faith cannot be fully understood in times of happiness

"... faith sees best in the dark"
- Søren Kierkegaard [1813-1855 ], Gospel of Sufferings

on history

"If you want the present to be different from the past, study the past."
- Spinoza

Monk Junk

Buddhist contemporized anecdote circa 500BC:

A car horn beeps and forces you to leave depression for that instant. The point of meditation is to continually work to expand that instant. Depression doesn't have to be terminal if you work continually on eliminating it.

(Provided by former Monk Jim Vuylsteke}

It's what's now called "neuroplasticity" i.e. you can remake your brain. One man had Alzheimer's and couldn't walk. But by focusing intensely on each trembling, modest step over time he's now able to sprint. He's maybe one in many millions, but he rewired neural circuits.

setbacks, simpletons, dunderheads

"Any featherhead can be confident in time of Victory. The test is to have faith when things are going badly."
- Winston Churchill