Daily Zen Quote - December 7, 2015

“It is not enough to believe in yourself alone; there will come a day when you will fail yourself. That is why we must also believe in a supportive power beyond our control - a safety net, a super intelligence - or there is no hope for the moment when all our strength is gone.”
~ Vernon Kitabu Turner from Soul Sword, 2nd Edition: The Way and Mind of a Zen Warrior

Daily Zen Quote - December 6, 2015

“As a soul, you have the freedom – and earned responsibility – to transpose your personal process of evolution, to manifest your greatest talents and vision, into the work that matters to you most as a means to personal redemption.”
~ Darrell Calkins

Daily Zen Quote - December 5, 2015

“You know you have arrived when you have stopped caring about the destination”
~ Srividya Srinivasan

Daily Zen Quote - December 4, 2015

“There’s surprising relief and regeneration in finding ourselves within a moment of genuine grace, however small or temporary it may be.”
~ Darrell Calkins

Daily Zen Quote - December 3, 2015

“In Zen, there is an old saying: The obstacle is the path. Know that a whole and happy life is not free of obstacles. Quite the contrary, a whole and happy life is riddled with obstacles-they simply become the very stepping-stones that help lift us to a new perspective. It is not what happens to us in this life that shapes us, it is how we choose to respond to what happens to us.”
~ Dennis Merritt Jones from The Art of Being: 101 Ways to Practice Purpose in Your Life

Daily Zen Quote - December 2, 2015

“Letting go takes a lot of courage sometimes. But once you let go, happiness comes very quickly. You won't have to go around search for it.”
~ Thích Nhất Hạnh

Daily Zen Quote - December 1, 2015

“Two monks were once traveling together down a wet and muddy road. The rain was torrential, making it almost impossible to walk along the path. As the two men were trudging along, a beautiful girl dressed in silk appeared. She was unable to cross the path and looked distressed.

“Let me help you”, said the older monk. He picked her up and carried her over the mud. His younger male companion did not utter a word that night until they reached their lodging temple. Then after hours of restrained conversation, the younger monk exclaimed: “We monks do not touch females; it is too tempting for us and can create a bad outcome”. The older monk looked into the younger monks eyes and said, “I left the girl on the road. Are you still carrying her?”

This ancient Zen story illustrates beautifully how so many of us are trapped in the habit of constantly “re-living” the past in our minds, thus dishonoring the present moment. The young monk wasted hours distressing himself with judgment, speculation, anxiety, resentment and ultimately self-perpetuated unhappiness as a direct result of not being mindful.”
~ Christopher Dines from Mindfulness Meditation: Bringing Mindfulness into Everyday Life