Daily Dharma

To be truly and wholly present even for the briefest moment is to be vulnerable, for we have arrived at the point where the obstacle that fear constructs between ourselves and others dissolves.

The stability of mind is like a candle flame that is very vulnerable. Solitude is like a glass chimney that keeps it from blowing out in the wind. When the flame is stable, we can take the cover off. The wind is no longer a threat; now, in fact, it will make the flame like a bonfire.

Hear every sound as the sound of the dharma. See every sight as the sight of the dharma. Experience every place as nirvana. This very cushion upon which you sit is the lotus land.

When we surrender the idea that we are a permanent “self,” when we surrender the idea of “I, me, mine,” we—suddenly—merge ourselves with the cosmic eternal buddha and experience awakening.

Just as a single seed planted in the right environment and conditions can bring a large tree bearing flowers and fruit every year, the karmic imprints of our actions can lead to multiple results over a long period of time.

We must do all that we can to heal our divisions and to mend our brokenness. Whether we like it or not, our lives are profoundly connected. We can either grow and thrive together or we can wither and die together.

Operating from a place of discomfort is more likely to motivate us to act. By recognizing the suffering of others and having a sincere and urgent desire to alleviate that suffering, we can learn to act compassionately in the world.

If we were to see the entire mechanism that leads to clinging, we would understand that there really isn’t anything to cling to.

So often you just forget that you’re living, and in doing so you forget that you’re dying, and you forget to be present altogether. I always think that one of the easiest ways to remember to love the world is to remember that you have to leave it at some point.

The Buddha’s teachings on mindfulness point to one end—realization and release from suffering. Still, there are rewards along the way—greater compassion and a clear conscience, for two. And even, dare I say it, happiness.