NUGGETS OF WISDOM - 116

·        “When we get angry, we suffer. If you really understand that, you also will be able to understand that when the other person is angry, it means that she is suffering. When someone insults you or behaves violently towards you, you have to be intelligent enough to see that the person suffers from his own violence and anger. But we tend to forget. We think that we are the only one that suffers, and the other person is our oppressor. This is enough to make anger arise, and to strengthen our desire to punish. We want to punish the other person because we suffer. Then, we have anger in us; we have violence in us, just as they do. When we see that our suffering and anger are no different from their suffering and anger, we will behave more compassionately. So understanding the other is understanding yourself, and understanding yourself is understanding the other person. Everything must begin with you.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh 

• ·        “According to the Buddha’s teachings, the most basic condition for happiness is freedom. Here we do not mean political freedom, but freedom from the mental formations of anger, despair, jealousy, and delusion.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh 
  ·        “When things are shaky and nothing is working, we might realize that we are on the verge of something. We might realize that this is a very vulnerable and tender place, and that tenderness can go either way. We can shut down and feel resentful or we can touch in on that throbbing quality.” ~ Pema Chödrön
  ·        “Suppose an enemy has hurt you in his own domain, why should you annoy yourself and hurt your mind in your own domain?
  Suppose someone, to annoy, provokes you to do some evil act, why allow anger to arise and thus do exactly as he wants you to do?” ~ Visuddhi Magga
  ·        Nothing travels faster than the speed of light, with the possible exception of bad news, which obeys its own special law.
  ·        The better part of valour is discretion. – William Shakespeare
  ·        The computer is not better than its program. – Elting Elomore Morison
  ·        Our entire life consists ultimately in accepting ourselves as we are. – Jean Anoilh
  ·        “Generosity consists not the sum given, but the manner in which it is bestowed.”—Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi