Follow Your Feelings

I was talking with my aunt a few days ago and she was telling me she was miserable in her life. Almost immediately after saying that, though, she then said, “But I have a nice home and a nice car and enough money to live on and a husband who loves me and a wonderful [...]

The Pursuit of Happiness

The Declaration of Independence guarantees us the pursuit of happiness, yet how many of us have found it? Why is it so elusive? How is it that a person can spend an entire lifetime in search of happiness and never find it?
“Oh, when I get more money, I’ll be a lot happier because I’ll be [...]

Communication With Your Higher Self

The Higher Self is the aspect of you that is aware of its connection to the universe, has access to all of the information you possess, including what you are not consciously aware of and, therefore, has the ability to “see more of the road” that you’re traveling down. Think of the Higher Self as [...]

Carrying the Burden

Tanzan and Ekido were once traveling together down a muddy road. A heavy rain was still falling. Coming around a bend, they met a lovely girl in a silk kimono and sash, unable to cross the intersection. “Come on, girl” said Tanzan at once. Lifting her in his arms, he carried her over the mud. [...]

Both And, Not Either Or

Integration is the key to growth. Accepting all things, instead of judging them, and integrating them into ourselves is necessary to grow and become enlightened. As we look at two things and say, “This one is good” and “This one is bad” and then reject the bad in favor of the good because we fear [...]

The Empty Cup

Nan-in, a Japanese master, received a university professor who came to inquire about Zen. Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor’s cup full, and then kept on pouring. The professor watched the overflow until he no longer could restrain himself. “It is overfull. No more will go in!” “Like this cup,” Nan-in said, “you are [...]

Separateness

One day as Manjusri stood outside the temple gate, the Buddha called to him, “Manjusri, why do you not enter?” Manjusri replied, “I do not see myself as outside, so why enter?”–Zen koan.
We are all connected to the sea of energy that is Creation; we’ve simply incarnated in a form that sees the separation instead [...]

How Being Out of Your Mind Can Be a Good Thing

A great deal of emphasis has been put on rationalization, analysis and logic and, though these things definitely have their place and advantages, they can very often be detrimental to achieving your goals.
Life has a certain flow to it; you could imagine this flow as a river, if you like. This river represents the [...]

Service, Not Servitude

True service benefits all parties involved because, when we serve others, we serve ourselves. This means providing whatever service you provide with a legitimate desire to do so and not because you have been convinced that you should. For example, many people go to work every day and do whatever it is that they [...]

Be; Don’t Become

So many people spend a lifetime trying to become something instead of being who they naturally are and this trend quite often leads people to a rather unhappy life.
Everyone enters life with certain talents, interests and abilities and these qualities define the true essence of the person. Some of us are born with incredible [...]