It may help to imagine mind as empty house with open doors and windows. Breezes drift in and out like birds, now cool and now warm, entering and leaving through the open windows and doors. Some are quiet and calm, some are noisy and demanding.

Like an empty house, you can simply be, welcoming all that arises — open, spacious, and accommodating, allowing the flow of experience to arise and fall without comment. 

As you relax and allow the mind to open like the sky, let go of any thought of what relaxation is.

There is no need to adjust or change anything; no need to improve or wonder if you are doing it ‘right’.

Let even these instructions fly in and out of sky-like mind like a gentle breeze, or a small, lovely bird.

Gesture of Great Love 

As we depend ever more strongly on labels and concepts clouded by assumptions, judgments, and self-oriented concerns, at what point will awareness and clarity become sterile concepts rather than fundamental human attributes? 

Revelations of Mind 

In the face of beauty, the human heart is moved to appreciation, 

joy, gratitude and reverence. 

Mandala Gardens

Compassionate caring unfolds a perfect openness we could call ‘selflessness’.

When we touch that openness, our minds become bigger and bigger, until they are vast as space.

Such minds naturally, effortlessly, become fearless: thoughts and sensations, feelings and ideas and concepts disappear like clouds.

The open realm of space becomes totally silent; uniting with that open ease brings perfect, indestructible freedom.

TNMC Annals 45

Awareness generally means to be “aware of some thing”— to look at objects, to recognize, identify, and try to understand them.

This is commonsense awareness.

But as a living experience, natural awareness is simple and direct, open and responsive, without concepts, words, images and interpretations.

Awareness takes place within the first moment, not before, and not after.

It is immediate, spontaneous.

There is no other “thing” to obscure the moment—there is no subject or object, no
time or space.

All that remains is within this openness, which neither words nor concept can describe.

There is complete freedom from our restless attempts to hold on to something, to be secure in some distraction or some trance-like fixation.

There is no fear and no guilt—no desire to escape or be any other way.

There becomes complete self-acceptance and generates a fresh new outlook all its own.

Tibetan Meditation

The best way to be of service is simply to focus on our work.

If your work brings joy and satisfaction; if you work for higher goals; if you act out of inspiration, dedication, and love, you can be confident that something good will come of what you are doing.

Encourage yourself at whatever level you can, and the positive energy you manifest will spread out into the world.

TNMC Annals 

Until we see that self-doubts from our past and old hurts have no place in our lives, our hold on our positive qualities is likely to be tenuous.  

Without realizing what we are doing, we may hold back from giving our best efforts whenever we sense the possibility of criticism or failure.  

It may be very difficult for us to act independently, to base our lives on our own vision and integrity. 

Knowledge of Freedom 

Offer yourself a warm embrace, a nourishing hug, and share your joy with others. It is not complicated.

Peace is always at hand.

When you touch it, you can share it.

That’s all. 

Gesture of Great Love 

We need to gather our strength, carry on, and find genuine security for ourselves.

We need to learn how to care for our souls, nourish our faith, and become free and fearless.

Then our journey will be a happy one.

TNMC Annals 45