Every decision we can make in this world is based on love or fear
Choose love based decisions and you will wake up to a life that you truly love
Choose fear based decisions and you will wake up to a life you fear
It’s as simple as that
Through a mindfulness practice we can become aware of what true love is
Love is not controlling
Love is not manipulative
Love is not attached
Love is liberating
Love deeply heals the parts of us consumed with greed, hatred and fear
Your brother,
Johnny
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 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
My life is impermanent
Knowing this, I vow to live deeply each day
Love unconditionally
Have deep compassion for all, even those who harm others
Forgive anyone who has harmed me
Including myself
Let this be my legacy
My legacy will not have dollar signs or job titles
My legacy is not purely words
But my actions
With Aloha,
Johnny
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
Each day I surrender
Each day I admit defeat
In surrendering, I’m liberated
In admitting defeat, I’m free
Liberated from the obsession
Free from the mental slavery of addiction
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
Entitled, bitter, and upset
I cause my own suffering
What’s the antidote for this mental condition?
Gratitude
How could I lose sight of all the things I could be grateful for?
Grateful for my job
Grateful for friends and family
Grateful for life & it’s infinite possibilities
The conditions of happiness are always available at any moment
Even through the darkest times we can cultivate joy through gratitude
We can bring our breath back to this exact moment
Peace & joy can only be found in the here and now
With aloha,
Johnny
I was put on this earth for a reason
To reduce suffering
To bring joy to others
To see the oneness in everything
A wave realizing it’s the ocean
Energy flows within myself like an infinite river going out to sea
Many years ago, a dying star supernova gave life to myself & everything on earth
Life is precious according to me so why wait to become a better version of myself?
The time is now for change & growth
Why waste my one precious life harming myself?
Drowning myself in substances, junk food, and self destructive habits
I see my ego wanting to self destruct
All it wants is pleasure & to avoid pain
But I know I’m much more than my ego
I also have a divine Buddha sitting within myself
Patiently waiting
It doesn’t want to harm my ego, that would only feed the anger, hatred, and fear
It loves the darkest side of me with light of a billion stars
With aloha,
Johnny
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
The Narrow Path 