Mary Cassatt, Woman Bathing
When washing your face, can you see your true self?
When urinating, can you remember true purity?
When eating, can you remember the cycles of all things?
When walking, can you feel the rotation of heaven?
When working, are you happy with what you do?
When speaking, are your words without guile?
When you shop, are you aware of your needs?
When you meet the suffering, do you help?
When confronted with death, are you unafraid and lucid?
When you meet conflict, do you work toward harmony?
When with your family, do you express benevolence?
When raising children, are you tender but firm?
When facing problems, are you far-seeing and tenacious?
When you are finished with work, do you take time to rest?
When preparing for rest, do you know how to settle your mind?
When sleeping, do you slip into absolute void?
“There are a thousand forms of subversion, but few can equal the convenience and immediacy of a cream pie.” — Noel Godin
“Living with the immediacy of death helps you sort out your priorities in life. It helps you to live a less trivial life.” — Sogyal Rinpoche
“Ideas came with explosive immediacy, like an instant birth. Human thought is like a monstrous pendulum; it keeps swinging from one extreme to the other.” — Eugene Field
Americans often seem to be most caught up in whatever is happening right now. It’s difficult to get people to focus on the long term, or to understand that whatever their problems are right now they will resolve themselves in time. We look for the quick answer, the immediate fix to whatever is bothering us, rather than learning to deal with issues on a long-term basis. We let things upset us to the point where we can’t rest, can’t quiet ourselves, can’t be still for even a few moments and let things take care of themselves without our interference.
We want a doctor to give us a pill to lose weight, instead of taking better care of ourselves. We get plastic surgery rather than accept that we are aging. We want to look like we are always young and vibrant and ready to tackle anything. We have no time to deal patiently with other people, with our children, with those who serve or wait on us. We must be satisfied NOW.
Things are easier to control while things are quiet.
Things are easier to plan far in advance.
Things break easier while they are still brittle.
Things are easier hid while they are still small.Prevent problems before they arise.
Take action before things get out of hand.
The tallest tree
begins as a tiny sprout.
The tallest building
starts with one shovel of dirt.
A journey of a thousand miles
starts with a single foot step.If you rush into action, you will fail.
If you hold on too tight, you will loose your grip.Therefore the Master lets things take their course
and thus never fails.
She doesn’t hold on to things
and never loses them.
By pursuing your goals too relentlessly,
you let them slip away.
If you are as concerned about the outcome
as you are about the beginning,
then it is hard to do things wrong.
The master seeks no possessions.
She learns by unlearning,
thus she is able to understand all things.
This gives her the ability to help all of creation.— Lao Tsu, Tao Te Ching
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