It has taken four billion years of evolution to generate this kind of organism with this kind of brain, and yet we wake up in the morning and feel bored.
Stephen BatchelorThe greatest threat to compassion is the temptation to succumb to fantasies of moral superiority.
Stephen BatchelorWe can be consicous of how we tend to ignore or escape anguish rather than understand and accept it. We can be aware that even when we gain insight into these things, we rarely behave differently in the future. Despite our overt resolve, we are still creatures of habit.
Stephen BatchelorOur conceptions of the world affect our perceptions of the world which, in turn, condition the way we subsequently conceive the world.
Stephen BatchelorHow extraordinary it is to be here at all. Awareness of death can jolt us awake to the sensuality of existence. Breath is no longer a routine inhalation of air but a quivering intake of life. The eye is quickened to the play of light and shade and color, the ear to the intricate medley of sound. This is where the meditation leads. Stay with it; rest with it. Notice how distraction is a flight from this, an escape from awe to worry and plans.
Stephen Batchelor