Thoughts From A Mystic

. It's the discovery of reality by way of opening oneself to 'what is', not the selfish theoretical construction and desirous manipulation thereof, that allows a person to find their harmonious connection with, and peaceful existence within the whole. Matthew

. "A human being is part of the whole we call the universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separate from the rest- a kind of optical illusion of his consciousness. This illusion is a prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for only the few people nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living beings and all of nature." Albert Einstein, "The Enlightened Mind", Ed. Steven Mitchell

. There is no such thing as perfect, unalloyed happiness or pleasure. Even the most beautiful experience has a melancholy undertone simply because we know that it can't last. We have learned to doggedly pursue worldly satisfactions even though discouragements continually keep us from reaching that goal. 'Good' times do come to us in the course of events and should be accepted and enjoyed while they last, but we tend to want ONLY the good and, resisting all else, pursue it exclusively and cling to it desperately if we do get it. The beginning of the road to wisdom begins with a realistic (not pessimistic) recognition that no matter how hard we try, or how stubbornly we believe in propositions or 'the good', we will never remove or conquer that which we want to avoid. When we face up to the undesirable side of life, we begin to appreciate the full grandeur and challenge of human existence. It's in this 'turning around' [repentance] that we come to recogn...

. Recognize what is in front of your face, and what is concealed will be revealed to you. For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed. Jesus, Gospel of Thomas; verse 5

. The state we call realization is simply being oneself, not knowing anything or becoming anything. If one has realized, he is that which alone is, and which alone has always been. He cannot describe that state. He can only be That. Of course, we loosely talk of Self-realization for want of a better term. That which is, is peace. All that we need do is to keep quiet. Peace is our real nature. We spoil it. What is required is that we cease to spoil it. Sri Ramana Maharshi

. Life does not consist mainly -- or even largely -- of facts and happenings. It consists mainly of the storm of thoughts that is forever blowing through one's head. - Mark Twain's Autobiography

. Droid does, all right; it helps confuse by way of creating lack of concentration. From the Buddhist Eightfold path: Right Concentration Right concentration is described as one-pointedness of mind, a state where all mental faculties are unified and directed onto one particular object. Right concentration, as described in the eightfold path, means concentration on wholesome thoughts and actions. Developing concentration traditionally involves meditation. The meditating mind focuses on a selected object and with practice is able to sustain, then maintain focus on the one object, without distraction, until it becomes natural to apply non-distracted concentration on whatever happens in everyday situations. Matthew