Most of us have spent our lives caught up in plans, expectations, ambitions for the future; in regrets, guilt or shame about the past. To come into the present is to stop the war.
The things that matter most in our lives are not fantastic or grand. They are the moments when we touch one another.
We do not have to improve ourselves; we just have to let go of what blocks our heart.
There are no holy places and no holy people, only holy moments, only moments of wisdom.
Have respect for yourself, and patience and compassion. With these, you can handle anything.
The basic principle of spiritual life is that our problems become the very place to discover wisdom and love.
To bow to the fact of our life’s sorrows and betrayals is to accept them; and from this deep gesture we discover that all life is workable. As we learn to bow, we discover that the heart holds more freedom and compassion than we could imagine.
In deep self acceptance, grows a compassionate understanding.
Wisdom says we are nothing. Love says we are everything. Between these two our life flows.
Life is so hard, how can we be anything but kind?
Do not doubt your own basic goodness. In spite of all confusion and fear, you are born with a heart that knows what is just, loving, and beautiful.
The waves do keep coming, so learn to surf.
In the end, forgiveness simply means never putting another person out of our heart.
You hold in your hand an invitation: to remember the transforming power of forgiveness and loving kindness. To remember that no matter where you are and what you face, within your heart peace is possible.
Letting go does not mean not caring about things. It means caring about them in a flexible and wise way.
In the end, just three things matter: How well we have lived How well we have loved How well we have learned to let go.
Within each of us there is a silence as vast as the universe. We long for it. We can return to it.
We can struggle with what is. We can judge and blame others or ourselves. Or we can accept what cannot be changed. Peace comes from an honorable and open heart accepting what is true. Do we want to remain stuck? Or to release the fearful sense of self and rest kindly where we are?
It is true that the heart has its seasons, just as a flower opens to the sunlight and closes to the night. We need to be respectful of those rhythms. But we can’t close down for long. It is our true nature to have an open heart.
Attention to the human body brings healing and regeneration. Through awareness of the body we remember who we really are.