“When we give up our images of self-importance and our ideas of what should be, we can help things become what they need to be.”

If people were superior to animals, they’d take good care of them,” said Pooh.

The play-it-safe pessimists of the world never accomplish much of anything, because they don’t look clearly and objectively at situations, they don’t recognize or believe in their own abilities to overcome even the smallest amount of risk.

The Universe knows what it’s doing. So don’t develop a big ego, and don’t be afraid.

Under Confucianism, the use of precisely measured court music, prescribed steps, actions, and phrases all added up to an extremely complex system of rituals, each used for a particular purpose at a particular time.

Enjoy the simple, the natural and the plain. Along with that comes the ability to do things spontaneously and have them work.

From the Taoist point of view, the natural result of this harmonious way of living is happiness.

One sometimes gets the impression that those intimidating words are there to keep us from understanding. That way, the scholars can appear Superior, and will not likely be suspected of Not Knowing Something.

A clever mind is not a heart. Knowledge doesn’t really care, wisdom does.

A way of life that keeps saying ‘Around the next corner, above the next step,’ works against the natural order of things and makes it so difficult to be happy and good.

Life itself, when understood and utilized for what it is, is sweet.

Reality is what one makes it. And the more negative reality one nurtures and creates, the more of it one has.

The wise know their limitations; the foolish do not.

Without difficulties, life would be like a stream without rocks and curves – about as interesting as concrete. Without problems, there can be no personal growth, no group achievement, no progress of humanity. But what mattes about problems is what one does with them.

“Rabbit’s clever,” said Pooh thoughtfully. “Yes,” said Piglet, “Rabbit’s clever.” “And he has Brain.” “Yes,” said Piglet, “Rabbit has Brain.” There was a long silence. “I suppose,” said Pooh, “that that’s why he never understands anything.”

Knowledge and Experience do not necessarily speak the same language.

When you discard arrogance, complexity, and a few other things that get in the way, sooner or later you will discover that simple, childlike, and mysterious secret known to those of the Uncarved Block: Life is Fun.

We realize–often quite suddenly–that our sense of self, which has been formed and constructed out of our ideas, beliefs and images, is not really who we are. It doesn’t define us, it has no center.

Can you imagine if you really let it in that you are not a problem to be solved in any way? Imagine you knew that anything that would tell you otherwise is just a movement of thought in the mind that says “Whatever is, isn’t the way it is supposed to be.

Feel your way into what I am saying rather than thinking about it. Only a self-concept looks and longs for God. Drop your self-concept and there is only God meeting God. Enlightenment is the restoration of cosmic humor.

When we really start to take a look at who we think we are, we become very grace prone.

The enormous pitfall is devotion to oneself instead of to life. All works that are self-devoted are absolutely ineffective.

Nothing appears to be something. The human experience is a senseory organ for the divine self. Through these eyes, the divine gets to see itself in form.

The mirror is the tool of the one who wants to do a self-portrait. And if you want to make a photo you need a mirror.

The tool of every self-portrait is the mirror. You see yourself in it. Turn it the other way, and you see the world .