“Nothing is exactly as it seems, nor is it otherwise.” Alan Watts
Here is a reality that many of us forget: Everyone is partially correct. Every theory, belief, and philosophy…partially correct. There is a Zen saying I think describes this: “As soon as you speak of something, you have missed the mark.” I think this applies to our perception of reality as well. When it comes to our understanding of reality, Continue reading
All men’s difficulties and perplexities are concerned with external things. ‘What am I to do?’ ‘How is it to be done?’ ‘How is it to turn out?’ ‘I fear this or that may befall me.’ All these phrases are used by persons occupied with matters outside their will.” Epictetus Discourses Book 4 Chapter 10.
There is a never-ending urge for us to focus on things external and things in the future. Don’t get me wrong, we all take care of business by managing things external, Continue reading
I do a lot of talking about the present moment here on the site. For good reason: the present moment is where I will find true happiness. It is the only thing that is real; the past is a memory and the future is never assured… Continue reading
“If you kiss your child, or your wife, say that you only kiss things which are human, and thus you will not be disturbed if either of them dies.” Epictetus’ Enchiridion
Could you do it? This quote drives to the heart of Stoic Equanimity. Again, could you do it? When it comes to your loved ones there are one of three guaranteed outcomes: Continue reading
I read a great piece today from Brian Kim. It came in an E-mail, but I’ve added his site to the blogroll, because he gets to the heart of things rather quickly on what can be a complicated matter of happiness. If you came here direct to my post, here is the link: briankim.net.
The quote that stuck in my head is Continue reading