Deborah Smith

When it is rainy and cold outside,

we naturally seek our warm and cozy home.

When we are beset with difficulties,

we naturally become more alert and mindful.

When things are going well, we don’t meditate much.

Difficulties are blessings in disguise to foster mindfulness.

There is no better teacher than the people you dislike

as they get you to examine your mind more deeply.

As Zen master Seongcheol said,

“The greatest learning opportunity is when

you get blamed for what you have not caused.”

The doors to the enlightened mind are reached through the following:

love, silence, acceptance, the present moment,

the feeling of aliveness, open awareness,

the mind with no thought, complete surrender.