive suffering of others is painful, then endure the pain. If you want freedom from denial … Continue reading Responding to a sick society.
In today’s message, Rumi paints a vivid picture of our human experience: a soul inhabiting a physical form, much like how a person wears a garment over their “self”. We spend a significant portion of our lives fixated on what we can see from the outside, rarely are we reminded of the eternal being within. … Continue reading Seek the wearer, not the cloak.
Have you ever felt overwhelmed by life's experiences, to the point where closing your heart seemed like the only way to cope? It's a natural instinct, this desire for self-protection. But what if I told you that shielding your heart actually diminishes your experience of life itself? We sometimes have life experiences that feel too … Continue reading Experience life at full-strength!
Today's journey takes us through our relationships with the people around us, and the world at large. A few years ago I had a clear realization of how our "survival self" is primed to "discriminate". The most primitive part of our brain is hardwired for survival and ready to cast suspicion on anything and anyone … Continue reading They are in fact both on the same side… they are both on the side of war.
We often walk through life glancing past the faces around us, each individual a complex universe unto themselves. Yet, what if we shifted our perspective? What if we saw in each person, not a stranger, but a reflection of our own inherent wholeness? This is the journey we embark on today, one that begins within … Continue reading The universe within, leads to the universe without.
"Use what seems like poison as medicine." Tonglen meditation profoundly influences our relationships with the humans around us. Here's a short description of Tonglen meditation. Tonglen practice, also known as “taking and sending,” reverses our usual logic of avoiding suffering and seeking pleasure. In tonglen practice, we visualize taking in the pain of others with … Continue reading Use what seems like poison as medicine.
“A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal … Continue reading Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison.
All of our human connections serve us, they call forth within us that which is still unresolved, pointing out to us where we are not yet free. Whenever you are triggered by anyone ask yourself these questions: "Why am I not free from this? Why does this control my inner state? What is the work … Continue reading Let every person you meet be your teacher.
Today's meditation takes a look at the humans around us with a reminder - It's likely that every human you see has at some point (or multiple times) in their life been wounded, and that it is helpful for us when we look at human behaviour to remember, people tend to react from their wounds. … Continue reading Even our boundaries inflict damage when they are created in ignorance and not in understanding.
Every human around us, is an instrument of our own evolution. When we are triggered by a person it is because that trigger already exists within us and we get to ask the question, "why am I not free from this? Why are my thoughts and emotions hijacked by what this person says or does?" … Continue reading Let EVERYONE be your teacher.
It's easy to experience the world as a hostile place. It's easy to feel a consistent disappointment in humanity when we look at all the harm caused in the world, and it reminds me of words that hit me right in the heart when I read them in Shantaram years ago: "It doesn't always help … Continue reading It doesn’t always help to love the world. But it does prevent us from hating the world.
For each of us, our responsibility is to focus on doing our own inner work, tend to our own gardens and keep our opinions out of the gardening of others. However, an integral part of our human experience is the shared connections we have to the humans around us so while we are tending to … Continue reading How to maintain strong boundaries and also be kind.
Your life is a ripple in this big pond of ours, and as you live and breathe your presence spreads, touching the ripples of life all around you. Seen or unseen, you make an impact, your presence is felt. "Your light is seen, your heart is known, your soul is cherished by more people than … Continue reading Touch the ripples of life all around you.
In 1623 English poet John Donne wrote down the words, "No man is an island" - even in those moments that we may feel ourselves to be utterly alone, the truth is we are surrounded by other humans. Nothing is created - nothing comes to fruition - unless humans cooperate to bring it into existence. … Continue reading How we react to our differences, determines whether we make war, or find strength in our diversity.
Today's journey looks outward at the humans around us, recognizing that everyone is trying their best. "Every single human being is trying his best. We're all doing the best we can. But when we believe what we are thinking, then we have to live out those thoughts. When there's chaos in our heads, there's chaos … Continue reading I can walk through the world always at the mercy of people around me, or I can walk through the world free.
A message from today's meditation: "Bless everything in existence with your entire being and immediately you recognize your inner state of completeness and harmony." - Mooji Being “willing” to look at all of the humans around you while wishing only good things upon each and every one of them - even those who have wronged … Continue reading Everything is as it should be.
"Imagine you are walking in the woods and you see a small dog sitting by a tree. As you approach it, it suddenly lunges at you, teeth bared. You are frightened and angry. But then you notice that one of its legs is caught in a trap. Immediately your mood shifts from anger to concern: … Continue reading You see that the dog’s aggression is coming from a place of vulnerability and pain.
“How do they look so together and perfect?" asked the boy. "There's a lot of frantic paddling going on beneath," said the horse.” - the Boy the Mole the Fox and the Horse "Have you met others who have struggled?" I've never met anyone who hasn't," said the horse. - the Boy the Mole the … Continue reading “Human”-ing is a team sport.
