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“This is the true joy in life, being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one. Being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it what I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work, the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.”
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“We're in a freefall into future. We don't know where we're going. Things are changing so fast, and always when you're going through a long tunnel, anxiety comes along. And all you have to do to transform your hell into a paradise is to turn your fall into a voluntary act. It's a very interesting shift of perspective and that's all it is... joyful participation in the sorrows and everything changes.”
― Sukhavati:Place of Bliss
― Sukhavati:Place of Bliss
“Life is a storm, my young friend. You will bask in the sunlight one moment, be shattered on the rocks the next. What makes you a man is what you do when that storm comes. You must look into that storm and shout as you did in Rome. Do your worst, for I will do mine! Then the fates will know you as we know you”
― The Count of Monte Cristo
― The Count of Monte Cristo
“Instead, no matter what arises in the mind, let through, let be, let go…moment after moment. As the mind is less agitated and muddied by our habitual striving—directing the mind here and there—there is illumination of all as it is. With this clarity of a still mind, we can clearly see our interconnectedness and respond appropriately to do what needs to be done to benefit everyone, including ourselves, in accordance with wisdom and compassion.”
― Illumination: A Guide to the Buddhist Method of No-Method
― Illumination: A Guide to the Buddhist Method of No-Method
“So we ignore the noise. We zero in on what’s essential. We sit with presence. We sit with our journals. We empty our minds.”
― Stillness is the Key
― Stillness is the Key
Stephan’s 2025 Year in Books
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