The Listening Book

When you daydream about what others hear, you miss the essence of your labor.

don’t feel like it. Anything that requires uninterrupted consciousness seems like work. When we are actually practicing consciousness, like meditation or music, it feels like good work that does itself.

Build a protected zone of concentration around yourself, with the sound of your music as the wall. Listen more keenly and forgivingly to your work, and leave others to do their own work. Be an audience of one. This results in higher standards and is best for everyone in the long run.

Then at least you will recognize “I don’t feel like it” as a cover for deeper feelings. Opening that window might be considered your music practice for the day.

Our bones and the earth are lovers; they embrace when we sleep, they mate when we die.

There is a sense of value inside you that is more powerful than either your individual self or your cultural self.

You will see that there is a joy in it; in plain daily talk there is a playful joy.

Not having the right stuff is the American nightmare. When we seem to lack our quota of power or ability we get scared, and from this fear comes self-anger.

You know that light you saw? Imagine it as a constant beam, with no flicker. Imagine the beings who might be that awake.