Category: love

The Miracle of Life

The Miracle of life

Is a seed of mustard

With water, soil, and sun

This tiny seed grows into a large tree

Giving food and shelter to many birds and insects

There are many miracles around us each day

Yet we can’t seem to them

With mindfulness we can see that a cloud is a miracle

It transforms into rain or snow

Giving us life through water and food

We are a miracle

From one cell to a trillion

We can only grasp this if we are still

Not distracted

Not striving

Living in the moment

Jesus spoke of the mustard seed

Just by being still we can see the Kingdom of God right now and it’s many miracles

With Aloha

Johnny

The Hurt Child Within

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

What is Success?

It’s part of American culture to worship rich “successful” people. Who defines what is successful? Many famous celebrities with lots of money, power and fame commit suicide because they feel hallow inside. Many do illegal or hurtful things to become successful. I wouldn’t exchange my life with any celebrity or rich person! I feel like the most successful person in the world at times even with all the suffering I have gone through with my gambling addiction. I have a purpose & meaning to reduce suffering in the world through deep compassion, love, and forgiveness. Money could never buy that and often the obsession of money diverts us from finding our deeper purpose in the world.

Idol worship is not the way. It diverts us from the path of love, compassion, and forgiveness. It takes away our own self worth and puts a hierarchy in our mind. We are all equals in this universe. Don’t let society define what success is for you. Success for me is happiness, health, and helping others. I have had plenty of all three as of late. Thank you to everyone who helped me along the way.🙏🏼

With Aloha,

Johnny

Living Buddha, Living Christ

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

Instrument of Love

God of my understanding

Use me as your instrument of love

Where there is violence

May I practice peace

Where there is apathy

Compassion

Where there is doubt

Faith

Thank you for the gift of life

To show gratitude

I will practice compassion, love, forgiveness and grace to the best of my abilities

With aloha,

Johnny

Service

Any path that isn’t for the betterment of others is not worth taking

Even if we find our spiritual path though Buddhism, Hinduism , Christianity, yoga, or transcendental meditation

Our practice is still driven by ego if the sole intention is to better ourselves

We must take what we learn on the yoga mat, church, mosque, or meditation cushion, roll up our sleeves and help others in our daily lives

Don’t discount even the smallest acts

Even a smile or a kind word to a stranger can significantly help others

Choose compassion over apathy

Love over fear

Curiosity instead of judgment

With aloha,

Johnny

Truly Helping

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

5 years Vegan

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

Relax, Nothing is Under Control

The sun will rise
And set
Relax, nothing is under control

Days will go by
People will get sick
Loved ones will die

Jobs will be lost
People will cheat, lie, and push your buttons
Relax, nothing is under control

Our mission is to rise above and stay positive even in the darkest of times
Knowing that everything & everyone is impermanent

We can find joy by letting go of control of others and situations
All we can control is our reaction and attitude to the chaos around us
Resilience is built by not avoiding hard situations but by embracing them with love, compassion, and acceptance.

With aloha,

Johnny

Accepting Others

Accept others

For who they are today

Not what you think they should be

The ego wants to control everything & everyone

While the divine accepts & loves others for who they are today, no matter how “flawed” they are

There is a wise zen master in all of us knows that others will change on their own pace (or not change at all)

Focus the energy you have used arguing or controlling others on becoming the best version of yourself

Your life is your message

“We are all mangoes on the same tree, ripening at different times.”

With Aloha,

Johnny