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Transcendence And Joy
“If our body really belonged to us, it would obey our commands.
If we say, “Don’t get old,” Or “I forbid you to get sick” does it obey us? No! It takes no notice. We only rent this “house”, not own it. If we think it does belong to us, we will suffer when we have to leave it.
But in reality, there is no such thing as a permanent self, nothing unchanging or solid that we can hold on to…”
~ Ajahn Chah
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“Some people awaken spiritually without ever coming into contact with any meditation technique or any spiritual teaching. They may awaken simply because they can’t stand the suffering anymore.”
— Elkhart Tolle
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“I had a discussion with a great master in Japan…and we were talking about the various people who are working to translate the Zen books into English, and he said, “That’s a waste of time. If you really understand Zen…you can use any book. You can use the Bible. You could use Alice in Wonderland. You could use the dictionary, because…the sound of rain needs no translation.”
— Alan Watts
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“The root of joy is gratefulness. It is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful.”
