A Cloud Can Never Die

"The idea of annihilation is just an idea; you cannot annihilate anything.   The cloud has come from the water, the river, the ocean, the sunshine, the heat; the birth of a cloud is a new manifestation for before being a cloud the cloud has been many other things.  So to say that from here to here is being; and from here back is non-being and from here on is non-being... we believe from non-being we become being and that is a notion to be thrown away.  Our true nature is no death because nothing can be born from nothing and can become nothing at all.  This meditation, the practice of looking deeply will dissipate our fear, our despair."  ~Thich Nhat Hanh

Character

Truly, it is in darkness that one finds the light, so when we are in sorrow, then this light is nearest of all to us.  ~ Meister Eckhart (b 1260 d 1328)

"All forms of self-defeating behavior are unseen and unconscious, which is why their existence is denied." ~ Vernon Howard

"The fact that I can plant a seed and it becomes a flower, share a bit of knowledge and it becomes another's, smile at someone and receive a smile in return, are to me continual spiritual exercises." ~ Leo F. Buscaglia

Throwing Away...

"What is to be thrown away?   In the field of perception, we have learned that wrong perceptions are the ground of all afflictions:  fear, anger, discrimination, despair -- all of these afflictions are born from wrong ideas, notions which are the cause of our suffering... we get caught in an idea, never succeed into realizing how our ideas are a trap... so throwing away is very important; it takes insight, courage in order to throw away an idea.  If we have suffered, that may be because we have entertained one idea we are not able to release, so throwing away... it is very strong... throwing away makes happiness begin to be possible.  ~Thich Nhat Hanh

"Life will give you whatever experience is most helpful for the evolution of your consciousness.  How do you know this is the experience you need?  Because this is the experience you are having at this moment." ~ Eckhart Tolle