"Anguish emerges from craving for life to be other than it is. In the face of a changing world, such craving seeks consolation in something permanent and reliable, in a self that is in control of things, in a god who is in charge of destiny. The irony of this strategy is that it turns out to be the cause of what it seeks to dispel."
-"Buddhism Without Beliefs" by Stephen Batchelor
"Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.
Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.
He who knows others is wise. He who knows himself is enlightened.
A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.
Mastering others is strength. Mastering yourself is true power.
When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.
To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders."
-"Tao Te Ching" by Lao-Tzu
lyrics
they put on their tiny gloves and oversized hats, glaring at the vessel for permission
on the table: a glass jar filled with powder and pieces of light
the man carried them down the stairs and up to the stars
as the wind accepted the powder from their open palms, the landscape began to glow
it felt as if the sky could now feed, as if the structure could not be forgotten
the glitter on their faces danced along with the dots on the tree
the white sky; the blank sky
a textured sheet of construction paper
an empty awaiting panel longing for its creator
a black framed existence with endless sheets of life
fill