SIMPLICITY
Our task is to strike a balance,
to find a middle way,
to learn not to overstretch ourselves
with extraneous activities and preoccupations,
but to simplify our lives more and more.
The key to finding a happy balance in modern lives is simplicity.
-
Sogyal Rinpoche
It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinions; it is easy in solitude to live after your own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Be more and more at ease.
Be more and more here and now.
Be more and more in action, and less and less in activity.
Be more and more hollow, empty, passive.
Be more and more a watcher — indifferent, not expecting anything, not desiring anything.
Be happy with yourself as you are.
-
Osho
Someone asked me, “Aren’t you worried about the state of the world?” I allowed myself to breathe and then I said, “What is most important is not to allow your anxiety about what happens in the world to fill your heart. If your heart is filled with anxiety, you will get sick, and you will not be able to help.” There are wars big and small in many places, and that can cause us to lose our peace. Anxiety is the illness of our age. We worry about ourselves, our family, our friends, our work, and the state of the world. If we allow worry to fill our hearts, sooner or later we will get sick.
Yes, there is tremendous suffering all over the world, but knowing this need not paralyze us. If we practice mindful breathing, mindful walking, mindful sitting, and working in mindfulness, we try our best to help, and we can have peace in our heart. Worrying does not accomplish anything. Even if you worry twenty times more, it will not change the situation of the world. In fact, your anxiety will only make things worse. Even though things are not as we would like, we can still be content, knowing we are trying our best and will continue to do so. If we don’t know how to breathe, smile, and live every moment of our life deeply, we will never be able to help anyone. I am happy in the present moment. I do not ask for anything else. I do not expect any additional happiness or conditions that will bring about more happiness. The most important practice is aimlessness, not running after things, not grasping.
- Thich Nhat Hanh, from The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching
A stress-free day has one feeling totally in tune with the universe.
- Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati, www.kashi.org
Stress and tension make even your bones tired of life.
- Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati, www.kashi.org