Word of Wisdom

The good life is inspired by love and guided by knowledge.

The purpose of life is to become happy. The purpose of life is to challenge and triumph over the darkness of misery.

If you want to build a happy life, you have to give careful thought to the foundations. Happiness certainly cannot be secured on appearances or affectation. Happiness comes down to the inner state of our life at a given moment.

Genuine happiness is found in courage. Courage is the gateway to happiness.

A sense of duty is useful in work, but offensive in personal relations. People wish to be liked, not be endured with patient resignation.

For everything there is a season,
And a time for every matter under heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die;
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
A time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to seek, and a time to lose;
A time to keep, and a time to throw away;
A time to tear, and a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate,
A time for war, and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

I love you not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you. I love you not only for what you have made of yourself, but for what you are making of me. I love you for the part of me that you bring out.

Reality is harsh. It can be cruel and ugly. Yet no matter how much we grieve over our environment and circumstances nothing will change. What is important is not to be defeated, to forge ahead bravely. If we do this, a path will open before us.

As long as we are alive we will experience sufferings. But that does not mean we have to be unhappy. Unhappiness comes from allowing ourselves to be controlled by life's ups and downs-from feeling defeated, from losing hope, losing courage, losing the will to advance.

It is impossible to build one's own happiness on the unhappiness of others. This perspective is at the heart of Buddhist teachings.

One cannot expect to become happy without hardship or effort. Because we challenge ourselves we become strong. To become strong is to become happy.

Poverty is nothing to be ashamed of. What's disgraceful is to have an impoverished heart or to live dishonestly. Being born in a stately mansion is no guarantee of happiness, any more than being born in a shack dooms one to misery.