Softness will always prevail over harshness
Love will always prevail over fear
Peace over war
Like water washing over jagged rock
Unconditional love has the power to shape us with patience, humility and grace
Tag: peace
Many Streams, One Ocean
Many streams go to one ocean
Many paths to the mountain top
May we be liberated from religious dogma
May we be free to see the truth within all spiritual traditions
May we be curious and open minded
Like a child with a beginners mind
All we know is that we know nothing for certain
Pride, arrogance and closed mindedness keep us from seeing this beautiful truth
We don’t truly know what will happen to us when we die
We will never know what God truly is in this life time
All war and violence stems from believing we have the truth or that we are the chosen people
When discrimination and hatred enter the human heart, suffering and war are inevitable
May we stay humble and full of grace
Your brother,
Johnny
Death before Death
To be truly alive
We must die before death
We must die of the notion of a separate self
We must die of our old ways of living
Burning down our old life and leaving no traces of ourselves
Completely letting go of who we once were
Through death we can be resurrected
Each moment we can be a time of revitalized and resurrection
Each day we can be reborn if we surrender to the power of unconditional love within our heart
Beyond Beliefs
Beyond all beliefs
There is a sanctuary
Let’s meet there
A land of no hatred
No dogma
No sinners
No fear
No religion
Only compassion for all beings
A kingdom of radical peace
A land of unconditional love for all, no matter how lost they are in the darkness of hatred and fear
Lets meet there right now on this beautiful planet
With love,
Johnny
Radical Acceptance
The paradox of behavior change is that once we radically accept ourselves as we are today, then we can change. Ignorance and pride are two main obstacles on this journey of radical acceptance and rebirth. Each day, each moment can be a time for rebirth and resurrection if we are dedicated to the path of transparency and love.
The Buddha said the root of all suffering is attachment. Attachment to wealth, status, pleasure but also attachment to ideas of ourselves as a separate individual self. We must wake up as a species to the ultimate reality of things. The truth of interbeing, that everyone and everything is connected deeply. The illusion of a separate self is a persistent one that must be dissolved for humanity to have true peace, liberation and joy. We are all brothers and sisters. If I harm you, I harm myself. Technology or willpower will not save us from self destruction, only true unconditional love can.
Ignorance is also a main obstacle towards liberation because we keep harming ourselves without truly understanding why. We must have the courage to look within ourselves for our ignorance to dissolve. Look deep within yourself and the cause of your suffering will come clear.
Positive reinforcement is key to behavioral change. We must not be harsh to ourselves but also not let ourselves off the hook. Radical acceptance is about deep love for ourselves, even the parts of us that feel like they are not worthy of love. Do not beat yourself up. Forgiveness is the way to true liberation and joy. Inner peace will not be created through violence and harshness but through radical acceptance and non violence.
With love,
Johnny
Love for Mankind
Some have given up on humanity and focus on our destructive nature
Some believe only will power and technology will save us from self
destruction
Some want to leave earth behind and escape into the sky
My truth is that humanity is worth
saving
Humanity is worth unconditional love
But we must return to little children once again to save ourselves from destruction
Children who haven’t closed their hearts to love
Only true unconditional love can save us
No amount of willpower or technology will save us from the greed, hatred and fear inside us
Only forgiveness, love, and radical nonviolence can liberate humanity
Don’t lose hope
Don’t close your hearts and become cynical
Keep your heart open to love as children do
Your brother,
Johnny
The Power of Gratitude
Gratitude is the antidote for all bitterness, resentment and hatred.
Next time you feel deep resentments towards a friend, family member or boss try to remember how grateful you are for them. Write it down and meditate on gratitude.
Liberation from all resentments is a joyful experience. When we hold onto resentment, bitterness and hatred we become ill. The only way to feel healthy again is to forgive others and express gratitude.
If someone is truly toxic to us we can still bow out and thank them for teaching us a lesson of what not to do. Gratitude does not mean excepting harmful behavior from others. We can walk away with gratitude and love for them.
Gratitude is a beautiful practice plus it’s free and available at any moment.
Your brother,
Johnny
The Religion of Unconditional Love
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
Compassion for All Beings
May all beings feel love
May all beings feel liberated
May all beings be at peace
Their lives are miracles of the cosmos
I vow to reduce suffering in the world
I will not support any violence in the world
In my words or actions
You Are a Miracle
You are a miracle
Many stars had to die for you to exist
Millions of your ancestors had to meet for you to smile
Many minerals, plants and animals had to die for you to be alive
The miracle of life is all around and within us at every moment
To touch the miracle of life is to touch the divinity of everything at once
A single cell becomes a human being
A single mustard seed sprouts into a massive tree
Housing many birds and other life forms
The practice of mindfulness is to get in touch with the miracle of life
Too often fear, hatred and greed keep us from this nourishing energy of love
If we can feel this spiritually
There is no fear or anguish
Only pure love and joy
With Aloha,
Johnny
The Narrow Path 