Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet

If in the twenty-four hours of your day you have five minutes of peace, ease, and freedom, that’s not too bad.

don’t close any door. Open all the doors. Don’t just commit yourself to one idea of happiness.

Someone without understanding and compassion is utterly cut off.

I remember at first thinking that I need to access the present moment with my mind. But I’ve slowly understood that I can access it most directly with the senses: the smell of the woods, the edge of the breeze, the sound of the rain, the rumble of humanity through the asphalt.

To live alone means to be completely satisfied with the here and now, to have a deep sense of fulfillment in the present moment.

We should not be too sure of our ideas. We should be ready to let go of them. What we consider to be a misfortune may turn out to be a fortune later on. It depends on our way of handling the situation.

To be happy is to be understood, to be loved, and to have the power to understand and love others.

“Wisdom is knowing when to employ the gentle compassion of understanding and when to employ the fierce compassion of good boundaries.”

Compassion can protect you better even than guns and bombs. With compassion in your heart, you will not react in fear or anger and you will attract much less danger to yourself.