Day 16: A picture of someone who inspires you

The Dalai Lama

A beautiful soul that considers himself merely a "simple buddhist monk." This man and his demeanor are incredible to me. The kindness and compassion he holds is truly beautiful.

My spiritual journey is something that I hold onto fiercely. It is not up for debate nor is it worthy of such. I am finding my way to let goodness and love fill up my heart and hopefully feel a sense of peace with my surroundings. Buddhism has taught me to stop telling myself the story but to take everything at face value. That is not easy, my friends. As human beings we try to predict what will happen, "If I say XYZ, he will respond XYZ" or "He did this to me, he must be doing it because of that..." it's helped me insurmountably with Sunshine. I think I've villinafied him terribly. In truth, he's not that complicated and further, he wants happiness and desires not to suffer as much as I do. We can help each other be happy. We can lessen each other's suffering.

ya, it is powerful...but I suck and generally just wanna push his rude, pathetic fat ass down a flight of stairs most the time....

...hey, I never said I was perfect. :)

So that said, His Holiness inspires me to be better, be kinder, be simple. And when those times grace my life, I feel blessed!

So I'll leave you with a few of my favorite sayings:

Don´t try to use what you learn from Buddhism to be a Buddhist; use it to be a better whatever-you-already-are.

Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you
can't help them, at least don't hurt them.

Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it. I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to others; to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. I am going to have kind thoughts towards others, I am not going to get angry or think badly about others. I am going to benefit others as much as I can.

In the practice of tolerance, one's enemy is the best teacher.

Ketika kita masih kecil dan setelah kita lanjut usia, kita sangat tergantung kepada orang-orang lain. Di antara masa itu, kita merasa bisa melakukan segala sesuatu tanpa bantuan orang lain, sehingga menganggap perhatian sesama tidak penting. Padahal dalam tahap ini perlu sekali bagi kita untuk memelihara cinta kasih yang mendalam antar sesama manusia. (just kidding, I just threw this one in to fuck with you.)

Know the rules well, so you can break them effectively.

If you have fear of some pain or suffering, you should examine whether there is anything you can do about it. If you can, there is no need to worry about it; if you cannot do anything, then there is also no need to worry.

People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they’re not on your road doesn’t mean they’ve gotten lost.

Every single being, even those who are hostile to us, is just as afraid of suffering as we are, and seeks happiness in the same way we do. Every person has the same right as we do to be happy and not to suffer. So let's take care of others wholeheartedly, of both our friends and our enemies. This is the basis for true compassion.

Choose to be optimistic, it feels better.

Sometimes one creates a dynamic impression by saying something,and sometimes one creates as significant an impression by remaining silent.

Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck.

Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

Whether one is rich or poor, educated or illiterate, religious or non believing, man or woman, black, white, or brown, we are all the same. Physically, emotionally, and mentally, we are all equal. We all share basic needs for food, shelter, safety, and love. We all aspire to happiness and we all shun suffering. Each of us has hopes, worries, fears, and dreams. Each of us wants the best for our family and loved ones. We all experience pain when we suffer loss and joy when we achieve what we seek. On this fundamental level, religion, ethnicity, culture, and language make no difference.

Time passes unhindered. When we make mistakes, we cannot turn the clock back and try again. All we can do is use the present well.

Instead of wondering WHY this is happening to you, consider why this is happening to YOU.