certainty and doubt

Buddha was gathered together with his disciples one morning, when a man came up to him.

‘Does God exist?’ he asked.

‘He does,’ replied Buddha.

After lunch, another man came up to him.

‘Does God exist?’ he asked.

‘No, he doesn’t,’ said Buddha.

 Later that afternoon, a third man asked the same question: ‘Does God exist?’

‘That’s for you to decide,’ replied Buddha.

 As soon as the man had gone, one of his disciples remarked angrily:

‘But that’s absurd, Master! How can you possibly give such different answers to the same question?’

‘Because they are all different people, and each one of them will reach God by his own path. The first man will believe what I say. The second will do everything he can to prove me wrong. The third will only believe in what he is allowed to choose for himself.’

[Originally found here]

as we are

"We see others not as they are, but as we are."

How we think of and treat ourselves directly affects how we think of and treat others.  Our perception of the world begins with who we are.  Most of the time we don't even realize or are aware of our own biases, personality quirks, fears, dreams, etc. 

I used to think that to change the world, people would have to care about others more than themselves.  But I think some people are hard wired to be more compassionate and selfless.  That is not something that's easy for everyone to do.  The real issue is that we don't truly know, understand, or love ourselves. 

percolating thoughts (#11)

['Percolating thoughts' is an on-going collection of quotes I have found and gained wisdom from.  These are the ones that I've recently discovered and that I'm currently sitting with and reflecting on...]

“There is nothing noble in being superior to some other others. True nobility comes from being superior to your previous self.”
- Hindu saying 

"Peace is not something you must hope for in the future. Rather, it is a deepening of the present, and unless you look for it in the present you will never find it."
-Thomas Merton

"All real living is meeting."
-Martin Buber, from I and Thou 

"Enjoy the love of others, but revel in the love of yourself.  Don't wait for someone else to save you."
-Aisha Tyler