I often hear tough talk and breezy bravado when it comes to embracing suffering, but I’ve never seen that arrogant swagger hold up in the face of grinding agony and maddening monotony.  The true meaning of embracing suffering is to keep at it until a breakthrough is achieved.

IMHO, when one can enjoy/apply oneself to uncomfortable or monotonous activities just the same as other activities, then a modicum of sainthood has been achieved.

Examination of self/others is most rewarding when done in the harshest, most honest light; how else could we be accurate?  But passing judgment on others…I believe that is best done in the most compassionate, understanding manner; because fully understanding another’s horror and reacting with clarity—even if we have to kill—is how we embody the best parts of ourselves.

I’m all for focusing on someone’s better qualities, but not at the cost of ignorance.  IMHO, if you can’t examine someone’s dark side, then you run the risk of it becoming your own.  But if I let that examination be infected by ego, then I’m at risk of becoming elitist.  As the path narrows, the core qualities will keep us balanced:  vigilance, attention to detail, humility, discipline, creativity… 

And?  Being able to laugh at ourselves.  🙂

Chance/[Higher Power’s will?] has the final say; some things are more likely than others with the addition of effort, but nothing can 100% prevent a stray bullet, an accident, or guarantee wild success.  

It’s actually freeing to recognize this lack of control, as it allows me to focus on making the best product I can simply for its own sake.  The rest is up to something Greater.  

Forgiveness—person-to-person—is a one-way street.  Best to expect nothing in return from the wrongdoer, for that is what you often get.  But if the intent is truly sincere, and if thought of from the perspective that both parties are divine, then it’s one of the most holy acts of contrition/faith you can engage in.  

And I believe as someone’s evolution accelerates, the act becomes more and more natural.

There are so many approaches to spirituality—drugs, meditation, charity, prayer—my theory is that one approach is not inherently better than the other; my theory is that each individual must find the approach that pushes him/her to new heights.  

And it’s not always the fun/exciting/accepted one either.  

Even though we must sometimes oppose each other, what does it hurt to genuinely wish the best for everyone?  Rather than hope for someone’s suffering, this view—even from a selfish standpoint—provides the most reward for me, as I don’t have to maintain those exhausting stores of malice.  Though circumstance may dictate that I destroy or hurt people (and in that case I’ll tap that monstrous but natural part of myself that society falsely labels as ugly) I feel that to wish someone the best is an easily given thing, one that provides infinite returns.

Evidence indicates that our relationships/accomplishments are temporary, and for that matter so is all life, this planet, the galaxy, and even the universe itself.  And yet I believe (ironically, I know) that contemplation and embrace of this transience will reveal what is deep and abiding.

Call It what you want; I think history has shown that names and rituals don’t do It justice, and that perception of It must be reached through individual refinement/exploration.

I’ve met plenty of checklist zombies—they take massive time and care in crafting manicured, soulless iterations…then they pat themselves on the back.  

Personally, I’d rather drink deep from that inner well of creativity, the one that we all possess, and mesmerize myself with iterations of every flavor and strangeness.  In this way, I believe an oasis is formed—one for the spirit and not for the rulebook.