How 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 BatchelorOur conceptions of the world affect our perceptions of the world which, in turn, condition the way we subsequently conceive the world.
Stephen BatchelorBuddhism, I think, is probably facing the single most difficult transition from one historical epoch to another, which is really the transition to modernity.
Stephen BatchelorThis body is fragile. It is just flesh. Listen to the heartbeat. Life depends on the pumping of a muscle.
Stephen Batchelor