In the pursuit of learning,
every day something is acquired.
In the pursuit of Tao,
every day something is dropped.
Less and less is done
until non-action is achieved.
When nothing is done,
nothing is left undone.
The world is ruled by
letting things take their course.
It cannot be ruled by interfering.
~ Lao Tsu ~
Tao Te Ching
Source: Tao & Zen
When a drop falls on the surface of still waters, concentric waves are formed. These waves always travel from the center toward the periphery —never in the opposite direction.
Similarly, when we cultivate spirituality, we start our practice of loving kindness and compassion with those beings closest to us.
If we can help to reduce the suffering and increase the happiness of our neighbor (in the strict sense of the word), gradually the circle of love and compassion will expand to encompass all beings.
Source: Expansion | Great Middle Way
In the pursuit of learning,
every day something is acquired.
In the pursuit of Tao,
every day something is dropped.
Less and less is done
until non-action is achieved.
When nothing is done,
nothing is left undone.
The world is ruled by
letting things take their course.
It cannot be ruled by interfering.
~ Lao Tsu ~
Tao Te Ching
Source: Tao & Zen
“What makes karma a major problem for people is their inability to deal with it, to recognize their own responsibility for it, and to do something about it. Most people blame their problems on other people or on circumstances: it was their upbringing, the fact that their parents did not love them, or got divorced, or left them wanting, or that their husband left them, or did not leave them. All these experiences are shed onto someone else, but of course it is all to do with karma, our own responsibility.
We have to learn to deal with karma equably and say: “That’s life; it is, simply, life. C’est la vie.” Life is another name for karma. What we call ‘life’ is a flow of karma, good and bad, pleasant or unpleasant – it is all one flow of life. When it is unpleasant we say: “What a life!”…
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A man traveling across a field encountered a tiger. He fled, the tiger after him. Coming to a precipice, he caught hold of the root of a vine and swung himself down over the edge. The tiger sniffed at him from above. Trembling, the man looked down to where, far below, another tiger was waiting to eat him. Only the vine sustained him. Two mice, one white and one black, little by little began to gnaw away at the vine root. The man saw a luscious strawberry near him. Clinging on to the vine with one hand, he reached out and plucked the strawberry with the other. How sweet it tasted!
From Zen Flesh, Zen Bones, by Paul Reps. (Penguin)
In studying the Dharma, we must avoid these defects:
A pot turned upside down cannot be filled.
When we are distracted, unwilling to learn, or preoccupied with other matters, it is not possible to receive the teachings. This mental state is compared to a pot turned upside down, because no matter what substance may be poured into it, there is no opportunity for it to enter the vessel.
Whenever we approach a teaching, we should be fully attentive, willing to learn, and undistracted.
A pot with a hole cannot retain.
If we listen attentively to the teaching, but immediately turn our minds to other things, we will not retain anything of what we have learned. This is compared to a pot with a whole, because whatever substance may be poured into it, it will not long remain.
Whenever we listen to a teaching…
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No leadership position is permanent. There is always a transition to a new role coming in the future. This article is about a mistake I have seen many leaders make in the transition to a new role.
Maybe this leadership tip is in a book somewhere, but I have not run into it yet. A mistake is made during the delicate time when a leader is assigned a new position and first moves into a new area interfacing with different people.
The first few days are critical and set the stage for how smoothly (or not) the transition goes. All signals sent during the first days and weeks are important as both the leader and the new constituents learn how to work together.
For illustration, let’s say our leader has just been moved from the Design Department into the Manufacturing Department. The new job is in a new physical area…
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