WEEK 3.2 (JAN 17-23)
Story I – Buddhist Story – “Paths are made by walking and not waiting.”
There was once a young monk who wanted to achieve enlightenment. He had read many scriptures and practiced meditation diligently, but he felt that he was not making any progress. He decided to seek the advice of his master, who was renowned for his wisdom and compassion.
The master welcomed the young monk and asked him what he wanted. The young monk said, “Master, I have been following the teachings of the Buddha for many years, but I still feel lost and confused. How can I attain enlightenment?”
The master smiled and said, “Enlightenment is not something that you can attain by reading or meditating. It is something that you can realize by living and acting. You have to walk the path of the Buddha, not wait for it to appear.”
The young monk was puzzled and asked, “But how can I walk the path of the Buddha, when I don’t know where it is or what it looks like?”
The master said, “The path of the Buddha is not a fixed or predetermined route. It is a dynamic and creative process. It is the path that you create by following your own intuition and compassion. Paths are created by walking and not waiting. It is the path that you discover by taking the next step, whatever it may be.”
The young monk said, “But I am afraid to take the next step, because I don’t know what will happen or what the consequences will be. What if I make a mistake or cause harm to myself or others?”
The master said, “Fear is natural, but it is also an obstacle. It prevents you from seeing the truth and acting with courage. You should not let fear stop you from taking the next step. Taking the next step is what gradually builds your confidence and wisdom. It is what helps you overcome your fear and ignorance. It is what leads you to enlightenment.”
The young monk nodded and thanked the master for his guidance. He realized that he had been wasting his time waiting for the ideal path to appear, instead of creating it by walking. He resolved to take the next step, whatever it may be, and to follow his own heart and mind. He bowed to the master and left, feeling more hopeful and inspired than ever before.
Story II – The Cookie Thief – Seek first to understand before casting judgement
A woman was waiting at an airport one night, with several long hours before her flight. She hunted for a book in the airport shops, bought a bag of cookies and found a place to drop and sit.
She was engrossed in her book but happened to see, that the man sitting beside her, as bold as could be. . .grabbed a cookie or two from the bag in between, which she tried to ignore to avoid a scene.
So she munched the cookies and watched the clock, as the gutsy cookie thief diminished her stock. She was getting more irritated as the minutes ticked by, thinking, “If I wasn’t so nice, I would blacken his eye.”
With each cookie she took, he took one too, when only one was left, she wondered what he would do. With a smile on his face, and a nervous laugh, he took the last cookie and broke it in half.
He offered her half, as he ate the other, she snatched it from him and thought… oooh, brother. This guy has some nerve and he’s also rude, why he didn’t even show any gratitude!
She had never known when she had been so galled, and sighed with relief when her flight was called. She gathered her belongings and headed to the gate, refusing to look back at the thieving ingrate.
She boarded the plane, and sank in her seat, then she sought her book, which was almost complete. As she reached in her baggage, she gasped with surprise, there was her bag of cookies, in front of her eyes.
If mine are here, she moaned in despair, the others were his, and he tried to share. Too late to apologize, she realized with grief, that she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief.
By Valerie Cox in “A Matter of Perspective”
Submitted by Tom “The Colonel” Parke
Story III –Danna Faulds Poems
Self-Observation Without Judgment (Danna Faulds)
Release the harsh and pointed inner voice. it’s just a throwback to the past, and holds no truth about this moment.
Let go of self-judgment, the old, learned ways of beating yourself up for each imagined inadequacy.
Allow the dialogue within the mind to grow friendlier, and quiet. Shift out of inner criticism and life suddenly looks very different.
I can say this only because I make the choice a hundred times a day to release the voice that refuses to acknowledge the real me.
What’s needed here isn’t more prodding toward perfection, but intimacy – seeing clearly, and embracing what I see.
Love, not judgment, sows the seeds of tranquility and change.
We are held back in life not because of who we are, but who we think we are, who we have been told we are. Our self-beliefs develop during our maturity into adulthood. Maybe we were bullied, maybe our parents were not supportive or missing in action; may be teachers told you that you would amount to much.
“Whatever the situation, never let your emotions overpower your intelligence.”
“It is the irritation in the oyster, that creates the pearl.” David Scott
Don’t take criticism from someone you wouldn’t take advice from.
“The highest spiritual practice is self-observation without judgment.” – Swami Kripalu
You will continue to suffer if you have an emotional reaction to everything that is said to you. True power is sitting back and observing things with logic. True power is restraint. If words control you, that means everyone else can control you. Breathe and allow things to pass. – Warren Buffett.
“The humming bird only sits on the hand that does not try to grasp it.” David Scott
“Decision is sharp knife that cuts clean and straight. Indecision, a dull one that hacks and tears and leaves ragged edges behind.” Gordon Graham
“She had not known the weight until she felt the freedom.” ~Nathaniel Hawthorne The Scarlet Letter
“Detachment does not mean that you should own nothing. But instead that nothing should own you.”
“The root of suffering is attachment.” Buddha
“Detachment is an art of enjoying something while always being open to the possibility of losing it someday.” John B. Bejo
“Our lives are built on the shifting sands of time. We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through. We are here to observe, to learn, to grow, to love, and then we return home.” Australian Aboriginal Proverb
“True detachment isn’t separation from life but the absolute freedom within your mind to explore everything with no limits.”
Practice not-doing, and everything will fall into place. Taoist classic Dao De Jing “The book of the way.”- Lao Tzu
“Do not let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace.” ~Dalai Lama
It’s so empowering to say “This isn’t serving me” and walk away in peace.
Sometimes you have to walk away from people, not because you don’t care, but because they don’t. When someone hurts you time and time again, accept the fact that they don’t have your best interests in mind. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but it’s necessary medicine.
“No response is also a response. And a powerful one. Remember that.”
“Learning to say no is one of the hardest things to do, but also the most liberating.”
A wise person learns the art of detachment. If you are not careful your possessions can change their original purpose. Before you know it, you end up working so hard to hold on to attachments that you serve possessions, instead of them serving you. – David Yglesias
“Letting go gives us the freedom, and freedom is the only condition for happiness. If, in our heart, we still cling to anything — anger, anxiety, or possessions, we are not free” — Thich Nhat Hanh
“Do not cling to a mistake just because you spent a lot of energy and time making it.”
Learning to enjoy and flow with the tide without fighting with the ocean
“If the problem can be solved why worry? If the problem cannot be solved worrying will do you no good.” – Buddha
You must give up the life you planned in order to have the life that is waiting for you. —Joseph Campbell
Detachment is not indifference. Detachment is love without expecting anything in return.
“Live life less out of habit and more out of intention”
“You only lose what you cling to.” – Buddha
“Our journey is about being more deeply involved in life and less attached to it.” – Ram Das
“You are like a seed, you can stay beneath the soil, preparing to bloom, or you can rise above the soil into the unknown and blossom. You have two choices, settle for what is comfortable or have the courage to grow into the unknown, you cannot have both.” David Scott
“Your willingness to look at your darkness is what empowers you to recognize light.” – David Scott
Nothing is more beautiful than a smile that has struggled through tears.
“We waste our time waiting for the ideal path to appear. But it never does. Because we forget that paths are made by walking, not waiting. And no, you should not feel more confident before you take the next step. Taking the next step is what gradually builds your confidence.” MarcandAngel
“I welcome a new path, new energy, new connections, new experiences, new thoughts, and new ideas. I am open to all things new, different, and adventurous. I am ready for a new beginning.” – Idil Ahmed
“May the sun bring you new energy by day, may the moon softly restore you by night, may the rain wash away your worries, may the breeze blow new strength into your being, may you walk gently through the world and know it’s beauty all the days of your life.” – Apache Blessing