Pages

Search This Blog

Friday, November 15, 2019

We are the guards at our prison gate of self ignorance


It is a new day, and this day like every day today offers us another chance to learn and grow.
Thich Nhat Hanh the Vietnamese Buddhist monk and peace activist, founder of the Plum Village Tradition, and author of over 100 books said:
"The real power of the Buddha was that he had so much love. He saw people trapped in their notions of small separate self, feeling guilty or proud of that self, and he offered revolutionary teachings that resounded like a lion's roar, like a great rising tide, helping people to wake up and break free from the prison of ignorance."
I love how he dismantles the notion of the separate self, and the need to wake up, and free ourselves from that prison of self. That notion of breaking free of our private self, and waking up speaks deeply to my sense of faith. It reminds of another quote from that Great Soul Marcus Garvey:
“We are going to emancipate ourselves from mental slavery, for though others may free the body, none but ourselves can free the mind. Mind is our only ruler; sovereign.”

There is so much to learn from others, and all we really need do is open that self prison of ignorance gate...Remember we are the only guards at that gate, and none, but ourselves can free our minds.

Peace, Love, Joy, and may hope always follow you all the days of your life,
Jesse The Walking Man Turner

If you like to listen to the song that inspired my walk this morning it Leon Bridges cover of that Sam Cooke song "River" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_paZpQvca0 





No comments:

Post a Comment