Casey Applen

“All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.”
― St. Francis Of Assisi, The Little Flowers of St. Francis of Assisi

“But a knowledge of all studies carried out on a new product and comparison with already existent medications are indispensable for doctors to be able to prescribe the most effective medicine. Today, doctors have only results that are pre-selected by laboratories. In fact, the few systematic studies, long and costly, that have been carried out indicate that the majority of new medications placed on the market are no more effective than those that exist already. And, sometimes, they are even less effective. We’ll cite a revealing example, that of Tamiflu. In 2005, fearing an avian flu pandemic, governments all over the world spent billions of dollars to buy and store this medication purported to reduce complications from flu, which can be fatal. In England, there was enough to treat 80% of the population. However, to date, Roche, the manufacturer, has published no data showing that Tamiflu effectively reduced the rate of pneumonia and death. Roche’s Internet site, however, announces that this medication reduces complications by 67%.”
― Matthieu Ricard, Altruism: The Power of Compassion to Change Yourself and the World

“Look at the tree in the front yard. The tree doesn’t seem to be doing anything. It stands there, vigorous, fresh, and beautiful, and everyone profits from it. That’s the miracle of being. If a tree were less than a tree, all of us would be in trouble. But if a tree is just a real tree, then there’s hope and joy. That’s why if you can be yourself, that is already action. Action is based on non-action; action is being. There are people who do a lot, but who also”
― Thich Nhat Hanh, The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh

“If we have no friends who share our interest in the Dharma, our understanding of it is likely to develop slowly and perhaps lopsidedly, affected by the subjective biases that we inevitably bring to it. We need people with whom we can chew over what we have heard or read, and explore what it all means in practice – people who share our enthusiasm, and with whom we can relax and speak freely.”
― Subhuti, Buddhism and Friendship