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41 " We tend to think we can be happy only if we’re number one. But if you want to be number one, you have to devote all your time and energy to your work. "
― Thich Nhat Hanh , The Art of Living
42 " The well-being of your body is not possible without the well-being of the planet. "
43 " Like every species on Earth, we are always seeking the ideal conditions that will allow us to live to our fullest potential "
44 " don’t exercise to get fit or be healthier; I do it to enjoy being alive. "
45 " About thirty years ago I was looking for an English word to describe our deep interconnection with everything else. I liked the word “togetherness,” but I finally came up with the word “interbeing.” The verb “to be” can be misleading, because we cannot be by ourselves, alone. "
46 " Every human being can become a buddha. This is good news. We all have the seeds of mindfulness, love, understanding, and compassion, and whether these good seeds have a chance to grow depends on our environment and our experiences. Don’t doubt that you have a buddha body. There have been times in the past when you had the capacity to understand, to forgive, and to love. These are the seeds of your buddha body. You have to give the buddha in you a chance. Allowing the buddha in you to grow doesn’t require special effort. If you wake up to the beauties of nature, you are already a buddha. And if you know how to maintain that spirit of being awake all day, you are a full-time buddha. "
47 " To be a buddha—to wake up—also means to wake up to the suffering in the world and find ways to bring relief and transformation. This requires a tremendous source of energy. Your strong aspiration—your mind of love—is that immense source of energy that helps wake you up to the nourishing and healing beauties of nature and to the suffering of the world. It gives you a lot of energy to help. This is the career of a buddha. And if you have that source of strength in you, if you have the mind of love, you are a buddha in action. "
48 " Can you see how you are continued in your parents, in your brothers and sisters, in your teachers and friends? Can you see the continuation body of your parents and loved ones? We don’t need to get old or die in order to see our continuation body. We don’t need to wait for the complete disintegration of this body in order to begin to see our continuation body, just as a cloud doesn’t need to have been entirely transformed into rain in order to see her continuation body. Can you see your rain, your river, your ocean? Each one of us should train ourselves to see our continuation body in the present moment. If we can see our continuation body while we’re still alive, we’ll know how to cultivate it to ensure a beautiful continuation in the future. This is the true art of living. Then, when the time comes for the dissolution of our physical body, we will be able to release it easily. "
49 " the concentrations on emptiness, signlessness, and aimlessness. They are known as the Three Doors of Liberation and are available in every school of Buddhism. "
50 " A white cloud floats in the sky A bouquet of flowers blooms Floating clouds Blooming flowers The clouds are the floating The flowers are the blooming "
51 " French philosopher Henri Bergson called élan vital. Like all species, we have a will to live and a strong desire to cling to and protect our life and to defend ourselves from danger. But we have to be cautious not to let our instinct of self-preservation and auto-defense mislead us into thinking we have a separate self. "
52 " He aprendido por experiencia propia que la práctica de la respiración y el caminar conscientes pueden ayudar a superar la depresión, la desesperación, la ira y el miedo. Cada paso, cada aliento puede aportar sanación. Si estás deprimido, intenta practicar de todo corazón la conciencia plena de respirar y caminar. Aunque lo hagas solo durante una semana, podrás transformar tu sufrimiento y experimentar cierto alivio. No te rindas, sigue regresando a tu respiración, a tus pasos. Sigue confiando en el arrojo y la perseverancia que hay en ti. Tus semillas de despertar y compasión te ayudarán a salir adelante. "
53 " Humans can be hateful, mean, and violent, but we also have the ability, with spiritual practice, to become compassionate and protective toward not only our own species but other species too—the ability to be awakened beings who can protect our planet and preserve her beauty. Awakening is our hope. And awakening is possible. "
54 " You should use your intelligence and critical mind to carefully examine everything you see or hear. "
55 " We are continued in our children, in our students, in everyone whose lives we have touched. "
56 " When you produce a thought of hatred, anger, or despair, it harms you, and it also harms the world. None of us wants to be continued like that. We all want to produce thoughts of compassion, understanding, and love. "
57 " Our suffering is impermanent, and that is why we can transform it. And "
58 " Happiness is a habit. It’s "
59 " The Greek philosopher Heraclitus of Ephesus said, “You can never bathe in the same river twice. "
60 " The word “body” here simply means a collection of energy—a body of energy. Modern science tells us that everything we perceive is energy. "