The state can be and has often been in the course of history the main source of mischief and disaster.
Love one another without any expectations. Then, there is no need to go anywhere in search of heaven.
Whatever you see, hear or experience in the world is ephemeral. Get in touch with the eternal substratum of everything.
Problems arise when you identify with your thoughts and emotions. Try to be a witness to the thoughts instead of being totally identified with them.
Changing the world is like trying to straighten a dog's tail. However much you may try, you won't succeed. But although the tail won't straighten, if you keep trying every day, at least you will put on some muscle. Similarly, even though it is difficult to make a change, our effort to do so in itself brings positive results. It will help us change. Without waiting for others to change,if we change ourselves first, that will make a difference. Instead of worrying about results, focus on doing our best in what we are engaged in.
God realization and self-realization are one and the same. God-realization is nothing but the ability and expansiveness of heart to love everything equally.
Many people meditate in order that a third eye may open. For that they feel they should close their two physical eyes. They thereby become blind to the world. But the fact is that the third eye will never open. We can never close our eyes to the world in the name of spirituality. Self-realization is the ability to see ourselves in all beings. This is the third eye through which you see, even while your two eyes are open. We should be able to love and serve others, seeing ourselves in them. This is the fulfillment of spiritual practice.
Did you just call me old? I really prefer the word 'experienced'.
There are grave difficulties on every hand, and more are looming ahead. Therefore, we must go forward.
We have the ability to effect a great positive change in the world, starting with the training of our own minds and the overcoming of our deluded conditioning. Waking up is not a selfish pursuit of happiness; it is a revolutionary stance from the inside out, for the benefits of all beings in existence.
My childhood was limited to mostly gospel music. We didn't have, like, a lot of records in our house, you know. It was like my grandparents who raised me. They were pretty old-fashioned in their religious ways, so it was like church, church, church, school, school, school.