Quotes From Classes

“The next time you think, ‘If only—‘ or ‘It would be better if—,” instead of simply following that thought, make space to recall that this dissatisfaction, this dukkha, is the first seal. It’s what everyone you know feels all the time. Let yourself be knocked off balance by the realization that in this way, you are deeply connected to everyone you’ve ever met or ever not met, that on this level, their experience of the world is just like yours. You know them.
When you watch rain fall or feel a conversation end, when a scar fades or the sun moves in the sky, let impermanence (anicca, the second seal) wash over you. Don’t resist it; don’t blink. See that bird fly away, see the beauty of it, and know that you will be different tomorrow and that one day you will die. It’s the same for everyone, and it always has been.
The last seal is anatta, non-self. Feel how a sunny day lifts you up, or how an angry word brings you down. Observe how you are different with your kids than with your pet than with your boss, and recognize that nothing you do happens in isolation, that you’re touched by everything and everyone around you. Accept that they shape you, and as you do, allow for the fact that you are in turn shaping them, both in ways that in are in your control and in ways you can never know.”

“As a species we’re still struggling to find a middle way, to steer a wise course through the extremes of fanaticism, greed, nihilism, rage, and despair. The ancient wisdom of the eightfold path offers eight matrixes that are powerfully relevant today as a guide to help us navigate these extremes and bring a meaningful direction to our daily lives, actions, and relationships. All elements the eightfold path inter-are...All eight elements are interrelated and interdependent. They enhance each other. When practiced deeply, each element of the path contains the other seven within it, and they complement each other to create a complete path to liberation.””