The Oneness of the World
“The parts of the world are all so related and linked to one another, that I believe it impossible to know one without the other and without the whole.”
–Blaise Pascal (French Scientist and Religious Philosopher, 1623-1662)
Patience on the Path
“Be patient. The path of self-discipline that leads to God-realization is not an easy path: obstacles and sufferings are on the path; the latter you must bear, and the former overcome — all by His help. His help comes only through concentration. Repetition of God’s name helps concentration.”
–Swami Ramdas (a.k.a. Papa Ramdas, Indian Spiritual Teacher, 1884-1963)
Do Flowers Speak To You? Yet?
“Flowers have spoken to me more than I can tell in written words. They are the hieroglyphics of angels, loved by all men for the beauty of the character, though few can decipher even fragments of their meaning.”
–Lydia Maria Child (American Abolitionist, Writer and Editor, 1802-1880)
Enlightenment
“Enlightenment is that state of being so mature and unshakable by any circumstance. Come what may, nothing can rob the smile from your heart. Not identifying with limited boundaries and feeling “all that exists in this universe belongs to me,” this is enlightenment.”
–Sri Sri Ravishankar (Indian Spiritual Teacher and, in 1982, Founder of the Art of Living Foundation and the International Association for Human Values, 1956-)
Participation in God’s Being
“We are so identified with our thoughts that we don’t notice the river they are floating upon. That river, which is not apparent in everyday consciousness, is our participation in God’s being. As we learn to be silent, and spaces appear between thoughts, the river becomes visible.”
–Joan Borysenko (American Psychologist, Writer, Mystic and Speaker)
“7 Paths to God: The Ways of the Mystic” (Joan Z. Borysenko)
Harnessing Wisdom and Energy
I get a lot of questions about the way in which I juxtapose a lot of hard science with comments and quotes that I have extracted from a lifetime studying philosophies from many cultures and peoples around the globe.
This is one part of the answer:
“Unless the wisdom of the East and the energy of the West can be harnessed and used harmoniously, the world will be destroyed.”
–George Gurdjieff (Armenian-born Adept, Teacher and Writer, c.1873-1949)
Passion and Power
“Without passion man is a mere latent force and possibility, like the flint which awaits the shock of the iron before it can give forth its spark.”
–Henri-Frédéric Amiel (Swiss Philosopher, Writer and Poet, 1821-1881)
{Journal, 17 December 1856}
“Amiel’s Journal: The Journal Intime of Henri-Frédéric Amiel” (Henri Frédéric Amiel)
Matter and Mind Are One
“Matter and mind are not separate, they are aspects of one energy. Look at the mind as a function of matter and you have science; look at matter as the product of the mind and you have religion.”
–Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj (Indian Spiritual Teacher and Exponent of Jnana Yoga and Advaita Doctrine, 1897-1981)
Life: An Endless Series of Little Details, Actions, Speeches and Thoughts
“A mountain is composed of tiny grains of earth. The ocean is made up of tiny drops of water. Even so, life is but an endless series of little details, actions, speeches, and thoughts. And the consequences whether good or bad of even the least of them are far-reaching.”
–Sri Swami Sivananda (Indian Physician and Spiritual Teacher, 1887-1963)
The Beloved of the Soul
“We remember, if only as a dream, Sun Self, Sea Self, Unitive Being, the Beloved of the soul. And we cry to dream again….it is time for the rebirth of the spirit. However unlikely it may seem, we are to be the midwives of God.”
–Jean Houston (American Scholar, Researcher and Author on Human Potentialities, 1937-)
“The Search for the Beloved: Journeys in Mythology and Sacred Psychology” (Jean Houston)
