Come what may, all bad fortune is to be conquered by endurance. – Virgil What does that mean? To me, this quote says that no matter how or why it happens, bad fortune (an unfortunate turns of events) can only be conquered by enduring it. In other words, when things don’t work out the way…
Ordinary riches can be stolen; real riches cannot. In your soul are infinitely precious things that cannot be taken from you. – Oscar Wilde What does that mean? Ordinary riches are the things we buy, keep, hoard, hide and treasure. Those can be protected, but they can still be stolen. The riches of your soul,…
We should value our enemies because they provide us with unique opportunities to practice patience, tolerance and forbearance. – Dalai Lama What does that mean? He is asking us to consider the benefits of having someone who opposes you (I dislike the term ‘enemy’). It might be the mean kids(s) at school, a sibling (or two), or your boss….
Forgive yourself for your faults and your mistakes and move on. – Les Brown What does that mean? To me, it talks of the futility of reliving the past. Dragging the anchors of your failures with you as you try to move into the future is not going to let you get very far. After…
Half the lies they tell about me aren’t true. – Yogi Berra What does that mean? I love this guy, he has a problem with thinking so much faster than he speaks, and sometimes crossing his wires. I have the same problem, but not to the same extent as he does (or at least I…
One cannot refuse to eat just because there is a chance of being choked. – Chinese Proverbs What does that mean? To me, this speaks to fear – a fear that paralyzes, a fear that stops us dead in our tracks. What would happen to us if we were to stop eating? You’d die pretty…
Anger and intolerance are the enemies of correct understanding. – Mohandas Gandhi What does that mean? While the term “correct under-standing” shows up repeatedly in Buddhist writings, I am told by a reliable source (a Zen Assistant-Priest) that the English words mean exactly what you’d expect. So, let’s start out with a definition of the…
