Perhaps if one really knew when one was happy one would know the things that were necessary in one's life.

I used to worry about what life was for - now being alive seems sufficient reason.

until you have, once at least, faced everything you know - the whole universe - with utter giving in, and let all that is 'not you' flow over and engulf you, there can be no lasting sense of security. Only by being prepared to accept annihilation can one escape from that spiritual 'abiding alone' which is in fact the truly death-like state.

Sometimes I find that in my happy moments I could not believe that I had ever been miserable.

I came to the conclusion then that "continual mindfulness". . . must mean, not a sergeantmajor-like drilling of thoughts, but a continual readiness to accept whatever came.

The growth of understanding follows an ascending spiral rather than a straight line.

Once you assume your right to interfere in other people's problems they become in some ways more of a worry than your own, for with your own you can at least do what you think best, but other people always show such a persistent tendency to do the wrong thing.