Jesus & Buddha live with us
They represent the best qualities of humankind
They live within us like a seed that we can water each moment
A source of love within our heart and soul
Mercy and compassion for the sick
Love for those filled with hatred
Peace for those consumed by violence
They show us a way out of suffering and help us enjoy our one precious life
Do not seek enlightenment or God outside of yourself
Everything you strive towards is already within you
Be still and open your heart
Do not strive to be a Buddha
Your inner most self is already Buddha nature
Your inner most self only desire is to be like Christ
The kingdom of love is like a seed within you
Water this seed and let it transform you from the inside
My religion is brother and sister hood of all beings
Our philosophy is unconditional love
Our goal is to bring peace within and around us through our actions each moment
We do not convert or force our views
We just keep our eyes on unconditional love
This is the philosophy of Jesus or Buddha without religious dogma or complex beliefs
We seek to build bridges instead of barriers to enter the Kingdom of God (unconditional love)
Anyone can join
Your brother,
Johnny Hoffman
The awakening of the Buddha was that he saw Buddha nature in everything
In Buddhist philosophy, Buddha-nature is the potential for all sentient beings to become a Buddha or the fact that all beings already have a pure buddha-essence within.
So the Buddha awakened to the ultimate reality of the universe
That every being is born with and has Buddha nature
Even if they are deeply lost in fear, greed, and hatred
Even if someone is violent
Even criminals, beggars, and addicts
All have the essence of Buddha nature
All are holy and are in the image of God
With this awakening we can help heal this world of much suffering
We can see every being as holy and our brother or sister
We can vow to reduce their suffering and look at them through the lens of compassion
With aloha,
Johnny
Behind every broken man or woman
Is a hurt child
Crying for help
This child needs our love
It needs tender care
This child needs our compassion
To heal from the deep pain it feels inside
We must remember this when encountering others
Behind every criminal or addict, is a hurt child
The most violent and destructive people are the most wounded
It is easy to show compassion to the vulnerable but it’s much harder to show it our enemies
But to preserve the deep compassion in our hearts we must show understanding to those who harms others
They suffer deeply
We don’t condone harmful behavior
But we don’t need our judgement or more punishment
They need our deep love and compassion
With aloha,
Johnny Hoffman
Knowledge is not enough
Beliefs are not enough
Wise men like Jesus & the Buddha taught that we must practice compassion, forgiveness, peace and love in our daily actions
This is the way to transform, heal ourselves and the world
We all have the deep capacity to live like them
May 2024 bring you the healing power of love
May it bring you joy from practicing deep compassion for yourself and others
May it bring you transformation
It’s never too late to resurrect your life
With love,
Johnny
Suffering has great wisdom
Suffering has hidden gems under the chaotic surface
Suffering & joy are two sides of the same coin
Left & right
Up & down
Suffering & joy
We cannot have one without the other
So smile at your inner most suffering
Sit with it with curiosity & compassion
The gifts of suffering will be found in this space of openness & self love
If we run from it or suppress our suffering, it will persist till our last breath
If we try to suppress our suffering through substances, we suppress our joy as well
So go home to your deepest pain
It has many lessons
It can be transformed to boundless joy & serenity if we learn the art of suffering
With aloha
Johnny
To truly help others
Focus all your energy on healing yourself
Be kind always but don’t sacrifice your own health & well-being by focusing your energy on others
It is possible to reduce others suffering and help others see the inner Buddha that lives within all of us
But if we are drowning in our own suffering we can’t help others who suffer
It is possible to awaken
To not let fear, hatred, anger, and ignorance run & ruin our lives
No matter your skin tone, gender, age, or wage
Thanks to impermanence, we can transform our suffering into joy
And we can help others do the same
Not by force but through understanding, compassion and forgiveness
Namaste,
Johnny
Veganism is not a diet
Not a weight loss strategy
My intention is not to reduce my carbon food print
It’s a radical shift in the way I look at non human animals
To see them as individuals with the capacity to feel pain, joy, and suffer
To harm them is to harm myself
5 years ago I vowed to look at all beings through the lens of compassion
To reduce suffering in the world by not supporting the exploitation of animals for food, clothing or entertainment
To practice peace in each meal
I don’t expect the world to understand or agree with my life choices
I understand many are not ready for this radical message of non violence
With aloha,
Johnny
When I child suffers, he or she cries a lot. They are hurt and in pain. A mother can transform their child’s suffering into tears of joy by listening and showing loving compassion to their child. Soon the child is smiling and joyful. I have seen this and experienced in real time.
You can do the same with your most inner child. Showing deep compassion to the hurt, misunderstood, and anxious parts of ourself. This is the practice of healing ourselves and the world. This is a way to transform suffering into joy in our own body and mind. 🙏🏻
Namaste,
Johnny
The Narrow Path 