Even when we see the value of changing the situation, it can be very difficult to relax our hold on what we believe—or want to believe—is right and real.

This can be especially true if we think that doing so might affect how others judge us.

People who care very much how others feel about them tend to cultivate and present a particular image, even a negative self-image can become the anchor for an individual’s personality and sense of empowerment to the extent that losing it would leave him or her

with no sense of place or position.

Revelations of Mind 

The foundation of balance and integration of body and mind is relaxation.  

Tibetan Relaxation

 Everyone now plays the game the same way, and each of us reflects it to others.

Within this framework, we endure a subtle, yet pervasive kind of bondage, lured by promises of pleasure and hopes of success, and driven from behind by doubts, worries, dissatisfaction, fear, and the overpowering need to fit in. 

Revelations of Mind 

When we observe the suffering that the mind can inflict, when we realize we are ultimately helpless to control our own responses or to ease the pain of loved ones lost in confusion, we understand that this is not a happy situation.

Seeing this, we have the knowledge we need to question.

“Does it have to be this way?” 

Revelations of Mind 

Measuring our lives against standards set by others, we do not consider ourselves intrinsically worthwhile, and our sense of self-esteem is never secure.

Always on the defensive, grasping for what supports our position, we hesitate to trust ourselves or follow our own values.

Without really wanting to, we may find ourselves ‘going with the flow’, unwilling to risk our position by standing up for what we believe in.

We may be gaining our prestige, status, wealth, or power at the cost of our integrity. 

Knowledge of Freedom

If your precious energy is repeatedly spent on emotion and self-delusion, you will come to the end of life without realizing the deeper aspects of your experience.

So whatever your situation and whatever your resources—body, mind, energy, awareness—use them fully right now, instead of wasting your time caught up in emotional turmoil. 

Hidden Mind of Freedom 

Each time we accept responsibility for what happens in our lives, our receptivity to deeper understanding increases.

Our openness to knowledge draws greater knowledge to us.

As our understanding deepens, our confidence in knowledge grows stronger, and we are able to widen our sphere of responsibility.

Eventually, our sense of responsibility broadens naturally to include the welfare of all beings. 

Knowledge of Freedom 

Mind is always seeking benefit.

Sometimes it tells you that the benefit is over here, other times it tells you that the benefit is somewhere else.

You do your best to follow its lead, to live by the rules.

If you think you have done so successfully, you stand back, filled with a sense of accomplishment.

You put your achievement on a pedestal.

You patent it, and you own it.                                                     

This is perfectly natural, but it also leads nowhere.  

Everyone is always looking for a purpose—if you don’t have a purpose, the mind tells you are a nobody, and you agree: “Yes, I am a nobody.”

You give in totally to being nobody.

But that is mind-manipulation.

You accept its biases, and you give in to the black and white thinking of “I am” and “I am not.”

You are still clinging to concepts and language. 

Creative Journey

Most people today live in a state of excitation and overstimulation since early childhood.

Our fast-paced way of life bombards us with stimulation.

When in the course of a single day can we find more than a few moments that are free of mental, emotional, and sensory excitement? 

Knowledge of Freedom 

When the breath is balanced, it is like an expansive lake with very still water.

Left alone, the lake reflects the things around it very beautifully.

But if we disturb the lake by throwing a rock into it, a clear and beautiful image can no longer form.

Watching our breath, we can see whether it is still and balanced.

If it is out of balance, then by watching with care we can discover what disturbs us.

Footsteps on the Diamond Path Volume I-III