Matthieu Ricard, PhD, is a French Buddhist monk, author, translator, humanitarian, and photographer. He’s best known for his work on happiness, altruism, veganism, and the link between ancient wisdom and science.
CLEAR ALL
'Knock and it shall be opened.’ But does knocking mean hammering and kicking the door like a maniac?
Praying is talking to the Universe. Meditation is listening to it.
Meditation practice isn't about trying to throw ourselves away and become something better. It's about befriending who we are already.
1
Excessive use of external motivation can slow and even stop your journey to mastery.
Learning any new skill involves relatively brief spurts of progress, each of which is followed by a slight decline to a plateau somewhat higher in most cases than that which preceded it . . . the upward spurts vary; the plateaus have their own dips and rises along the way. . . .
What we call ‘mastery’ can be defined as that mysterious process through which what is at first difficult or even impossible becomes easy and pleasurable through diligent, patient, long-term practice.
Indecision leads to inaction, which leads to low energy, depression, despair.
2
Ultimately, nothing in this life is ‘commonplace,’ nothing is ‘in between.’ The threads that join your every act, your every thought, are infinite. All paths of mastery eventually merge. [Each person has a] vantage point that offers a truth of its own.
Happiness is closer to the experience of acceptance and contentment than it is to pleasure. True happiness exists as the spacious and compassionate heart’s willingness to feel whatever is present.
Resolve to do the things you find to be difficult. That’s what confident people do. They tackle those things that are scary and they get addicted to doing it.