The Sermon on the Mount portrays God as feeling love towards us regardless of what we do—that we can never be separated from God’s love, and can only feel that we are when we act in a way that’s contrary to God, through selfish thoughts or behavior.
— Excerpted from The Truth as I See It: A Collection of Spiritual Writings by Adam Soto (p. 75)
“We are what we think.
All that we are arises with our
thoughts
With our thoughts we make the
world.
“Speak or act with an impure mind
And trouble will follow you
As the wheel follows the ox that draws
the cart.
“We are what we think.
All that we are arises with our
thoughts
With our thoughts we make the
world.
“Speak or act with a pure mind
And happiness will follow you
As your shadow, unshakable.”
–Buddha, The Dhammapada, Thomas Byrom translation
“He that loveth, flieth, runneth, and rejoiceth. He is free, and cannot be held in. He giveth all for all, and hath all in all, because he resteth in one highest above all things, from whom all that is good flows and proceeds.”
– Thomas a Kempis
Source: https://www.bmcm.org/inspiration/thought-day/he-that-loveth-flieth-runneth-and-rejoic/
A grocer came to the Master in great distress to say that across the way from his shop they had opened a large chain store that would drive him out of business. His family had owned his shop for a century—and to lose it now would be his undoing, for there was nothing else he was skilled at.
Said the Master, “If you fear the owner of the chain store, you will hate him. And hatred will be your undoing.”
“What shall I do?” said the distraught grocer?
“Each morning walk out of your shop onto the sidewalk and bless your shop, wishing it prosperity. Then turn to face the chain store and bless it too.”
“What? Bless my competitor and destroyer?”
“Any blessing you give him will rebound to your good. Any evil you wish him will destroy you.”
After six months the grocer returned to report that he had had to close down his shop as he had feared, but he was now in charge of the chain store and his affairs were in better shape than ever before.
– Anthony de Mello, One Minute Wisdom
A little old couple walked slowly into a fast-food restaurant one cold winter evening. They looked out of place amidst the young families and young couples eating there that night. Some of the customers looked admiringly at them, and you could tell what the admirers were thinking: “Look, there is a couple who has been through so much together, probably for 60 years or more!” The little old man walked right up to the cash register, placed his order with no hesitation and then paid for their meal. The couple took a table near the back wall and started taking food off of the tray. There was one veggie burger, one order of French fries and one drink. The little old man unwrapped the plain veggie burger and carefully cut it in half. He placed one half in front of his wife. Then he carefully counted out the French fries, divided them in two piles and neatly placed one pile in front of his wife. He took a sip of the drink, his wife took a sip and then set the cup down between them.
As the man began to eat his few bites of veggie burger the crowd began to get restless. Again you could tell what they were thinking. “That poor old couple. All they can afford is one meal for the two of them.” As the man began to eat his French fries one young man stood and came over to the old couples’ table. He politely offered to buy another meal for the old couple to eat. The old man replied that they were just fine. They were used to sharing everything.
Then the crowd noticed that the little old lady hadn’t eaten a bite. She just sat there watching her husband eat and occasionally taking turns sipping the drink. Again the young man came over and begged them to let him buy them something to eat. This time the lady explained that no, they were used to sharing everything together.
As the little old man finished eating and was wiping his face neatly with a napkin, the young man could stand it no longer. Again he came over to their table and offered to buy some food. After being politely refused again he finally asked a question of the little old lady. “Ma’am, why aren’t you eating? You said that you share everything. What is it that you are waiting for?” After a long pause, she answered… “The teeth.” And within a few moments the old man gave her their one set of dentures.
Source: http://www.enlightened-spirituality.org/Spiritual_Humor.html
…If God’s love is perfect, my love needs to be perfect as well (or at least as perfect as I can make it), for it’s in this way that we become truly unified.
— Excerpted from The Truth as I See It: A Collection of Spiritual Writings by Adam Soto (p. 74)
“Everybody today seems to be in such a terrible rush, anxious for greater developments and greater riches and so on, so that children have very little time for their parents. Parents have very little time for each other, and in the home begins the disruption of the peace of the world.”
– Mother Teresa
Source: https://quotecatalog.com/quote/mother-teresa-everybody-today-L1NY4ea/
…It’s apparent when reading the Gospels that Jesus’ main focus was always on our relationships; specifically, our relationship with God and our relationships with those around us—with unification as the ultimate goal.
— Excerpted from The Truth as I See It: A Collection of Spiritual Writings by Adam Soto (p. 69)
The many interpretations of Jesus—both now and throughout history—are fraught with debate, and are significant for many reasons, most important of which is how they affect our relationship with God and the world around us. If someone’s image of God or Jesus allows room for hatred, judgment, or violence, it follows that they—too—will be hateful, violent, and judgmental. Therefore, it’s crucial that we examine—to the best of our abilities—God’s true nature, and furthermore, which interpretations of Jesus seem to hold the most amount of truth.
— Excerpted from The Truth as I See It: A Collection of Spiritual Writings by Adam Soto (p. 67)
…It’s in Jesus’ relationship with God that the meaning of his life seems to find its greatest expression, for it shows us that we, too, can have a relationship with God, a deep, life-altering—life-fulfilling—relationship, one that transcends time and space, and isn’t bound by mere flesh and blood; a relationship that’s not in some far off future, but is here—now—and always.
— Excerpted from The Truth as I See It: A Collection of Spiritual Writings by Adam Soto (p. 66-67)
Mind / Purpose / Truth 