“Wake up! If you knew for certain that you had a terminal illness – if you had precious little time left to make use of your life and consider who you are, you’d not waste time on self-indulgence or fear, lethargy or ambition. Be happy now, without reason – or you never will be at all.”

“Where are you? HereWhat time is it? NowWhat are you? This moment.”

“It’s a thought,” I said with a grin.”That’s exactly what it is, Dan – a thought – no more real than the shadow of a shadow. Consciousness is not In the body; the body is In Consciousness. And you Are that Consciousness – no the phantom mind that troubles you so. You are the body, but you are everything else, too. That is what your visions revealed to you. Only the mind resists change. When you relax mindless into the body, you are happy and content and free, sensing no separation. Immortality is Already yours, but not in the same way you imagined or hope for. You have been immortal since before you were born and will be long after the body dissolves. The body is in Consciousness; never born; never dies; only changes. The mind – your ego, personal beliefs, history, and identity – is all that ends at death. And who needs it?” Socrates leaned back into his chair.”I’m not sure all of that sank in.””Of course not.” He laughed. “Words mean little unless you realize the truth of it yourself. And when you do, you’ll be free at last.”

“The world’s a puzzle; no need to make sense out of it.” – Socrates”

“There are no ordinary moments.”

“The journey is what brings us happiness not the destination.”

“The warrior is Here, Now.”

“Everything you’ll ever need to know is within you; the secrets of the universe are imprinted on the cells of your body.”

“There is no need to search; achievement leads to nowhere. It makes no difference at all, so just be happy now! Love is the only reality of the world, because it is all One, you see. And the only laws are paradox, humor and change. There is no problem, never was, and never will be. Release your struggle, let go of your mind, throw away your concerns, and relax into the world. No need to resist life, just do your best. Open your eyes and see that you are far more than you imagine. You are the world, you are the universe; you are yourself and everyone else, too! It’s all the marvelous Play of God. Wake up, regain your humor. Don’t worry, just be happy. You are already free!”

“A warrior does not give up what he loves, he finds the love in what he does”

“…he asked, “Where are you today, right now?”Eagerly, I started talking about myself. However, I noticed that I was still being sidetracked from getting answers to my questions. Still, I told him about my distant and recent past and about my inexplicable depressions. He listened patiently and intently, as if he had all the time in the world, until I finished several hours later.”Very well,” he said. “But you still have not answered my question about where you are.””Yes I did, remember? I told you how I got to where I am today: by hard work.””Where are you?””What do you mean, where am I?””Where Are you?” he repeated softly.”I’m here.””Where is here?””In this office, in this gas station!” I was getting impatient with this game.”Where is this gas station?””In Berkeley?””Where is Berkeley?””In California?””Where is California?””In the United States?””On a landmass, one of the continents in the Western Hemisphere. Socrates, I…””Where are the continents?I sighed. “On the earth. Are we done yet?””Where is the earth?””In the solar system, third planet from the sun. The sun is a small star in the Milky Way galaxy, all right?””Where is the Milky Way?””Oh, brother, ” I sighed impatiently, rolling my eyes. “In the universe.” I sat back and crossed my arms with finality.”And where,” Socrates smiled, “is the universe?””The universe is well, there are theories about how it’s shaped…””That’s not what I asked. Where is it?””I don’t know – how can I answer that?””That is the point. You cannot answer it, and you never will. There is no knowing about it. You are ignorant of where the universe is, and thus, where you are. In fact, you have no knowledge of where anything is or of What anything is or how is came to be. Life is a mystery.”My ignorance is based on this understanding. Your understanding is based on ignorance. This is why I am a humorous fool, and you are a serious jackass.”