Think Well, You Will Be Well : ‘As you think, so you become.’ Think well, you will be well. Think ill, you will be ill. It’s all your thought. Sometimes you might not be thinking ill of yourself, but you are thinking ill of others. That is still thinking ill. Whether it is about you … Read more
Alan Watts once said that detachment is the highest form of wisdom, he also quoted Chuang-tzu on detachment: ‘The perfect man employs his mind as a mirror; it grasps nothing; it refuses nothing; it receives, but does not keep.’ Detachment means to have neither regrets for the past nor fears for the future. It is … Read more
“Bodhichitta is a Sanskrit word that means ‘noble or awakened heart.’ It is said to be present in all beings. Just as butter is inherent in milk and oil is inherent in a sesame seed, this soft spot is inherent in you and me.” The American Buddhist nun Pema Chodron once wrote in one of … Read more
I’d like to share something I’ve read recently. It’s from the Indian spiritual teacher Swami Satchidananda. It has some intriguing points on happiness. Here it is: If You Want to Be Happy : Why are you unhappy? If you are sincere in asking that question, an honest answer will come: Your actions have been selfish. … Read more
Ichi-go ichi-e, literally means ‘one encounter, in this lifetime’ or ‘once in a lifetime encounter’. It’s a Japanese tea ceremony concept which came from the master Sen no Rikyu. In traditional tea ceremony, it’s important that the host (the one who serves tea) provide the best possible experience for the guest(s) (the one who receives … Read more
Perhaps it’s built into our DNA, we humans have always fought one another throughout history. Whether it’s within the same families or against other groups of people, we have never stopped fighting. While I am not an expert on why exactly we fight, we often see that interactions involving humans easily go out of hand … Read more
We all full of good intentions. I think most of us want the best for our kids, our partners, our friends, etc. We are often eager to see positive changes in others, especially loved ones. We want them to grow and become more understanding. We want them to understand us. I don’t doubt that a … Read more
It’s easy to lose sight of the forest when you focus too much on the trees. What we see and hear may be true, but without some sort of mental map, knowing facts won’t really make your life better. Try following the news for more than an hour every day for one or two weeks, … Read more
Do you believe our attitude affects our financial situation? The way we think and feel affect our relationship with money. I think it’s a practical and relevant topic that affects most of us so I’d like to explore the concept a little bit. There is a concept called ‘happy money’. It’s coined by Japanese writer … Read more
We’ve all heard that slow and steady wins the race, but how many people really believe that? In the age of smart phones and social media at our fingertips, we are constantly bombarded with messages, tweets and posts. Our attention span has significantly shortened. Perhaps this is a sign of the times of what our … Read more
Have you ever felt that the more you resist something the stronger it gets? Whatever that ‘something’ may be. It could be a situation, a person, a thing, an event, or something imagined. It’s never easy to deal with challenges and difficulties. As a way to counter that, we often resist. Resisting doesn’t mean that … Read more