…ree Pure Precepts, then we can rest in the knowledge that we have done our best. And that is all which Buddhism ever asks of us. Mistakes will still be made, of course, for we are human. But they will have been made with a pure heart, and in the big perspective, that matters. There are many ways to consult the quiet, still, innermost place of the heart. Each of us must do this honestly, as best we can. There are no formulas, no easy answers. Never…
…f a dream; a long, desperate, largely unconscious struggle within the opposites to find the peace and freedom which are now known to lie beyond the opposites. What had been experienced previously as one’s mind may also undergo a change. Transfixed by what it sees, as if gazing forgetfully into eternity itself, it may not respond with its usual willingness. Intellectual functioning may become laborious or even seize up to varying degrees and one m…
…are so unique to us as individuals, or to our circumstances, that even the best of written teachings can miss important subtleties of what we are presently grappling with. Also the written word is open to interpretation, so while we may know ourselves reasonably well, where we lack understanding, or when our old habits are working upon us, we may misunderstand and misapply what we read. The teacher also provides more than just spiritual advice on…