The only thing that gets one down, spiritwise, is the cloying, heavy, fearful mind.

If you shrink from pain, you'll get nowhere.

Suffice it to say that since this revelation, I had reason to look around for scholarly, bold, hardworking colleagues (I am still looking).

Mastery lies in little things. The true master is not only a master of their art, but a master of all the little things that fill an ordinary day. In this sense, mastery is a mind ever where it should be, never with itself.

The Eastern way is about changing the self to suit the environment – externally passive, internally active. The Western way is about changing the environment to suit the self – externally active, internally passive. We need to strike a balance.

Real teaching bypasses the convolutions of mind and goes straight, spirit to spirit. For this to happen, the student must work so hard their physical energy is at fever pitch – bristling with intensity and awareness. At once deeply relaxed (resigned) and intensely agitated (ready). A seasoned warrior.

the great link into the earth

Sitting patiently

awaiting grace

a grace that

in all likelihood

will never come. 

So be it.

Having spent a life excelling through a clever mind in a culture that values a clever mind above all else, it proves well-nigh impossible to give it up in order to develop a fledgeling heart into a mature loving heart. My only hope is work.

the revolutionary man has not yet appeared

Mastery is simply giving everything your full undivided attention, naturally, out of respect; because you can't live any other way.

An even cheerfulness is the reward for a long, brave, diligent, subterranean seriousness for which, admittedly, not everyone is suited.

May seem meagre recompense for a lifetime's work, but, in fact, it is everything. ​

Work works.

We are involved in a life that passes understanding and our highest business is our daily life.

Watching this little film it is clear why the Chinese liken the heart to a golden chrysanthemum. Now imagine a black chrysanthemum and the film played backwards; that would be the dantien – a dark centre of gravity, ever furling into itself – just as necessary. Together, these constitute the two principle forces in a life: gravity and grace.

When a kid, back in the sixties, my dad bought me a shortwave radio. It had three dials: a volume control, a coarse-tuning knob to locate a radio station, and a fine-tuning knob to pinpoint the best signal from such a station. Nowadays I often get the feeling I'm using the fine-tuner when I should be using the coarse-tuner. In fact, truth be told, I often feel I haven't actually switched the set on yet.

If it doesn't need to be said then don't say it, and if it does need to be said, say it such that it has to be heard.