Author Archives: Major Tom

When you plant seeds in the garden, you don’t dig them up every day to see if they have sprouted yet. You simply water them and clear away the weeds; you know that the seeds will grow in time. Similarly, just do your daily practice and cultivate a kind heart. Abandon impatience and instead be content creating the causes for goodness; the results will come when they’re ready. http://www.tricycle.com/feature/meditators-toolbox

I am nice to people and people are nice to me. I give money freely and my own bank account grows. I have a good thought, something good happens. I think of nice people I know, nice people come to know me. I trust people, people trust me. I am peaceful with people, people are peaceful with me. I love and I am loved. I accept others, others accept me.  

One way that the giver sees his or her generosity return is found in “instant karma,” the Buddhist idea that acts that you do have direct consequences on the state of your mind and heart, even as you do them. The consequences of giving are quite wonderful in the present moment; if we are present for them, we can receive these wonderful consequences during the act of giving.  http://www.tricycle.com/feature/joy-giving

A profound statement: Brothers can’t live beside each other once they’re married, but sisters can.

“When talking about others is motivated by thoughts of ill will, jealousy, or attachment, conversations turn into gossip. “These thoughts may seem to be subconscious, but if we pay close attention to our mind we’ll be able to catch them in the act. Many of these are thoughts that we don’t want to acknowledge to ourselves, let alone to others, but my experience is that when I become courageous enough to notice and admit them, I’m on my way to letting them go. “Also, there’s a certain humor to the illogical way that these negative thoughts purport to bring us happiness. Learning to laugh at our wrong ways of thinking … Continue reading →

Read this today, along with having some conversations recently with friends who are unsure of their gifts in life.  Sometimes, it seems, that we base distrust on very few situations, and trust on not too many situations. Overall, are we in a better place in life to trust than to distrust? Granted, we get taken advantage of on occasions, but do those situations outweigh what trusting situations can bring us? Overall, I would say – what can we do to make things better?  I’m not just talking right here, or at work, or home or anywhere geographically. I’m talking about a lifestyle of helping, trusting, believing and, as I think … Continue reading →

Accept Where You Are and Work From There In human life, if you feel that you have made a mistake, you don’t try to undo the past or the present, but you just accept where you are and work from there. Tremendous openness as to where you are is necessary. This also applies to the practice of meditation, for instance. A person should learn to meditate on the spot, in the given moment, rather than thinking, “…When I reach pension age, I’m going to retire and receive a pension, and I’m going to build my house in Hawaii or the middle of India, or maybe the Gobi Desert, and THEN … Continue reading →

From Tricycle: When people genuinely meet the dharma, they realize it directly within themselves. So the Buddha said that he is merely the one who shows the way. In teaching us, he is not accomplishing the way for us. It is not so easy as that. It’s like someone who sells us a plow to till the fields. He isn’t going to do the plowing for us. We have to do that ourselves. http://www.tricycle.com/dharma-talk/meeting-dharma-alone

The Choppy Seas of Conversation Like surfing, staying present is always a challenge, but doing it while interacting with others tends to be like managing in choppy, cross-current seas. We have not only our own thoughts and impulses to contend with but also those of our conversational partners. So if we can stay present and compassionate when, say, a coworker is kvetching, odds are we can do it anytime. http://www.tricycle.com/feature/talk-buddha Welcome to the Revolution The Buddha was a revolutionary, a radical advocate for personal and social transformation. He rejected the religious forms of his time and renounced all forms of greed, hatred, and delusion. He dedicated his life to going … Continue reading →

Lead by Being Led. – MLK

A – The beginning of life. The wonder. Ahhh. U – The life itself. Full of experiences, agony, pleasure, love and distrust. M – Life’s end.  Hmmm. It was a good life. Then, the silence before the cycle continues.

“Your life evokes your nature and you learn more about yourself as you go on. Put yourself in situations which evoke your higher nature.”  — Joseph Campbell, The Power of Myth

When we recognize our metaphysical connection to others, we enable the Hero within us.

“I don’t know.”

I think about the Unity message of “put your own mask on first” which is a metaphor of how airlines instruct passengers – you’re no good if you can’t breath yourself.  But, my problem, even though I like to give, is that I have an expectation back. That’s something I need to get over.  I need to give and that’s it. I have had the mentality that “if” I “give” then people will give to me.  Well, that’s misplaced expectation, attracting those that expect me to give to them.  I need to not expect from others, and give freely. Whether or not I get anything from anyone in return should be … Continue reading →

Sorry for not writing lately, been busy. Not much better today, other than including this video: http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/caddy-shack/A5C82AA1CB82F4550930A5C82AA1CB82F4550930 Next: Peak Experience