Be

Sherman breathed deeply, concentrating on emptying his mind of all thoughts. The contradiction of thinking about not thinking about anything gave him a headache. His spiritual advisor instructed him to repeat his mantra at times like this.

"Be...be...be..."

He chose his mantra because of the fundamental reason he'd begun a meditation practice: he wanted to stop analyzing everything and just be. He wanted to overcome all of the angst that seemed to plague all of his waking thoughts, prevented him from sleeping and leaving him chronically depressed.

His advisor didn't understand. "Why do you sound like a bumblebee?"

Living In Paradise

Robert repeats his mantra as he tries to concentrate on nothing but his breathing.

Every moment is a paradise. Every moment is a paradise.

He remembers his trip to Bali, floating in the ocean surf as the sun set over the horizon. That was paradise.

He remembers looking into his eyes and the world disappearing in the totality of their love. That was paradise.

He opens his eyes surreptitiously and glances about the room. The faux-wood floors, the scent of cleaner in the air, the sad plant in the corner.

This is not a paradise. This is not a paradise.

The Truth And Nothing But The Truth

HUBRIS CONTEST

At a young age, Bjorn swore he would never tell another lie. For others, this might have been a quickly forgotten boast, but for him it was the mantra he would forever live by.

In the beginning, it was relatively easy to always tell the truth. But gradually he found that being honest frequently hurt the feelings of those closest to him. He began to meticulously avoid human connection, because this way he would never have to disappoint anyone by telling them how he really felt.

What had initially seemed like a valiant choice eventually became Bjorn's life long curse.

From Guest Contributor Gil Anders