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Thoughts That Encourage Enlightenment

Anticipation is a path to the future.

If I step upon it, I’m no longer present.

Practicing the presence is job security for a lifetime.

It was a hot, sunny day. As I bent over to take a drink from a garden hose, the warm sun embracing my shirtless body and the cool water running down my throat and spilling out on my bare feet, a joy suddenly swept over me. I found myself crying uncontrollably—experiencing the simplicity of being caught in the moment.

While breathing in, know you’re breathing in.

While breathing out, know you’re breathing out.

This simple practice can transform lives.

Expectations are the footlights on the path to suffering; acceptance is a guiding light on the path to peace.

Whether an emotional, physical, or other type of roadblock is encountered on our path, we can embrace it, and it can act as a slingshot toward the divine.

Daily and with great intention, return to your inner life.

The path our heart follows is determined by what motivates us. When you awaken each morning, ask yourself, “What can I do for someone else?” This is love put into action, the glue holding the universe together.

The inner drive for perfection is a step on a path that can only lead to pain. Mindfulness will transport us to the sacred path of recovery.

Embracing our imperfections, we give birth to our spirituality.

The simplicity of “lightening up” will spawn our enlightenment.

There are no dharma or meditation police. Your practice is your practice. The way you work your program is the way you work it. Blame becomes obsolete.

The truth that can set us free is simple: What we put into life in this moment determines the next moment.

The material is the spiritual made visible. Everything is light vibrating, and all things have a resonating tone. Listening deeply, we can hear the music emanating from all objects; going even deeper into the silence, we hear the universe singing the primordial sound, OM.

When Darshan turns into Shakti, you’ll know if it happens.

The next breath you take will be filled with joy, so pay attention.

The best way to fulfill one’s karma is to live the dharma.

It’s not that complicated: Just be here now.

Mindful listening is when all sounds become the chant of a monk.

Bliss is a notable experience, but like any, it is not one to become attached to. Just observe, I’m in bliss.

There is a fine line between having expectations and holding great intentions and positive thoughts for things to come. The first surely leads to suffering.

Falling into grace? Okay, I’m always open to that.

Never defend the joy you feel or your gratitude for life. Even while experiencing some great challenges, you have been touched by Spirit.

Something I embrace in this sometimes crazy world is good karma and grace.

Suchness, a term used in Zen, signifies the welcoming of accepting what is. With suchness, all ordinary moments become magical and blissful.

Back by popular demand, The Now; enjoy it!

Take a moment now and say with loving intention, “Send someone to interfere in my life.” You have now set events in motion to have a beautiful day.

Speak the truth; listen deeply; trust emergence; it’s practice.

When practicing mindful listening, you listen not only with your ears but also with your heart.

To know and understand the nature of your mind, you must observe it.

My most memorable travels have been not by plane or train, by bus or car, but rather in meditation when I have journeyed within.

The practice of mindfulness will influence you physically, mentally, and spiritually; living in The Now is living in harmony.

Catch your next breath, and I will meet you within.

Practice mindful smiling as you move through your day; it will serve others.

It is easy to live in a state of waiting for what we hope will bring us fulfillment, but it takes practice to embrace what is right now.

If we all practiced meditation, we would hear the whisper of our soul’s purpose, and it would sound like this: Serve others. This awareness would generate a tidal wave of gratitude across our planet.

Pure contact with the moment is a direct path for encountering enlightenment.

Experience something so beautiful, profound, and magical that no degree, no guru, no secret sect is required. Simply practice being in the present moment.

People become beautiful . . . life experiences transform . . . colors feel vibrant . . . songs seem to be sung by angels . . . joy ripples within; but only when I pay attention.

When you observe that you’re not present, you have just arrived back in The Now.

When I note worry and fear in my life, it is a sign that I’m in the future. When guilt or sadness prevails, I’m living in the past. Both motivate me to return to the wonderful moment, beautiful moment. Let’s breathe together now.

If I’m looking at the past for my identity and looking toward the future for my fulfillment, then the path always ends in suffering.

Surrender is our willingness to be present with what is. Surrender is our introduction to equanimity.

It’s a beautiful moment when we emerge from forgetfulness and return to the wonderful breath. Bring immediacy to your practice.

Holding on to the intention that the universe is for me and not against me has a striking effect. Life becomes groovy.

Intelligence is marvelous. Nonetheless, there will be times when only our heart has the answer.

There is no way to escape the moment; eventually we have to disconnect from our distractions, dive within, and sit with what arises.