"Mantra" pages from the ZhurnalyWiki in alphabetical order:

Mantra - As It Is

... all things are as they are — the challenge: awaken to that, accept that, and simply love that!

"As it is" was the life philosophy of Mr Universe of 1952, Manohar Aich, according to "Healthy and Wise", a 2013 profile in Outlook (an Indian magazine); it is quoted in Aich's 2016 New York Times obituary ("Manohar Aich, 4-Foot-11 Bodybuilder Known as the Pocket Hercules, Dies at 103"). He lived quietly and happily — no worries, no quest for fame or fortune, no secrets.

As it is ...

(cf. Present-Moment Reality (2008-11-05), Not Always So (2009-07-04), Radical Acceptance (2015-05-13), ...) - ^z - 2016-06-18

Mantra - At Your Side

... a reminder of partnership, reliability, protection, loyalty — worthy traits to practice with others and in kindness to oneself!

_{(and "At Your Side" is the slogan of Brother Industries Ltd, the international corporation founded in Japan in 1908) - ^z - 2015-09-18}

Mantra - Attention, Attention, Attention

... in Philip Kapleau's The Three Pillars of Zen:

One day a man of the people said to Zen Master Ikkyu: 'Master, will you please write for me some maxims of the highest wisdom?'

Ikkyu immediately took his brush and wrote the word 'Attention.'

'Is that all?' asked the man. "Will you not add something more?'

Ikkyu then wrote twice running: 'Attention. Attention.'

'Well,' remarked the man rather irritably, 'I really don't see much depth or subtlety in what you have just written.'

Then Ikkyu wrote the same word three times running: 'Attention. Attention. Attention.'

Half-angered, the man demanded: 'What does that word "attention" mean anyway?'

And Ikkyu answered gently: 'Attention means attention.'

... and note the word "gently" in that answer!

_{(cf. Present-Moment Reality (2008-11-05), Mantra - Notice and Return (2014-11-30), Attention (2015-03-03), Just Zazen (2017-01-29), ...) - ^z - 2017-05-27}

Mantra - Awareness, Blameless, Change

... adapted from Ayya Khema's suggestion in "To Transcend Everyday Consciousness" of "Awareness, No Blame, Change": be aware of faults and try to improve, while not judging. Similarly, in Beginner's Guide to Insight Meditation Arianna Weisman and Jean Smith counsel holding oneself in lovingkindness and not shooting a "second arrow" into the wound caused by a first mistake.

It's (not!) as simple as A, B, C ...

^z - 2014-12-17

Mantra - Be Early

"... take a moment to breathe, feel yourself, and enjoy. ... One minute here and there can change the whole rhythm of a day by allowing you to catch up with yourself. ..." - (from Lorin Roche, Meditation Made Easy (2008-11-01))

(cf. Five Minutes Early (2009-05-14), ...) - ^z - 2015-04-19

Mantra - Be Earth

... an anagram-coincidence of English letter-rearrangement — and thoughtful advice, like the images of Jon Kabat-Zinn's "Mountain Meditation" in his book Wherever You Go, There You Are.

Be the earth — and just breathe ...

(cf. Be Earth (2010-12-07), Being with Your Breath (2010-02-20), ...) - ^z - 2016-10-03

Mantra - Be Like a Log

... in times of conflict and stress, try to bite your tongue, pause before replying, observe your emotional state, and de-escalate — you will feel better, the battle will be briefer, and maybe it will turn out not to be a battle at all, just a brief ripple on the surface of the ocean that soon returns to calm awareness ...

_{(highlighted by a friend when reading Emotional States (2012-04-26); perhaps the phrase alludes to Shantideva Chapter 5 in the Bodhisattvacaryavatara; cf. Space Between (2013-10-15), Betwixt (2015-07-04), Moving from Experiences to Experiencing (2015-08-06), Learning to Pause (2015-08-10), Mantra - Gap (2015-11-11), ...) - ^z - 2016-01-26}

Mantra - Be Meta, Be Open, Be Love

Three tiny thoughts about life and living:

• Attention — mindfulness, transcendence, watching with no watcher, awakening to the pure sky above, awareness, ...
• Yin — vast emptiness, cosmic void, space-time-matter-physics-math, the fabric of reality, the blank canvas on which everything exists, ...

• Acceptance — nonattachment, fearlessness, letting-go, leaping-without-clinging, never judging, saying "Yes, and ..." to everything, ...
• Between — energy, flow, softness, change, movement, touch, flowering, emergence, life, ...

• Affirmation — oneness, thankfulness, kindness, helping, encouraging, approving, embracing, ...
• Yang — light, fullness, meaning, sacred fire, creation, mind, thought, the universal good and holy, ...

And at the center of the venn diagram:

_{(cf Core Buddhism (2011-11-17), 01 (2013-11-05), 0-1 (2014-08-29), Mantra - Mindfulness, Nonattachment, Oneness (2017-01-25), Mindfulness in Three Words (2018-06-13), ...) - ^z - 2018-11-11}

Mantra - Be More Meta

... consciously operate at deeper levels — spend less time on events (e.g., news) — seek and share trends, patterns, systems, paradigms ...

(cf Systems Thinking Icebergs (2019-06-27), More Meta (2019-08-31), ...) - ^z - 2020-01-02

Mantra - Be Obvious

To catalyze creativity, collaboration, and communication, some calming attitudes:

... and

... and

... so Zen — not-try, not-do — from Keith Johnstone's Impro and Impro for Storytellers:

... I encourage negative people to be positive, and clever people to be obvious, and anxious people not to do their best. ...

(cf. Yes, and... (2012-11-14), Positive and Obvious (2012-12-12), Make Mistakes (2013-02-27), Don't Punish Yourself (2013-05-08), Keith Johnstone Improv Quotes (2013-12-26), Creativity Quotes (2014-06-12), Mantra - Yes, and... (2016-01-30), ...) - ^z - 2016-08-29

Mantra - Be Tame

... from the documentary film Won't You Be My Neighbor, at ~30 minutes, when Mister Rogers is talking as puppet "Daniel Striped Tiger":

Well, it took me so long to get tame. I try to understand how everybody else is working at it. Sometimes it isn't easy.

... and yes, it's such hard work to be tame in the positive sense — soft, gentle, kind, fearless — and it takes a lot of patience, self-love, and forgiveness ...

And it's so important to try!

^z - 2019-12-06

Mantra - Be Time

"Me Time" is a popular concept: setting aside a block of minutes to reward one's Self. And sure, that's important, maybe vital.

But in addition/instead, perhaps try to experience a bit of Be Time — to just be, without subject or object, without end or beginning, without future or past, without purpose or goal, ...

Or maybe try to Be Time itself — that strange dimension orthogonal to "... the depth and breadth and height / My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight / For the ends of being and ideal grace ...".

(cf. Power of Now (2011-12-14), Being Zen (2014-05-26), Swiss Cheese (2014-07-04), ...) - ^z - 2017-01-07

Mantra - Be Your Own Best Friend

... treat yourself with love and kindness, as you would any other person — don't set impossibly high standards, don't always sacrifice yourself for others, don't blame yourself for things outside your control ...

... and since We Are One, being kind to one's own self is also being kind to everyone else ...

... and maybe sometimes we can even be our own Best Friends Forever! — for short:

(cf. Just One Thing (2012-12-02), Notice and Return (2013-03-11), Opening to Love (2013-09-27), 01 (2013-11-05), 0-1 (2014-08-29), Mantra - For Us (2015-11-28), ...) - ^z - 2016-02-16

Mantra - Be a Duck, Not a Sponge

... let it go — don't cling to desires, insults, possessions, positions, ... and maybe not even to "self" itself ...

_{(cf. Mantra - Be Like a Log (2016-01-26), Mantra - Cling to Nothing (2016-04-17), ...) - ^z - 2016-08-15}

Mantra - Be on Good Form

A delightful British idiom that aptly names a mindful non-goal goal:

... as in the Optimist Creed, "... to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind ... to think only of the best, to work only for the best and to expect only the best ... to be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble."

... and as Guy Claxton describes one approach to it in The Heart of Buddhism:

... Buddhism helps people be at their best more of the time. All of us have periods when we are "on good form", in which these qualities are available to us. But we are also only too aware of the other times, when we are ratty and muddled, mean-spirited and intolerant. Buddhism expands and consolidates our better natures. ...

... and how? Well, that's a longer story — maybe it involves waking up, and letting go, and saying "Yes, and..." to oneself ...

(cf. Core Buddhism (2011-10-17), Mindfulness for Beginners (2013-07-18), 0-1 (2014-08-29), ...) - ^z - 2016-05-10

Mantra - Be the Legend

(cf Kleos (2014-03-18), Legends and Heroes (2014-06-02), Quest of a Lifetime (2014-07-02), Stand by You (2017-01-11), ...) - ^z - 2018-07-11

Mantra - Be the Silence

... the pause between words
... the chasm separating mountains
... the yin that defines the yang
... the void that surrounds and embraces every thing ...

_{(cf. No Method (2010-01-21), Empty Cup (2012-05-08), Space Between (2013-10-15), Nothing But Faith in Nothing (2014-09-07), Mantra - Pause and Breathe (2015-02-25), Mantra - Vast Emptiness Everything Sacred (2015-03-17), Mindfulness of the Body (2015-06-14), Betwixt (2015-07-04), Mantra - Gap (2015-11-11), Seeking Negative Space (2016-04-21), Holding Space (2016-07-22), ...) - ^z - 2016-12-10}

Mantra - Beliefs Are Knobs, Not Switches

The Big Problem — the root cause of so many mistakes and fights and wasted resources — is the natural human tendency to imagine that beliefs are true or false. This is (almost always) wrong:

Outside of definitions and math (and even within much math) there are degrees of certainty, odds and likelihoods, ranges of numbers rather than specific answers, errors distributed across a zone, a universe of multiple possibilities.

When new information comes in — evidence — it's vital to update beliefs rather than throw them away. "Turn the Knob", more or less, based on the balance between the weight of prior knowledge and the strength of new data. That's Bayes Theorem, in a qualitative nutshell.

Don't be too sure!

(cf. Statistics - A Bayesian Perspective (2010-08-13), Introduction to Bayesian Statistics (2010-11-20), Fallibilism (2013-05-14), Adventure of the Bayesian Clocks - Part One (2013-12-04), Adventure of the Bayesian Clocks - Part Two (2014-01-05), ...) - ^z - 2017-07-03

Mantra - Change With Not To

... no focus on "The Other" ... no finger-pointing or blame ... only awareness, forgiveness, lovingkindness, and progress — together!

(cf Blame Storming (1999-05-15), Religion of Training (2004-10-25), Awareness, No Blame, Change (2009-04-19), Secrets of the Lotus (2011-07-19), Friendship and Meditation (2012-11-06), Vastness, Equanimity, Selflessness (2015-06-04), ...) - ^z - 2018-04-20

Mantra - Change a Little

... from the Greater Than Code interview with Keith Bennett:

... we can hack ourselves — we can change ourselves, and the way to change ourselves a lot, I believe, is to change ourselves a little many times. We can ask ourself in a situation, "How far am I willing to go before I start feeling uncomfortable?" and then ask ourself, "What can I do in addition to that? How much further can I go in addition to that without feeling super-uncomfortable?" and doing that. Once we start exercising that muscle more and more, we can make more progress than we would otherwise. A lot of times we cripple ourselves by just thinking about where it is we want to go and we look at how far that is and we think, "Oh, man. I'm never going to get there so I'm not going to try," and that's unfortunate.

(cf. Changing Selves (1999-05-20), Eating One's Own Cooking (1999-06-17), Mantra - Awareness, Blameless, Change (2014-12-17), ...) - ^z - 2017-12-17

Mantra - Check the Strong

... keep an eye on friends, colleagues, acquaintances — reach out to them, talk to them, watch for for signs of depression or sorrow, for hints that all is not right, for clues that suggest stress, illness, grief — and then ask, listen, help. As Aicha Ayana said, it's especially important to watch "... the ones who are strong, who seem like they have it all together, or the ones who are healers. No one checks on us because everyone assumes we're good. We're not. We often pour [out] our cup [for] others and leave none for ourself. We suffer in silence afraid to burden anyone. We break and can't fix our cracks. ..."

(cf. TAIL (2009-09-26), Cara Golias Graffiti Memorial (2016-04-10), ...) - ^z - 2018-06-22

Mantra - Cling to Nothing

... as Jon Kabat-Zinn suggests in Mindfulness for Beginners and in Coming to Our Senses:

The Buddha taught for forty-five years. He is said to have said that all of his teachings could be encapsulated in one sentence. If that is so, perhaps we might want to remember what it was, even if we don't necessarily understand it all at first. Imagine forty-five years of profound teaching distilled into one sentence: "Nothing is to be clung to as 'I,' 'me,' or 'mine.'"

_{(cf. Cling to Nothing (2011-01-29), Core Buddhism (2011-10-17), 01 (2013-11-05), 0-1 (2014-08-29), Nothing But Faith in Nothing (2014-09-07), ...) - ^z - 2016-04-17}

Mantra - Complement

... and as per Keith Johnstone: reverse the opposite, invert the negative, create the positive, and say "Yes, and..." — to everything!

(cf. Take It Up (2011-05-13), Category Theory Concepts (2016-04-25), ...) - ^z - 2018-03-08

Mantra - Different, and Good

... a Möbius-twist on Mantra - Good but Different — emphasizing the change ...

(cf. FragileBeauty (2001-09-15), WeltschmertzRx (2005-07-13), Buddhism Without Beliefs (2008-09-19), Transient, Unreliable, Contingent (2013-06-14), Good, But Different (2013-06-20), 0-1 (2014-08-29), 2015-05-17 - Fonda 50k Plus (2015-06-10), ...) - ^z - 2015-06-21

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Different and Better

Different —       and Better

... the loving-kind-wise answer of a dear friend who, when facing huge challenges, finds a third way to emerge beyond ...

(thanks always to smBFF; cf. Mantra - Different, and Good (2014-12-11), Mantra - Good but Different (2016-06-21), Mantra - We've Fallen (2017-08-11), ...) - ^z - 2018-02-08

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Discover and Remember

Discover         & Remember

... new and old: the complementary pair of creativity, of insight, of all mental operations ... analogous to the computer-science Apply & Evaluate pairing of Program & Data ...

(cf. DataVersusProgram (1999-05-01), GreatIdeas (1999-05-03), ...) - ^z - 2016-01-01

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Ditto

"

... the shortest way to say Agreed! — and a cute code for "We Are One!" — magnify the wee double-quote and see it as 11 aka "Two Ones" — and remember, "We're All In This Together!" ...

(cf. 01 (2013-11-05), ...) - ^z - 2015-08-30

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Do Finite Things in an Infinite Way

Do Finite Things   in an     Infinite Way

... a reminder to transcend, from Chapter 15 ("Peace of Mind") of Subtle Sound: The Zen Teachings of Maurine Stuart:

... the experience and the experiencer disappear. And the disappearance of these two is their spontaneous coming together, through which we experience the One. In deep samadhi, our zazen is nothing but this oneness: gateless gateness. It is nothing but inner and outer, in-breath and out-breath, just this.

Life is suffering, the Buddha taught, because we want some permanency, some guarantee. If we let go of this desire and just follow a path of doing finite things in an infinite way, then ordinary becomes extraordinary; secular is sacred. Preparing the food, washing the dishes; everything is a sacred act.

This path must be followed without any shortcuts. Unlike instant coffee, enlightenment isn't bought in a jar. ...

(cf. This (2013-03-09), How to Wake Up (2016-11-11), Finite Things in an Infinite Way (2016-12-16), Just Breathing, Just Being, Just This (2017-04-03), ...) - ^z - 2017-09-27

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Do Less, Better

Do Less,   Better

... especially when resources are limited, time is tight, and the situation is critical ...

... especially if it's not clear what to do, or how to do it ...

... especially as one gets older, and can't do as "much" or as rapidly as in former years ...

(kudos to bb-SMB; cf. Less More (2005-03-14), Do Without (2005-06-04), Do Less (2007-08-24), Let It All Go (2011-09-03), As Much Nothing as Possible (2016-08-05), ...) - ^z - 2016-12-14

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Don't Be the Fixer

Don't Be   the Fixer!

... you can't heal every broken bird, you can't protect people from themselves, you can't solve the world's problems, and you can't make everybody happy all the time (if ever!) — so, as Toni Bernhard advises (Sublime States), when tempted to "fix" try instead to think something like:

• I love you, but I cannot keep you from experiencing suffering.
• Your happiness and unhappiness depend on your actions, not on my wishes for you.
• May you live in peace regardless of your circumstances.
• May you accept with grace both your successes and your disappointments.

... and since we can't even fix our self (and "Unselfing" is so hard!) maybe just say "Forgiven, Forgiven, Forgiven" to oneself more often — and more sincerely!

^z - 2017-01-19

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Doubt

Doubt

... stay open:

• delay judgment ...
• hold space for skepticism ...
• let go of decisiveness ...
• admit the possibility of error ...
• resist the rush to closure ...

Be a better Bayesian — recognize uncertainty, and adjust belief as new information arrives.

Say "Yes, and ..."

... and empty ...

... and soften ...

("Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is an absurd one." - Voltaire; cf. Faith to Doubt (2010-03-11), Nothing But Faith in Nothing (2014-09-07), Mantra - Soften Into Experience (2014-11-26), Holding Space (2016-07-22), Mantra - Uncertainty, Kindness, Peace, Hope (2017-06-29), Mantra - Beliefs Are Knobs, Not Switches (2017-07-13), ...) - ^z - 2018-01-14

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Everything Has Beauty

Everything     Has         Beauty!

Notice it — in Nature, in Art, in Others, in Self — everywhere and always!
  ... in the emptiness between the obvious ...
    ... in the softness inside the frame ...
      ... in the love within the pain ...

(quote often attributed to "Confucius" without a real source-reference; cf Find the Beauty (2011-04-03), Ordinary Beauty (2015-12-20), Mantra - Stop, Notice, Appreciate (2016-04-03), ...) - ^z - 2018-05-03

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Expand the Context

Expand     the Context

From the chapter "Vision" in Jon Kabat-Zinn's Wherever You Go, There You Are:

... So, if you practice purposefully expanding the context of the anger (yours or someone else's) right in those very moments that it is arising and peaking, knowing that there must be something larger and more fundamental that you are forgetting in the heat of the emotion, then you can touch an awareness inside yourself which is not attached to or invested in the anger-fire. Awareness sees the anger; it knows the depth of the anger; and it is larger than the anger. It can therefore hold the anger the way a pot contains food. The pot of awareness helps us cradle the anger and see that it may be producing more harmful effects than beneficial ones, even if that is not our aim. In this way, it helps us cook the anger, digest the anger, so that we can use it effectively, and, in changing from an automatic reacting to a conscious responding, perhaps move beyond it altogether. ...

... alternatively:

• step back
• grow the scope
• widen the angle
• push the envelope
• enlarge the field of view

(cf. Expanding Contexts (1999-10-15), Two Perspectives (2002-02-10), Envelope Pushing (2003-04-24), What We Know (2006-08-15), In the Palm of Your Hand (2006-09-11), ...) - ^z - 2016-03-12

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Fine and One and Blessed

We are   Fine and     One and         Blessed

... a reminder from a friend — to always be thankful, aware, loving — for all that we have, all the good in the world, and all that we can do for each other ...

(cf. Opening to Love (2013-09-27), 0-1 (2014-08-29), Mantra - Help, Thanks, Wow (2015-01-06), SHIP of Lovingkindness (2015-08-18), Mantra - Safety, Health, Insight, Peace (2015-10-30), Mantra - Stop, Notice, Appreciate (2016-04-03), ...) - ^z - 2016-09-23

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Follow the Breath

Follow the Breath

... a simple always-present tool to help stay in the now ...

(cf. Try It for a Few Years (2009-05-19), Sitting by Fire (2010-01-11), Being with Your Breath (2010-02-20), Breath and Awareness (2011-03-12), Just Sitting (2011-05-21), Coming Back to Your Breath (2011-09-25), Notice and Return (2013-03-11), Countdown Breathing (2013-12-18), ...) - ^z - 2015-06-09

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - For Us

For Us

Since we are One, it's totally ok to take turns and let a friend (or anyone else!) carry the load for us sometimes — and likewise, it's fine for us to pick up the check for others, without any thought of compensation or reward. We're all in this together!

... and as Sylvia Boorstein notes in It's Easier Than You Think:

... I used to think that if I began seeing all beings as my kin, it would be a big burden. The opposite is true. When someone I know is doing something admirable I don't feel I need to be doing it. She is doing it on my behalf, or as me, relieving me of that particular task. Mary and Chodron are being nuns for me, Alex is teaching for me in remote places, Itzhak Perlman is me playing the violin, and Joe Montana is me, too. So is his mother.

... and as the protagonist realizes in the finale of the film Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, when he discovers the Power of Self-Respect, if we're all one then with the right attitude there's neither self-sacrifice nor selfishness. There's simply another chance for unselfing ... for letting go ... for realizing that clinging is optional ... for discovering freedom ... for centering ... for erasing boundaries ... and for just being with nothing and everything and all the changes between ...

^z - 2015-11-28

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Forgiven

Forgiven   Forgiven     Forgiven

... from True Refuge by Tara Brach, Chapter 10 ("Self-Compassion: Releasing the Second Arrow"), as the author describes a session with a person full of self-blame and self-hatred:

"... take a moment to view yourself as if you could see all this through the eyes of a friend, someone who really cares about you and understands that you are feeling demeaned and ashamed." I paused to give Sam some time to bring this to mind.

"Now," I said, "with that kind of view, begin to send yourself some words of forgiveness and compassion. It might be 'I forgive you,' or 'forgiven, forgiven, forgiven,' or maybe, 'I care about this suffering.' Offer whatever words communicate understanding and care." ...

(cf. Wings of Acceptance (2015-05-26), Watch the Wound (2015-07-24), Mantra - Be Your Own Best Friend (2016-02-16), So I Will See (2016-03-27), Mantra - Worthy of Love (2016-07-24), ...) - ^z - 2016-08-02

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Gap

Gap!

... attend to the space between thoughts ...
      ... notice the void between objects ...
           ... watch the pause between event and choice ...
                ... examine the moment between stimulus and response ....

... and just observe ...

(cf. Emotional States (2012-04-26), Ground of Being (2013-10-03), Pause and Breathe (2014-07-25), No-Self and the Space of Wonder (2014-10-20), Vastness, Equanimity, Selflessness (2015-06-04), Mantra - Remember to Remember (2015-09-07), ...) - ^z - 2015-11-11

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Gently, Gently, Gently

Gently,   Gently,     Gently

... and as Bhante Henepola Gunaratana says:

... Mindfulness is cultivated by a gentle effort, by effortless effort. You cultivate mindfulness by constantly reminding yourself in a gentle way to maintain your awareness of whatever is happening right now. Persistence and a light touch are the secrets. Mindfulness is cultivated by constantly pulling oneself back to a state of awareness, gently, gently, gently. ...

(cf Gently, Gently, Gently in Mindfulness in Plain English, Chapter 14 "Mindfulness versus Concentration", ...) - ^z - 2018-09-19

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Give Instead of Giving Up

Don't Give Up     — Give!

Be positive! Rather than making a sacrifice and feeling the negative, try to see the situation from another perspective and find the plus side — the gift, the gain, the benefit. As Margaret Renkl says at the end of her essay "One Tiny Beautiful Thing":

Instead of giving up something for Lent, I'm planning to make a heartfelt offering. In times like these, it makes more sense to seek out daily causes for praise than daily reminders of lack. So here is my resolution: to find as many ordinary miracles as a waterlogged winter can put forth, as many resurrections as an eerily early springtime will allow. Tiny beautiful things are bursting forth in the darkest places, in the smallest nooks and deepest cracks of the hidden world, and I am going to keep looking every single day until I find one.

... and yes, it's so tough sometimes to make that inversion — and so wonderful when it somehow succeeds ...

(cf Om - Be Contrary, Mandatory Inversion (1999-09-02), Unselfing Again (2009-11-01), Happiness Is (2015-07-28), Mantra - The Problem is Not the Problem (2016-08-21), Mantra - It's a Blessing (2017-11-23), Mantra - Complement (2018-03-08), Mantra - No Problems (2018-03-15), ...) - ^z - 2020-02-25

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Give More Praise

Give   More     Praise

Arthur Wellesley (1769-1852), first Duke of Wellington, was asked in his later years, "If you had your life over again, is there any way in which you could have done better?" He replied: "Yes, I should have given more praise." Such a wonderful turnabout-inversion from a self-oriented question!

(another delightful example of modesty: the Postscript of a letter Arthur sent to his brother Henry in 1814: "I believe I forgot to tell you I was made a Duke."; and cf Improving My Mind (2003-06-22), Wee Bit More Complicated (2007-08-29), Franklin on Pride (2008-06-03), Kundun (2010-03-31), Great Understatement (2011-05-04), John Archibald Wheeler 1985 Letter (2011-09-05), Mantra - Love, Simplicity, Humility (2016-03-29), ...) - ^z - 2019-07-28

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Go Slowly, Breathe, and Smile

Go Slowly,     Breathe,       and Smile

... from Beginning Mindfulness by Andrew Weiss ...

(cf. Being with Your Breath (2010-02-20), Smile and Listen (2011-08-20), Pause and Breathe (2014-07-25), ...) - ^z - 2016-07-03

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Go for the Moon

Go for the Moon!

... from Andrew Weiss's Beginning Mindfulness:

... Don't get caught up in technique. Remember that the instructions and techniques, and even the words of great teachers, are no more than a finger pointing at the moon: Always go for the moon.

(cf. Go for the Moon (2013-10-26), ...) - ^z - 2016-07-18

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Good Moments and Good Memories

The purpose of running — and any other worthy activity, perhaps? To create:

Good Moments Good Memories

(cf. Thinking, Fast and Slow (2013-10-24) re the "experiencing self" (moments!) and the "remembering self" (memories!), ...) - ^z - 2015-08-09

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Good but Different

Good but Different

When things change, they can still be fine — but clinging to the past may hinder recognition of happiness today. It's still good, but now it's different than it once was ...

(cf. Good, But Different, 0-1, ...) - ^z - 2014-12-11

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Greater Love

You are loved with a greater love than anyone could       ever imagine

... words in an email from Fred Rogers to Tom Junod, from Junod's article "What Would Mister Rogers Do?" (The Atlantic, December 2019):

... as a correspondent he was emotionally forthcoming and intimate, closing often with the assurance that he kept me in his thoughts and his prayers—"And, I guess you know, each morning I pray for you; I really do"—and sometimes with ministerial ardor. "You are loved with a greater love than anyone could ever imagine, Tom. I trust that you'll never ever forget that. ..."

(cf 2018-09-10 - Thank You, Mr Rogers (2018-10-02), 143 (2019-11-28), Present in Every Moment (2019-11-25), Tikkun Olam (2019-12-11), Love Abounds (2020-01-06), Advocate for Good (2020-01-14), ...) - ^z - 2020-02-21

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Grind New Lenses

Grind   New     Lenses!

... see everything more sharply: invest in better tools for improved perception and understanding, while recognizing that the lens is not important — awareness is!

(from SMB; cf. Edge of the Universe (1999-06-08), Looking Down (2004-12-06), What We Know (2006-08-15), Infinite in All Directions (2003-12-02), No Beginning, No End (2013-03-24), Mantra - Go for the Moon (2016-07-18), ...) - ^z - 2017-12-26

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Happiness Is

Happiness       Is

... as wise friend and Buddha Buddy SMB suggested some time ago: "Happiness is not a product of something, but just a state of being. It just is. So it is always there."

... perhaps like air, or a small animal in the deep forest, or a star far away — happiness is, and joy is simply noticing it!

(cf. Optimist Creed (1999-04-16), Unenviable Happiness (2006-02-27), Pursuit of Happiness (2008-11-19), Personal, Permanent, Pervasive (2009-04-27), When Someone You Love Is Unhappy (2011-05-29), Models of Happiness (2012-01-05), Smile at Everyone (2013-02-15), Expectations vs. Possibilities (2013-08-13), Lovingkindness - The Revolutionary Art of Happiness (2015-07-12), Happiness Is (2015-07-28), Joko on Joy (2015-09-03), I Want Happiness (2015-12-04), Mantra - It's a Blessing (2017-11-23), ...) - ^z - 2018-03-20

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Hear, Read, See, Speak

Hear   Read     See       Speak

"One ought, every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture, and, if it were possible, to speak a few reasonable words." — Goethe

(from book 5 chapter 1 of Wilhelm Meister's Journeyman Years: "...'Man sollte', sagte er, 'alle Tage wenigstens ein kleines Lied hören, ein gutes Gedicht lesen, ein treffliches Gemälde sehen und, wenn es möglich zu machen wäre, einige vernünftige Worte sprechen.'"; cf. Conversations in Paint (2008-08-18), ...) - ^z - 2018-01-30

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Hear the Happy Birds

Hear   the     Happy       Birds!

... a reminder from a dear friend to pay attention, always — and to notice the music, everywhere ...

... especially after a long, hard, sad, dark night — when dawn is about to begin, and the world begins to smile ...

^z - 2017-05-20

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Help, Thanks, Wow

Help, Thanks, Wow

... the "Three Essential Prayers", as Anne Lamott describes them in her book Help, Thanks, Wow — a cry from the depths of despair, a heartfelt expression of gratitude, a gasp at the glorious wonders of the world — and maybe all three at once work even better!

^z - 2015-01-06

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Hold More Space

Hold     More         Space

... gently make the space between thoughts larger ... pause ... notice the gaps ...

(cf. Emotional States (2012-04-26), Mantra - Pause and Breathe (2015-02-25), Betwixt (2015-07-04), Mantra - Gap (2015-11-11), Mantra - Be Like a Log (2016-01-26), Holding Space (2016-07-22), Mantra - Be the Silence (2016-12-10), ...) - ^z - 2017-06-12

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - How Deep is the Yes

How Deep       is   the Yes?

... say "Yes!" — and then, as it echoes, ask how deep it can go — look for a chance to add "and ..." to the Yes — and then to accept and embrace whatever emerges!

(from dear BB-bff-KS, who credits Tara Brach; cf. Not Always So (2009-07-04), Yes, and... (2012-11-14), ...) - ^z - 2018-02-15

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - I'm In

I'm In!

... an especially nice thing to say if a dear friend has just proposed a crazy adventure — or to hear from a dear friend no matter what you need, or want, to try to do!

(adapted from original Twitter post by dad_on_the_run (2015-10-10); cf. Yes, and... (2012-11-14), ...) - ^z - 2015-10-12

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - I Choose

I Choose!

... inspiration from conversation during a long training run with a friend:

... So much better to choose for oneself and find worth, instead of having one's value dependent on other people or external events....

... in friendship, virtue, love, work, life!

(cf. the song "Freewill" by Rush; and Knowing Choosing Doing (1999-05-29), Precision Living (2002-03-31), Will Power (2008-07-18), This Is Water (2009-05-21), ...) - ^z - 2016-06-06

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Identify as More

Identify     As       More!

Widen the circle of concern — so that, as a friend once said, "... I identify as more than myself ...", and therefore care deeply and personally about other people, animals, the world we live in — and maybe even more!

(cf Unselfing (2009-01-14), Mantra - No Others (2016-06-27), ...) - ^z - 2018-09-11

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - In Reserve

Always Keep   Something     in Reserve!

... stay strong, take care of yourself, and you'll be better able to help others when they need you! (remembering of course that there are no "others")

... and as the joke goes, there are Two Great Secrets in life; "Keep something in reserve" is the first.

(cf. Strong and Lasting (2013-02-02), ...) - ^z - 2016-11-19

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Inhale, Exhale

Inhale Exhale

... good advice whenever things are tense and thoughtful action is needed — words from Masao Yoshida, chief manager at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, as told in the New York Times article "Videos Shed Light on Chaos at Fukushima as a Nuclear Crisis Unfolded". Shortly after the earthquake, tsunami, and explosion, Yoshida told his men, "I fear we are in acute danger. But let's calm down a little. Let's all take a deep breath. Inhale, exhale."

(cf. Try It for a Few Years (2009-05-19), Being with Your Breath (2010-02-10), Coming Back to Your Breath (2011-09-25), Inhale, Exhale (2012-08-12), ...) - ^z - 2016-05-14

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - It's All Good

It's All Good!

... the ultimate in optimism, joy, thankfulness, ...

(originally heard from dear friend Caren Jew during long trail runs; cf. All Good (2007-01-13), Byron Katie (2014-09-12), ...) - ^z - 2015-01-09

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - It's a Blessing

It's a Blessing

Stressful situations, bad news, ongoing problems, looming disasters, ... — alas, there are so many challenges in life! — not least of which is fretting about past woes and potential catastrophes.

But as dear friend Dr Fonda reminds, a crisis is also a chance to change, to remember the good, to touch the ground of existence, to give thanks, to hug one's friends (and self) closer, and to extend lovingkindness to a larger circle.

In Stephanie's words, re lonely angst and sadness:

"But I need only reach out to you, and you are always there. That makes loneliness turn into a blessing. Loneliness becomes an occasion to be reminded of the wealth I have in my bond ..."

... and to recall that we are never alone!

(cf. Mantra - Help, Thanks, Wow (2015-01-06), Mantra - It Is Our Practice (2015-07-20), Mantra - No Others (2016-06-27), Mantra - We Are One (2017-04-18), Mantra - We Got This (2017-09-13), ...) - ^z - 2017-11-23

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - It Doesn't Always Get Worse

It Doesn't   Always Get Worse

... a proverb from the ultrarunning world, where sometimes after a few (tens of) miles the going gets tough and the will tends to waver — and it's worth reminding oneself not to get (prematurely) discouraged. "Things might be bad now, but they will improve. This is a chance to solve my problem."

(cf. Mantra - Relentless Forward Progress (2016-02-10), ...) - ^z - 2016-05-27

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - It Is Our Practice

It's Our Practice

... no matter how frustrating, boring, or scary: every moment is an opportunity to pay attention, to monitor one's reactions and let them go, and to notice the spaces between ...

... and maybe for short, just: IMP = "It's My Practice" ...

(cf. Try It for a Few Years (2009-05-19), Without Effort, Analysis, or Expectation (2010-08-04), Expect Nothing (2012-02-20), Honor Your Practice (2013-01-04), ...) - ^z - 2015-07-20

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - It Is What It Is

It is what it is!

... and just as things are, right now, right here, is all that there is — and it's perfect ...

(originally from Dr Kristin; cf. Extreme Clarity (2006-12-15), Present-Moment Reality (2008-11-05), Voluntary Simplicity (2008-12-24), Not Always So (2009-07-04), Roadside Distractions (2011-04-30), Ceaseless Society (2012-05-10), This (2013-03-09), No Beginning, No End (2013-03-24), Mindfulness for Beginners (2013-07-18), Winter's Tale on Truth (2014-12-09), 2015-02-06 - Thirteen Degrees, 2015-03-04 - Grizzly Statue, Radical Acceptance (2015-05-13) ...) - ^z - 2016-03-06

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - It Will Be OK

It Will Turn Out     Okay

... the faith that, ultimately and in the end, everything really will be all right — as it always has been, and as it always will be — and that, as a dear friend once pointed out, my stories always end with, "... and it turned out OK" — because it did!

(cf Karma (2009-07-15), Equanimity (2012-02-01), Mindfulness for Beginners (2013-07-18), Equanimity and Magnanimity (2015-02-19), This Is Equanimity (2015-03-15), Vastness, Equanimity, Selflessness (2015-06-04), Perfect Size for Letting Go (2015-09-14), ...) - ^z - 2016-04-30

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Keep Digging

Keep Digging

... persist: something good may turn up with the next spade full of earth!

(cf. Posture (2009-06-05), Honor Your Practice (2013-01-04), Strong and Lasting (2013-02-02), ...) - ^z - 2017-02-13

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Keep Looking

Keep Looking

... from "How to Track an Animal" in the New York Times, a comment by Paul Rezendes:

"Once people label something, they think they know it. They stop looking, and they stop learning. You have to keep looking."

(cf. SeeingNature (2005-07-19), This Is Water (2009-05-21), Coming Back to Your Breath (2011-09-25), Bringing Back a Wandering Attention (2013-02-13), Pay Attention (2013-12-05), Intentional Attention (2014-07-29), Heart of Meditation (2016-01-22), ...) - ^z - 2017-05-30

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Less Certainty, More Inquiry

Less certainty     More inquiry

... Erik Seidel, from [1] and other reviews of The Biggest Bluff: How I Learned to Pay Attention, Master Myself, and Win by Maria Konnikova.

(cf OM - Perhaps and Certainty and Doubt (1999-04-27), Underappreciated Ideas (1999-07-06), Epistemological Enginerooms (2000-08-10), Exaggerated Certainty (2002-12-16), False Certainty (2010-03-23), Meta-Ignorance (2012-06-28), Transient, Unreliable, Contingent (2013-06-14), Superforecasting (2016-02-21), Mantra - Uncertainty, Kindness, Peace, Hope (2017-06-29), Mantra - Beliefs Are Knobs, Not Switches (2017-07-03), Forecasting Lessons from Systems Dynamics (2017-07-05), Pearl Harbor - Lessons Learned (2017-12-19), Mantra - Doubt (2018-01-14), Evil Certainty (2019-12-09), ...) - ^z - 2020-08-23

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Let Go and Let Be

Let Go   and Let Be

... from the last page of Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach ...

^z - 2015-12-02

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Let It Go

Let It Go!

... perhaps accompanied by a hand-gesture of opening the fingers to release — a shorter way to remember nonattachment, non-clinging, liberation, ...

(cf. CutTheVolume, 2009-08-22 - Two Bees, or Not Two Bees, Core Buddhism, 01, 0-1, ...) - ^z - 2014-12-27

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Let Others Be

Let Others Be Right Let Others Be Generous

(cf. How to Win Friends and Influence People (2008-05-17), Smile and Listen (2011-08-21), Let Others Be Right (2012-12-31), ...) - ^z - 2015-11-19

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Let Somebody Else Be the Hero

Make Someone         Else   the Hero of   Your Story

... there's more than enough selfishness, narcissism, and insecurity in the world already — so why not step aside and give another person their turn in the spotlight on center stage?

(cf Unselfing (2009-01-14), Unselfing Again (2009-11-01), Einstein on Self (2010-01-31), It is Thou (2014-09-24), I Want Happiness (2015-12-04), No Me (2016-01-18), Mantra - No Others (2016-06-27), Mantra - No Self (2016-10-25), Nobody Home (2016-11-13), Mantra - Unself Together (2018-03-30), Less I (2018-05-26), No-Self, One-Self, All-Self (2019-12-02), ...) - ^z - 2020-02-17

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Let the Mind Pass By

Let the Mind     Pass By

... from Pragito Dove's Lunchtime Enlightenment:

Remember not to be too serious. Nothing special is supposed to happen. There is nothing to figure out or analyze, no success or failure. You are simply allowing yourself to be less identified with the body, mind, emotions, and environment, which then leaves space for insight or understanding to arise.

Remember, let the mind pass by. These are the five key words for watching the mind. There is no concentration, because concentration creates tension. No forcing, no trying to stop the mind, no fighting with the mind. Just let the traffic of the mind pass by. You are the watcher, observing, disidentified, with no judgment, accepting whatever passes by, as if one would sit high up on a mountaintop, watching life pass by with no attachment or involvement. This will bring you to your essential self.

(cf. Let the Mind Pass By (2010-12-28), Mantra - Let It Go (2014-12-27), Awareness of Thoughts (2016-04-01), ...) - ^z - 2016-09-17

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Listen and Smile

Listen and Smile

(cf. How to Win Friends and Influence People (2008-05-17), Smile and Listen (2011-08-20), Ground of Being (2013-10-03), Vastness, Equanimity, Selflessness (2015-06-04), ...) - ^z - 2015-12-08

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Love, Simplicity, Humility

Love Simplicity   Humility

... as variously translated and interpreted from the Taoist "three treasures", chapter 67 in the Tao Te Ching:

• love - compassion, pity, tenderness, kindness, mercy, gentleness, benevolence, charity, ...
• simplicity - frugality, moderation, economy, restraint, sparingness, prudence, ...
• humility - patience, not daring to be first or ahead in the world, modesty, ...

(adapted from Wikipedia's "Three Treasures (Taoism)", etc.; cf. Taoist State (2004-11-12), Mystic Mantra (2005-01-15), Not Care (2006-02-13), Hidden Mystery (2011-11-07), Journey Inward (2013-10-31), Gentleness, Sensitivity, Compassion (2014-03-09), ...) - ^z - 2016-03-29

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Love Your Self

Love     Your         Self!

... be kind to yourself, forgive your mistakes, and feel compassion not just for others but for you!

... and as Toni Bernhard says in Chapter 16 ("Compassion: Start with Yourself") of her book How to Wake Up, "... there's no limit to what you can feel compassion for yourself over — even your inability to be self-compassionate!" (that's rather meta-metta, eh?!)

(cf. Essence of Metta (2015-09-01), Mantra - Be Your Own Best Friend (2016-02-16), Mantra - Forgiven (2016-08-02), ...) - ^z - 2016-12-30

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Making Some Slight Progress

Making     Some   Slight Progress

... and as artist Paul Cézanne said he felt he was doing late in life: "I work obstinately, and once in a while I catch a glimpse of the Promised Land."

(cf. Conversations in Paint (2000-08-08), ...) - ^z - 2016-01-14

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Manage Attention

Manage Attention

... from an essay by Adam Grant in the 28 March 2019 NY Times titled "Productivity Isn't About Time Management. It's About Attention Management" — with the punchline:

... Prioritize the people and projects that matter, and it won't matter how long anything takes. Attention management is the art of focusing on getting things done for the right reasons, in the right places and at the right moments. ...

... and later Grant, an organizational psychologist at the Wharton School, observes:

... Often our productivity struggles are caused not by a lack of efficiency, but a lack of motivation. Productivity isn't a virtue. It's a means to an end. It's only virtuous if the end is worthy. If productivity is your goal, you have to rely on willpower to push yourself to get a task done. If you pay attention to why you're excited about the project and who will benefit from it, you'll be naturally pulled into it by intrinsic motivation. ...

(cf Adam Grant is quoted in Comments on Sheryl Sandberg on the Hard Days; cf Present-Moment Reality (2008-11-05), Functional Thinking versus Ego Thinking (2014-11-01), Attention (2015-03-03), Mantra - Attention, Attention, Attention (2017-05-27), ...) - ^z - 2020-01-30

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Mind Like Sky

As Pema Chödrön is often quoted, "You are the sky. Everything else is just the weather." — or, in Tara Brach's words from Chapter 4 of Radical Acceptance, "... Like the weather, sensations, emotions and thoughts were just moving through the open, empty sky of awareness. ..." — and more briefly:

Mind   Like     Sky

(cf. My Own Weather (2009-04-17), Core Buddhism (2011-10-17), 0-1 (2014-08-29), Mantra - Let It Go (2014-12-27), No Thing and Every Thing (2015-09-20), ...) - ^z - 2016-02-29

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Mind Like Water

Mind Like Water

From David Allen, executive coach and productivity maven:

In karate there is an image that's used to define the position of perfect readiness: "mind like water." Imagine throwing a pebble into a still pond. How does the water respond? The answer is, totally appropriately to the force and mass of the input; then it returns to calm. It doesn't overreact or underreact.

(cf. Quiet in There (2011-05-31), Mind Like Water (2011-12-24), ...) - ^z - 2015-05-04

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Mindfulness, Nonattachment, Oneness

Mindfulness   Nonattachment       Oneness

Like vehicle, highway, destination — and the journey is life.

• Mindfulness — non-judgmental awareness, direct moment-by-moment attention to the Now and Here ...
• Nonattachment — letting go of externals and internals and the I/me/mine ...
• Oneness — no barriers, no divisions, just This ...

(cf. My Religion (2000-11-06), Work of a Lifetime (2009-02-01), This Is Water (2009-05-21), Being with Your Breath (2010-02-20), Core Buddhism (2011-10-17), O (2012-10-24), This (2013-03-09), Mindfulness for Beginners (2013-07-18), Clinging Is Optional (2013-08-21), 01 (2013-11-05), 0-1 (2014-08-29), Mantra - Cling to Nothing (2016-04-17), ...) - ^z - 2017-01-25

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - More Choosing, Less Doing

More Choosing,     Less Doing!

... decide to pause, notice the beauty, cherish the freedom, be the now — and let go of hustle-busy-panic-action ...

(thoughts thanks to comrade KD; cf. Knowing, Choosing, Doing (1999-05-29), Mantra - I Choose (2016-06-06), Mantra - Refuse to Be Busy (2018-02-24), ...) - ^z - 2018-05-17

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Move On

Move On!

(cf. Move On (2007-01-06), Mantra - Soften Into Experience (2014-11-26), Mantra - Let It Go (2014-12-27), Mantra - Mindfulness, Nonattachment, Oneness (2-17-01-25), ...) - ^z - 2017-02-04

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - No Drama

No Drama!

... just the perfect depth and beauty of every moment as it is, without goals or stories or ...

(cf. No Drama (2015-01-15), ...) - ^z - 2015-06-16

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - No Effort Is Wasted

No effort is wasted.

... from the Arnold Bennett 1923 collection of advice How to Make the Best of Life ... and likewise from the Bhagavad Gita translation by Stephen Mitchell, 2.40:

On this path no effort is wasted,
no gain is ever reversed;
even a little of this practice
will shelter you from great sorrow.

... as in Mantra - Relentless Forward Progress ...

(cf. No Method (2010-01-21), Power of Optimism (2016-02-23), ...) - ^z - 2016-03-16

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - No Gifts, No Givers

No Gifts No Givers

From the chapter titled "Generosity" of Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn: "At the deepest level, there is no giver, no gift, and no recipient . . . only the universe rearranging itself."

(cf. My Business (1999-05-30), No Glory (2000-01-11), Concerning Charity (2003-12-22), Mantra - Ditto (2015-08-30), Mantra - For Us (2015-11-28), Mantra - No Others (2016-06-27), Mantra - No Self (2016-10-25), Mantra - We Are One (2017-04-18), Mantra - Say Thanks, not Sorry (2017-06-21), We Are One (2017-07-22), ...) - ^z - 2017-09-09

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - No Goals

No Goals!

... just attending to the now, with no purpose, no method, nothing to attain ...

( cf. Being Nobody, Going Nowhere (2008-10-18), Without Effort, Analysis, or Expectation (2010-08-04), Goals and Failure (2014-12-13), Now and Here (2015-06-07), ...) - ^z - 2015-07-26

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - No Hope

Give   Up     Hope

... and, as Charlotte Joko Beck says (in "Giving Up Hope"):

... we have to give up this idea in our heads that somehow, if we could only figure it out, there's some way to have this perfect life that is just right for us. Life is the way it is. And only when we begin to give up those maneuvers does life begin to be more satisfactory.

When I say to give up hope, I don't mean to give up effort. ...

(cf. Without Effort, Analysis, or Expectation (2010-08-04), Expect Nothing (2012-02-20), Aspiration, not Expectation (2014-12-12), No Expectation (2015-01-02), Mantra - Without Effort, Analysis, or Expectation (2015-02-21), Mantra - No Goals (2015-07-26), No Goals (2016-06-08), ...) - ^z - 2017-12-28

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - No Others

"How are we to treat others?"

There Are   No Others

... attributed to Ramana Maharshi (1879-1950), who may also have said (in various translations):

... Does my realisation help others? Yes, and it is the best help that you can possibly render to others. But really there are no others to be helped. For the realized being sees only the Self, just as the goldsmith sees only the gold while valuing it in various jewels made of gold. When you identify yourself with the body, name and form are there. But when you transcend the body-consciousness, the others also disappear. The realised one does not see the world as different from himself. ...

We are One ...

(cf. Unselfing (2009-01-14), 01 (2013-11-05), 0-1 (2014-08-29), Mantra - Ditto (2015-08-30), Mantra - For Us (2015-11-28), ...) - ^z - 2016-06-27

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - No Panics, No Surprises, No Enemies

No Panics   No Surprises       No Enemies

... in times of stress, take a breath and stay calm — give early warning if events may take an unexpected turn — build long-term friendships and alliances ...

(cf. Big Lessons (2001-02-17), Ementor Emantras 2 (2012-04-10), ...) - ^z - 2016-10-21

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - No Problems

No   Problems!

... as family friend Joyce, living with brain cancer and raising three teenage daughters, once gently said, "If that's the worst problem you have, then you don't have any problems!"

... and in a meta-move: inverting turns problems into opportunities!

(cf. No Problems (2003-11-29), Yes, and... (2012-11-14), No Worries, Mate (2012-11-24), Being Zen (2014-05-26), Happiness Is (2015-07-28), Joko on Joy (2015-09-03), Mantra - The Problem is Not the Problem (2016-08-21), Mantra - She'll Be Right (2017-02-21), Mantra - We Got This (2017-09-13), Mantra - It's a Blessing (2017-11-23), ...) - ^z - 2018-03-15

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - No Self

No Self!

... become invisible — take a walk through the Fourth Wall — and remember, We're all One ...

(cf. Unselfing (2009-01-14), Unselfing Again (2009-11-01), Nonattachment to I (2012-01-15), 01 (2013-11-05), 0-1 (2014-08-29), Mantra - For Us (2015-11-28), No Me (2016-01-18), Mantra - No Others (2016-06-27), No Watcher, Only Watching (2016-10-07), ...) - ^z - 2016-10-25

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - No Watcher, Only Watching

No Watcher, Only Watching

• pure Awareness — without Self
• present Moment — without Commentary
• constant Change — without Clinging

As Bhante Henepola Gunaratana says:

... You perceive the universe as a great flowing river of experience. ... You stand there transfixed, staring at this incessant activity, and your response is wondrous joy. It's all moving, dancing and full of life. ...

(cf The Watcher (2010-11-15), Mantra - No Self (2016-10-25), Simple but Not Easy (2018-01-10), Mantra - Unself Together (2018-03-30), ...) - ^z - 2018-10-07

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Not Yet

Not   Yet!

... as suggested by Rein Henriches in the interview/podcast Greater than Code #063 ("The Distribution of Brilliance and Opportunity, with Rehema Wachira"):

... whenever you catch yourself making a statement about who you are that comes from a fixed mindset, like "I don't know how to write JavaScript", what you do is, you tack the word "yet" at the end.

The "fixed mindset" refers to the notion that there's only a finite amount of wealth, wisdom, opportunity, etc. in the world. The "growth mindset" in contrast focuses on the chance to improve, discover, maybe even transcend.

We don't know how to escape the box — not yet!

(cf. One Transcend Suffices (2009-10-14), Metacognition and Open Mindedness (2015-11-15), Learning vs Performing (2016-02-08), ...) - ^z - 2018-01-19

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Not to My Taste

It Is Not   to My Taste     Right Now

... a soft way to refuse something, with less judging and less clinging to the decision — from a preschool child who learned to say that instead of "No!"

... and next, can the "My" also fade away?

(cf. Not to My Taste (2014-08-24), ...) - ^z - 2018-02-21

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Nothing Is Revealed

Nothing     Is Revealed

Be open — soften into what is — and then, as said in Subtle Sound:

... There are no secrets here. Nothing is revealed. If you are seeking to get an insight or saying that does something for you, you will find nothing ...

... except your own treasure!

(cf Mantra - Vast Emptiness Everything Sacred (2015-03-17), Mantra - There Are No Secrets (2015-10-02), Mantra - Be the Silence (2016-12-10), Zero Exists (2017-03-30), Mantra - Hold More Space (2017-06-12), Nothing, Sacred (2018-06-07), ...) - ^z - 2018-09-06

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Notice and Return

Notice and Return

All of meditation in essence is noticing the absence of mindful attention and then returning to awareness. So — kindly, patiently, gently, non-judgmentally — "Notice and Return".

(cf. Jok Hae in Notice and Return (2013-03-11), Jon Kabat-Zinn in Present-Moment Reality (2008-11-05), ...) - ^z - 2014-11-30

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Notice the Music

Notice the Music

... and "music" includes the breath, the trickle of water over stone, the rustle of wind through leaves, the chirping of birds, ... as well as the glimmer of starlight, the scent of cedar, the touch of a friend ... it's all about noticing ...

^z - 2014-12-06

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Now, Here, Nowhere

Now   Here Nowhere

... word-play and reminder:

    Stay Between

in the gap where
future touches past,
the missing point
at the center of all

... just being,
going nowhere

^z - 2016-04-08

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Open the Aperture

Open     the Aperture

... zoom out — transcend — cast the net wider — expand the context — remove the blinders — grow into the universe of possibilities — make room — and as Jon Kabat-Zinn suggests:

... sometimes, if you learn how to just stand there, at what the Zen people in the Zen archery world call the point of highest tension — nobody could string or hold back Odysseus's bow except Odysseus, nobody — but when you can stand at the point of highest tension with your thoughts going nowhere and hold it in something bigger, wakefully, not necessarily in a dream, but actually wakefully, interesting connections seem to appear because they're already here.

But we are in some sense blind to them because our thinking itself acts like lenses and prevents us from seeing orthogonal opportunities, opportunities that are rotated in some way in relationship to the passive assumptions, to what's already known. ...

... yes: something bigger ...

(cf Widening the Lens (2015-09-30), Mantra - Grind New Lenses (2017-12-26), ...) - ^z - 2018-10-30

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Pause and Breathe

Pause       & Breathe

... from Chapter 6 of ("Positive Insecurity") of Pema Chödrön's Practicing Peace in Times of War, "... Before the chain reaction starts, before the aggression or the habitual pattern clicks in, there's a shock and open space ... pause and breathe deeply in and breathe deeply out. Never underestimate the power of this simple pause. ..."

(cf. Beginning Mindfulness (2013-09-22), Space Between (2013-10-15), Pause and Breathe (2014-07-25), ...) - ^z - 2015-02-25

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - PnE

"Possibility, not Expectation"

... or, abbreviated for texting and quick invocation: PnE!

(cf. Without Effort, Analysis, or Expectation (2010-08-04), Expectations vs. Possibilities (2013-08-13), Processes not Goals (2014-02-20), Aspiration, not Expectation (2014-12-12), No Expectation (2015-01-02), ... ) - ^z - 2015-07-14

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Pull Back the Veil

Pull Back The Veil!

... from Adrienne Maree Brown:

Things are not getting worse.
They are getting uncovered.
We must hold each other tight and continue to pull back the veil.

(cf. Yes, Virginia (2004-12-26), Saying Yes to Life (2014-07-08), Veil of Separation (2015-10-14), Mantra - Go for the Moon (2016-07-18), ...) - ^z - 2016-12-21

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Quiet Fierceness

Quiet Fierceness

... the paradoxical combination of power and love, intensity and calm, strength and softness — another perfect dual/non-dual Yin-Yang complement!

... and from Chapter 21 ("Strong and Lasting") of Rick Hanson's collection of essays Just One Thing:

Notice how good it feels to be strong. Feel the pleasure in your body, perhaps a quiet fierceness and resolve. Enjoy the confidence that strength brings, the sense of possibility. Appreciate how your strength empowers your caring, protectiveness, and love.

^z - 2017-12-04

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Refuse to Be Busy

Refuse   to Be     Busy

... as suggested by K J Dell'Antonia in her New York Times essay "I Refuse to Be Busy":

... Busy implies a rushed sense of cheery urgency, a churning motion, a certain measure of impending chaos, all of which make me anxious. Busy is being in one place doing one thing with the nagging sense you that you ought to be somewhere else doing something different. I like to be calm. I like to have nothing in particular to do and nowhere in particular to be. And as often as I can — even when I'm dropping a child off here or there, or running an errand, or waving in the carpool line — I don't think of myself as busy. I'm where I need to be, doing, for the most part, what I want to do. ...

... and even when doing many things, try softening and, in the moment, choosing not to feel "busy" ...

(cf. All Caught Up Now (2006-07-31), a Rose Is Rose comic strip in which the central character is hurrying and thinking "Somebody please stop the world until I catch up! I have so many things to do, I ...", then catches sight of a fawn, stops and watches it — and in the final panel thinks, "Thank you. All caught up now. Way ahead, actually.") - ^z - 2018-02-24

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Relax - Slow Down - Breathe

Relax Slow down   Breathe

... from a recent essay about graceful, safe, efficient flying, by Dave English, titled "Are you a low-gain pilot?", which quotes from Rowland White's book Into the Black about test pilot/astronaut Joe Engle:

... he barely moved the stick, anticipating the need to do so and making small, necessary corrections in plenty of time. His inputs were smooth and progressive, never snatching at the controls. ...

And, as English notes, "... You can't make small smooth control inputs if you are gripping the yoke too hard. Relax. Slow down. Breathe. Think ahead of the airplane, so you see early, when a small correction is all that is needed. It's part of being one with the wing ...".

... which suggests another phrase to hold lightly (and then release!):

Be One with the Wing!

(cf. Great Peace of Mind (2011-02-20), Mantra - Pause and Breathe (2015-02-25), Mantra - Mind Like Sky (2016-02-29), Mantra - Inhale, Exhale (2016-05-14), Mantra - Go Slowly, Breathe, and Smile (2016-07-03),...) - ^z - 2016-07-10

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Relentless Forward Progress

An ultrarunning motto that applies everywhere:

Relentless Forward Progress

... no matter how bad the current situation is, don't give up — walk a mile, take a nap, eat a snack — things will get better!

... and if not today, then learn something (if only "No Goals!") and try again another day!

(cf. Move On (2007-01-16), Solve the Problem (2007-05-24), Tough-Minded Optimists (2009-12-22), ...) - ^z - 2016-02-10

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Remember to Remember

Remember to Remember

... before responding (especially with strong emotion, panic, anger, etc.) pop up a level to meta:

• note the gap between impulse and action ...

feel the feelings rise ...

choose to choose ...

(cf. Meditation Made Easy (2008-11-01), Present-Moment Reality (2008-11-05), Karma (2009-07-15), Waking Up to What You Do (2010-03-21), Find the Beauty (2011-04-03), Emotional States (2012-04-26), Notice and Return (2013-03-11), Remembering to Remember (2013-08-23), Space Between (2013-10-13), ...) - ^z - 2015-09-07

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Safety, Health, Insight, Peace

Safety * Health * Insight * Peace

... loving wishes to make for others — freedom from danger, illness, darkness, strife — and for oneself!

(cf. Opening to Love (2013-09-27), Lovingkindness - The Revolutionary Art of Happiness (2015-07-12), SHIP of Lovingkindness (2015-08-18), ...) - ^z - 2015-10-30

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Say Less, Better

Say Less   — Better

... think before speaking — and try to let what is said always be:

• truthful
• kind
• helpful
• loving
• beautiful

... and mercifully brief!

(thanks to bb-AS; cf. Less More (2005-03-14), Do Less (2007-08-24), Mantra - Do Less, Better (2016-12-14), ...) - ^z - 2018-08-09

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Say Thanks, not Sorry

Say   "Thank You!"       not         "I'm Sorry"

Instead of apologizing and self-blaming, give a gift: express appreciation for people's forgiveness, patience, kindness, tolerance, strength, and love!

(cf. Yao Xiao's [1] and [2], and Best Response to Feedback (2013-08-31), ...) - ^z - 2017-06-21

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Share the Why

Share     the       'Why'!

... explain reasons and motivations to others — and listen to their explanations! ...

(cf. Fundamental Attribution Error (2013-11-13), Big Biases (2014-01-09), There Are No Secrets (2014-02-26), ...) - ^z - 2016-10-30

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - She'll Be Right

She'll   Be     Right

... Australian slang for "Everything is OK" — no problem ... things will all work out somehow ... don't worry ... it's good enough ...

As, in fact, it always it!

(cf. Optimist Creed (1999-04-16), Lord Love a Duck (2010-02-15), No Worries, Mate (2012-11-24), Mantra - Things Can Only Get Better (2016-09-11), ...) - ^z - 2017-02-21

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - So Fortunate

We Are So Fortunate!

... and there is so much to be thankful for in this beautiful universe — as dear ultra-comrade Dr Stephanie said not long ago:

My daughter is healthy. We have loving friends and family. We have a roof over our heads. We have food. We have clothes and shoes. We have access to health care. We live in a safe and hospitable area. My work is intellectually challenging and worthwhile. We are very fortunate!!!!

(cf Thanks for (2001-11-22), 2008-03-23 - Sunrise Service at Seneca Creek, Mantra - It's a Blessing (2017-11-23), ...) - ^z - 2018-04-25

Comments on this page</div>

---

Mantra - Soften Into Experience

Soften into Experience

... or perhaps simply ...

Soften

... a reminder to relax and remain aware, especially when times are stressful and the tendency is to harden, push back, or otherwise resist reality ...

_{(cf. Softening into Experience, a quote from Phillip Moffitt's book Emotional Chaos to Clarity: How to Live More Skillfully, as well as Gentleness, Sensitivity, Compassion from Wolfe Lowenthal's There Are No Secrets, and Aikido Spirit from Greg O'Connor's The Aikido Student Handbook ...) - ^z - 2014-11-26}

---

Mantra - Stand By You

I Will Stand by You

... a promise of loyalty: to protect, to serve, to share, to love ... beautifully sung by Rachel Platten in "Stand by You":

Hands, put your empty hands in mine
And scars, show me all the scars you hide
And hey, if your wings are broken
Please take mine so yours can open, too
'Cause I'm gonna stand by you

Oh, tears make kaleidoscopes in your eyes
And hurt, I know you're hurting, but so am I
And, Love, if your wings are broken
Borrow mine 'til yours can open, too
'Cause I'm gonna stand by you

Even if we're breaking down, we can find a way to break through
Even if we can't find heaven, I'll walk through Hell with you
Love, you're not alone, 'cause I'm gonna stand by you.

(cf. Four Mantras (2014-06-26), ...) - ^z - 2017-10-06

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Stop, Notice, Appreciate

Stop     Notice Appreciate

(cf. This Is Water (2009-05-21), Find the Beauty (2011-04-03), Help, Thanks, Wow (2013-02-25),The Places That Scare You (2015-01-08), Attention (2015-03-03), Ordinary Beauty (2015-12-20), ...) - ^z - 2016-04-03

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Stress, Recover, Improve

Stress - Recover - Improve

... from Kenny Moore's biography Bowerman and the Men of Oregon, in a speech by coach Bill Bowerman to new students:

... Take a primitive organism ... any weak, pitiful organism. Say a freshman. Make it lift, or jump or run. Let it rest. What happens? A little miracle. It gets a little better. It gets a little stronger or faster or more enduring. That's all training is. Stress. Recover. Improve. ...

... and of course, it applies to far more in life than mere physical activity!

(cf. 2006-08-19 - Shaky Ladder 'Speedwork', ...) - ^z - 2015-07-10

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Take Notes

Take Notes!

... at meetings, after conversations, when something needs to get done ... for the record, to avoid confusion ... and above all, to clear your mind so it can be more relaxed and creative and aware!

Write It Down!

(cf. Practical Productivity (2004-01-20), Helpful Homilies (2007-09-02), Ementor Emantras (2011-05-02), Mind Like Water (2011-12-24), Mindless Mind (2012-10-06), ...) - ^z - 2016-11-15

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - The End of Now

This isn't the end of everything      Just the end of now and    The start of just after now

... a thought on the boundary between past and future, on letting go of expectations and and being open to new possibilities, on change and nonattachment, ...

(suggested by Rayna Matsuno; cf. Not Always So (2009-07-04), No Beginning, No End (2013-03-24), The End of Now (2013-07-16), Mindfulness for Beginners (2013-07-18), Meditations from the Mat (2013-07-20), ...) - ^z - 2015-05-28

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - The Method of No Method

The Method         of No Method

"... no going anywhere, nothing to practice, no beginning, middle, or end, no attainment, and nothing to attain ..." — just being awake to what is ...

(cf. No Method (2010-01-21), Mantra - No Goals (2015-07-26), ...) - ^z - 2016-01-20

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - The Problem is Not the Problem

The Problem is not the Problem — The Problem is your Attitude toward the Problem

... a saying of Hungarian champion swimmer Katinka Hosszu ("The Iron Lady"), as quoted in Elizabeth Weil's essay "Seeing What My Muscles Can Do" in the New York Times (August 2016).

... much like "The 84th Problem", as told in Ezra Bayda's book Being Zen:

Once a farmer went to tell the Buddha about his problems. He described his difficulties farming—how either droughts or monsoons complicated his work. He told the Buddha about his wife—how even though he loved her, there were certain things about her he wanted to change. Likewise with his children—yes, he loved them, but they weren't turning out quite the way he wanted. When he was finished, he asked how the Buddha could help him with his troubles.

The Buddha said, "I'm sorry, but I can't help you."

"What do you mean?" railed the farmer. "You're supposed to be a great teacher!"

The Buddha replied, "Sir, it's like this. All human beings have eighty-three problems. It's a fact of life. Sure, a few problems may go away now and then, but soon enough others will arise. So we'll always have eighty-three problems."

The farmer responded indignantly, "Then what's the good of all your teaching?"

The Buddha replied, "My teaching can't help with the eighty-three problems, but perhaps it can help with the eighty-fourth problem."

"What's that?" asked the farmer.

"The eighty-fourth problem is that we don't want to have any problems."

(cf. Posture (2009-06-05), Mindfulness for Beginners (2013-07-18), Softening into Experience (2012-11-12), Being Zen (2014-05-26), ...) - ^z - 2016-08-21

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - The Spirits Know

The   Spirits     Know!

... when good intentions fall short during execution ...

... when we try our best, and still fail ...

... and when, in the passion of the moment, all that we can manage is to momentarily wish that we could be better, as we lose control ...

Remember:

• At least we tried!

and:

• At least we tried to try!

Yes, and even if one can't believe in separate "spirits": it's still OK to hug oneself and forgive and hold space for comfort from The Spirit!

(based on condolences from a dear friend who sent words of sympathy and hope during a dark time; cf. Mantra - Soften Into Experience (2014-11-26), Watch the Wound (2015-07-24), Mantra - Forgiven (2016-08-02), Truth, Love, Awareness (2016-09-05), ...) - ^z - 2018-06-28

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - There Are No Secrets

There Are No Secrets

... well, ok, maybe that's a secret — but there are no other secrets!

(cf. TwoGreatSecrets (2001-11-09), KeyToTheTreasure (2004-04-23), BigSecret (2005-07-05), There Are No Secrets (2014-02-26), ...) - ^z - 2015-10-02

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Things Can Only Get Better

Things Can Only     Get Better!

... even (especially!) if the situation is rough right now — don't panic — take a breath — and try to smile, and think, just a little bit. Whatever is happening, it is what it is — and in perspective, from the big picture, this will somehow all turn out ok.

... and remember the refrain from the Howard Jones song and video:

And do you feel scared, well, I do
But I won't stop and falter
And if we threw it all away
Things can only get better

(... and likewise listen to the 2013 Cedric Gervais remake of "Things Can Only Get Better"; cf. Finding the Quiet (2009-12-05), Mantra - Mind Like Water (2015-05-04), ...) - ^z - 2016-09-11

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Think Small

Think small and big things happen!

(... said baseball player Chris Taylor of the Los Angeles Dodgers, after his two-run homer ended a crucial playoff game on 6 Oct 2021, as quoted in "The Dodgers beat the Cardinals in walk-off fashion" by Benjamin Hoffman, New York Times; cf Small Ideas (2005-12-12), Mantra - Relax - Slow Down - Breathe (2016-07-10), ...) - ^z - 2021-10-12

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Think Through

Think Through

... pay attention to the situation — go beyond first-order implications — look at feedback loops, time delays, limits, goals, and other system-level issues — and analyze before acting!

(cf One Transcend Suffices (2009-10-14), Metacognition and Open Mindedness (2015-11-15), Mantra - Open the Aperture (2018-10-30), Mantra - Be Meta, Be Open, Be Love (2018-11-11), ...) - ^z - 2019-06-24

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Think about Other People

"I think about other people besides myself.           You should try it some time."

... from the 2021 film The Map of Tiny Perfect Things, a thoughtful-lovely time-loop story by Lev Grossman.

(cf Mantra - No Others (2016-06-27), Mantra - Unself Together (2018-03-30), Mantra - Identify as More (2018-09-11), Mantra - Let Somebody Else Be the Hero (2020-02-17), ...) - ^z - 2022-01-13

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - This Is How It Is Right Now

This Is How It Is       Right Now

(cf. This Is It (2008-11-14), This Is Water (2009-05-21), Softening into Experience (2012-11-12), This (2013-03-09), Dance and Sit (2013-11-23), ...) - ^z - 2015-04-27

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - This Is the World in Which We Live

Great wisdom from Australian punk rocker Chris Bailey:

This is the world in which we live.     Bitter and twisted is something         I don't see any advantage in being.

... quoted with context at the end of the April 2022 obituary "Chris Bailey, Who Gave Australia Punk Rock, Dies at 65" by Clay Risen:

While the musician Bob Geldof reportedly said that "rock music of the '70s was changed by three bands: the Sex Pistols, the Ramones and the Saints," Mr. Bailey was unbothered by the Saints' name recognition relative to those others.

"This is the world in which we live," he told The Los Angeles Times in 1998. "Bitter and twisted is something I don't see any advantage in being."

(cf This Is It (2008-11-14), Intimate Relationship with the World (2009-01-23), Gentleness, Sensitivity, Compassion (2014-03-09), Mantra - This Is How It Is Right Now (2015-04-27), Joko on Joy (2015-09-03), ...) - ^z - 2022-05-08

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Together, Lucky, Loved

Remember you are not alone     Focus on your good luck         Love who you are

... thoughts from "Identical Twins With Two Very Different Destinies" in the New York Times, a personal essay by Amit Majmudar. One of his identical-twin children has a congenital heart defect and must suffer through multiple challenges. Majmudar suggests:

• think of ideas not as answers to questions, think of them as "tools to quell fear, to avoid bitterness and to build resilience"
• "Science and faith may seem to contradict each other. As a radiologist, believer and father, I have experienced them as complementary. One contradicts the other no more than a hammer contradicts a screwdriver. Human suffering is too vast, and human experience too diverse, for any one outlook to comprehend or justify it all."

([1] is a free shared link – cf Mantra - Fine and One and Blessed (2016-09-23), ...) - ^z - 2021-11-06

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Touch and Go

Touch     and       Go

... in the present moment, fully here, but not clinging — as Pema Chödrön suggests in Touch and Go (in Chapter 4 of her book The Places That Scare You), "... We touch thoughts by acknowledging them as thinking and then we let them go. It's a way of relaxing our struggle, like touching a bubble with a feather. ..."

(cf. Present-Moment Reality (2008-11-05), Kundun (2010-03-31), Fully Present (2011-02-14), Wakeful, Open, Tender (2016-08-25), ...) - ^z - 2017-04-01

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Uncertainty, Kindness, Peace, Hope

Uncertainty   Kindness       Peace           Hope

• Uncertainty - realizing that knowledge is limited, and that judgments always need to be tempered with caution
• Kindness - going beyond what's required, to act gently and helpfully toward other living creatures
• Peace - choosing not to return violence to violence, but rather to strive for harmony and calm
• Hope - believing that things will get better and good will triumph, and that in the long run love wins

(cf. Underappreciated Ideas (1999-07-06), ...) - ^z - 2017-06-29

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Unself Together

Unself Together

... vast emptiness, openness, boundlessness, nothingness

... pure wonder, connection

... no I, me, or mine

... all one, all joy

... no loneliness

... and only

... love

(cf. Unselfing (2009-01-14), Unselfing Again (2009-11-01), It is Thou (2014-09-24), Mantra - For Us (2015-11-28), I Want Happiness (2015-12-04), No Me (2016-01-18), Mantra - No Others (2016-06-27), No Watcher, Only Watching (2016-10-07), Mantra - No Self (2016-10-25), Nobody Home (2016-11-13), ...) - ^z - 2018-03-30

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Vast Emptiness Everything Sacred

Vast Emptiness Nothing Sacred

or perhaps better:

Vast Emptiness Everything Sacred

(cf. 2008-03-23 - Sunrise Service at Seneca Creek, Zen Soup (2012-02-09), Nothing But Faith in Nothing (2014-09-07, Vast Openness (2014-10-16), ...) - ^z - 2015-03-17

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - We're the Best

We Are the   Best!

... no "I", no conflict, no rivalry — pure striving together to achieve greatness and glory ...

You push yourself and he pushes himself harder. I said, 'Naim, you're the best,' and he said, 'No, Valerios, we're both the best.'

(comment by Greek weightlifter Valerios Leonidis, quoted in the New York Times obituary of Turkish three-time gold Olympian Naim Suleymanoglu, from the video by Bud Greenspan "The Historic Battle for Atlanta Weightlifting Gold"; cf. Optimist Creed (1999-04-16), Running through the Wall (2005-01-23), Mantra - Be on Good Form (2016-05-10), Mantra - No Others (2016-06-27), Mantra - We Are One (2017-04-18), Ingressive vs Congressive (2017-07-08), ...) - ^z - 2017-11-26

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - We've Fallen

We've Fallen   from Greater     Heights!

... as a dear friend (smBFF) commented in the midst of crisis: worse things have happened, worse things may happen, and we shall survive — and emerge stronger!

(cf. Parachute Color (2011-12-06), Mindfulness for Beginners (2013-07-18), Up Again (2016-12-04), ...) - ^z - 2017-08-11

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - We Are All Humans

Henry's Rule #4: "Please remember that we are all humans and we will respect you as long as you address us as humans ..." ... such a wise and beautiful thought to see at an impound lot when one's car is taken for illegal parking!

(cf Towed — it happened in 2012) - ^z - 2019-12-28

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - We Are One

We Are One

    ... there is no Other ...

        ... there are no Others ...

            ... One thing, All things ...

(cf. This Is Water (2009-05-21), Indra's Net (2009-06-21), Core Buddhism (2011-10-17), Mirroring Each Other (2013-05-12), Ground of Being (2013-10-03), Forgiveness and Oneness (2013-10-08), 01 (2013-11-05), 0-1 (2014-08-29), It is Thou (2014-09-24), Mantra - Ditto (2015-08-30), Mantra - For Us (2015-11-28), Mantra - Be Your Own Best Friend (2016-02-16), Mantra - No Others (2016-06-27), We Are One (2017-07-22),...) - ^z - 2017-04-18

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - We Got This

We   Got     This!

... together, as one, it will turn out OK — no worries!

(cf. Mantra - No Others (2016-06-27), We Are One (2017-07-22), ...) - ^z - 2017-09-13

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - What Matters

Wise fragment from recent chat with a BFF who survived:

No Worries. I'm alive.       I was vain before. This makes me       much more focused             on what matters.

(cf UniversalFlourishing (2001-12-25]], Habitual Virtue (2008-12-18), This Is Water (2009-05-21), Ground of Being (2013-10-03), It is Thou (2014-09-24), Veil of Separation (2015-10-14), ...) - ^z - 2020-05-10

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Widen the Skirts of Light

Widen the   Skirts of     Light

... an image of hope and loving-kindness, from Middlemarch by George Eliot, in Chapter 39 as the protagonist describes her "religion" — a belief that comforts and guides her life:

... That by desiring what is perfectly good, even when we don't quite know what it is and cannot do what we would, we are part of the divine power against evil — widening the skirts of light and making the struggle with darkness narrower ...

... it helps her persevere in the struggle for Good in the world ...

... yes, and somehow it's all good!

(cf. Religion and Reverence (2001-07-08), True Story (2002-11-30), ThreeThoughts (2004-11-21), Big Ideas (2012-05-20), Mantra - Mindfulness, Nonattachment, Oneness (2017-01-25), ...) - ^z - 2018-01-06

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - With Dignity

With Dignity

... stand, sit, live — in worthiness, honor, self-respect, mindful awareness ...

(cf. Bringing the Mind Home (2009-02-26), With Dignity (2010-12-04), Zen and Self Improvement (2011-11-19), ...) - ^z - 2015-12-26

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Without Effort, Analysis, or Expectation

Without Effort,      Analysis, Or Expectation

... as described in Finding the Quiet by Paul Wilson, in the section "The art of letting go":

... be prepared to allow things to happen at their own pace. Without applying effort. Without trying to analyze in any way. And without expecting any particular outcome. ...

(cf. Without Effort, Analysis, or Expectation (2010-08-04), Expect Nothing (2012-02-20), Expectations vs. Possibilities (2013-08-13), Aspiration, not Expectation (2014-12-12), No Expectation (2-15-01-02), ...) - ^z - 2015-02-21

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Worthy of Love

I Am Worthy     Of Love   In My Life

... from Tara Brach's book True Refuge, Chapter 10 ("Self-Compassion: Releasing the Second Arrow"):

... Marge was experiencing what I call "soul sadness," the sadness that arises when we are able to sense our temporary, precious existence, and directly face the suffering that has come from losing life. We recognize how our self-aversion has prevented us from being close to others, from expressing and letting love in. We see, sometimes with striking clarity, that we have closed ourselves off from our own creativity and spontaneity, from being fully alive. We remember missed moments when it might have been otherwise, and we begin to grieve our unloved life.

This grief can be so painful that we tend con consciously to move away from it. Even if we start to touch our sadness, we often bury it by reentering the shame—judging our suffering, assuming that we somehow deserve it, telling ourselves that others have "real suffering" and we shouldn't be filled with self-pity. Our soul sadness is fully revealed only when we directly, mindfully contact our pain. It is revealed when we stay on the spot and fully recognize this human being is having a hard time. In such moments we discover a natural upwelling of compassion—the tenderness of our own forgiving heart.

When Marge's crying subsided, I suggested she ask the place of sorrow what it longed for most. She knew right away: "To trust that I am worthy of love in my life." ...

... and remember: be as kind to yourself as you would be to others ...

(cf. Breath and Awareness (2011-03-12), Just One Thing (2012-12-02), Opening to Love (2013-09-27), Forgiveness and Oneness (2013-10-08), Meditation Retreat - December 2015 (2015-12-16), Mantra - You Are Loved (2016-01-10), Mantra - Be Your Own Best Friend (2016-02-16), ...) - ^z - 2016-07-24

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - Yes, and...

Yes, And ...

As Keith Johnstone says in Impro:

There are people who prefer to say 'Yes', and there are people who prefer to say 'No'. Those who say 'Yes' are rewarded by the adventures they have, and those who say 'No' are rewarded by the safety they attain. There are far more 'No' sayers than 'Yes' sayers, ...

So just say, "Yes, and..." ...

(cf. Yes, and... (2012-11-14), Mantra - I'm In (2015-10-12), ...) - ^z - 2016-01-30

Comments on this page</div>

Mantra - You Are Loved

You   Are Loved

... remind yourself, especially in dark times or places, that you are worthy, you are good, you are much loved ...

... and treat yourself with the kindness and compassion that you would give to a dear friend!

(cf. Underappreciated Ideas (1999-07-06), Bursting the Bubble of Fear (2014-03-26), Without Anxiety about Imperfection (2015-05-21), Wings of Acceptance (2015-05-26), ...) - ^z - 2016-01-10

Comments on this page</div></div>