Sow.

To think, is to sow.
To act, is to reap.

Acts.

What use words,
where only acts speak?

Crown.

Stop waiting to enjoy life,
Don't put your life on hold.
For life is so precious
and so short.

Commit daily acts of enjoyment
for joy crowns life.
Live and enjoy a life
fit for a King.

If not now, when?

The Unknown

It is better to be able to manage the unknown
than to aim for the restrictions of total knowledge.

We see

We see the world with our eyes,
but through our mind.

Your Truth

If others are not attracted to your truth,
ask: are they attractive?

Age

Age is a feeling, not a number.
How old do you feel?

Today

May today find me:
Courageous, wise
and kind in thought and deed.

Proud

Do yourself proud, not others.

A Source

Be a source of joy for someone today!

A poor picture

Never speak at the expense of another. Refuse to engage in character assassination.
Do not involve yourself in other's business, in order to undermine them.

This is the lowest form and use of the art of communication,
and it paints a poor picture of its artist.

Be.

Sit in the shelter of inner peace.
Grow in the glow of wisdom.
Rest in the arms of compassion.

Savour life.

We must learn to savour life, as the thirsty man savours water.
we don't savour anymore, we simply consume.
To savour, takes presence and time.
Begin today, start savouring the little things in life.

Layers

Layers upon layers of self, keep us from reality.
The flame of inquisition can reveal reality,
if we are willing to get a little warm.

Mind Field

Your mind is a store

within which all seeds are kept,

All thoughts, words and deeds

become seeds and grow in the mind field.

These seeds

become our life,

Act well

and seeds of wellness will flourish,

Act badly

and these seeds will flourish.

Know what seeds

you need and water these,

Starve unwanted seeds.

Turn your attention

inwards become mindful,

Here is where

all must begin.

The highest gift.

Like a weed whose roots

have not been dug up,

Suffering returns again and again

to those who do not work on their thoughts.

The river of mindfulness

is what will cleanse you of  conditioned thought,

Through insight

cut away the creepers of stale thought.

Living whilst led by an untrained mind

one can rush about aimlessly like a trapped animal,

Caught up in delusion and weak thinking

they suffer over and over and over.

A lazy mind

will drag you down,

To the bottom

of despair.

Master your mind

become skilled in thinking

Control your desires

tame your craving

lose your attachments

and be free of your self-spun web of the senses.

Remain tied to these

you are both prisoner and executioner,

This the highest gift you must use

The Truth!

Weeds ruin growth

greed, ignorance, possessions, lust ill will, poor mind

Ruin man.

Walk the true path

You, yourself must walk the path

even though many may show the way.

All things are subject to change

realise this and grasp no more.

All things suffer

know this and hide no more,

The lazy man weak in mental discipline

though he may be young and strong

Never finds the path.

Speak less but well

train your mind,

Do always what is good

achieve the way.

Wisdom is hidden in silence

noise is loss,

If poverty of mind is present

destroy it like weeds,

For it shall strangle you.

Clinging to falsehoods

and you remain in bondage,

No freedom exists here.

Rid yourself of ego

for it leads you on another path

Full of fear, anxiety, struggle and pain.

Your path

Shun anger

for it is a strong shackle,

Be not tied to possessions

either in mind or body

and you will never be captive.

None escape criticism

The Silent ones

The Loud ones

The Moderate ones,

so free yourself from

the want of others opinions,

they are worthless.

What you think of you

what you do

This is important.

The wholly approved

do not exist,

So end your search

for approval.

Be always true to yourself

avoid rash speech

Avoid wrong doing,

Practice restraint

exercise right thought and action.

Behave with wisdom, insight and virtue

know you.

Be vigilant

to the temptations

Practice control.

Follow your path

be alone when necessary,

For it is better

than bathing with the lowly.

My wish for you!

May you find happiness

And keep its causes in your heart.

May you be free from pain

And the causes of pain.

May you never be apart from joy

Forever its companion,

Freedom from attachments and cravings

May you lay in the glory of eternal peace.

This is my wish for you!

Everyday transformation

The mind field

is always flowing,

The mind field

is forever changing.

It does not stop

it is never the same,

And as such

it is neutral.

There is at the start

of every day,

An opportunity

for transformation.

The nature of the mind field

is always direct,

What you plant

will grow.

Your perception

The way you perceive reality

has everything to do with your happiness or suffering,

Here you must be most aware

for our perception can be distorted.

You can perceive the world

directly without distortion,

Here you see reality

as it is.

This is the way of the truly wise.

You can perceive the world

as a representation,

Here what you perceive

is not reality but an image of your creation.

This is the way that leads to much suffering and the way of a fool.

False perceptions

full of errors and discrimination,

Keeps us from the truth

and we suffer.

The perception directly

without intervention of mind,

This is the way

to the great truth of reality.

Know this

and be free,

Ask always

what is the reality here?

Our habits

Our habits can blind us

to the way things truly are,

Habitual thinking keeps us from

being able to perceive reality.

Our habits are based

on the past,

There is no life

in the past.

The Present is the only place where anything happens!

Habits can be strong

they can override fact,

Habits by their very nature

are lazy and yet they can control us.

Mindfulness is the way

to break habits,

Shine the light of awareness

on your habits as hey are.

Interrupt the pattern

break bit by bit the habit,

Habit is like being in auto pilot

mindfulness is being in control.

Habits are a cage

free yourself,

Before you believe

yourself to be caged.

Habits are formed by you alone

and you alone can destroy them,

Know this power

and live.

Fact

Many believe feelings and emotions

to be the truth,

Both are the creation of thought

which can be corrupted.

Always peel away at the layers

to reveal the core truth,

With this you can work

upon this you can build.

Many go from an event

to feeling in an instant,

Becoming a conditioned

reflex with a trigger.

Many feel even helpless in face of such.

Ignorant of the link

one can become slave to these feelings,

But know this;

it is your thoughts that bridge between the two,

Here lies the power to change.

Fact is truth

the attachment of meanings and judgements

Here is where the truth becomes distorted

here you must burn away all impurities.

See what is

not what you think you see,

Be not removed from the truth

by polluted thinking.

Your path

Shun anger

for it is a strong shackle,

Be not tied to possessions

either in mind or body

and you will never be captive.

None escape criticism

The Silent ones

The Loud ones

The Moderate ones,

so free yourself from

the want of others opinions,

they are worthless.

What you think of you

what you do

This is important.

The wholly approved

do not exist,

So end your search

for approval.

Be always true to yourself

avoid rash speech

Avoid wrong doing,

Practice restraint

exercise right thought and action.

Behave with wisdom, insight and virtue

know you.

Be vigilant

to the temptations

Practice control.

Follow your path

be alone when necessary,

For it is better

than bathing with the lowly.

Pass on attachment

Cling to nothing

for all things pass.

The pleasant shall pass and you will grieve at the loss

Dwelling on the unpleasant and you will grieve also.

Allow joy to pass

know it and let it pass,

This way the separation

does not take from you.

Allow sorrow to pass

know it and let it go,

Do not avoid it

and so too when this passes

It will not take from you.

Know all things must pass

like clouds,

Observe the truth in their nature

but do not attempt attachment.

For attachment always leads to loss

and loss to grief.

Lose the attachment

and you lose grief,

The way it is

is the way.

The birds live for the sky

yet they do not cling to it!

The Self

Mould your self

in accordance with what you teach,

Be there no gap

and so no room for shame.

Only you

can protect you,

Only the self

can grant peace.

May your self

be your masterpiece,

At the moment of passing

only the self will be.

As weeds can strangle a flower bed

so does a persons unwholesome thoughts

destroy him.

What you do

you do unto yourself.

By oneself is one made weak

by oneself is one made strong,

Do not neglect your self

for the sake of another.

Learn first, be first

then teach.

Let each embrace his own self.

Be and do good

Never lose an opportunity

to do good,

For if you fail to do good

the bad can sneak in.

If you slip up

do not repeat it,

For it is what you repeatedly do

that makes the difference.

Repeat goodness.

Do good and be reborn to a happy state

do evil and be reborn to misery,

For if not now, you will reap what you sow

from this!

Nowhere under or above the sky

can you hide.

A truth.

Empty speeches

are not as valuable as a single word that brings peace,

Know this.

One gift

that brings relief is greater than many which bring

distraction.

The man who masters himself

is a greater warrior,

Than those who try to master the many.

Making offerings and granting recognition

to the high and mighty,

Is weak compared to the offerings

given to the needy.

A single day lived with virtue and awareness

is far greater than a thousand years

lived in want and without discipline.

A single act of kindness and compassion

is superior to years of talk without action.

A day of great effort

is better than a life of idleness.

A single day of life

aware of the deathless state,

Is worth more than a hundred years

lived in fear of death.

See the truth

and live worthy.

As you go.

Live your life leaving no trace

like the swallows path in the sky,

Be free from obsessions

and live clearly.

Leave only compassion

bring only understanding,

Peaceful and unshakeable

in mind and body.

Seek not recognition

for this can slow your journey,

Walk with feet kissing

the ground and continue on your way.

Befriend the forests

speak with the moon and stars,

Laugh with the animals

and give gratitude to all.

Where there is greed

give generosity,

Where there is pain

give comfort.

Where there is hate

give love.

Where there is anger

give compassion.

Be as the welcomed breeze

passing yet soothing.

Tomorrow – today.

If a house is reliant on its foundation, if a tree is reliant on its roots, your life and your future has its roots and foundations in today. Yes today is what your life and future is built upon.

So what will you do today to strengthen and enrich your life? If you see everyday in this way, you will realise there is no ordinary day. Use every day as an investment in your life and future. Your tomorrow is made today. To create the life you dream of, do it today.

Go with it.

Get comfortable with not having all the answers – but they will come. Get comfortable with the feeling of confusion, it will pass. Get used to the idea of imperfection – it is everywhere and always will be. Let go of inflexible, fixed thoughts of what should and should not be, life is all about the flexible and ever present existence of change. Go with it.

Free up your fight for other battles where you may win. Often in our struggle to solve problems we are blind to the truth that struggles are the problems.

You have emotions.

Remember you have emotions not the other way around. We often get carried away with our emotions and behave as if we are victims of our emotions.

The next time you feel “blue” say to yourself, “I’ll show you”, then dance, smile and do something positive for yourself. Sitting there and allowing your emotions have their way with you, is exhausting and eventually will turn you into an emotional victim.

Praise problems.

Without problems, challenges, failures and obstacles we would be very weak. So rejoice and welcome these opportunities to grow stronger.

Without resistance you would not exist as you are now. If your life was free of difficulties, you are either dead or not awake. If all were to go your way with ease, you would crumble at the very first storm. From adversity we become strong.

The treasure is always well guarded. The greater treasure the greater the security. In each problem rests the seeds of success.

Accept support.

Accepting support is a sign of strength. Some believe it to be a sign of admitting that our own capabilities are insufficient,  - not so.

In a world that hails individualism so much, some people think it a sign of weakness to ask for help and choose to suffer instead. This has led to the collapse of community in some areas.

All on this earth is reliant on something other than itself, this is the nature of life. We are all in this together, so let’s help and accept help.

The future.

The future has its roots in the present. So if you want to change your future, do it in the present moment.

Enthusiasm.

There is nothing as energising as enthusiasm. Have you lost your enthusiasm? Ask yourself even of the most mundane, how can I get enthusiastic about this? You will find a way. Enthusiasm animates life.

Enthusiasm picks us up when we feel down, it alerts us to what is good in life. Enthusiasm motivates others also. Everybody follows the enthusiastic, so lead.

Too busy.

You have the most precious gift, the greatest adventure, the most special and wondrous opportunities at your disposal – LIFE.

Yet many are “too busy” to enjoy it.

Your life - your way.

You cannot live your life through the eyes of the world, just as you cannot lead your life to the sound of another’s drum beat.

No one can know you as well as you know yourself, and no one can live your life for you. This life is your opportunity to put your mark on the world, you must do it your way.

Your race, your way. Others may influence you, or even try to force you to their way of living and doing, from these people walk away, for they show the signs of being lost themselves and you will find no help from them.

The way you lead your life is your lasting legacy. Lead a life which will inspire the generations to come. We can all do this. Lead a life worth talking about, only you can do this. When you do this, you become immortal, for even though you will be gone, people will still be influenced by you and you will live on in their hearts and minds.

Decisions.

You are where you are because of decisions you have made or not made. Our life is the result of decisions. The ability to make decisions improves only with practice and abandonment of end results. Decision making is to be savoured never feared. When caught between two options of equal merit choose the bolder of the two – here lies greatness.

Your ultimate power, and the creator of change in your life and the world in general are you decision making skills. Yield this power with courage and familiarity. Become a GREAT decision maker.

Play to your strengths.

Know your strengths and use these to the very best of your ability. Rather than thinking of your weaknesses and shortcomings, become master of your strengths.

Once mastered use your strengths to overcome all else. This is personal excellence. Making the best of what comes natural to you.

Cherish Nature and Animals.

Nature and animals can teach us all we need to know. No library exists like the forests, no university like the great outdoors.

An untapped resource of vital learning waiting for our awareness to arrive. How man treats nature and animals is a measure of his development as a species. Watch how nature and other animals treat each other.

Always a good indicator of the character of a man, is his attitude and relationship towards Nature and Animals. There is no question that nature cannot answer. Listen, look and learn.

We must spend more time “listening” to nature. Make a daily practice to so.

Feed yourself well.

Food is more than just something we fill our stomachs with. Food is the source of energy, vitality, health, healing, strength and of our body. Food can be medicine. The wise consumption of food is vital.

Food is fuel, it must suit our needs. Thinking of food with this new awareness is the first step. Be mindful of what you eat and while you eat. If you wish to put food into your stomach, your mind should be there first. Eat less but well.

Conversation.

The art of conversation should be respected, practiced and nourished. Conversation when meaningful and skilful can heal, save and prevent problems.

Make a conscious effort to set aside some time every day for a good chat. We Irish were once masters of this art. We learn and teach so much through the art of conversation. Remove the art from life and we have suffering.

Conversation is the glue that holds us together and the bridge that aids our reaching out to one another.

Pay attention to what you do have.

You can grasp, strive , search and chase many things, blinding yourself to what you already do have.

So check what you already have before you set off chasing it.

Believe in you.

What we believe acts as a signpost for our thoughts, emotions and behaviour. What we believe about ourselves effects our thoughts, emotions, actions and results, therefore it is best to believe in our personal power, to cheer ourselves on to greater heights and to pick ourselves up when we stumble.

If you do not believe in you and express it, no-one else will. Remember Self-belief is far more empowering than what others believe.

If you doubt yourself others will pick up on this. If you believe in yourself they will pick on this also.