Occam’s Razor: Simpler explanations are more likely to be correct; avoid unnecessary or improbable assumptions. Thought: Things are often simpler than imagined, or more complex than imagined; seldom exactly as imagined.   (In philosophy, a razor is a principle or rule of thumb that...

Some Dharma Advice #10 [91] Time There is time if you find time. There is no time if you do not find time. [92] Truth To admit to a false accusation is to double the lie. [93] Interest With interest, it becomes effortless. With sincerity, one becomes diligent. [94] Lesson Look for the lesson...

Some Dharma Advice #9 [81] Perception The greedy see what to be greedy for. The hateful see what to be hateful for. [82] Insanity How can those sane enough to never harm themselves keep pleading insanity for harming others? [83] Mediocrity Why keep being mediocre when you can keep improving...

Some Dharma Advice #8 [71] Expectation If even you do not fully understand yourself, why expect all to fully understand you? [72] Advice If you do not always take the advice you give others, why expect others to always take the advice you give them? [73] Righteousness To be truly righteous,...

Some Dharma Advice #7 [61] Perception Nothing lets you down – as it is your negative karma and misperception that do. [62] Is It is as it is; it is not so good; it is not so bad. [63] Lesson Thank you, bad experiences too, for the good lessons. [64] Dharma The Dharma learnt and...

Some Dharma Advice #6 [51] Learning Failing is part of learning, not ending of learning. [52] Focus With countless distractions and only one focus, all the more must we focus. [53] Empathy Animals would rather have us empathising with their suffering, than appreciating their flesh. [54]...

Some Dharma Advice #5 [41] Destruction Those devoted to destroying others are those destroying themselves. [42] Quality Quality over quantity applies not just to everything in life, but to length of life itoo. [43] Ending A bad beginning does not matter if there is a good ending. [44]...

From: ‘How To Die: An Ancient Guide to the End of Life’ by Seneca, edited, translated, and introduced by James S. Romm: Quote: Think each of your days to be an individual life. The man who accustoms himself to this way of thought, for whom life is complete each day, is free of...

From: ‘How To Die: An Ancient Guide to the End of Life’ by Seneca, edited, translated, and introduced by James S. Romm: Quote: What could be more foolish than to marvel that something [i.e. death] will happen on a certain day, when it could happen on any day? (Epistle 101)  ...

From: ‘How To Die: An Ancient Guide to the End of Life’ by Seneca, edited, translated, and introduced by James S. Romm: Quote: Since death is never contemplated except as another’s fate, instances of mortality pile up before us but don’t abide any longer than our...

From: ‘How To Die: An Ancient Guide to the End of Life’ by Seneca, edited, translated, and introduced by James S. Romm: Quote: What’s the most complete span of a life, you ask? To live until attaining wisdom. (Epistle 93) Thought: Live to learn enough or you would not had...

From: ‘How To Die: An Ancient Guide to the End of Life’ by Seneca, edited, translated, and introduced by James S. Romm: Quote: It’s not in my power how long I will exist, but rather how long I will truly exist. (Epistle 93) Thought: As you have to live, live best you can....

From: ‘How To Die: An Ancient Guide to the End of Life’ by Seneca, edited, translated, and introduced by James S. Romm: Quote: Just as a man of smaller stature can be complete, so a life can be complete in a smaller stretch of time. (Epistle 93) Thought: Size of the body does not...

From: ‘How To Die: An Ancient Guide to the End of Life’ by Seneca, edited, translated, and introduced by James S. Romm: Quote: As for myself, I wouldn’t refuse the addition of more years… But if my life span is cut short, I will say that I lacked nothing that would...

From: ‘How To Die: An Ancient Guide to the End of Life’ by Seneca, edited, translated, and introduced by James S. Romm: Quote: In what way were eighty years, passed in sloth, a benefit to someone? He didn’t live but only lingered in life; he didn’t die late, but died a...

From: ‘How To Die: An Ancient Guide to the End of Life’ by Seneca, edited, translated, and introduced by James S. Romm: Quote: Which do you think more fair, I ask you: that you obey Nature, or that Nature obey you? (Epistle 93) Thought: Have the nature of humility or nature will...

From: ‘How To Die: An Ancient Guide to the End of Life’ by Seneca, edited, translated, and introduced by James S. Romm: Quote: Just as it is with storytelling, so with life: it’s important how well it is done, not how long… It doesn’t matter at what point you...

Some Dharma Advice #3 [21] Past Learn lessons from the past and let the hurt go. Its lessons are all it is worth, while the hurt is worthless. [22] Lessons If still hurting from the past, it means its lessons are not fully learnt yet – including the lesson to let hurt go. [23]...

From: ‘How To Die: An Ancient Guide to the End of Life’ by Seneca, edited, translated, and introduced by James S. Romm: Quote: Just as we ignore the clippings from our beard and hair, just so, that divine sort of mind, as it prepares to leave its human form, judges that the...

From: ‘How To Die: An Ancient Guide to the End of Life’ by Seneca, edited, translated, and introduced by James S. Romm: Quote: Before I became old, I took care to live well; in old age I take care to die well. And dying well means dying willingly. (Epistle 61) Thought: Live well,...

From: ‘How To Die: An Ancient Guide to the End of Life’ by Seneca, edited, translated, and introduced by James S. Romm: Quote: Do you not realise that dying, too, is one of those duties of life? You’re not abandoning any duty. (Epistle 77.5.20) Thought: To depart well is to...

From: ‘How To Die: An Ancient Guide to the End of Life’ by Seneca, edited, translated, and introduced by James S. Romm: Quote: You poor man – you’re a slave to people, to things, to life (for a life lived without the courage to die is slavery). (Epistle 77.5-20)...

From: ‘How To Die: An Ancient Guide to the End of Life’ by Seneca, edited, translated, and introduced by James S. Romm: Quote: You’re afraid to die, but are you living now? (Epistle 77.5-20) Thought: Be more ‘afraid’ of not living well enough now… to not...

From: ‘How To Die: An Ancient Guide to the End of Life’ by Seneca, edited, translated, and introduced by James S. Romm: Quote: Living is not a great matter… To die honourably, prudently, bravely – now that is great. – Tullius Marcellinus  Thought: To also...

From: ‘How To Die: An Ancient Guide to the End of Life’ by Seneca, edited, translated, and introduced by James S. Romm: Quote: We must prepare for death before life. (Epistle 61) Thought: Live before you die. Die before you die...

From: ‘How To Die: An Ancient Guide to the End of Life’ by Seneca, edited, translated, and introduced by James S. Romm: Quote: Let’s compose our minds such that we want whatever the situation demands, and in particular that we contemplate our end without sadness. (Epistle...

From: ‘How To Die: An Ancient Guide to the End of Life’ by Seneca, edited, translated, and introduced by James S. Romm: Quote: I make it so that my day is a small version of my whole life… I look upon it as though it could be my last. (Epistle 61) Thought: Live each day...

From: ‘How To Die: An Ancient Guide to the End of Life’ by Seneca, edited, translated, and introduced by James S. Romm: Quote: There’s only one way we can say that the life we live is long; if it is enough. (To Marcia 21.1-3) Thought: Live fully and thus enough, and life is...

Some Dharma Advice #4 [31] Help When help is not needed, do not get help at all. When help is needed, do get help immediately. [32] Simplification If a complicated problem needs to be solved, it needs to be simplified first, into simpler sub-problems to solve. [33] Blessings To prevent others...

From: ‘How To Die: An Ancient Guide to the End of Life’ by Seneca, edited, translated, and introduced by James S. Romm: Quote: We are in no one’s power, if death is in our power. (Epistle 91.18-21) Thought: If we are always prepared for death, and for how we will die, we...