Zen Pencils by Gavin Aung Than for October 16, 2023

“Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them.”

“We can live without religion and meditation, but we cannot survive without human affection.”

“Old friends pass away, new friends appear. It is just like the days. An old day passes, a new day arrives. The important thing is to make it meaningful: a meaningful friend – or a meaningful day.”

“This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.” Dalai Lama

Because we share this planet earth, we have to learn to live in harmony and peace with each other and with nature. This is not just a dream but a necessity. – His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Send this to Hamas,Putin,Un,etc…

The greatness of a society is not measured by the grandeur of its monuments, the possessions of the rich, the rhetoric of its leaders. Rather it is how that society treats the people at the very bottom. Are they helped and cared for, or are they allowed to make their own way through the world without assistance no matter how destitute they become?

There has never been a better time to think about and internalize this wisdom.

Elevating ideals is a good idea; elevating idols, not so much.

That’s very true. Being an outsider for years made me able to form anti-cliques. My groups were very diverse, and frankly, fun.

Sigh. . . Looking around the world I come close to despair. Then I remember a book I read that said, “Sometimes it is necessary to become what we are not, before we can remember and appreciate what we really are.”

Well worth repeating!