Viata e un dar

O prietena s-a sinucis si nu am mai avut liniste.
De ce? De ce? De ce? De ce? De ce? De ce?

"Une seule chose est nécessaire. Si tu l'as, rien ne te manquera, quand tout viendrait à te manquer. Si tu ne l'as point, quand tu aurais toute autre chose, rien ne te suffira." (Vladimir Ghika)

Nowhere

I read this somewhere.. a long time ago.

You take a breath without thinking about it.

Now you just took another breath being completely aware of what you are doing.

First, the attention is NOWHERE..

Then the attention is NOW, HERE.

This game is repeated permanently but rarely anybody wins it. Nobody ever lost it and nobody can be absolutely sure who started it.

Just breathe.

Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.



As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even to the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit.



If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.



Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.



Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.



Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.



With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

- Max Ehrmann, 1927 -

Heaven and Hell

A soldier named Nobushige came to Hakuin, and asked:
"Is there really a paradise and a hell?"

"Who are you?" inquired Hakuin.
"I am a samurai," the warrior replied.
"You, a soldier?" exclaimed Hakuin. "What kind of ruler would have you as his guard? Your face looks like that of a beggar."
Nobushige became so angry that he began to draw his sword, but Hakuin continued: "So you have a sword! Your weapon is probably much too dull to cut off my head."
As Nobushige drew his sword Hakuin remarked:

"Here open the gates of hell!"

At these words the samurai, perceiving the master's discipline, sheathed his sword and bowed.

"Here open the gates of paradise," said Hakuin.



A Zen Story

A quote

"Anything in life that we don't accept will simply make trouble for us until we make peace with it."

Revelations

"The world is like a ride at an amusement park.
And when you choose to go on it, you think it's real because that's how powerful our minds are.
It goes up and down and round and round.
It has thrills and chills and it's very brightly coloured and it's very loud and it's fun, for a while.
Some people have been on the ride for a long time, and they begin to question: Is this real, or is this just a ride?
And other people have remembered, and they come back to us, they say, "Hey - don't worry, don't be afraid, ever, because, this is just a ride..."
But we always kill those good guys who try and tell us that, you ever notice that? And let the demons run amok. Jesus - murdered; Martin Luther King - murdered; Malcolm X - murdered; Gandhi - murdered; John Lennon - murdered.
But it doesn't matter because, it's just a ride.
And we can change it anytime we want.
It's only a choice.
No effort, no work, no job, no savings and money.
A choice, right now, between fear and love.
The eyes of fear want you to put bigger locks on your doors, buy guns, close yourself off.
The eyes of love, instead, see all of us as one.
Here's what we can do to change the world, right now, to a better ride.
Take all that money that we spend on weapons and defenses each year and instead spend it feeding and clothing and educating the poor of the world, which it would many times over, not one human being excluded, and we could explore space, together, both inner and outer, forever, in peace."

Bill Hicks - Revelations