An Old Zen Rule Of Thumb Is

Underneath Our Nice, Friendly Facades There Is Great Unease. If I Were To Scratch Below The Surface Of Anyone I Would Find Fear, Pain, And Anxiety Running Amok. We All Have Ways To Cover Them Up. We Overeat, Over-drink, Overwork; We Watch Too Much Television.

Body Tension Will Always Be Present If Our Good Feeing Is Just Ordinary, Self-centered Happiness. Joy Has No Tension In It, Because Joy Accepts Whatever Is As It Is.

Joy Is Being Willing For Things To Be As They Are.

But Opinions, Judgments, Memories, Dreaming About The Future—ninety Percent Of The Thoughts Spinning Around In Our Heads Have No Essential Reality.

We Have Self-centered Minds Which Get Us Into Plenty Of Trouble. If We Do Not Come To Understand The Error In The Way We Think, Our Self-awareness, Which Is Our Greatest Blessing, Is Also Our Downfall.