Misery

The movement of life is not dependent on us. But we are so frightened of its uncertainties, of what might happen, we feel so utterly lost that we resort to some or other prejudice, belief or preconcieved notions and consequently lead a miserable life full of pretensions, illusions based on them.

To be free of this misery, vedanta ask us to be just a witness so that we just sit and watch and let emotions and thoughts rise and fall by themselves while we are merely aware of them. This is the state of immanence which leads us to self knowledge by way of direct perception.

Peace

Sri Ramana Maharshi: ~~~ Sri Ramana Reminiscences.

M.:
A man suffering from headache
will not rest quiet
until he has taken the right medicine
and got rid of the ailment.

For health is our nature,
and not illness.

Likewise
peace is our nature.

Indeed we are peace.

But forgetting that,
we seek peace
from external sources.

It is an impossible quest
and causes all this trouble.

The moment
you withdraw your mind
from external objects
and turn inward,
you taste real peace
and feel happy.

~~~~~~~

Ego

Ego is the movement of the mind toward objects of perception in the form of grasping, and away from objects in the form of aversion. This fundamentally is all the ego is. This movement of grasping and aversion gives rise to a sense of a separate "me," and in turn the sense of "me" strengthens itself this way.

It is this continuous loop of causation that tricks consciousness into a trance of identification. Identification with what? Identification with the continuous loop of suffering. After all, who is suffering? The "me" is suffering. And who is this me? It is nothing more than a sense of self caused by identification with grasping and aversion.

You see, it's all a creation of the mind, an endless movie, a terrible dream. Don't try to change the dream, because trying to change it is just another movement in the dream.

Look at the dream. Be aware of the dream. That awareness is It.

Become more interested in the awareness of the dream than in the dream itself. What is that awareness? Who is that awareness? Don't go spouting out an answer, just be the answer.

Be It.

- Adyashanti

Enlightent

Enlightenment will be ours when we are able to care for others as much as we now care for ourselves, and ignore ourselves to the same extent that we now ignore others. Even if we had to remain in samsara, we should be free from sorrow. For as I have said, when the great Bodhisattvas gave away their heads and limbs, they felt no sadness at the loss of them.

For those who can practice generosity like this, there is no suffering at all. Enlightened teachers, Bodhisattvas, come into the world to accomplish the welfare of beings and even when they are ignored by people in the grip of desire, anger and ignorance, who stir up obstacles and difficulties, the thought of giving up never occurs to them and they are totally without anger or resentment.

- Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche

Devotion

Kabir said "Once I experienced reality for fifteen seconds and the rest of my life was spent in devotion to that." He wasn't saying "I tried to get another experience" or "I worked to get another experience", "the rest of my life was spent in devotion to that." What a lucky life to have!

~ Gangaji

Quite

Just stay quiet and empty
-let life play.

~Sri Mooji

Awareness

Effortless and choice less Awareness is our real nature

~ Day by day