The underlying motivation that drives all addiction is our insistence on avoiding pain. However, the pain you are avoiding is based in the past, and has nothing to do with the present moment. Leonard Jacobson More Quotes by Leonard Jacobson More Quotes From Leonard Jacobson More than anything else, judgment will take you out of the present moment. It will take you out of Oneness into separation. Whenever judgment arises within you, just notice it. Acknowledge it. Confess it. It is just an energy arising within you. Do not judge it or try to get rid of it. Just bring it to consciousness with love, acceptance and compassion. In this way, judgment will be transformed into love. Leonard Jacobson oneness compassion acceptance One of the great dangers on the spiritual path is that the ego becomes spiritualized. The ego loves to think of itself as spiritually evolved. It is just another way that it manages to feel important and in control. It is very difficult to free yourself from an enlightened ego. Leonard Jacobson ego spiritual thinking When you are present, you are transcendent of the mind and ego and so you can witness your mind and ego. You can be conscious of your thoughts without being lost in them when they arise. Leonard Jacobson ego conscious mind To live a present and awakened life, simply be responsive to the moment. It is very simple. If you are hungry, eat. If you are thirsty, drink. If you are lonely, call a friend for tea. If you are overwhelmed with too much company, then get away by yourself. Leonard Jacobson lonely simple tea Surrender the dream and the truth will be revealed. Leonard Jacobson surrender dream If you’re truly present in this moment, then you are a Buddha. At least for this moment! Leonard Jacobson moments ifs Your gift to God is honesty. God's gift to you is truth. Leonard Jacobson honesty You cannot be present in an abstract way. Presence is not about disappearing into nothingness. You can only be present with something that is actually here. Leonard Jacobson abstract awakening way If you can see it, hear it, feel it, taste it, touch it, or smell it, you can be present with it. It is of the present moment, and so it brings to you the opportunity to be present with it. Leonard Jacobson smell opportunity life Projecting into the future with hopes, dreams and desires can never fulfill you. Only the present moment can fulfill you. Leonard Jacobson moments dream desire When you are truly present, you illuminate everything around you. Leonard Jacobson The ego is often deeply involved in the desire to help others. If you do not want your ego to be involved in this way, do not be available for others unless you really want to be available. Do not feel that you should be available. Don't sacrifice yourself in any way. Don't go against your true feelings. Don't carry the cross for anyone else. Make sure that there's no sense that helping others makes you a better person or that it will gain you easy access into Heaven. Don't be a martyr. Leonard Jacobson sacrifice helping-others heaven In the awakened state, the mind is either perfectly silent or it is a perfectly clear instrument of expression. Leonard Jacobson silent expression mind Everything that occurs in your life is part of God's plan to wake you up. Leonard Jacobson gods-plan wakes-you life You can live in a house, but your real home is inside you. Leonard Jacobson real home life In the present moment, you are beyond all definition. This means that you are no longer defined by the pain and limitations of the past. You are no longer defined by your judgments, opinions or beliefs nor are you defined by the judgment, opinions or beliefs of others. Leonard Jacobson pain mean past When you awaken, you know that everything that occurs at the level of mind is illusory in nature and so you no longer believe in it as the truth of life. It is sometimes happy and sometimes sad, because it is a world of duality. You relax and accept the dual nature of the world of the mind and the world of experience within time. This will create balance within duality which will open the doorway to Oneness. Leonard Jacobson oneness mind believe If you want to know who you are, look into the true mirror. The flower will reflect your beauty. The sky will reflect your vastness. The ocean will reflect your depth. The child will reflect your innocence. But if you look into the mirror that is unconscious humanity, you are looking into the wrong mirror. Your reflection will be distorted by their projections. Leonard Jacobson ocean flower children Each new moment presents an opportunity for conscious choice. We can choose to let go of the past. We can choose to be here now. We can choose to accept responsibility for ourselves. . . . We can choose to awaken. Or we can choose to remain asleep and unconscious. Leonard Jacobson responsibility letting-go past In presence, there is no right or wrong, because there is no duality. There is no judgment. Leonard Jacobson duality judgment