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“There are no butterfly experts among the caterpillars, despite innumerable claims to the contrary, and I encourage my students to at least consider the possibility that the world is up to its poles in caterpillars who quite successfully convince themselves and others that they are actually butterflies. Or, to say it plainly, the vast majority of the world’s authorities on enlightenment are themselves not enlightened. They may be something, but they’re not awake. An easy way to distinguish between caterpillars and butterflies is to remember that the enlightened don’t attach importance to anything, and that enlightenment doesn’t require knowledge. It’s not about love or compassion or consciousness.”
― Spiritual Enlightenment: The Damnedest Thing
― Spiritual Enlightenment: The Damnedest Thing
“So, here you are
too foreign for home
too foreign for here.
Never enough for both.”
― Questions for Ada
too foreign for home
too foreign for here.
Never enough for both.”
― Questions for Ada
“writing it down on paper or on a computer where you can see it is because the brain, unlikely as it may sound, is no place for serious thinking. Any time you have serious thinking to do, the first step is to get the whole shootin’ match out of your head and set it up someplace where you can walk around it and see it from all sides. Attack, switch sides and counter-attack. You can’t do that while it’s still in your head. Writing it out allows you to act as your own teacher, your own critic, your own opponent. By externalizing your thoughts, you can become your own guru; judging yourself, giving feedback, providing a more objective and elevated perspective.”
― Spiritual Enlightenment: The Damnedest Thing
― Spiritual Enlightenment: The Damnedest Thing
“Dennis Prager got it right: “If we continue to teach about tolerance and intolerance instead of good and evil, we will end up with tolerance of evil.”
― 100 People Who Are Screwing Up America:
― 100 People Who Are Screwing Up America:
“Both In and Out of the Game Apart from the pulling and hauling stands what I am, Stands amused, complacent, compassionating, idle, unitary, Looks down, is erect, or bends an arm on an impalpable certain rest, Looking with side-curved head curious what will come next, Both in and out of the game and watching and wondering at it. Walt Whitman”
― Spiritual Enlightenment: The Damnedest Thing
― Spiritual Enlightenment: The Damnedest Thing
Necessary Fiction
— 652 members
— last activity Apr 24, 2012 10:43PM
A complementary group to the webjournal Necessary Fiction, to share books by our contributors and from our reviews section.
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Books and discussions about homesteading in all its forms.
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— last activity Dec 04, 2016 06:31PM
For anyone interested in herbal medicine, including making herbal remedies, growing medicinal plants, learning about herbs that can be found in your b ...more
Books That Changed My Life
— 372 members
— last activity Apr 14, 2023 06:04AM
This is a group to discuss and list books that made a difference in your life, impacted the way you live, and so on. (The books don't need to be non ...more
What's My Therapist Reading
— 769 members
— last activity May 15, 2026 04:35AM
A book club for therapists/counselors.
Elizabeth’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Elizabeth’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
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