Opening Message – Healing and Uniting

“Why struggle to open a door between us when the whole wall is an illusion?” – Rumi.

“In times of division, we can remember the Buddhist teaching of interconnectedness. Like waves on the same ocean, on the surface our experiences may differ, but we are all moved by the same forces beneath the waves. Instead of focusing on what separates us, we can look inward and cultivate compassion for all—both for those who feel joy and those who feel pain. We can focus on commonalties.

Let’s use our practice today to ground ourselves in unity, letting go of judgments and embracing understanding. Together, we can find peace by recognizing that, despite differences, we all seek happiness, safety, and love. May we breathe together and create space for healing—for ourselves and for each other.” – David Scott

Topic 1 – “Unmasking the True Self”

Here’s a more concise version that captures the essence:

“The Japanese say we have three faces: the one we show the world, the one we show those close to us, and the one we keep hidden even from ourselves. This third face is our truest self, free from expectation and judgment.

Like an octopus that adapts to its surroundings, we often change our appearance, attitudes, and values to blend in. Over time, these protective masks can feel heavy and hard to remove, as if they’ve become part of us.

In Buddhism, this illusion of outer images is called maya, a veil that conceals our true nature. Each mask we wear distances us from our authentic self, leaving behind only a faint echo of who we truly are.

But it’s never too late to unburden ourselves. In our practice, we can bring awareness to where we haven’t been fully authentic, allowing these facades to gently fall away. In stillness, beneath the roles and labels, we find our original face—our true self, where peace and authenticity reside.”- David Scott

“We are so accustomed to disguising ourselves to others that in the end, we become disguised to ourselves.” – François de La Rochefoucauld

“The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.” – Carl Jung

“Don’t trade your authenticity for approval.” – Anonymous

“The soul always knows what to do to heal itself. The challenge is to silence the mind.” – Caroline Myss

Behind every mask there is a face, and behind that a story. – Marty Rubin

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson

“We run all the time to avoid coming face to face with ourselves.”

“About all you can do in life is be who you are. Some people will love you for you. Most will love you for what you can do for them, and some won’t like you at all.” —Rita Mae Brown

“If you really love someone, you don’t want to change them, molding them into who you think they should be. Instead you will seek to help them find the best version of themselves.” – David Scott

Tropic 2 – What is True Courage?

“You can not teach someone something that they think they already know.”

“Courage often means letting go of the familiar, stepping away from what we think we know. It’s not only about holding firm to our beliefs but also having the bravery to question them. Imagine courage as a bridge suspended over a vast river, connecting what we know to the unknown beyond.

When we cross this bridge with open hearts, truth has the space to find us. We do not see the world as it actually is, we see it through the lens of our perspective. ‘Truth is seeking you, if you are open to receiving it.’

In our practice today, let’s walk that bridge with courage, leaving behind the familiar shore.” – David Scott

“The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.” – Alan Watts

“Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still.” – Chinese Proverb

“The wound is the place where the Light enters you.” – Rumi

Topic 3 – Allowing Happiness to Find You

“In our search for happiness, we often think we need to chase it, as if it’s something we can capture and hold onto. But as Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote, ‘Happiness is like a butterfly, which when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may land upon you.’

Imagine happiness as a shy cat resting in a sunlit room. If you chase after it, it slips away, hiding in the shadows. But if you sit calmly and wait, in time, it may approach, curling up beside you. This is how happiness works—it finds us when we create a space of calm within ourselves, without conditions or expectations.

Buddhism teaches upekkha, or equanimity—the peace that comes from letting go of restless striving. When we chase happiness, we set up barriers: ‘I’ll be happy when…’ But by releasing that chase, we make room for happiness to arrive naturally, in its own time.

Today, let’s set aside the chase. Let’s cultivate stillness and openness in our practice, trusting that joy will come to us naturally. Happiness, like the sun’s warmth, finds us in the quiet spaces between our breaths when we simply allow it.”

“When you realize nothing is lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” – Lao Tzu

“To seek happiness is to invite unhappiness. To find peace, stop searching and simply be.” – Zen Proverb

“Be patient. Everything comes to you in the right moment.” – Buddha

“Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are.” – Chinese Prover

Mixed Bag

“Love is the capacity to take care, to protect, to nourish. If you are not capable of generating that kind of energy toward yourself — if you are not capable of taking care of yourself, of nourishing yourself, of protecting yourself — it is very difficult to take care of another person.” – Thích Nhất Hạnh

Worry often gives small things a big shadow.

“The person who insists on seeing with perfect clarity before they decide, never decides. To end in certainty we must first begin with doubt.” – David Scott

“When nothing is for sure, nothing is impossible.”

“A scar is proof that healing has occurred.”

“Take risk… If you win you will be happy, if you lose you will be wise.”

“The greater the obstacle, to more joy is attained by overcoming it.”

“Have enough courage to trust love one more time and always one more time.” – Maya Angelou

“As a rule, what is out of sight disturbs men’s mind more seriously than what they see.” Julius Caesar

“It is easy to be brave from a safe distance.”

“If you focus on the hurt, you will continue to suffer, if you focus on the lesson, your will continue to grow.”

Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is Enlightenment. Lao Tzu