Tag: peace

Life & Death

Life & death are interconnected, not two separate concepts

The ultimate yin & yang of the cosmos

Each day cells are born & die in our own bodies

Death surrounds each moment of life
Without death there is no life
Breathing in I know I’m of the nature to grow old
Breathing out I know I will die one day
Knowing this noble truth I will enjoy this beautiful life that has been gifted to me
Each day is a new opportunity to pay gratitude to the universe
I will do my best to live a compassionate, peaceful, and loving life
I will not let fear, hatred or greed control my one life.

“To truly live, we must die each moment.” -Thich Nhat Hanh

With aloha,

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

What’s Good Or Bad?

What’s truly good or bad?

Thanks to impermanence everything changes.

My darkest times have led to moments of liberation, joy, and enlightenment

So I don’t know if it was bad or good when I have self destructed in previous relationships or with my gambling addiction.

When things appeared to be falling apart they were really falling in place.

In the dark, there is some light

In the wrong, there is some right

Every storms runs out of power, the trick is to not run from it

Embrace the darkness & allow it to transform you into someone you couldn’t of imagined

As my teacher Thich Nhat Hanh said..
No mud, no lotus

Through deep suffering there is joy

With aloha,

Johnny

To Truly Live

To truly live
We must die each moment
We must let go of the past
Not obsessed over the future
Not worried about what could go wrong
Just enjoying this moment


Naturally our mind will wander like clouds in the sky
With mindfulness we anchor the mind to our breathe
Breathing in we know we are of the nature to grow old
Breathing out we know one day we will die
Knowing this we vow to live each day like it’s our last

We look at all life through the lens of compassion

We vow not live our life full of fear, anger, and hatred

Instead we will water the seeds of compassion, peace, and love each day

So they bloom at any moment
Living this way will benefit yourself, the planet and the ones around you

With aloha,

Johnny

Letting go of the Pursuit of Happiness

For us to be truly happy we must let go of the pursuit of happiness

Because when we feel temporarily happy, we desperately cling to it

We become restless and fearful of losing happiness, which causes a vicious circle of suffering

So for us to be truly happy we must be calm and centered

You can’t be truly happy if you’re not calm

So instead of seeking pleasure or avoiding pain

Seek the discomfort of stillness

Look within that restlessness, anger, or hatred

And let go of the pursuit of happiness

Instead of trying to find this elusive happiness, practice the middle path of awareness, peace, and being calm

Each time we fall off the path of clarity & calmness we self reflect, let it go and move forward

From my experience, this way of living seems much more sustainable than chasing elusive happiness

A friend shared this with me and it has enriched my life significantly and I hope it does the same for you

With aloha,

Johnny

Nature Within

Breathing in I see myself as water, flowing & flexible

Breathing out I see myself as a mountain, strong & stable

Breathing in I see myself as a flower, fresh & beautiful

Breathing out I see myself as space, free & vast

Water, flowing

Mountain, strong

Flower, fresh

Space, free

Breathe, enjoy

With aloha,

Johnny

Focus on Yourself

Many focus their energy trying to help others

Leaving themselves drained, unhappy and frustrated

They do not realize that you can not give by throwing

By forcing your beliefs on others you fall off your path and push others away from you

Just focus your energy on becoming the best version of yourself

Those who are lost in the darkness will see your light shining

It’s up to them if they want to walk along the side of you or to stay on their path

With aloha,

Johnny Hoffman

Pain is Inevitable, Suffering is Optional.

Pain is inevitable

Suffering is optional

How we think

How we talk

What habits we choose to practice

Cause most of our own suffering

The way out is to look deeply within

How am I causing my own suffering?

Why do I do what I do?

“There is no such thing as enlightened beings, only enlightened activities.”- Shunryu Suzuki

With Aloha,

Johnny

Feeding the Good Wolf

There are two wolves inside of us.

Always at battle.

A good wolf.

That is kind, brave, and loving.

A bad wolf.

That is fearful, angry, and greedy.

The one you choose to feed.

Is the one that grows.

To end this constant battle.

You must show deep compassion & love to the bad wolf.

Feed the good wolf with how you talk to yourself, others, and your actions in the world.

With Aloha,

Johnny

Choosing Compassion 3 Times A Day

Will you choose compassion?

Or apathy?

Will you choose curiosity?

Or tradition?

Will you choose peace?

Or taste pleasure?

Each day we can choose what world we want to live in.

Each meal deciding the fate of innocent animals.

Each meal deciding the future of our species.

Each meal deciding our health outcome.

We vote with our wallets each day & meal.

The first step is awareness.

The next is action.

Consider a vegan diet & lifestyle.

With Aloha,

Johnny