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How are you feeling today?
Every feeling has something to teach. Choose a word. Find an authentic teaching, a small step and a question.
Happy Peaceful Sad Worried Anxious Frustrated Disappointed Confused Grateful Hopeful Exhausted Reflective
Feeling happy
It is good to feel happy. Let yourself enjoy it.
Let noble thoughts come to us from every side.
आ नो भद्राः क्रतवो यन्तु विश्वतः
ā no bhadrāḥ kratavo yantu viśvataḥ
Ṛgveda 1.89.1 NIVARTHI rendering from the Sanskrit
Goodness and wisdom can reach us from anywhere, if we stay open to them.
May all be happy. May all be free from illness. May all see what is good. May no one suffer.
सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः। सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु मा कश्चिद्दुःखभाग्भवेत्॥
sarve bhavantu sukhinaḥ sarve santu nirāmayāḥ · sarve bhadrāṇi paśyantu mā kaścid duḥkhabhāg bhavet
Śānti prayer NIVARTHI rendering from the Sanskrit
Our own happiness grows when we wish it for everyone, without exception.
Health is the greatest of gifts, contentedness the best riches; trust is the best of relationships, Nirvana the highest happiness.
Dhammapada verse 204 Tr. F. Max Müller, 1881 (Sacred Books of the East, vol. 10)
Simple goods, health, contentment and trust, are true riches.
Another teaching →
Something to try
Savour it. Pause for twenty seconds and notice what made this moment good, then share it with someone.
A question to sit with
What contributed to this feeling today, and how can you make room for more of it?
Feeling peaceful
Peace is precious. You do not need to do anything with it.
Without doubt the mind is restless and hard to hold. Yet through steady practice and letting go, it can be held.
असंशयं महाबाहो मनो दुर्निग्रहं चलम्। अभ्यासेन तु कौन्तेय वैराग्येण च गृह्यते॥
asaṃśayaṃ mahābāho mano durnigrahaṃ calam · abhyāsena tu kaunteya vairāgyeṇa ca gṛhyate
Bhagavad Gītā 6.35 NIVARTHI rendering from the Sanskrit
A restless mind is normal, not a failure. Practice, not force, brings it home.
For one who is balanced in food and rest, in effort at work, and in sleep and waking, practice becomes a remover of sorrow.
युक्ताहारविहारस्य युक्तचेष्टस्य कर्मसु। युक्तस्वप्नावबोधस्य योगो भवति दुःखहा॥
yuktāhāravihārasya yuktaceṣṭasya karmasu · yuktasvapnāvabodhasya yogo bhavati duḥkhahā
Bhagavad Gītā 6.17 NIVARTHI rendering from the Sanskrit
Calm grows from balance: enough rest, enough nourishment, and effort that does not run on empty.
Truth is one. The wise speak of it in many ways.
एकं सद्विप्रा बहुधा वदन्ति
ekaṃ sad viprā bahudhā vadanti
Ṛgveda 1.164.46 NIVARTHI rendering from the Sanskrit
Different paths may describe the same truth in different words.
Let noble thoughts come to us from every side.
आ नो भद्राः क्रतवो यन्तु विश्वतः
ā no bhadrāḥ kratavo yantu viśvataḥ
Ṛgveda 1.89.1 NIVARTHI rendering from the Sanskrit
Goodness and wisdom can reach us from anywhere, if we stay open to them.
Health is the greatest of gifts, contentedness the best riches; trust is the best of relationships, Nirvana the highest happiness.
Dhammapada verse 204 Tr. F. Max Müller, 1881 (Sacred Books of the East, vol. 10)
Simple goods, health, contentment and trust, are true riches.
Another teaching →
Something to try
Stay with it for a few slow breaths. Notice where in your body you feel at ease.
A question to sit with
What helped you arrive at this calm?
Feeling sad
Sadness is a natural response to loss or disappointment. It deserves gentleness, not hurry.
Lift yourself by your own self; do not let yourself sink. The self alone is your friend, and the self alone your foe.
उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत्। आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मनः॥
uddhared ātmanātmānaṃ nātmānam avasādayet · ātmaiva hy ātmano bandhur ātmaiva ripur ātmanaḥ
Bhagavad Gītā 6.5 NIVARTHI rendering from the Sanskrit
No one else can do our inner work for us. The same mind that pulls us down can learn to lift us up.
The touch of the senses brings cold and heat, pleasure and pain. They come and they go; they do not last. Bear them patiently.
मात्रास्पर्शास्तु कौन्तेय शीतोष्णसुखदुःखदाः। आगमापायिनोऽनित्यास्तांस्तितिक्षस्व भारत॥
mātrāsparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṇasukhaduḥkhadāḥ · āgamāpāyino ’nityās tāṃs titikṣasva bhārata
Bhagavad Gītā 2.14 NIVARTHI rendering from the Sanskrit
Feelings, however strong, are visitors. Patience lets them pass without taking over.
Lead me from the unreal to the real. From darkness to light. From death to the deathless.
असतो मा सद्गमय। तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय। मृत्योर्मा अमृतं गमय॥
asato mā sad gamaya · tamaso mā jyotir gamaya · mṛtyor mā amṛtaṃ gamaya
Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad 1.3.28 NIVARTHI rendering from the Sanskrit
A prayer for clarity: to move from confusion towards what is true, from darkness towards light.
Man! Thou art thy own friend; why wishest thou for a friend beyond thyself?
Ācārāṅga Sūtra Book I, Lecture 3, Lesson 3 Tr. Hermann Jacobi, 1884 (Sacred Books of the East, vol. 22)
We can learn to be a good companion to ourselves, steady and kind.
So, verily, with every difficulty, there is relief: Verily, with every difficulty there is relief.
The Qur’an 94:5–6 Tr. Abdullah Yusuf Ali, 1934
Hardship is never the whole story; relief accompanies it.
For His anger is but for a moment, His favour is for a life-time; Weeping may tarry for the night, But joy cometh in the morning.
Psalms 30:6 Jewish Publication Society Tanakh, 1917
Sorrow is real, and it is not permanent.
Another teaching →
Something to try
Be kind to yourself today. Rest, step outside, or talk to someone you trust.
A question to sit with
If a dear friend felt this way, what would you offer them? Can you offer it to yourself?
Feeling worried
Worry often means you care about how things turn out.
Your right is to the action alone, never to its fruits. Do not act for the reward, and do not cling to inaction.
कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन। मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि॥
karmaṇy evādhikāras te mā phaleṣu kadācana · mā karmaphalahetur bhūr mā te saṅgo ’stv akarmaṇi
Bhagavad Gītā 2.47 NIVARTHI rendering from the Sanskrit
Give full care to what is in your hands, and hold the outcome lightly.
The touch of the senses brings cold and heat, pleasure and pain. They come and they go; they do not last. Bear them patiently.
मात्रास्पर्शास्तु कौन्तेय शीतोष्णसुखदुःखदाः। आगमापायिनोऽनित्यास्तांस्तितिक्षस्व भारत॥
mātrāsparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṇasukhaduḥkhadāḥ · āgamāpāyino ’nityās tāṃs titikṣasva bhārata
Bhagavad Gītā 2.14 NIVARTHI rendering from the Sanskrit
Feelings, however strong, are visitors. Patience lets them pass without taking over.
All that we are is the result of what we have thought: it is founded on our thoughts, it is made up of our thoughts.
Dhammapada verse 1 Tr. F. Max Müller, 1881 (Sacred Books of the East, vol. 10)
Our habits of thought shape how we experience life.
If thou art pained by any external thing, it is not this thing that disturbs thee, but thy own judgment about it. And it is in thy power to wipe out this judgment now.
Meditations, Marcus Aurelius 8.47 Tr. George Long, 1862
We cannot always change events, but we can change how we judge them.
There are more things, Lucilius, likely to frighten us than there are to crush us; we suffer more often in imagination than in reality.
Letters to Lucilius, Seneca Letter 13 Tr. Richard M. Gummere, 1917
Much of our suffering comes from imagined futures, not from what is actually happening.
Another teaching →
Something to try
Write the worry down. Circle the part you can influence and choose one small step.
A question to sit with
Which part of this is within your control today?
Feeling anxious
Anxiety can feel overwhelming. It does pass.
Your right is to the action alone, never to its fruits. Do not act for the reward, and do not cling to inaction.
कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन। मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि॥
karmaṇy evādhikāras te mā phaleṣu kadācana · mā karmaphalahetur bhūr mā te saṅgo ’stv akarmaṇi
Bhagavad Gītā 2.47 NIVARTHI rendering from the Sanskrit
Give full care to what is in your hands, and hold the outcome lightly.
Without doubt the mind is restless and hard to hold. Yet through steady practice and letting go, it can be held.
असंशयं महाबाहो मनो दुर्निग्रहं चलम्। अभ्यासेन तु कौन्तेय वैराग्येण च गृह्यते॥
asaṃśayaṃ mahābāho mano durnigrahaṃ calam · abhyāsena tu kaunteya vairāgyeṇa ca gṛhyate
Bhagavad Gītā 6.35 NIVARTHI rendering from the Sanskrit
A restless mind is normal, not a failure. Practice, not force, brings it home.
Conquer your own mind, and you conquer the world.
ਮਨਿ ਜੀਤੈ ਜਗੁ ਜੀਤੁ
mani jītai jagu jītu
Japjī Sāhib, Guru Nānak Pauṛī 28 · Sri Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 6 NIVARTHI rendering from the Gurmukhi
Peace with the world begins with peace within.
If thou art pained by any external thing, it is not this thing that disturbs thee, but thy own judgment about it. And it is in thy power to wipe out this judgment now.
Meditations, Marcus Aurelius 8.47 Tr. George Long, 1862
We cannot always change events, but we can change how we judge them.
There are more things, Lucilius, likely to frighten us than there are to crush us; we suffer more often in imagination than in reality.
Letters to Lucilius, Seneca Letter 13 Tr. Richard M. Gummere, 1917
Much of our suffering comes from imagined futures, not from what is actually happening.
Another teaching →
A question to sit with
What is one thing you can see, one you can hear and one you can touch right now?
Feeling frustrated
Frustration usually means something important to you is being blocked.
The touch of the senses brings cold and heat, pleasure and pain. They come and they go; they do not last. Bear them patiently.
मात्रास्पर्शास्तु कौन्तेय शीतोष्णसुखदुःखदाः। आगमापायिनोऽनित्यास्तांस्तितिक्षस्व भारत॥
mātrāsparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṇasukhaduḥkhadāḥ · āgamāpāyino ’nityās tāṃs titikṣasva bhārata
Bhagavad Gītā 2.14 NIVARTHI rendering from the Sanskrit
Feelings, however strong, are visitors. Patience lets them pass without taking over.
The way to correct those who wrong you: do them good, so that they feel ashamed, and let the matter go.
இன்னாசெய் தாரை ஒறுத்தல் அவர்நாண நன்னயஞ் செய்து விடல்
iṉṉācey tārai oṟuttal avarnāṇa naṉṉayañ ceytu viṭal
Tirukkuṟaḷ 314 NIVARTHI rendering from the Tamil
Kindness can answer harm more powerfully than revenge, and it frees us from carrying the hurt.
When trouble comes, smile. Nothing meets and overcomes trouble as well as that.
இடுக்கண் வருங்கால் நகுக அதனை அடுத்தூர்வது அஃதொப்ப தில்
iṭukkaṇ varuṅkāl nakuka ataṉai aṭuttūrvatu aḵtoppa til
Tirukkuṟaḷ 621 NIVARTHI rendering from the Tamil
A light heart is not denial. It keeps us steady enough to deal with the difficulty.
For hatred does not cease by hatred at any time: hatred ceases by love, this is an old rule.
Dhammapada verse 5 Tr. F. Max Müller, 1881 (Sacred Books of the East, vol. 10)
Answering anger with anger only feeds it. Kindness ends the cycle.
If one man conquer in battle a thousand times thousand men, and if another conquer himself, he is the greatest of conquerors.
Dhammapada verse 103 Tr. F. Max Müller, 1881 (Sacred Books of the East, vol. 10)
The hardest and most worthwhile victory is over our own impulses.
Though a man should conquer thousands and thousands of valiant (foes), greater will be his victory if he conquers nobody but himself.
Uttarādhyayana Sūtra 9.34 Tr. Hermann Jacobi, 1895 (Sacred Books of the East, vol. 45)
Mastery of ourselves is worth more than any victory over others.
Conquer your own mind, and you conquer the world.
ਮਨਿ ਜੀਤੈ ਜਗੁ ਜੀਤੁ
mani jītai jagu jītu
Japjī Sāhib, Guru Nānak Pauṛī 28 · Sri Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 6 NIVARTHI rendering from the Gurmukhi
Peace with the world begins with peace within.
If thou art pained by any external thing, it is not this thing that disturbs thee, but thy own judgment about it. And it is in thy power to wipe out this judgment now.
Meditations, Marcus Aurelius 8.47 Tr. George Long, 1862
We cannot always change events, but we can change how we judge them.
Is not reciprocity such a word? What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.
Analects of Confucius XV.23 Tr. James Legge, 1861
One simple test guides a good life: treat others as you would wish to be treated.
Another teaching →
Something to try
Pause before you respond. A short walk or a few deep breaths can lower the heat.
A question to sit with
What do you need here, and how could you ask for it calmly?
Feeling disappointed
Disappointment shows you hoped for something. That hope is not wasted.
Lift yourself by your own self; do not let yourself sink. The self alone is your friend, and the self alone your foe.
उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत्। आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मनः॥
uddhared ātmanātmānaṃ nātmānam avasādayet · ātmaiva hy ātmano bandhur ātmaiva ripur ātmanaḥ
Bhagavad Gītā 6.5 NIVARTHI rendering from the Sanskrit
No one else can do our inner work for us. The same mind that pulls us down can learn to lift us up.
Your right is to the action alone, never to its fruits. Do not act for the reward, and do not cling to inaction.
कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन। मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि॥
karmaṇy evādhikāras te mā phaleṣu kadācana · mā karmaphalahetur bhūr mā te saṅgo ’stv akarmaṇi
Bhagavad Gītā 2.47 NIVARTHI rendering from the Sanskrit
Give full care to what is in your hands, and hold the outcome lightly.
All this, whatever moves in this moving world, is dwelt in by the divine. Enjoy it by letting go. Do not covet what belongs to another.
ईशा वास्यमिदं सर्वं यत्किञ्च जगत्यां जगत्। तेन त्यक्तेन भुञ्जीथा मा गृधः कस्यस्विद्धनम्॥
īśā vāsyam idaṃ sarvaṃ yat kiñca jagatyāṃ jagat · tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā mā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanam
Īśa Upaniṣad 1 NIVARTHI rendering from the Sanskrit
We enjoy life most when we hold it lightly, without grasping.
When trouble comes, smile. Nothing meets and overcomes trouble as well as that.
இடுக்கண் வருங்கால் நகுக அதனை அடுத்தூர்வது அஃதொப்ப தில்
iṭukkaṇ varuṅkāl nakuka ataṉai aṭuttūrvatu aḵtoppa til
Tirukkuṟaḷ 621 NIVARTHI rendering from the Tamil
A light heart is not denial. It keeps us steady enough to deal with the difficulty.
So, verily, with every difficulty, there is relief: Verily, with every difficulty there is relief.
The Qur’an 94:5–6 Tr. Abdullah Yusuf Ali, 1934
Hardship is never the whole story; relief accompanies it.
Another teaching →
Something to try
Acknowledge the loss honestly. Then ask what can still be learned or saved.
A question to sit with
What did this teach you about what matters to you?
Feeling confused
Not knowing is uncomfortable, and it is often where clarity begins.
Without doubt the mind is restless and hard to hold. Yet through steady practice and letting go, it can be held.
असंशयं महाबाहो मनो दुर्निग्रहं चलम्। अभ्यासेन तु कौन्तेय वैराग्येण च गृह्यते॥
asaṃśayaṃ mahābāho mano durnigrahaṃ calam · abhyāsena tu kaunteya vairāgyeṇa ca gṛhyate
Bhagavad Gītā 6.35 NIVARTHI rendering from the Sanskrit
A restless mind is normal, not a failure. Practice, not force, brings it home.
Lead me from the unreal to the real. From darkness to light. From death to the deathless.
असतो मा सद्गमय। तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय। मृत्योर्मा अमृतं गमय॥
asato mā sad gamaya · tamaso mā jyotir gamaya · mṛtyor mā amṛtaṃ gamaya
Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad 1.3.28 NIVARTHI rendering from the Sanskrit
A prayer for clarity: to move from confusion towards what is true, from darkness towards light.
Learn thoroughly what is worth learning, and then live by what you have learnt.
கற்க கசடறக் கற்பவை கற்றபின் நிற்க அதற்குத் தக
kaṟka kasaṭaṟak kaṟpavai kaṟṟapin niṟka adaṟkut taka
Tirukkuṟaḷ 391 NIVARTHI rendering from the Tamil
Knowledge matters most when it changes how we live.
All that we are is the result of what we have thought: it is founded on our thoughts, it is made up of our thoughts.
Dhammapada verse 1 Tr. F. Max Müller, 1881 (Sacred Books of the East, vol. 10)
Our habits of thought shape how we experience life.
Conquer your own mind, and you conquer the world.
ਮਨਿ ਜੀਤੈ ਜਗੁ ਜੀਤੁ
mani jītai jagu jītu
Japjī Sāhib, Guru Nānak Pauṛī 28 · Sri Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 6 NIVARTHI rendering from the Gurmukhi
Peace with the world begins with peace within.
Another teaching →
Something to try
Write out the options without judging them. Sleep on it if you can.
A question to sit with
What do you already know for certain, even if it is small?
Feeling grateful
Gratitude is a quiet kind of joy.
All this, whatever moves in this moving world, is dwelt in by the divine. Enjoy it by letting go. Do not covet what belongs to another.
ईशा वास्यमिदं सर्वं यत्किञ्च जगत्यां जगत्। तेन त्यक्तेन भुञ्जीथा मा गृधः कस्यस्विद्धनम्॥
īśā vāsyam idaṃ sarvaṃ yat kiñca jagatyāṃ jagat · tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā mā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanam
Īśa Upaniṣad 1 NIVARTHI rendering from the Sanskrit
We enjoy life most when we hold it lightly, without grasping.
May all be happy. May all be free from illness. May all see what is good. May no one suffer.
सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः। सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु मा कश्चिद्दुःखभाग्भवेत्॥
sarve bhavantu sukhinaḥ sarve santu nirāmayāḥ · sarve bhadrāṇi paśyantu mā kaścid duḥkhabhāg bhavet
Śānti prayer NIVARTHI rendering from the Sanskrit
Our own happiness grows when we wish it for everyone, without exception.
Health is the greatest of gifts, contentedness the best riches; trust is the best of relationships, Nirvana the highest happiness.
Dhammapada verse 204 Tr. F. Max Müller, 1881 (Sacred Books of the East, vol. 10)
Simple goods, health, contentment and trust, are true riches.
Another teaching →
Something to try
Write down three things you are grateful for, or thank someone directly.
A question to sit with
Who has made a difference to you that you have not yet thanked?
Feeling hopeful
Hope is a strength. It helps you take the next step.
Lead me from the unreal to the real. From darkness to light. From death to the deathless.
असतो मा सद्गमय। तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय। मृत्योर्मा अमृतं गमय॥
asato mā sad gamaya · tamaso mā jyotir gamaya · mṛtyor mā amṛtaṃ gamaya
Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad 1.3.28 NIVARTHI rendering from the Sanskrit
A prayer for clarity: to move from confusion towards what is true, from darkness towards light.
Let noble thoughts come to us from every side.
आ नो भद्राः क्रतवो यन्तु विश्वतः
ā no bhadrāḥ kratavo yantu viśvataḥ
Ṛgveda 1.89.1 NIVARTHI rendering from the Sanskrit
Goodness and wisdom can reach us from anywhere, if we stay open to them.
May all be happy. May all be free from illness. May all see what is good. May no one suffer.
सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः। सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु मा कश्चिद्दुःखभाग्भवेत्॥
sarve bhavantu sukhinaḥ sarve santu nirāmayāḥ · sarve bhadrāṇi paśyantu mā kaścid duḥkhabhāg bhavet
Śānti prayer NIVARTHI rendering from the Sanskrit
Our own happiness grows when we wish it for everyone, without exception.
Arise. Awake. Seek out the wise, and learn.
उत्तिष्ठत जाग्रत प्राप्य वरान्निबोधत
uttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpya varān nibodhata
Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.3.14 NIVARTHI rendering from the Sanskrit
Growth begins with waking up to our own potential, and with the humility to learn from others.
When trouble comes, smile. Nothing meets and overcomes trouble as well as that.
இடுக்கண் வருங்கால் நகுக அதனை அடுத்தூர்வது அஃதொப்ப தில்
iṭukkaṇ varuṅkāl nakuka ataṉai aṭuttūrvatu aḵtoppa til
Tirukkuṟaḷ 621 NIVARTHI rendering from the Tamil
A light heart is not denial. It keeps us steady enough to deal with the difficulty.
So, verily, with every difficulty, there is relief: Verily, with every difficulty there is relief.
The Qur’an 94:5–6 Tr. Abdullah Yusuf Ali, 1934
Hardship is never the whole story; relief accompanies it.
For His anger is but for a moment, His favour is for a life-time; Weeping may tarry for the night, But joy cometh in the morning.
Psalms 30:6 Jewish Publication Society Tanakh, 1917
Sorrow is real, and it is not permanent.
Another teaching →
Something to try
Turn hope into a plan: one goal, one likely obstacle, one way through it.
A question to sit with
What would one small step towards what you hope for look like this week?
Feeling exhausted
Exhaustion is a signal, not a weakness.
Lift yourself by your own self; do not let yourself sink. The self alone is your friend, and the self alone your foe.
उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत्। आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मनः॥
uddhared ātmanātmānaṃ nātmānam avasādayet · ātmaiva hy ātmano bandhur ātmaiva ripur ātmanaḥ
Bhagavad Gītā 6.5 NIVARTHI rendering from the Sanskrit
No one else can do our inner work for us. The same mind that pulls us down can learn to lift us up.
For one who is balanced in food and rest, in effort at work, and in sleep and waking, practice becomes a remover of sorrow.
युक्ताहारविहारस्य युक्तचेष्टस्य कर्मसु। युक्तस्वप्नावबोधस्य योगो भवति दुःखहा॥
yuktāhāravihārasya yuktaceṣṭasya karmasu · yuktasvapnāvabodhasya yogo bhavati duḥkhahā
Bhagavad Gītā 6.17 NIVARTHI rendering from the Sanskrit
Calm grows from balance: enough rest, enough nourishment, and effort that does not run on empty.
For His anger is but for a moment, His favour is for a life-time; Weeping may tarry for the night, But joy cometh in the morning.
Psalms 30:6 Jewish Publication Society Tanakh, 1917
Sorrow is real, and it is not permanent.
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Gospel of Matthew 11:28 King James Version, 1611
An invitation to set down heavy burdens and rest.
Another teaching →
A question to sit with
What is draining you most, and what could you set down, even for a day?
Feeling reflective
Reflective moments are where understanding deepens.
All this, whatever moves in this moving world, is dwelt in by the divine. Enjoy it by letting go. Do not covet what belongs to another.
ईशा वास्यमिदं सर्वं यत्किञ्च जगत्यां जगत्। तेन त्यक्तेन भुञ्जीथा मा गृधः कस्यस्विद्धनम्॥
īśā vāsyam idaṃ sarvaṃ yat kiñca jagatyāṃ jagat · tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā mā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanam
Īśa Upaniṣad 1 NIVARTHI rendering from the Sanskrit
We enjoy life most when we hold it lightly, without grasping.
Truth is one. The wise speak of it in many ways.
एकं सद्विप्रा बहुधा वदन्ति
ekaṃ sad viprā bahudhā vadanti
Ṛgveda 1.164.46 NIVARTHI rendering from the Sanskrit
Different paths may describe the same truth in different words.
Arise. Awake. Seek out the wise, and learn.
उत्तिष्ठत जाग्रत प्राप्य वरान्निबोधत
uttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpya varān nibodhata
Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.3.14 NIVARTHI rendering from the Sanskrit
Growth begins with waking up to our own potential, and with the humility to learn from others.
Learn thoroughly what is worth learning, and then live by what you have learnt.
கற்க கசடறக் கற்பவை கற்றபின் நிற்க அதற்குத் தக
kaṟka kasaṭaṟak kaṟpavai kaṟṟapin niṟka adaṟkut taka
Tirukkuṟaḷ 391 NIVARTHI rendering from the Tamil
Knowledge matters most when it changes how we live.
All that we are is the result of what we have thought: it is founded on our thoughts, it is made up of our thoughts.
Dhammapada verse 1 Tr. F. Max Müller, 1881 (Sacred Books of the East, vol. 10)
Our habits of thought shape how we experience life.
If one man conquer in battle a thousand times thousand men, and if another conquer himself, he is the greatest of conquerors.
Dhammapada verse 103 Tr. F. Max Müller, 1881 (Sacred Books of the East, vol. 10)
The hardest and most worthwhile victory is over our own impulses.
Man! Thou art thy own friend; why wishest thou for a friend beyond thyself?
Ācārāṅga Sūtra Book I, Lecture 3, Lesson 3 Tr. Hermann Jacobi, 1884 (Sacred Books of the East, vol. 22)
We can learn to be a good companion to ourselves, steady and kind.
Is not reciprocity such a word? What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.
Analects of Confucius XV.23 Tr. James Legge, 1861
One simple test guides a good life: treat others as you would wish to be treated.
Another teaching →
Something to try
Take ten minutes to write freely. Let thoughts arrive without editing them.
A question to sit with
What has this season of your life been teaching you?
About these teachings Every quotation names its source and translation. Where no suitable published translation exists, the English is NIVARTHI’s own rendering from the original language, and is labelled so. Teachings are offered for reflection, not as advice.
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