"The good only stands out in contrast to something relatively worse; the bad only emerges from a context of relative good. The wise old farmer appears to see life holistically, as a unified totality."

The transformation of desire is a critical component of the spiritual journey, but this transformation does not necessitate sacrifice and grim acceptance. Aligning one's desire with the deeper quality of the Heart's aspiration can infuse one's practice with vitality and whole-hearted engagement.

As Alan Watts put so well, "No one can be moral - that is, no one can harmonize contained conflicts - without coming to a working arrangement between the angel in himself and the devil in himself, between his rose above and his manure below."

Challenging energy is part of the path. Can we open to these energies with curious kindness? Can these energies be integrated within our being? This is the path.

Practice is not a luxury. In times like these, practice is essential for resilience, centered-ness, and compassionate engagement.

Some people in the spiritual world say we don't need crutches, or that we shouldn't use crutches. This is true, we don't need crutches; we don't need zendos; we don't need sesshins. But still, many seem to benefit from these supports.

Joseph Goldstein writes, "Effort becomes unskillful when there's some idea of gain and a mind full of expectations, rather than an openness and receptivity to what is already."

"As we peer into our experience, we peer into one of the biggest mysteries of all: The fact of our own consciousness peering back at the web of existence that created it."

Compassion without wisdom can lead to emotional burnout. Wisdom without compassion can lead to detached apathy. Together they balance and complement each other on the path.

If the straight-ahead, conscious approach fails to render a solution, the "lateral drift" approach can be employed by allowing the mind to stop thinking about the problem which allows a solution to suggest itself.