“Compassion automatically invites you to relate with people because you no longer regard people as a drain on your energy.”

Chogyam Trungpa - "Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism"

I read the 'Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism' years ago and it has forever echoed in my mind. The title pretty much carries it's message: it's not about how many mantras or sun salutations you can do or how many retreats you've been to or how spiritual you dress or look or what temple you visit or how many holy books are on your bookshelves or how many pictures of holy beings are on your altar - it's about you and your process, everything else is just icing - a mask, something we identify with. I consider this often when I am in my day to day life - when I am interacting in my day to day world - buying groceries, crossing the street, cleaning out the cat litter box. It's al just stuff and my buddha statue on my altar is no more or less holy, it's just a different reminder, a placeholder - an icon to jog me back to - it doesn't matter what the fuck you are doing - if you do it with compassion and wisdom, it's awesome.

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