Victor Shamas > Quotes

“Play is a sacred act. When we are playing, the essence of all creation flows freely through us. We are expressing our true nature and connecting with the very core of our existence. Nothing is more spiritual than that.”
― Victor Shamas

“If you allow yourself to experience the present moment, you will discover that it does not get better than this Paradise is here and now, waiting for you to arrive, to accept, to surrender, and to enjoy.”
― Victor Shamas, The Way of Play: Reclaiming Divine Fun & Celebration

“When we 'lose ourselves' in play, we find something greater--the nameless, formless, and mysterious essence of all creation.”
― Victor Shamas, The Way of Play: Reclaiming Divine Fun & Celebration

“In an era of globalization, we recognize that we are part of a global society, but we have no idea how to make such a society work. So far, no unified vision or leadership has emerged to guide us in this endeavor. We have not yet found a way to expand the spiritual ideals of democracy so that they pertain to every human being, every animal, and every plant. Until we do, human civilization and the Earth's ecosystem will continue to be in peril.”
― Victor Shamas, The Way of Play: Reclaiming Divine Fun & Celebration

“Meditators dream of attaining the single-pointed focus that young children experience naturally when they play. Spiritual aspirants long for the rapture that defines moments of pure delight.”
― Victor Shamas, The Way of Play: Reclaiming Divine Fun & Celebration

“We are all equally capable of spiritual awakening. It may not seem that way, at times. Some of us are so caught up in the drama of our day-to-day existence that we have lost track of who we really are. But eventually, all of us will make the discovery of our true nature.”
― Victor Shamas, The Way of Play: Reclaiming Divine Fun & Celebration

“Acceptance is an important part of serenity. It is not enough, however, simply to accept the things we cannot change. For me, serenity comes from not having any investment in the outcome. If I am genuinely serene, then it will not matter to me whether things change or stay the same. Either way, I choose to be happy.”
― Victor Shamas, The Chanter's Guide: Sacred Chanting As a Shamanic Practice

“I have spent much of my adult life trying to figure out how to experience holiness, and now I know that the struggle to figure things out is antithetical to the experience. You simply relax into holiness the way you would a warm bath.”
― Victor Shamas, The Chanter's Guide: Sacred Chanting As a Shamanic Practice

“The world is perfect, and at the same time, it is in a constant state of unfolding. This is also true for you and me. Our quest for enlightenment is really just a re-connection with something that already exists in us.”
― Victor Shamas

“The present moment is the only one that matters, and what you are doing right now is as delightful as anything else.”
― Victor Shamas

“The source and essence of all creation can be found everywhere. It resides equally in you, in me, and in all things. True wisdom is the fullest understanding of this essence--an understanding that can happen only when there is no separation between the knower and the known.”
― Victor Shamas, The Way of Play: Reclaiming Divine Fun & Celebration

“Love is the binding force of the universe. It is an ongoing flow that unites all of creation.”
― Victor Shamas

“Nothing in the universe is impermeable to the flow of love.”
― Victor Shamas, The Chanter's Guide: Sacred Chanting As a Shamanic Practice

“Through our chanting we merge our personal consciousness momentarily with the infinite consciousness that is our origin and our destiny. It is the drop of water finding its way back into the ocean from which it came.”
― Victor Shamas, The Chanter's Guide: Sacred Chanting As a Shamanic Practice

“Play is my Way. Fun is my destiny. Love and joy are my religion.”
― Victor Shamas

“Health and happiness are the two most precious and elusive of human conditions. At their core, they are one and the same. Both are a function of balance.”
― Victor Shamas, The Way of Play: Reclaiming Divine Fun & Celebration

“In an era of globalization, people recognize that they are part of a global society, but they have no idea how to make such a society work. So far, no unified vision or leadership has emerged to guide us in this endeavor. We have not yet found a way to expand the spiritual ideals of democracy so that they pertain to every human being, every animal, and every plant. Until we do, human civilization and the Earth's ecosystem will continue to be in peril.”
― Victor Shamas, The Way of Play: Reclaiming Divine Fun & Celebration

“The term compassion means shared suffering. You develop compassion by knowing what it is like to suffer.”
― Victor Shamas, The Chanter's Guide: Sacred Chanting As a Shamanic Practice

“Repose is the most expansive posture you can assume. When you are in Repose, your body is as open and extended as it can be. If the power of a pose is determined by how large it makes your body feel and appear, then Repose should be viewed as the ultimate high-power pose.”
― Victor Shamas, Repose: The Potent Pause

“Repose is not a discipline or practice. To experience Repose, you do not need to adhere to any specific philosophy or become proficient in any technique. There is no learning curve and no wrong way to be in Repose.”
― Victor Shamas, Repose: The Potent Pause

“The artist is the lover showering essence on the world.”
― Victor Shamas, Deep Creativity: Inside the Creative Mystery

“If we could treat every natural resource as a gift rather than a commodity, we would be on the path to sustainability. The difference is that a gift does not belong to us but to the universe. It comes into our lives from a source that is unknown and ultimately unknowable; eventually , it returns to its source.”
― Victor Shamas, The Way of Play: Reclaiming Divine Fun & Celebration

“The artist is the lover who showers essence on the world.”
― Victor Shamas

“At its deepest level, creativity is not about building a better mousetrap. It's about freeing the mouse.”
― Victor Shamas

“Creativity is not just thinking outside the box but living outside it.”
― Victor Shamas