It is truly a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I stumbled upon your site by chance, making a point to a friend and looking for the exact Buddhist quote on mastering your mind, rather than being mastered by it. Upon coming to your quotes page, I was greeted by a familiar sight – wisdom-filled quotations of masters past, and, lo, the litany of fear? And even a quote byThufir Hawat! He (and his reincarnations as gholas) remains one of my favorite characters in literature, as I am very appreciative of the Dune series. It has been a cornerstone of my literary evolution at a young age, and nothing seems to compare – so far. I have read more than a hundred books when I was engrossed in fiction and science fiction, and Dune is one of the few universes that stands out well, despite the tests of time and life. There are many more books to read, and I have sampled from various authors, including Isaac Asimov. My goal of having my own library is slowly becoming realized with every visit to a used book store, and so far I have many titles by Frank Herbert. I could spend many more minutes listing the books I have read by him and by other authors, that have added to the being that is able to type these words today.

It would appear we have many things in common besides literature, and I would much enjoy getting to know you better, if time permits. To find a person who practices Zen Buddhism, appreciates finer science fiction, plays music, and even has time to play videogames is an inspiration. Although I do not practice Zen Buddhism exclusively, I am turning my life more and more in this direction, and seeing the beauty that is. Music has inspired me to do great things, and my goal so far is to learn to improvise on guitar, as well as be able to sing and share the melodies that remind us of the nameless. And there is a deeper side to video games that is often ignored by the majority, that I have sought ever since one game truly captivated me and still remains a fond memory. The reason I enjoyed video games were the stories they portrayed, and this ties with my love for good literature.

The future is uncertain, but we create it with our thoughts and actions. I strive to create a better one by being the change I want to see, and it has pleased me to no end to find a living being such as yourself who is so much like myself. I am hoping to hear back from you, and having an enlightening conversation.

Namaste,

Kirill Zaitsev

This is a simple act of nature. Ascribing it to an act of some unseen force or spiritual being is simply folly and a unnecessary distraction from the realities of our world. If you wish to believe in such delusions that is entirely your choice to make, however I do hope that at some point you get some clarity and see there’s no real tangible explanation for it and reliance on “faith” alone is obsessing over a leaf when you have an entire forest ahead – you miss the bigger picture completely.

May you find the path to enlightenment.