Living in the forest, we are always aware of the trees. Patient, deep-rooted, even in fierce storms, they stand. So stand like the trees, committed and enduring. See the world with pure awareness, just the way it is. Living in a state of gratitude, we make peace with the divisiveness of this realm. We offer the blessing of our own inner harmony – the heart's compassionate, pure presence – to live and die in a state of grace, gratitude and love. Some will be blessed by that. But can we spread peace in the world without being peaceful ourselves?

The heart’s splendor is known in pure awareness – not tainted by any harmful thought or feeling. It is integrity itself – present now. Traverse from the self, the narrow sense of me and mine, to surrender – knowing that we are nothing of this realm. But this emptiness is a fullness, measureless and complete – so vast that it dwarfs everything. It is universal love, compassion, supremely gentle, kind.  Once known, it can never not be known. We are not separate from awareness. Like the sky. It is always there – a silent homage, our true home.

How do we extinguish the fires of greed, hatred and delusion that burn within the mind? The Buddha has thrown us a lifeline. We grab hold of it right here and now – one moment at a time. Free yourself from relentless conceptualizing and the suffering that comes of it. Stop and be aware –  again and again. What is happening within you? The Buddha's first aid is just this – see each moment of turmoil or fear that is assaulting us as impermanent. Witness these feelings of despair or darkness arise and pass away – not what you are. Breathe free. Breath by breath, we let the heart heal – at peace.

True refuge is a call to stop, even for a moment, to see and know the breath that brings the world into and out of consciousness. We witness the liberating silence of that present moment awareness. In the still space between thoughts from which all that appears in the mind arises and disappears without end, we let go. Trust this. See the instability and insecurity of all else. Be an island, be a refuge unto yourself in the pure awareness of truth beyond concepts – the truth in this moment of freedom. Disentangled from the world, we can let go. Our refuge is the awakened heart.

Do we know the truth of what we are? If not, how can we love unconditionally? When the heart abides in loving-kindness, the misery of fear, anger and despair is vanquished. If we look for unconditional love outside of us, we will never find it. Nor can we know it by thinking. The mind must grow in silence and stillness, in unsullied conscious awareness. Then we can see what we truly are – intuitively, beyond thought, in the quality of this very breath, this moment. We pierce through the dust of lifetimes to know the core of our being, to wake up – here and now. Just to live in that kindness is the truest life of all.

Treasure the silence within and listen attentively. Where else can we find the spiritual heights but within our own heart? In one moment of pure presence, we discover the joy, patience, mindfulness and 'kindfulness' that open our eyes to the truth of what we are. And in the goodness of time, there’s an emptying out. It's almost by unlearning what we’ve learned that we can see the blank screen of nothingness in the mind and know pure consciousness itself. This transcendent awareness becomes our refuge. We no longer look for refuge in other people, nor in ideas, concepts, occupations, travels, wealth, information, anything of the world. The heart is overjoyed in simple homage to the breath we breathe right now. This is waking up through wisdom power – pure presence ever transcending.

Giving our full attention inwardly is waking up to the truth of pure presence. In one breath, one moment of pure awareness, we can know a spiritual joy that deeply calms the mind. The shutters of the heart open to a piercing clarity that cuts through the blinding deceptions of the world. Here in the silence at the very core of our being, we listen. The heart fills with joy and light, resplendent – just as the morning sun emerging from the horizon lights up the world. What we have been seeking far and wide is right here within us – seeing and knowing our true nature as it really is, we receive the gift of Unconditional Love

Harmlessness is the benevolent sister of compassion, a way of caring for ourselves by caring for each other – just as we care for each other by caring for ourselves. But how shall we secure this harmlessness within? Isn’t anger contagious? Virtue will reteach us how to stop the chaotic world from infecting us with toxic greed, anger and ignorance. Wisely reflecting, we heal the space of the mind with the powers of compassion, loving-kindness and peace. This, our inner disarmament, is the Buddha’s recipe for awakening.

Pure present moment awareness reveals what we are not; and thereby, what we truly are. Investigate and question all thoughts you see circling in the mind – fearful or fanciful, liked or not. Know their clever disguises: impermanence everywhere! Not what we are, but empty, ephemeral in nature, they orbit like space debris – crowding the heart mandala of consciousness. Let go and rejoice when states of wanting, judgement, restlessness, fear, unhappiness and all the many faces of 'self' dissolve in the silence of pure awareness. This is true refuge – here and now. All else withers in the furnace of eternity.

How can we rescue ourselves from the obstacles to our happiness? We must not disregard the power of awareness in the present moment to vanquish suffering. For in this very moment is everything we need to know. All moments, whether tainted or blessed, are conditioned by their predecessor. Without care and discernment, vigilance and integrity, we could easily fall into states of decline. Ill-will begets enmity, while joy begets ease and serenity, and each moment is the mother of the next. So too, stepping into the joys of life as it unfolds, we live by the best qualities we can reap. One bare insight into truth and we know what we truly are. Then we open the gates to the Deathless.