In remembrance of Thich Nhat Hanh

I came upon the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh early in my years as a yoga instructor. I was drawn to his philosophy of Mindfulness Meditation, and admired the deep work he had done as an activist, and the building of "mindful living" teaching centers around the world, including California. 

One of his teachings that struck me was regarding wrong perceptions. He said, "Are you sure of your perceptions?" In his book, You Are Here: Discovering the Magic of the Present Moment,  he says most of our perceptions are false. "You have made mistakes, others have made mistakes and you need to let go of your false perceptions."

Thich Nhat Hanh says, "I urge you to write this phrase down on a card at put it up on the wall of your room: 'Are you sure of your perceptions?' " I did this years ago and just now found my card tucked in a book.  The little card, "Are you sure of your perceptions?" reminded me to look or listen more carefully when confusion or uncertainty arises. And reflect, can I let go of my perceptions?
"Suffering and pain are born from wrong perceptions. Some people carry wrong perceptions with them to their deaths, and that causes a lot of suffering and misfortune."   ~ Are you sure of your perceptions?
RIP Thich Nhat Hanh  01/22/22