Quotes from Tara Brach

When we say, "I accept myself as I am," we are not accepting a story about a good or bad self. Rather, we are accepting the immediate mental and sensory experiences we interpret as self. We are seeing the familiar wants and fears, the judging and planning thoughts as a part of the flow of life. Accepting them in this way actually enables us to recognize that experience is impersonal and frees us from the trap of identifying ourselves as a deficient and limited self.

At any moment throughout the day, if you find yourself driven by wanting, the question, what does my heart really long for? will help you reconnect to the purity of spiritual yearning. By pausing and asking yourself at any moment, "What really matters? What do I most care about?" you awaken your naturally caring heart.

Wisdom tells me I'm nothing. Love tells me I am everything. And between the two my life flows.

I tried to comfort him by explaining that when we really spend time with any living beings—as he had with the ants—we find out that they are real. They are changing, animated, hungry, social. Like us, their life is fragile and they want to stay alive. His playmates hadn't had the chance to get to know ants in the way he did, I told him. If they had, they wouldn't want to injure them either.

There's a prayer that comes from the Buddhist tradition, which is, 'May whatever arises serve the awakening of wisdom and compassion.

Find a sitting position that allows you to be alert—spine erect but not rigid—and also relaxed. Close your eyes and rest your hands in an easy, effortless way. Allow your awareness to scan through your body and, wherever possible, soften and release obvious areas of physical tension. Because we so easily get lost in thoughts, vipassana begins with attention to the breath. Using the breath as a

we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man's life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility. • HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW

Radical Acceptance is the willingness to experience ourselves and our life as it is. A moment of Radical Acceptance is a moment of genuine freedom. The

the Indian sage Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj so beautifully teaches: "Love says 'I am everything.' Wisdom says 'I am nothing.' Between these two my life flows.

Reflecting on our own goodness is considered a skillful means in Buddhist practice, because it opens our hearts and invigorates our faith in our spiritual unfolding. If we're caught up in considering ourselves bad, we contract and hide. In contrast, if we trust our goodness, we open up to others, we feel inspired to help others, we move forward on our spiritual path with dedication and joy.

Todo nuestro disfrute está enturbiado por la ansiedad por conservar lo que poseemos y por nuestra necesidad compulsiva de ampliarlo.

As we figuratively sit beside ourselves and inquire, listen and name our experience, we see Mara clearly and open our heart in tenderness for the suffering before us.

Aceptación Radical empieza a desplegarse cuando nos asomamos a la vivencia del momento, soltando nuestras historias y acogiendo con suavidad nuestro dolor o nuestro deseo. Las dos partes de la aceptación verdadera (ver con claridad y acoger nuestra vivencia con compasión) dependen la una de la otra, como las dos alas de un ave de alto vuelo. Las dos juntas nos permiten volar y ser libres.

I asked myself, "Who is aware right now?" I was aware only of awareness: There was no "self" to locate. There was no entity that was failing, no self that was fearful and distraught, no foothold for self-doubt. While streams of sensations and emotions were moving through my body and mind, there was no one behind the scenes who possessed them or controlled them. I could find only the endless space of awareness—formless, open, knowing.

unless feelings are painfully intrusive or, as with sex, extremely pleasant or intense, physical sensations can seem elusive and be difficult to recognize. this is the basic characteristic of being in trance—we are only partially present to our experience of the moment.

Prayer is the voice of longing; it reaches outwards and inwards to unearth our ancient belonging.

Like a boundless sea, we have the capacity to embrace the waves of life as they move through us. Even when the sea is stirred up by the winds of self-doubt, we can find our way home.

Much of our spiritual healing and awakening happens with others. We are wounded in relationship, and we need to heal in relationship.

Offering companionship in pain acknowledges that suffering is living through all of us, and in our togetherness we enlarge the heartspace that can hold it with compassion.

Like a great tree, mindful prayer sinks its roots into the dark depths in order to reach up fully to the light.

when i look back over my own years of spiritual practice, i see that my heart and mind have been most profoundly awakened in the context of deep human relationship — giving birth and raising a child, having my heart broken, helping and being helped, facing my fears of intimacy, struggling with a judgmental mind, trying to love more fully.

When we strive to impress or outdo others, we strengthen the underlying belief that we are not good enough as we are.

Keeping our gaze on the bandaged place, as Rumi says, allows the light to enter.

experience even the most intense craving without pushing it away or acting on it. Instead of hating her experience or losing herself in a swirl of mental activity, Sarah was saying yes to the feelings of urgency and tension and fear. Instead of trying to satisfy her craving, she was simply letting it express itself and move through her.