Present Moment…

“Do not encumber your mind with useless thoughts. What good is it to brood over the past and fret about the future? Dwell in the simplicity of the present moment. Live in harmony with the dharma. Make it the heart of your life and experience. Be the master of your own destiny.”
~ Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche

Forget

Forget mistakes. Forget failures. Forget everything except what you’re going to do now and do it. Today is your lucky day.

~ Will Durant

Book Review: 365 Nirvana Here and Now by Josh Baran

A little known secret: I enjoy quotes especially ones that take you deep within. Yes, I know, what a surprise! 🙂 It seems I am not the only one. most of my twitter contacts enjoy quotes also. Maybe like attracts like? Hmm. 

365 Nirvana Here and Now: Living Every Moment In Enlightenment, edited and with commentary by Josh Baran is one of those quote books that you can let the book fall open and you have your ‘gem’ for the day or if you are me, for the week. (Barnes & Noble/Amazon do not have this book in stock at this moment…your local well-loved book store might though!)

Given the title, you would think 365 Nirvana is entirely comprised of Buddhist quotes, yet it is not so…. Examples: “With ‘I’ eliminated…this is Nirvana here and now. ~ The Buddha,  ‘It is right in your face. This moment, the whole thing is handed to you. ~ Yuanwu,  ‘You search for God in heaven and earth, but you don’t know the one who is right before your eyes, because you don’t know how to search into this very moment. ~ Jesus.’

And this from the Introduction by Josh Baran…’This treasury of insights, a chorus of the present moment sung by ancient and modern voices that span time, distance, religion, tradition, and culture – is an invitation’ … I could not have said or written it better. This little book has become a constant source of reflective material that sits on my nightstand within easy reach.

So tonight…I let 365 Nirvana ‘pick’ the quote ending this post…see where it takes you.

Just One Time

Where you are going

and the place you stay

come to the same thing.

What you long for

and what you’ve left behind

are as useless as your name.

Just one time, walk out

into the field and look

at the towering oak —

an acorn still beating at its heart.   Peter Levitt

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