Daily Encouragement: Quotes From my Buddhist Mentor
A daily dose of wisdom
Become like the sun. If you do so, all darkness will be dispelled. No matter what happens, live confidently with the conviction that you, yourself are the “sun.” Of course, in life there are sunny days and cloudy days. But even on cloudy days, the sun is still the sun. Even when you are suffering, it is vital that you strive to keep the sun shining brightly in your heart.
— Daisaku Ikeda (from Quotations by Daisaku Ikeda)
It’s pouring rain and wintry conditions here in the Pacific Northwest. As I was driving to one of my favorite coffee shops to write with my Meet Up group, I thought about how the sun was still up there. I’ve proved it to myself. I’ve been in an airplane that flew above the cloud cover — and there it was hanging in the sky — a golden ball of splendor.
Oh, I have embraced the rain. I even took the surname “Rainsong”, so I have truly done my best. I’ve written about the rain, and you could say I have an intimate connection. It falls on me all the time. I stepped off the curb yesterday leaving Cost-Co and some driver missed hitting me by about an inch. It was raining, of course, and dark. I suspect they couldn’t see me. But it does give me pause. Perhaps I need to be more like the sun.
The sun is more constant than the fickle rain. Perhaps I should change my name? Perhaps I need to be more cognizant of the solar-poweredness operating in my life? Perhaps I should consider being a snowbird? Perhaps I should wear strobe lights on my raincoat?
Practicing Buddhism and chanting daily puts me in rhythm with the universe. What that looks like for me is being at the right place at the right time and doing the right thing. (Or at least, not being in the wrong place at the wrong time doing the wrong thing.)
Perhaps I’ll sit by the fireplace and read something by you.
Keep the faith.
