I’ve always loved the religious philosophy of Zen Buddhism, for many reasons, and one of those reasons is that just by speaking a few words, Zen masters are able to transmit tremendously important messages that are of immense value to all seekers on the path to spiritual awakening. Here you will find for yourself a collection of some (100!) of the best zen sayings and proverbs of all time, which will hopefully help you see yourself and the world with new, fresh eyes.

The Present Moment and Mindfulness

“This is the real secret of life — to be completely engaged with what you are doing in the here and now. And instead of calling it work, realize it is play.”- Alan Watts

“The only thing that is ultimately real about your journey is the step that you are taking at this moment. That’s all there ever is.”- Eckhart Tolle

The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance. – Alan Watts

A rough day at work, a big fight with your spouse, the loss of a loved one, a setback in your business, personal issues you can’t seem to get away from, the fight of addiction, and countless other challenges.

We all have different types of challenges, but we all have challenges.

We all have stresses, we all experience pain, and we all ultimately suffer in some way and at some point in our lives.

But this doesn’t mean that’s all there is. Life is2n’t some big dark ball of sadness and tough times. If you know how, you can completely transform your challenges into moments of great love, gratitude, and appreciation.

Perhaps this enlightenment you seek is your coming to the point when and where you realize what matters -- the merit of life itself on Earth, life and love, the Oneness of All Life. As you discover the Fullness of Love in its entirety, you know, once and for all, that your cup runneth over.

Yes, life and love matter, and they are inevitable. Life and love are soaring and unstoppable. And so it is. In life, you discover Life itself and the quality and abundance of love, the discovery of Self, the finding of Self and recovering of it, uncovering what was always there yet hidden from your view and the view of the populace. Now you are finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, the bluebird of happiness in your own back yard, and God in Heaven, and you find that all is well.

As you arrive at this point, what uproarious laughter We, you and I, will have. We will roll on the floor. We will not be able to get up. We will not be able to stop laughing. You will see what has always been, and you will begin to discover your True Standing in the Universe.

For so long, while on Earth, each Child of Mine, including you, plays the part of a fool, a serious fool, a joker in a deck of cards, taking himself and current events with such seriousness and naiveté, perhaps a scholarly fool yet a scholar who is fooled, who fools himself and becomes one of the crowd on Earth, taking a fool’s errand as if that were the sum and substance of life when, all the while, Infinity stares him in the face.

By Andreas Toupadakis, PhD

Contributing Writer for Wake Up World

Taking the Peace Movement from the Classes to the Masses

“Disobedience to be civil must be sincere, respectful, restrained, must be based upon some well-understood principle, must not be capricious and, above all, must have no ill will or hatred behind it.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi

During a successful career in industrial and classified-government positions, I quit my role maintaining nuclear weaponry, realizing that government scientific programs are only interested in developing systems of war, not peace.

After I resigned, naturally I found myself in the activities of the world peace movement. During one of these early activities in the United States, someone came to me and asked me, “Do you plan to be arrested today?” For a moment I was lost, and I did not know what to answer. I thought being arrested for speaking out about what I believed was a possibility, but I thought it would be quite remote if not impossible. “No”, I answered in confusion.

If you want to be a great leader, you must learn to follow the Tao.
Stop trying to control. Let go of fixed plans and concepts, and the world will govern itself.

The more prohibitions you have,
the less virtuous people will be.
The more weapons you have, the less secure people will be. The more subsidies you have,
the less self-reliant people will be.

Therefore the Master says: I let go of the law, and people become honest.
I let go of economics, and people become prosperous. I let go of religion and people become serene.
I let go of all desire for the common good, and the good becomes common as grass.

If a country is governed with tolerance, the people are comfortable and honest.
If a country is governed with repression, the people are depressed and crafty.