No Mud, No Lotus: The Art of Transforming Suffering

Understanding and compassion are not for somebody else to cultivate. They can heal you and increase your happiness.

That is the art of happiness, tasting and delighting in the little happinesses of daily life.

Our thinking, perceiving, and worrying take away all the space inside us, and keep us from being in touch with what’s happening moment to moment.

Once our mindful energy has soothed our suffering, we can begin to look more deeply into its nature and sources.

understanding eases our pain and helps us transform it into compassion.

we also have a multitude of small moments of happiness that we can savor and extend.

Every life has its trials and tribulations. We can navigate them more skillfully when we don’t waste time and energy shooting ourselves with a second arrow—such as dwelling on how much greener the grass in our neighbor’s yard looks, compared to ours.

The sound of the bell is the voice of the Buddha within.

Breathing in, I know I am breathing in. Breathing out, I smile.