• When you feel that you are being treated unfairly, take a moment to reflect. You are living thanks to countless blessings you receive from nature—far beyond anything comparable to the unfairness you may perceive. Your heart beats, you can breathe, you can move and think; these things, which are almost miraculous, are all given by nature. If you can feel gratitude simply for being alive—for the very fact that you exist—you will have grasped one of the ultimate forms of happiness in this world.
• Even when we try to feel grateful in our minds, there are many times when we simply cannot. In such moments, try quietly looking at your own hands or feet. As you gaze at them, you begin to sense the blood circulating and the cells working to keep you alive, and a natural feeling of gratitude for being sustained will arise on its own.
• All living beings share the same origin—if we trace back through generations, we all return to the first life form. Similarly, everything that exists in the universe shares the same source—going back in time, we all originate from the birth of the universe. The ultimate origin of everything is one. The sense of separation between self and others is an illusion born from ego. Diminishing this illusion—by letting go of self-centeredness—leads to enlightenment and brings us closer to happiness.
• We live in three interwoven realms:
the world we can see, hear, and feel—the three-dimensional physical world;
the world of thoughts, preferences, and attachments—the world of the mind;
and the world of intuition—the world of the soul, or the realm governed by the laws of the universe.
These realms are continuous, with no clear boundaries between them. The latter realms are of higher dimension, and cherishing the highest one—the world of intuition—is the key to living rightly and happily. This is because the laws of the universe govern everything in this world.
The voice from the world of intuition reaches us in the form of sudden insights—those moments when something “just comes to mind.” It is often the case that such spontaneous intuitions prove to be more accurate than conclusions we forcefully construct through attachment-driven thinking.
• Relaxing the mind leads to relaxation in the body, resulting in better health. Relaxing the body also calms the mind, leading to happiness. In short, easing either the body or the mind brings both health and happiness.
• When you let go of self-centeredness, you automatically tune into the will of the universe. Then, your own thoughts become aligned with that will, and the world unfolds according to your desires.
• The thought that “things should be a certain way” toward ourselves or others, in most cases, arises from self-attachment. Even when it appears to be for the sake of justice or for the benefit of others, it is worth reflecting carefully on whether that thought may, in fact, come from self-attachment.
• The driving force of life comes from feeling that you are contributing to something beyond yourself.
• Releasing self-centered attachments can sometimes be very difficult—because those attachments themselves resist being removed. In such cases, stop thinking and focus solely on relaxing your body. As you do, natural energy will begin to flow through your body and mind, and self-centeredness will naturally diminish.
• The world around you is, in truth, a reflection of your own awareness. The world you perceive is shaped by your consciousness. If you perceive it as peaceful and happy, that is the world you live in. Even if something seems otherwise, if you believe it will eventually become something positive, then even that event is part of a peaceful, happy world. Time always brings change, and if you always envision things becoming better, then everything becomes part of a happy world. Like attracts like—this is often referred to as the law of attraction—and eventually, even seemingly negative events disappear, leaving only elements of a peaceful and happy world.
• The world around us exists, in reality, as a result of our own perception; in that sense, it can be said that the world is created by our own consciousness. From this viewpoint, the world may be understood as residing within us—or even as being identical with ourselves. If we perceive the world as peaceful and happy, then we are living in a peaceful and happy world. Even if certain events do not appear that way at first glance, by holding the awareness that they will eventually transform into something desirable, they already become elements of a peaceful and happy world. With the passage of time, circumstances inevitably change. If we continually maintain the awareness that things will change for the better, then everything, ultimately, becomes a component of a happy world. In fact, because “like attracts like” (often called the law of attraction), events that seem unpeaceful or unhappy will gradually disappear, until everything becomes part of a peaceful and happy world.
• Recognition accompanied by words becomes nen (focused thought or mindful intention). Nen is dynamic and seems to radiate outward from us like radio waves. The thoughts we emit resonate with similar thoughts—that is, they attract thoughts of the same kind. This is another expression of “like attracts like.” When we send out thoughts connected to peace and happiness, they invite peaceful and happy circumstances. Words are even more powerful when spoken aloud; by hearing our own voice, a feedback effect strengthens the intention behind them. By using words associated with peace and happiness, we attract even more peaceful and happy conditions. The more we use such words, the more peaceful and happy our lives become.
• There is a teaching attributed to the Buddha, as explained by Hiro Sachiya: When walking on a rough, uneven road (a difficult situation filled with worry or dissatisfaction), instead of trying to make the road smooth (trying to change the external circumstances), it is better to wear shoes that make you no longer feel the unevenness (cultivating a mind that does not experience worry or dissatisfaction). This teaching conveys the same principle described earlier: “By changing your consciousness, you change your environment.” In other words, the world around us is one we create within ourselves.
• Many people throughout history have taught in various ways how to live peacefully and happily, but when reduced to its essence, it seems surprisingly simple: live with as little self-attachment as possible.
• Because the human mind naturally fluctuates, we often fall into self-attachment without noticing it. But once we become aware of it (even just labeling it within ourselves as “this is self-attachment”), we have already begun to let it go. Releasing self-attachment may not be as difficult as it seems.
• Letting go of self-attachment is like returning to a peaceful and comfortable home. From time to time, consciously return home — that is, let go of self-attachment.
• Everything in this world—nature, society, and even our own selves—becomes infinitely complex the more we analyze it. Yet, as mentioned above, achieving peace and happiness—the most important aspect of our lives—appears to be remarkably simple. When translator Koichi Sakamoto was handed the book "As a Man Thinketh" by James Allen, the giver told him, “Life is actually very simple, you know.” This statement seems to capture a profound truth.
