3.23.26

Consciousness wandered North to the land of the Dark Waters and climbed the Unnoticeable Slope, where he met Speechless Non-Doer. "I have three questions for you," Consciousness said. "First, what thoughts and efforts will lead us to understanding the Tao? Second, where must we go and what must we do to find peace in the Tao? Third, from what point must we start and which road must we follow in order to reach the Tao?" Speechless Non-Doer gave him no answer.

Consciousness traveled South to the land of the Bright Ocean and climbed the Mountain of Certainty, where he saw Impulsive Speech-Maker. He asked him the same questions. "Here are the answers," Impulsive Speech-Maker replied. But as soon as he started to speak, he became confused and forgot what he was talking about.

Consciousness returned to the palace and asked the Yellow Emperor, who told him, "To have no thought and put forth no effort is the first step towards understanding the Tao. To go nowhere and do nothing is the first step towards finding peace in the Tao. To start from no point and follow no road is the first step towards reaching the Tao."

–Benjamin Hoff, The Tao of Pooh

3.16.26

Sitting contented by Walden Pond a few years ago, a Wise Observer wrote, "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation." The desperation may have been quiet then, we suppose. Now, it's deafening. But we don't have to be a part of it. We can stop our desperate clinging to hollow life substitutes and set ourselves free. When we make the first move, the process will begin.

–Benjamin Hoff, The Tao of Pooh

3.9.26

The unexamined life is not worth living. By questioning and examining our thoughts, actions, and beliefs, we gain a deeper understanding of ourselves and can strive for personal growth and a more fulfilling existence. Regularly reflecting on our lives, values, and goals is crucial for personal development, allowing us to find purpose and meaning in life.

– Plato, The Apology of Socrates

3.2.26

If we do not elaborate the idea of impersonal experience in some such way, there is a problem of how we can even understand what it means for someone else to have an experience. I learn that 'There is a pain' is true when (as we should normally say) I have a pain. And because this is what the sentence means to me, I may interpret it in that way even when the pain is in another body. As Saul Kripke puts it, 'In sum, any attempt to imagine a direct connection between a sensation and a physical object without mentioning a "self" or "mind" leads me simply to imagine that I have a sensation located elsewhere.'

― I: the Philosophy and Psychology of Personal Identity, Jonathan Glover

2.23.26

“True words aren't eloquent;

eloquent words aren't true.

Wise men don't need to prove their point;

men who need to prove their point aren't wise.

The Master has no possessions.

The more he does for others,

the happier he is.

The more he gives to others,

the wealthier he is.”

― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching

2.16.26

The trance of unworthiness is a pervasive belief that something is fundamentally wrong with us. This trance keeps us trapped in self-judgment, shame, and fear, limiting our ability to live authentically and connect deeply with others. Radical acceptance involves recognizing the trance and its impact on our lives, challenging our negative self-beliefs with compassionate inquiry, and embracing all aspects of ourselves, including our imperfections.

– Tara Brach, Radical Compassion

2.9.26

All streams flow to the sea because it is lower than they are. Humility gives it its power. If you want to govern the people, you must place yourself below them. If you want to lead the people, you must learn how to follow them.

– Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching

2.2.26

The foundation of the system is that the universe - the 'all viewed as one' - has two real constituents: body and void space. The existence of body is proved to us by sensation; if we cannot know by sensation that there are bodies, then we cannot know anything at all. But bodies have location, and they move. That is to say, the universe is not as it might have been - solid, packed tight, immobile. In brief: 'All nature . . . is built of those two things: for there are bodies, and there is the void in which they are placed and where they move' (Lucretius, De rerum natura, Book I). 

– John Gaskin, The Travelers Guide to Classical Philosophy