Favorite Inspiring Quotes
Awakening
Commentary by Peter Shepherd

“A human being is a part of the whole, called by us ‘Universe,’ a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest - a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely, but the striving for such achievement is in itself a part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security.” ~ Albert Einstein
The more we work with the universal - the concept of unity and wholeness - the more everything makes sense. Parts have meaning when they are understood to be parts of a bigger picture. Let opposites coexist in you - like fear with love - without choosing one over the other.
“Love is how it feels to recognize our essential unity. Knowing you are one with all, you find yourself in love with all.” ~ Timothy Freke
If we can see who we really are, we can start to feel we are one with everything, which means we feel connected with life. We feel a love of what exists; we also feel compassion and want to be of service.
“Only in quiet waters things mirror themselves undistorted. Only in a quiet mind is adequate perception of the world.” ~ Hans Margolius
Meditation - especially when applied to mindfulness in everyday life - brings awareness of how our minds work, as we detach to a degree from our thoughts and emotions. We gain the freedom to choose whether or not to act on our thoughts and emotions. We learn to distinguish between objective reality and our mental and emotional dramas.
“It is possible to experience an awakening in this life through realizing just how precious each moment, each mental process, and each breath truly is.” ~ Christy Turlington
We're so often stuck in our regrets from the past or our fears for the future, or even past achievement and future dreams. But life is here and now. As Thomas S. Monson said, "The past is behind, learn from it. The future is ahead, prepare for it. The present is here, live it."
“That is the real spiritual awakening, when something emerges from within you that is deeper than who you thought you were. So, the person is still there, but one could almost say that something more powerful shines through the person.” ~ Eckhart Tolle
Behind our personality stands a presence that we do well to awaken to. For it is our true self, a being with beautiful qualities. And this is the case for all of us. As Leonard Jacobson said, "Gratitude, generosity and humility are inherent characteristics of one who is present."
Here’s some further reading on this theme...
You Are God (Who?.. Me?) ~ by William T. Hathaway
In transcendental consciousness the mind is without thoughts. It reaches the source of thought, where it becomes pure Being -- alert and aware but without an object of awareness, consciousness experiencing itself. This state is so blissful, so all-encompassing, so divine, that we think, "How wonderful!" And as soon as we have that thought, we're no longer there. Continues...
Awakening of the Human Being
Today, I would like to introduce Rose Henry, an Irish lady who runs Intuitive Holistic Services, and has recently been reading my online book, Transforming the Mind. Rose requested that we get together to discuss these concepts and principles further. So, here we are. Over to Rose...