“All of you are perfect as you are, and you can use a little improvement”
Zen Master Suzuki Roshi
This is a very practical and accessible book about how to apply the teachings of the buddha to different aspects modern life. It has a question/answer format like: What would the buddha do in this and that situation or what would his stance be on one thing or another.
The book is good, but I feel that most of the value I got from it comes from cited sources rather than from the authors own experiences and insights.
📝 An elderly man teaches his grandson about peace. He said that he has two wolves that lives within his heart. One is fueled by anger and aggression and the other by kindness. They are always at war with each other for his heart.. The grandson asked: “who will ultimately win?”. The man answers:
“The one that wins will be the one I choose to feed”.
📝 Everyone think they are busy all the time. It’s easy to be busy! Get a dedicated time for meditation.
📝 Impermanence is a bitch. Going through Hell is not punishment, it’s training. We have to learn to deal with. A big part of life is pain and if you don’t learn to relate to it you are missing out on big aspects of life.
📝 At work: if you feel boredom. Drop it like a meditator drops an intrusive thought. The present moment is a perfect point from which to start anew.
📝 “Always don’t know”. Keep an inquisitive mind.
📝 There are so many things that can make an office environment toxic, but Mindless speech seems to be is chief among them.
The Four Gates of Speech:
1. Is what I’m about to say true?
2. Is what I’m saying necessary?
3. Is what I’m saying kind?
4. Is it a good time?
📝 From “The Top 5 Regrets of the Dying” by author Bronnie Ware:
“I wish I had the courage to live a life true to myself and not the life others expected from me.”
💡 Takeaway. “Live your life as an experiment”. Nothing new here! BUT I’m a big proponent doing experiments. Going forward I will post about concluded and ongoing experiments I’m conducting. Stay tuned!What are you experimenting with in your life?
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