Today, I have to return my Thich Nhat Hanh book "Teachings on Love" and rather than write down my favorite passages, I'm just going to string them on here, since that way, I won't lose them. He's a brilliant monk, and his thoughts aren't necessarily Buddhist-specific, although they can be. He's just quite insightful, I'd say.
"Happiness is only possible with true love...For love to be true, it must contain compassion, joy, and equanimity."
Some lovingkindness meditations:
"May everyone be happy and safe, and may their hearts be filled with joy.
May all living beings live in security and peace, beings who are frail or strong, tall or short, big or small, visible or not visible, near or far away, already born, or yet to be born. May all of them dwell in perfect tranquility."
"May I/he/they be peaceful, happy, and light in body and spirit. May I be safe and free from injury. May i be free from anger, afflictions, fear, and anxiety."
"Never in human history have we had so many means of communication- television, radio, telephone, fax, email, the web- yet we remain islands, with little communication between family members, individuals in society, or nations."
"We meed to know the art of making the other person happy. Art is the essence of life. We have to learn the art of creating happiness."
"If you think you are alone, that is an illusion. Our smile is also the smile of others. Our suffering is the suffering others. To see this is the realization of no-self. You can touch the elements of happiness that are already here and be peace in the present moment. It depends on your way of looking. Please learn and practice the art of mindful living, th
e art of being happy and bringing happiness to others. This is love. This is living deeply in the present moment. We rely on you to do it."
I just happened to find this book very interesting. I would recommend it to anyone seeking to change their perspective on love. It might be too whacko for some, but I liked it.
Currently listening to: Arvo Part's choral works and Brian Eno's Music for Airports.
No comments:
Post a Comment