I'm not trying to counsel any of youto do anything really specialexcept to dare to think,and to dare to go with the truth,and to dare to really love completely.
R. Buckminster Fuller - 18951983
We each have our own pathways to develop both personally andspiritually. They are based on our character and past experiences. Noone else can identify our paths for us. Tune in to your inner guidancesystem and follow its direction.
M. Scott peck
What every man needs, regardless of his job or the kind of work he isdoing, is a vision of what his place is and may be. He needs anobjective and a purpose. He needs a feeling and a belief that he hassome worthwhile thing to do. What this is no one can tell him. It mustbe his own creation.-- Joseph M. Dodge
Story of Martha and Mary- Sister Dawn Annette
Many of us try to escape the demands of prayer [or meditation] by setting up a false dichotomy between Martha and Mary making either/or what Jesus intended to be both/and. The Marthas say work is primarily their spiritual mode; the Marys say prayer is. Some pretend to be more Martha than Mary to justify their compulsive action and addiction to work/[busyness]. Others pretend to be more Mary to justify their spiritual inertia or laziness. Neither one of the extremes is valid, or isolated from the other.
Tessa Bielecki
All God asks is humility of heart … No one talks about the necessity and power of humility more than St Teresa of Avila, but when it comes to [intimate prayer], she clearly states that this is not a time to get bogged down in a sense of personal sin [or unworthiness]. If we focus on our unworthiness, we will not be able to accept the gift of intimacy. Of course we are unworthy and undeserving! But that is beside the point. What matters now is the incredible overture of love the Holy One is making. Refusing to respond is not truly humble, we do not refuse God’s gift but gratefully accept it the way we accept a human gift with: “Thank-you!” And “Yes!” then we enjoy and delight in the gift.
Tessa Bielecki
How many of us wallow in this kind of false humility? Do we deny the love through Martha’s busyness? Or a spiritual inertia we call Marian? Can you remember a time when you did?
Ah Power that swirls us together
Grant us Bliss
Grant us the great release
And to all Beings
Vanishing, wounded
In trouble on the earth
We pass on this love
May their numbers increase.
Gary Snyder
In safety and in Bliss
May all creatures be of a blissful heart
Whatever breathing beings there may be
Frail or firm … long or big … short or small
Seen or unseen, dwelling far or near
Existing or yet seeking to exist
May all creatures be of a blissful heart
Sutta Nipata
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
10-21-07 humility
Develop the mind of equilibrium.You will always be getting praise and blame,but do not let either affect the poise of the mind:follow the calmness, the absence of pride.
Sutta Nipata
No one is so wrong as the man who knows all the answers. Chuang Tzu preaches an essential humility: not the humility of virtuousness and conscious self-abasement, which in the end is never entirely free from unctuousness, but the basic, one might say “ontological” or “cosmic” humility of the man who fully realizes his own nothingness and becomes totally forgetful of himself, “like a dry tree stump … ”. One may call this humility “cosmic’, not only because it is rooted in the true nature of things, but also because it is full of life and awareness, responding with boundless vitality and joy to all living beings. It manifests itself everywhere.
Chuang Tzu’s Taoism is nostalgic for the primordial climate of paradise in which there was no differentiation, in which man was utterly simple, unaware of himself, living at peace with himself, with Tao, and with all other creatures. But for Chuang this paradise is not something that has been irrevocably lost by sin and cannot be gained except by redemption. It is still ours, but we do not know it, since the effect of life is society is to complicate and confuse our existence, making us forget who we really are by causing us to become obsessed with what we are not. It is this self-awareness which we try to increase and perfect by all sorts of methods and practices, that is really a forgetfulness of our true roots in the unknown Tao and our solidarity in the uncarved block in which there are as yet no distinctions.
Thomas Merton
Your worst enemy cannot harm you as muchas your own unguarded thoughts."
- The Buddha
In what is seen, there should be just the seen;In what is heard, there should be just the heard;
In what is sensed, there should be just the sensed;In what is thought, there should be just the thought.
Sutta Nipata II,14
One day Ananda, who had been thinking deeply about things for a while, turned to the Buddha and exclaimed:"Lord, I've been thinking- spiritual friendship is at least half of the spiritual life!"The Buddha replied: "Say not so, Ananda, say not so. Spiritual friendship is the whole of the spiritual life!"
Samyutta Nikaya, Verse 2
~
The spiritual life is built entirely on humility If there is no growth in humility – Teresa of Avila does not mince words here – “Everything is going to be ruined.” She uses comforting imagery when discussing this foundational virtue: “Humility is an ointment for our wounds. If we are humble – an indispensable requirement for [intimate] prayer- the surgeon, who is our Lord, will come to heal us.”
Teresa distinguishes between true and false humility. The more we know ourselves, the more we feel distress over our wretchedness. … If we experience excessive distress, anger, agitation, disturbance, and frustration, this is a definite sign of false humility, wounded pride, and egotism. Wee must grieve over our offenses, but what matters more is the unfathomable mercy of God. When we are humble we take God so seriously that we take everything else – especially ourselves – light heartedly.
Teresa’s major teaching on humility is clear: To be humble is to walk in truth – the truth of who we are and who God is. Since humility is truth, it does not mean thinking little of ourselves, but thinking of ourselves very little. This virtue is not for wimps, but for warriors! Humility carries with it a breath of greatness, a jubilant freedom, and holy audacity.
Tessa Bielecki
The idea or practice of surrender does not function in Teresa’s thought to repeat the passivity or the dainty submissiveness of women[“s traditional roles]. Instead it is an empowering recognition of what it means to commit to inner fidelity - to a truth that takes away … subordination and restores … equality. Seldom in life do we give ourselves so totally and fully to the one necessary thing – to find the true self and to know God. Beverly Lanzetta
~
These teachings are like a raft, to be abandoned once you have crossed the flood.Since you should abandon even good states of mind generated by these teachings,How much more so should you abandon bad states of mind!
~
Conquer the angry man by love.Conquer the ill-natured man by goodness.Conquer the miser with generosity.Conquer the liar with truth.
The Dhammapada
Drink your tea slowly and reverently,as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves - slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future;Live the actual moment.Only this moment is life.
- Thich Nhat Hahn
Sutta Nipata
No one is so wrong as the man who knows all the answers. Chuang Tzu preaches an essential humility: not the humility of virtuousness and conscious self-abasement, which in the end is never entirely free from unctuousness, but the basic, one might say “ontological” or “cosmic” humility of the man who fully realizes his own nothingness and becomes totally forgetful of himself, “like a dry tree stump … ”. One may call this humility “cosmic’, not only because it is rooted in the true nature of things, but also because it is full of life and awareness, responding with boundless vitality and joy to all living beings. It manifests itself everywhere.
Chuang Tzu’s Taoism is nostalgic for the primordial climate of paradise in which there was no differentiation, in which man was utterly simple, unaware of himself, living at peace with himself, with Tao, and with all other creatures. But for Chuang this paradise is not something that has been irrevocably lost by sin and cannot be gained except by redemption. It is still ours, but we do not know it, since the effect of life is society is to complicate and confuse our existence, making us forget who we really are by causing us to become obsessed with what we are not. It is this self-awareness which we try to increase and perfect by all sorts of methods and practices, that is really a forgetfulness of our true roots in the unknown Tao and our solidarity in the uncarved block in which there are as yet no distinctions.
Thomas Merton
Your worst enemy cannot harm you as muchas your own unguarded thoughts."
- The Buddha
In what is seen, there should be just the seen;In what is heard, there should be just the heard;
In what is sensed, there should be just the sensed;In what is thought, there should be just the thought.
Sutta Nipata II,14
One day Ananda, who had been thinking deeply about things for a while, turned to the Buddha and exclaimed:"Lord, I've been thinking- spiritual friendship is at least half of the spiritual life!"The Buddha replied: "Say not so, Ananda, say not so. Spiritual friendship is the whole of the spiritual life!"
Samyutta Nikaya, Verse 2
~
The spiritual life is built entirely on humility If there is no growth in humility – Teresa of Avila does not mince words here – “Everything is going to be ruined.” She uses comforting imagery when discussing this foundational virtue: “Humility is an ointment for our wounds. If we are humble – an indispensable requirement for [intimate] prayer- the surgeon, who is our Lord, will come to heal us.”
Teresa distinguishes between true and false humility. The more we know ourselves, the more we feel distress over our wretchedness. … If we experience excessive distress, anger, agitation, disturbance, and frustration, this is a definite sign of false humility, wounded pride, and egotism. Wee must grieve over our offenses, but what matters more is the unfathomable mercy of God. When we are humble we take God so seriously that we take everything else – especially ourselves – light heartedly.
Teresa’s major teaching on humility is clear: To be humble is to walk in truth – the truth of who we are and who God is. Since humility is truth, it does not mean thinking little of ourselves, but thinking of ourselves very little. This virtue is not for wimps, but for warriors! Humility carries with it a breath of greatness, a jubilant freedom, and holy audacity.
Tessa Bielecki
The idea or practice of surrender does not function in Teresa’s thought to repeat the passivity or the dainty submissiveness of women[“s traditional roles]. Instead it is an empowering recognition of what it means to commit to inner fidelity - to a truth that takes away … subordination and restores … equality. Seldom in life do we give ourselves so totally and fully to the one necessary thing – to find the true self and to know God. Beverly Lanzetta
~
These teachings are like a raft, to be abandoned once you have crossed the flood.Since you should abandon even good states of mind generated by these teachings,How much more so should you abandon bad states of mind!
~
Conquer the angry man by love.Conquer the ill-natured man by goodness.Conquer the miser with generosity.Conquer the liar with truth.
The Dhammapada
Drink your tea slowly and reverently,as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves - slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future;Live the actual moment.Only this moment is life.
- Thich Nhat Hahn
10-14-07 HUMILITY
Divine Mother of all BeingsGreat Goddess of Compassion and MercyMay my heart be home to youlike your island in the sea.May I feel your presence guiding me in fear and rage.May the strength and balance of your grace-filled body be mine when I need them,And may I walk in your Bodhisattva Way with trust and gladness,Beyond time, beyond the end, beyond the beginning.
prayer to quan yin - claudia l'amoreaux
I am bowing my headIn the eye of the Mother who gave me birth,In the eye of the Maiden who loves me,In the eye of the Crone who guides me in wisdom,
In friendship and affection.
Through thy gift of nature, O Goddess,Bestow upon us fullness in our need.
Love towards the Lady,The affection of the Lady,The laughter of the Lady,The wisdom of the Lady,The passion of the Lady,The blessing of the Lady,And the magic of the Lady
To do in the world of Abred,As the Ageless Ones do in Gwynfyd;
Each shade and light,Each day and night,Each moment in kindness,Grant us Thy Sight.
carmina gadelica - ancient celtic oral tradition
This new Bible shall be writtenOn the hearts of all mankind,Not by pen or book,But by acts of Love.For to Love as She doesIs to truly know who He is.The unchanged truth is eternal lifeFor all, without exception.For no longer do we wander lost in the Word,But live the word in eternal life.
justina m. pernetter
Yet determination and persistence without surrender and humility are like wild horses, undisciplined and unfocused. True desire involves the pursuit of longing though the practice of giving ones self over to God.
Teresa of Avila
The most intense form of courageous humility is surrender of will, for it operates on a determined faith that there is something greater than the individual self.
Not submissiveness, but an expression of self-knowlwdge and self-worth, the soul surrenders itself “with true confidence.” Julian of Norwich says “whether it be seeking or contemplating … [it] taught me to understand that the soul’s constant search pleases God greatly. For it cannot do more than see, suffer, and trust.”
The idea or practice of surrender does not function in Teresa’s thought to repeat the passivity or the dainty submissiveness of women[“s traditional roles]. Instead it is an empowering recognition of what it means to commit to inner fidelity - to a truth that takes away women’s subordination and restores their equality. Seldom in life do we give ourselves so totally and fully to the one necessary thing – to find the true self and to know God. Beverly Lanzetta
The early years of the great painter Paul Cezanne were difficult and his career was, from the very start, troubled with frequent rejection and failure. His family considered him peculiar and were unsupportive of his art.
After much family turmoil in his younger years, his father gave him a small allowance and he left for Paris where he worked alone and ignored.
Another painter Camille Pissarro became his mentor both lending him moral support, and influencing his palette. Cezanne, in a relatively short time period, switched from dark tones to bright colors.
Cezanne produced beautiful works as an unknown painter for many, many years. His commitment to, and passion for, his art was strong and unwavering and he did not strive for fame or even lesser recognition.
One day, a French art dealer happened to see the masterpieces of Cezanne. He was so impressed that he collected several of the paintings and arranged an exhibition in his gallery. Visitors to the dealer's gallery were stunned as they saw for the first time the works of the unknown master.
The story goes that Cezanne arrived at the gallery and was also stunned. He had never before seen his work featured and admired this way. He walked around looking at his paintings, leaning on his son for support. Slowly he turned his head and looked at his son in surprise and awe. Cezanne then said, "They have put them in frames!"
To know the masculine and yet to cleave to the
feminine is to be the womb of the world.
Being the womb of the world, never departing
from the eternal power of the Tao,
you become as an infant once again: immortal.
To know the bright and yet hold to the dull
is to be the example for the world.
Being the example for the world, not deviating
from the everlasting power of the Tao,
you return to the infinite once again:
limitless
To know honor and yet keep to humility
is to be the valley for the world.
Being the valley for the world,
rich with the primal power of Tao,
you return once again to simplicity,
like uncarved wood.
Allow Tao to carve you into a vessel for Tao.
Then you can serve the world without
mutilating it.
The Tao te Ching, Lao Tzu
All life is your own,
All fruits of the earth are fruits of the womb,
Your union, your dance.
Lady and Lord,
We thank –you for blessings and abundance
Join with us, Feast with us, Enjoy with us!
Blessed Be.
Starhawk
prayer to quan yin - claudia l'amoreaux
I am bowing my headIn the eye of the Mother who gave me birth,In the eye of the Maiden who loves me,In the eye of the Crone who guides me in wisdom,
In friendship and affection.
Through thy gift of nature, O Goddess,Bestow upon us fullness in our need.
Love towards the Lady,The affection of the Lady,The laughter of the Lady,The wisdom of the Lady,The passion of the Lady,The blessing of the Lady,And the magic of the Lady
To do in the world of Abred,As the Ageless Ones do in Gwynfyd;
Each shade and light,Each day and night,Each moment in kindness,Grant us Thy Sight.
carmina gadelica - ancient celtic oral tradition
This new Bible shall be writtenOn the hearts of all mankind,Not by pen or book,But by acts of Love.For to Love as She doesIs to truly know who He is.The unchanged truth is eternal lifeFor all, without exception.For no longer do we wander lost in the Word,But live the word in eternal life.
justina m. pernetter
Yet determination and persistence without surrender and humility are like wild horses, undisciplined and unfocused. True desire involves the pursuit of longing though the practice of giving ones self over to God.
Teresa of Avila
The most intense form of courageous humility is surrender of will, for it operates on a determined faith that there is something greater than the individual self.
Not submissiveness, but an expression of self-knowlwdge and self-worth, the soul surrenders itself “with true confidence.” Julian of Norwich says “whether it be seeking or contemplating … [it] taught me to understand that the soul’s constant search pleases God greatly. For it cannot do more than see, suffer, and trust.”
The idea or practice of surrender does not function in Teresa’s thought to repeat the passivity or the dainty submissiveness of women[“s traditional roles]. Instead it is an empowering recognition of what it means to commit to inner fidelity - to a truth that takes away women’s subordination and restores their equality. Seldom in life do we give ourselves so totally and fully to the one necessary thing – to find the true self and to know God. Beverly Lanzetta
The early years of the great painter Paul Cezanne were difficult and his career was, from the very start, troubled with frequent rejection and failure. His family considered him peculiar and were unsupportive of his art.
After much family turmoil in his younger years, his father gave him a small allowance and he left for Paris where he worked alone and ignored.
Another painter Camille Pissarro became his mentor both lending him moral support, and influencing his palette. Cezanne, in a relatively short time period, switched from dark tones to bright colors.
Cezanne produced beautiful works as an unknown painter for many, many years. His commitment to, and passion for, his art was strong and unwavering and he did not strive for fame or even lesser recognition.
One day, a French art dealer happened to see the masterpieces of Cezanne. He was so impressed that he collected several of the paintings and arranged an exhibition in his gallery. Visitors to the dealer's gallery were stunned as they saw for the first time the works of the unknown master.
The story goes that Cezanne arrived at the gallery and was also stunned. He had never before seen his work featured and admired this way. He walked around looking at his paintings, leaning on his son for support. Slowly he turned his head and looked at his son in surprise and awe. Cezanne then said, "They have put them in frames!"
To know the masculine and yet to cleave to the
feminine is to be the womb of the world.
Being the womb of the world, never departing
from the eternal power of the Tao,
you become as an infant once again: immortal.
To know the bright and yet hold to the dull
is to be the example for the world.
Being the example for the world, not deviating
from the everlasting power of the Tao,
you return to the infinite once again:
limitless
To know honor and yet keep to humility
is to be the valley for the world.
Being the valley for the world,
rich with the primal power of Tao,
you return once again to simplicity,
like uncarved wood.
Allow Tao to carve you into a vessel for Tao.
Then you can serve the world without
mutilating it.
The Tao te Ching, Lao Tzu
All life is your own,
All fruits of the earth are fruits of the womb,
Your union, your dance.
Lady and Lord,
We thank –you for blessings and abundance
Join with us, Feast with us, Enjoy with us!
Blessed Be.
Starhawk
10-7-07 HUMILITY
Holy Mystery
As we join together this morning in the light of your presence,
we are reminded that we are all one in the divine heart.
May this longing for oneness transform our world.
May our hearts be opened, in the very depths where we find you, God,
May our hearts be open to the glorious expression of your love found in all our religions and spiritual traditions.
You speak to us, Holy Mystery, in this diversity, and we are enriched and humbled by the breadth and depth of your Words.
May our gathering together this morning signify our hopes for the harmony of our planet, the alleviation of suffering, food for the hungry, shelter for the homeless, and respect for the poor. May this flame be a testimony of our willingness to struggle together toward the peace of inclusiveness, loving all and embracing all in the family of creation.
Amen.
Life is a lesson in humility.
James Mathew Barrie
We often confuse humility with timidity. Humility is not clothing ourselves in an attitude of self-abasement or self-denigration. Humility is all about maintaining our pride about who we are, about our achievements, about our worth – but without arrogance – it is the antithesis of hubris, that excessive, arrogant pride which often leads to the derailment of [many] as it does with the downfall of the tragic hero in Greek drama. It’s about a quiet confidence without the need for a meretricious selling of our wares. It’s about being content to let others discover the layers of our talents without having to boast about them. It’s a lack of arrogance, not a lack of [assertiveness] in pursuit of achievement.
Bruna Martinuzzi
The Toddler’s Creed
If I want it, it’s mine.
If I give it to you, then change my mind, it’s mine.
If I can take it away from you by force, it’s mine.
If I had it a little while ago, it’s mine.
If we are playing with something together, then all the pieces are mine.
If it looks just like the one I used to have at home, it’s mine.
A sign in a nursery school
Walking a spiritual path . . . means that we are trying to be a little less toddler-like. Lama Surya Das
Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to anunderstanding of ourselves.-- C.G. Jung
An epoch will come when people will disclaim kinship with us as we disclaim kinship with the monkey. Kahil Gibran
Humility cannot be an observance by itself, For it does not lend itself to being deliberately practiced. It is, however, an indispensable test of ahimsa, non-harm. In one who has ahimsa in him it becomes a part of his very nature. … To cultivate humility is tantamount to cultivating hypocrisy ….
Gandhi
The King's Humility
One day a sage came to a King for an interview. The sage had to wait for a long time because the King was very busy. Finally, the King said he could come in.
When the sage entered the hall, the first thing he did was to take off his hat and bow to the King. Immediately the King took off his crown and bowed to the sage. The ministers and others who were around the King asked, "What are you doing? He took off his hat because he is an ordinary man. But you are the King. Why should you have to take off your crown?"
The King said to his ministers, "You fools, do you think I wish to remain inferior to an ordinary man? He is humble and modest. His humility is a peerless virtue'. He showed his respect to me. If I did not take off my crown, then I would be showing less humility than an ordinary man, and I would be defeated by him. I f I am the King, I should be better than everybody in everything. That is why I took off my crown and bowed to him!”
Hindu story
Directly if we imagine ourselves to be something, there is egotism. If a man who keeps observances is proud of keeping them, they will lose much, if not, all of their value. And a man who is proud of his virtue, then becomes a curse to society. … Our existence as embodied beings is purely momentary. What are 100 years in eternity? But if we shatter the chains of egotism and melt into the ocean of humanity, we shall share its dignity. . .
How is it possible to cultivate humility? It develops of itself if we understand the spirit of our observances. Can anyone who aspires to follow truth ever be a proud man?
Gandhi
In humility is the greatest freedom.
As long as you have to defend the imaginary self that you think is important, you lose your peace of heart. As soon as you compare that shadow with the shadows of other people, you lose all joy, because you have begun to trade in unrealities and there is no joy in things that do not exist.
thomas merton
In his acclamation, “You are humility," Francis establishes the theological foundation of minority. Francis chose humility as the chief characteristic of his brotherhood because humility characterizes the self-revelation of God: Though he [Christ Jesus] was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness (Phil 2:6-7).
A liberated soul knows that he is not the doer. He knows and feels that he is a mere instrument for the higher power. It is this awareness that enables him to be a channel for divine light. A liberated soul does not deal with his own individual will and individual freedom; he seeks only to be a channel for the Divine Will.
"Because I came down from heaven not to do my own will, but the will of the one who sent me." - Jesus Christ [1]
This humility is only possible when a person has subdued his ego. When our ego is predominant we feel that we are the doer. But, if we transcend the dominance of the ego, we learn true humility. This state of consciousness gives does not give us a sense of superiority, but oneness with others. Because of his sense of identification with others a liberated soul will never feel better than others.
"A real spiritual Master will never think that he is superior to anybody. He will feel that it is his bounden duty to be of service to the divinity, to the Supreme in humanity."
Sri Chinmoy
At birth a person is soft and yielding,
at death stiff and hard.
All beings, the grass, the trees:
alive, soft and yielding
dead, stiff and hard.
Therefore the hard and inflexible
are friends of death.
The soft and yielding
are friends of life.
An unyielding army is destroyed.
An unbending tree breaks.
The hard must humble itself
or be otherwise humbled.
The soft will ultimately ascend.
The Tao te Ching, Lao Tzu
The greatest achievement is selflessness.The greatest worth is self-mastery.The greatest quality is seeking to serve others.The greatest precept is continual awareness.The greatest medicine is the emptiness of everything.The greatest action is not conforming with the worlds ways.The greatest magic is transmuting the passions.The greatest generosity is non-attachment.The greatest goodness is a peaceful mind.The greatest patience is humility.The greatest effort is not concerned with results.The greatest meditation is a mind that lets go.The greatest wisdom is seeing through appearances.
Atisha
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. (KJV, Matthew 5:5-9)
As we join together this morning in the light of your presence,
we are reminded that we are all one in the divine heart.
May this longing for oneness transform our world.
May our hearts be opened, in the very depths where we find you, God,
May our hearts be open to the glorious expression of your love found in all our religions and spiritual traditions.
You speak to us, Holy Mystery, in this diversity, and we are enriched and humbled by the breadth and depth of your Words.
May our gathering together this morning signify our hopes for the harmony of our planet, the alleviation of suffering, food for the hungry, shelter for the homeless, and respect for the poor. May this flame be a testimony of our willingness to struggle together toward the peace of inclusiveness, loving all and embracing all in the family of creation.
Amen.
Life is a lesson in humility.
James Mathew Barrie
We often confuse humility with timidity. Humility is not clothing ourselves in an attitude of self-abasement or self-denigration. Humility is all about maintaining our pride about who we are, about our achievements, about our worth – but without arrogance – it is the antithesis of hubris, that excessive, arrogant pride which often leads to the derailment of [many] as it does with the downfall of the tragic hero in Greek drama. It’s about a quiet confidence without the need for a meretricious selling of our wares. It’s about being content to let others discover the layers of our talents without having to boast about them. It’s a lack of arrogance, not a lack of [assertiveness] in pursuit of achievement.
Bruna Martinuzzi
The Toddler’s Creed
If I want it, it’s mine.
If I give it to you, then change my mind, it’s mine.
If I can take it away from you by force, it’s mine.
If I had it a little while ago, it’s mine.
If we are playing with something together, then all the pieces are mine.
If it looks just like the one I used to have at home, it’s mine.
A sign in a nursery school
Walking a spiritual path . . . means that we are trying to be a little less toddler-like. Lama Surya Das
Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to anunderstanding of ourselves.-- C.G. Jung
An epoch will come when people will disclaim kinship with us as we disclaim kinship with the monkey. Kahil Gibran
Humility cannot be an observance by itself, For it does not lend itself to being deliberately practiced. It is, however, an indispensable test of ahimsa, non-harm. In one who has ahimsa in him it becomes a part of his very nature. … To cultivate humility is tantamount to cultivating hypocrisy ….
Gandhi
The King's Humility
One day a sage came to a King for an interview. The sage had to wait for a long time because the King was very busy. Finally, the King said he could come in.
When the sage entered the hall, the first thing he did was to take off his hat and bow to the King. Immediately the King took off his crown and bowed to the sage. The ministers and others who were around the King asked, "What are you doing? He took off his hat because he is an ordinary man. But you are the King. Why should you have to take off your crown?"
The King said to his ministers, "You fools, do you think I wish to remain inferior to an ordinary man? He is humble and modest. His humility is a peerless virtue'. He showed his respect to me. If I did not take off my crown, then I would be showing less humility than an ordinary man, and I would be defeated by him. I f I am the King, I should be better than everybody in everything. That is why I took off my crown and bowed to him!”
Hindu story
Directly if we imagine ourselves to be something, there is egotism. If a man who keeps observances is proud of keeping them, they will lose much, if not, all of their value. And a man who is proud of his virtue, then becomes a curse to society. … Our existence as embodied beings is purely momentary. What are 100 years in eternity? But if we shatter the chains of egotism and melt into the ocean of humanity, we shall share its dignity. . .
How is it possible to cultivate humility? It develops of itself if we understand the spirit of our observances. Can anyone who aspires to follow truth ever be a proud man?
Gandhi
In humility is the greatest freedom.
As long as you have to defend the imaginary self that you think is important, you lose your peace of heart. As soon as you compare that shadow with the shadows of other people, you lose all joy, because you have begun to trade in unrealities and there is no joy in things that do not exist.
thomas merton
In his acclamation, “You are humility," Francis establishes the theological foundation of minority. Francis chose humility as the chief characteristic of his brotherhood because humility characterizes the self-revelation of God: Though he [Christ Jesus] was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness (Phil 2:6-7).
A liberated soul knows that he is not the doer. He knows and feels that he is a mere instrument for the higher power. It is this awareness that enables him to be a channel for divine light. A liberated soul does not deal with his own individual will and individual freedom; he seeks only to be a channel for the Divine Will.
"Because I came down from heaven not to do my own will, but the will of the one who sent me." - Jesus Christ [1]
This humility is only possible when a person has subdued his ego. When our ego is predominant we feel that we are the doer. But, if we transcend the dominance of the ego, we learn true humility. This state of consciousness gives does not give us a sense of superiority, but oneness with others. Because of his sense of identification with others a liberated soul will never feel better than others.
"A real spiritual Master will never think that he is superior to anybody. He will feel that it is his bounden duty to be of service to the divinity, to the Supreme in humanity."
Sri Chinmoy
At birth a person is soft and yielding,
at death stiff and hard.
All beings, the grass, the trees:
alive, soft and yielding
dead, stiff and hard.
Therefore the hard and inflexible
are friends of death.
The soft and yielding
are friends of life.
An unyielding army is destroyed.
An unbending tree breaks.
The hard must humble itself
or be otherwise humbled.
The soft will ultimately ascend.
The Tao te Ching, Lao Tzu
The greatest achievement is selflessness.The greatest worth is self-mastery.The greatest quality is seeking to serve others.The greatest precept is continual awareness.The greatest medicine is the emptiness of everything.The greatest action is not conforming with the worlds ways.The greatest magic is transmuting the passions.The greatest generosity is non-attachment.The greatest goodness is a peaceful mind.The greatest patience is humility.The greatest effort is not concerned with results.The greatest meditation is a mind that lets go.The greatest wisdom is seeing through appearances.
Atisha
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. (KJV, Matthew 5:5-9)
Quotes 9-30-07 HOPE
Come, Come, Whoever you are.
Wanderer, Worshiper,
Lover of leaving – it doesn’t matter.
Ours is not a caravan of despair.
Come, even if you have broken your vows
A hundred times, a thousand times
Come, come again, come
Rumi
A brother asked one of the elders: What good thing shall I do, and have life thereby? The old man replied: God alone knows what is good. However, I have heard it said that someone inquired of Father Abbot Nisteros the great, the friend of Abbot Anthony, asking: What good work shall I do? And that he replied: “Not all works are alike. For Scripture says that Abraham was hospitable, and God was with him. Elias loved solitary prayer, and God was with him. And David was humble, and God was with him. Therefore, whatever you see your soul to desire according to God, do that thing, and you shall keep your heart safe.
Wisdom of the Desert Fathers
Do I believe in a decadent state (or society)? How am I passively guided by it? How do I depend on accepted conventional values?
Am I prepared to seek my own true self, in Christ? And to reject my false self, fabricated under social compulsion?
What does my false self look like? What social compulsions have fabricated it?
[What do you give up to belong?]
What does my true self look like? What do I need to realize it?
Have I freely chosen my [own] way to God? Or have I inherited it from others who mapped it out beforehand? What is an appropriate balance between these two?
How much do I conform? Am I courageous enough to be different? To follow the secret, hidden, inscrutable will of God for me?
Am I hospitable like Abraham? Humble like David? Do I love solitary prayer like Elias? [Or is my path something altogether different?}
Since God is the authority, and apart from [the Divine’s] manifest will there are few or no principles, what do I see [my] soul to desire according to God?
Thomas Merton
How is it they live for eons in such harmony –
the billions of stars –
when most men can barely go a minute
without declaring war in their mind against someone they know.
There are wars where no one marches with a flag though that does not keep casualties from mounting.
Our hearts irrigate this earth.
We are fields before
each other.
How can we live in harmony?
First we need to
know
we are all madly in love
with the same
God.
St. Thomas Aquinas
It has been told, that during the reign of Sultan Mahmud of Ghazna, there lived a certain Haidar Ali Jan. His father, Iskandar Khan, wanted to gain the patronage of the Sultan, so he sent Haidar Ali away to study spirituality under the guidance of a well known sage.
After Haidar Ali had mastered various exercises and spiritual recitals, taught in the Sufi schools, his father took him before Sultan Mahmud.
"Mighty Sultan Mahmud," said Iskandar Khan, "I have had my eldest and most intelligent son specially trained in the ways of the Sufi, so that he might be given a good position in your court, knowing that you are a patron of learning!"
Sultan Mahmud did not look up, but just said, "Bring him back in a year!"
Slightly disappointed, but maintaining high hopes, Iskandar Khan sent Haidar Ali to study the works of the great Sufis of the past and to visit the shrines of the ancient masters, so that he would be better prepared the following year.
The next year, when he took Haidar Ali back to Sultan Mahmud's court, he said, "Your Majesty, my son has covered long and difficult journeys and is now more knowledgeable in Sufi history and classical spiritual exercises. Please have him tested, so it can be proven that he will be a wonderful asset to your court."
"Let him," said Sultan Mahmud without hesitation, "return after another year!"
Over the next twelve months, Haidar Ali crossed the Amu Darya river and visited Bukhara and Samarqand, Qasr-i-Arifin and Tashkent, Dushambe and the turbats of the Sufi saints of Turkestan.
When he returned to the court, Sultan Mahmud of Ghazna took one look at him and said, "He may care to come back after a year!"
Haidar Ali made the pilgrimage to Mecca that year. He then traveled to India and in Persia he consulted rare books and never missed an opportunity to seek out and pay his respects to the great dervishes of the time.
When he returned to Ghazna, Sultan Mahmud said to him, "Now select a sheikh (teacher) if he will have you, and come back in a year!"
Another year was over and Iskandar Khan prepared to take his son to the court, however, this time Haidar Ali showed no interest in going before the Sultan. He sat at the feet of his sheikh in Herat and nothing that his father could say would move him.
"I have wasted my time and money, and my son has failed the tests imposed by Sultan Mahmud," Iskandar Khan cried to his family and friends. He decided to abandon his great plans for Haidar Ali and left him alone with his sheikh.
The day preset for Haidar Ali to present himself at the court came and went. Sultan Mahmud said to his courtiers, "Prepare for a journey to Herat, for there is someone in that city I have to meet."
When Sultan Mahmud's entourage entered Herat to the sound of drums and trumpets, Haidar Ali and his sheikh were sitting in a garden sanctuary near by. Sultan Mahmud and his courtier Ayaz, approached the sanctuary and took off their shoes in respect.
"Welcome, Sultan Mahmud," said the Sufi sheikh, and he pointed to Haidar Ali and said, "Here is the man who was nothing while he was a visitor at your court, but now, he is worthy of a visit from a king. Take him as your Sufi counselor, for he is ready!"
Note: This is a true story from the life and studies of Hiravi also called, Haidar Ali Jan, the Sage of Herat!
We must adjust our trials to ourselves,and not ourselves to our trials.--John of the Cross
It is your destiny to see as God sees,
to know as God knows,
to feel as God
feels.
How is this possible? How?
Because divine love cannot defy its very self.
Divine love will be eternally true to its own being,
and its own being is giving all it can,
at the perfect
moment.
And the greatest gift
God can give us is His own experience.
Every object, every creature, every man, woman, and child
has a soul and it is the destiny of all
to see as God sees,
to know as God knows,
to feel as God feels,
to Be
as God
Is.
Meister Eckhardt
I am the wind on the sea.I am the wave of the sea.I am the bull of seven battles.I am the eagle on the rock.I am a flash from the sun.I am the most beautiful of plants.I am a strong wild boar.I am a salmon in the water.I am a lake in the plain.I am the word of knowledge.I am the head of the spear in battle.I am the God that puts fire in the head.Who spreads light in the gathering on the hills?Who can tell the ages of the moon?Who can tell the place where the sun rests?
druid - song of amergin
I celebrate myself, and sing myself,And what I assume you shall assume,For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.I loafe and invite my soul,I lean and loafe at my ease observing a spear of summer grass.My tongue, every atom of my blood, form'd from this soil, this air,Born here of parents born here from parents the same, and their parents the same,I, now thirty-seven years old in perfect health begin,Hoping to cease not till death.Creeds and schools in abeyance,Retiring back a while sufficed at what they are, but never forgotten,I harbor for good or bad, I permit to speak at every hazard,Nature without check with original energy.
verse 1 - song of myself - Walt Whitman
Amazing grace! How sweet the soundThat saved a wretch like me.I once was lost, but now am found,Was blind, but now I see.
'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,And grace my fears relieved.How precious did that grace appearThe hour I first believed.
Through many dangers, toils and snaresI have already come;'Tis grace hath brought me safe thus farAnd grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promised good to meHis word my hope secures;He will my shield and portion be,As long as life endures.
Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,and mortal life shall cease,I shall possess within the veil,A life of joy and peace.
When we've been there ten thousand yearsBright shining as the sun,We've no less days to sing God's praiseThan when we've first begun.
traditional hymn - John Newton - ± 1760 c.e.
May I be happy, well and peaceful.May my parents, grandparents and ancestors be happy, well and peaceful.May my brothers and sisters, my spouse and children, my grandchildrenand all future generations be happy, well and peaceful.May all my friends and all my enemies be happy.May all human beings sharing the earth be happy.May all forms of life, plants, animals, birds, fish and insects be happy.May all sentient beings in the universe be happy.May we all be free from suffering and pain.May we all be free from attachment of greed, anger and ignorance.May we all attain perfect peace and happiness of Enlightenment throughBuddha's Wisdom and Compassion.
loving kindness meditation - reverend t. Kenjitsu Nakagaki
Wanderer, Worshiper,
Lover of leaving – it doesn’t matter.
Ours is not a caravan of despair.
Come, even if you have broken your vows
A hundred times, a thousand times
Come, come again, come
Rumi
A brother asked one of the elders: What good thing shall I do, and have life thereby? The old man replied: God alone knows what is good. However, I have heard it said that someone inquired of Father Abbot Nisteros the great, the friend of Abbot Anthony, asking: What good work shall I do? And that he replied: “Not all works are alike. For Scripture says that Abraham was hospitable, and God was with him. Elias loved solitary prayer, and God was with him. And David was humble, and God was with him. Therefore, whatever you see your soul to desire according to God, do that thing, and you shall keep your heart safe.
Wisdom of the Desert Fathers
Do I believe in a decadent state (or society)? How am I passively guided by it? How do I depend on accepted conventional values?
Am I prepared to seek my own true self, in Christ? And to reject my false self, fabricated under social compulsion?
What does my false self look like? What social compulsions have fabricated it?
[What do you give up to belong?]
What does my true self look like? What do I need to realize it?
Have I freely chosen my [own] way to God? Or have I inherited it from others who mapped it out beforehand? What is an appropriate balance between these two?
How much do I conform? Am I courageous enough to be different? To follow the secret, hidden, inscrutable will of God for me?
Am I hospitable like Abraham? Humble like David? Do I love solitary prayer like Elias? [Or is my path something altogether different?}
Since God is the authority, and apart from [the Divine’s] manifest will there are few or no principles, what do I see [my] soul to desire according to God?
Thomas Merton
How is it they live for eons in such harmony –
the billions of stars –
when most men can barely go a minute
without declaring war in their mind against someone they know.
There are wars where no one marches with a flag though that does not keep casualties from mounting.
Our hearts irrigate this earth.
We are fields before
each other.
How can we live in harmony?
First we need to
know
we are all madly in love
with the same
God.
St. Thomas Aquinas
It has been told, that during the reign of Sultan Mahmud of Ghazna, there lived a certain Haidar Ali Jan. His father, Iskandar Khan, wanted to gain the patronage of the Sultan, so he sent Haidar Ali away to study spirituality under the guidance of a well known sage.
After Haidar Ali had mastered various exercises and spiritual recitals, taught in the Sufi schools, his father took him before Sultan Mahmud.
"Mighty Sultan Mahmud," said Iskandar Khan, "I have had my eldest and most intelligent son specially trained in the ways of the Sufi, so that he might be given a good position in your court, knowing that you are a patron of learning!"
Sultan Mahmud did not look up, but just said, "Bring him back in a year!"
Slightly disappointed, but maintaining high hopes, Iskandar Khan sent Haidar Ali to study the works of the great Sufis of the past and to visit the shrines of the ancient masters, so that he would be better prepared the following year.
The next year, when he took Haidar Ali back to Sultan Mahmud's court, he said, "Your Majesty, my son has covered long and difficult journeys and is now more knowledgeable in Sufi history and classical spiritual exercises. Please have him tested, so it can be proven that he will be a wonderful asset to your court."
"Let him," said Sultan Mahmud without hesitation, "return after another year!"
Over the next twelve months, Haidar Ali crossed the Amu Darya river and visited Bukhara and Samarqand, Qasr-i-Arifin and Tashkent, Dushambe and the turbats of the Sufi saints of Turkestan.
When he returned to the court, Sultan Mahmud of Ghazna took one look at him and said, "He may care to come back after a year!"
Haidar Ali made the pilgrimage to Mecca that year. He then traveled to India and in Persia he consulted rare books and never missed an opportunity to seek out and pay his respects to the great dervishes of the time.
When he returned to Ghazna, Sultan Mahmud said to him, "Now select a sheikh (teacher) if he will have you, and come back in a year!"
Another year was over and Iskandar Khan prepared to take his son to the court, however, this time Haidar Ali showed no interest in going before the Sultan. He sat at the feet of his sheikh in Herat and nothing that his father could say would move him.
"I have wasted my time and money, and my son has failed the tests imposed by Sultan Mahmud," Iskandar Khan cried to his family and friends. He decided to abandon his great plans for Haidar Ali and left him alone with his sheikh.
The day preset for Haidar Ali to present himself at the court came and went. Sultan Mahmud said to his courtiers, "Prepare for a journey to Herat, for there is someone in that city I have to meet."
When Sultan Mahmud's entourage entered Herat to the sound of drums and trumpets, Haidar Ali and his sheikh were sitting in a garden sanctuary near by. Sultan Mahmud and his courtier Ayaz, approached the sanctuary and took off their shoes in respect.
"Welcome, Sultan Mahmud," said the Sufi sheikh, and he pointed to Haidar Ali and said, "Here is the man who was nothing while he was a visitor at your court, but now, he is worthy of a visit from a king. Take him as your Sufi counselor, for he is ready!"
Note: This is a true story from the life and studies of Hiravi also called, Haidar Ali Jan, the Sage of Herat!
We must adjust our trials to ourselves,and not ourselves to our trials.--John of the Cross
It is your destiny to see as God sees,
to know as God knows,
to feel as God
feels.
How is this possible? How?
Because divine love cannot defy its very self.
Divine love will be eternally true to its own being,
and its own being is giving all it can,
at the perfect
moment.
And the greatest gift
God can give us is His own experience.
Every object, every creature, every man, woman, and child
has a soul and it is the destiny of all
to see as God sees,
to know as God knows,
to feel as God feels,
to Be
as God
Is.
Meister Eckhardt
I am the wind on the sea.I am the wave of the sea.I am the bull of seven battles.I am the eagle on the rock.I am a flash from the sun.I am the most beautiful of plants.I am a strong wild boar.I am a salmon in the water.I am a lake in the plain.I am the word of knowledge.I am the head of the spear in battle.I am the God that puts fire in the head.Who spreads light in the gathering on the hills?Who can tell the ages of the moon?Who can tell the place where the sun rests?
druid - song of amergin
I celebrate myself, and sing myself,And what I assume you shall assume,For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.I loafe and invite my soul,I lean and loafe at my ease observing a spear of summer grass.My tongue, every atom of my blood, form'd from this soil, this air,Born here of parents born here from parents the same, and their parents the same,I, now thirty-seven years old in perfect health begin,Hoping to cease not till death.Creeds and schools in abeyance,Retiring back a while sufficed at what they are, but never forgotten,I harbor for good or bad, I permit to speak at every hazard,Nature without check with original energy.
verse 1 - song of myself - Walt Whitman
Amazing grace! How sweet the soundThat saved a wretch like me.I once was lost, but now am found,Was blind, but now I see.
'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,And grace my fears relieved.How precious did that grace appearThe hour I first believed.
Through many dangers, toils and snaresI have already come;'Tis grace hath brought me safe thus farAnd grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promised good to meHis word my hope secures;He will my shield and portion be,As long as life endures.
Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,and mortal life shall cease,I shall possess within the veil,A life of joy and peace.
When we've been there ten thousand yearsBright shining as the sun,We've no less days to sing God's praiseThan when we've first begun.
traditional hymn - John Newton - ± 1760 c.e.
May I be happy, well and peaceful.May my parents, grandparents and ancestors be happy, well and peaceful.May my brothers and sisters, my spouse and children, my grandchildrenand all future generations be happy, well and peaceful.May all my friends and all my enemies be happy.May all human beings sharing the earth be happy.May all forms of life, plants, animals, birds, fish and insects be happy.May all sentient beings in the universe be happy.May we all be free from suffering and pain.May we all be free from attachment of greed, anger and ignorance.May we all attain perfect peace and happiness of Enlightenment throughBuddha's Wisdom and Compassion.
loving kindness meditation - reverend t. Kenjitsu Nakagaki
Saturday, September 29, 2007
September 16, 2007
Opening Prayer
How wonderful, O Lord, are the works of your hands!
The heavens declare Your glory,
the arch of the sky displays Your handiwork
In Your love You have given us the power
to behold the beauty of Your world
robed in all its splendor.
The sun and the stars, the valleys and the hills,
the rivers and the lakes all disclose Your presence.
The roaring breakers of the sea tell of Your awesome might,
the beast of the field and the birds of the air
bespeak Your wondrous will.
In Your goodness You have made us able to hear
the music of the world.
The voices of the loved ones
reveal to us that You are in our midst.
A divine voice sings through all creation.
traditional Jewish prayer
Today I purpose to live
My life will shine
As the morning sings
I walk in liberty
Bound in true dreams
Manifested promises
Chase my forward motion
A covered path before me
The fruits of my hoping
The fruits of my living
Today I purpose to love
My love will speak
With the sound of grace
Merciful within mercy
The works of my faith
Smiles of overflowing
Inspire my giving
Abundance of joy as rain
The fruits of my living
Michael John Faciane
Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:31
Rav Kook taught:
There are those who sing the song of their own soul, finding therein everything: full spiritual satisfaction…
And there are those who sing the song of the people, moving beyond their own soul, reaching for more powerful heights…
And there are those whose souls lift beyond the limitation of Israel, to sing the song of all humanity. This spirit expands to include the glory of the human image and its dreams…
And there are those who lift beyond this level, becoming one with all creation and all creatures, and all the worlds… and with all of these worlds sing a song…
And there are those who rise together with the bungle of all these songs. All of them sing out, each gives meaning and life to the other.
And this completeness is the song of holiness, the song of God, and the song of Israel.
Creator of heaven and earth,
You are me,
I am you.
prayer of a Navajo girl - early 20th century
Every morning begins with new hope and new possibilities
As it begins let the morning star sing and the children of God shout and let us sing and shout with them.
William R. Locke
Mulla Nasrudin was outside on his hands and knees below a lantern when a friend walked up." What are you doing, Mullah?" I am looking for my key . I have lost it." So his friend got down on his hands and knees and they both searched for a long time in the dirt beneath the lantern Finding nothing, his friend finally turned to him and asked, "Where exactly did you lose it?" Nasrudin replied, "I lost it in the house, but the light is better out here."
May the sacred stream of amity flow
forever in my heart,
may the universe prosper
such is my cherished desire.
May my heart sing with ecstasy
at the sight of the virtuous,
and may my life be an offering
at their feet.
May my heart bleed at the sight
of the wretched, the cruel, the poor and the irreligious,
and may my tears of compassion
flow from my eyes.
May I always be there to show the path
to the pathless wanderers of life,
but if they should not hearken to me,
may I bide in patiently.
May the spirit of goodwill
enter all our hearts,
may we all sing together in chorus
the immortal song of human concord.
The immortal songs - Gurudev Shri Chitrabhanuji - 1950's
I release all of my past, negatives,
fears, human relationships, self-image, future,
and human desires to the Light.
I am a Light Being.
I radiate the Light from my Light Center
throughout my being.
I radiate the Light
from my Light Center to everyone.
I radiate the Light
from my Light Center to everything.
I am in a bubble of Light
and only Light can come to me
and only Light can be here.
Thank you God for everyone, for everything, and for me.
7 steps of effective prayer - Jim Goure
You and I are One
All of You and Us are One.
All The Souls are One Soul
All The Lights are One Light.
the messenger of unity
september 9, 2007
Opening Prayer
Holy Mystery
As we join together this morning in the light of your presence,
we are reminded that we are all one in the divine heart.
May this longing for oneness transform our world.
May our hearts be opened, in the very depths where we find you, God,
May our hearts be open to the glorious expression of your love found in all our religions and spiritual traditions.
You speak to us, Holy Mystery, in this diversity, and we are enriched and humbled by the breadth and depth of your Words.
May our gathering together this morning signify our hopes for the harmony of our planet, the alleviation of suffering, food for the hungry, shelter for the homeless, and respect for the poor. May this flame be a testimony of our willingness to struggle together toward the peace of inclusiveness, loving all and embracing all in the family of creation.
Amen.
Hope is like a road in the country; there was never a road, but when many people walk on it, the road comes into existence.
-- Lin Yutang.
A faintish journey do I make
As through this frazzled world I wind,
With heavy heart and weary steps,
But with determined mind.
Beseech I for a flicker of
The faith than can a mountain move,
And hold that tenet close to me,
Believing where I cannot prove.
The pow'r that comes when sinking low
To man who grasps for straw or rope,
Will clutch til has he breath no more
For where there's life, there's hope.
If my good turn be given to
My fellow man's deficiency,
I'll try to share my lowly gifts
Of Faith and Hope and Charity.
faith, hope, and charity - anne shannon demarest – 1965
One day I decided to quit.... I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality. . I wanted to quit my life. I went to the woods to have one last talk with God.
"God", I said. "Can you give me one good reason not to quit?"
His answer surprised me...
"Look around", He said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo?"
"Yes", I replied.
"When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them. I gave them light. I gave them water. The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.
In the second year the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo".
He said. "In the third year, there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But I would not quit. In the fourth year, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed. >But I would not quit.
He said. "Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant. But just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall. It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive. I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle."
He said to me. "Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots. I would not quit on the bamboo. I will never quit on you. Don't compare yourself to others."
He said. "The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern, yet, they both make the forest beautiful."
"Your time will come," God said to me. " You will rise high!"
"How high should I rise?" I asked.
"How high will the bamboo rise?" He asked in return.
"As high as it can?" I questioned.
"Yes." He said, "Give me glory by rising as high as you can."
I left the forest and brought back this story. I hope these words can help you see that God will never give up on you........
anonymous email
My Lord God,
I have no idea where I am going
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself,
And the fact that I think I am following
your will does not mean that I am
actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please
you does in fact please you.
And I hope that I have that desire in all
that I am doing.
And I know that if I do this, you
will lead me by the right road
though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always
though I may seem to be lost
and in the shadow of death, I will
not fear, for you are ever with me
and you will never leave me
to face my perils alone.
thomas merton
With your feet I walk
I walk with your limbs
I carry forth your body
For me your mind thinks
Your voice speaks for me
Beauty is before me
And beauty is behind me
Above and below me hovers the beautiful
I am surrounded by it
I am immersed in it
In my youth I am aware of it
And in old age I shall walk quietly
The beautiful trail.
american indian – navajo
Now I say to you in conclusion,
life is hard,
at times as hard as crucible steel. (Mmm)
It has its bleak and difficult moments.
Like the ever-flowing waters of the river,
life has its moments of drought and its moments of flood. (Yeah)
Like the ever-changing cycle of the seasons,
life has the soothing warmth of its summers
and the piercing chill of its winters. (Yeah)
But if one will hold on,
he will discover that God walks with him, (Yeah. Well)
and that God is able (Yeah) to lift you from the fatigue of despair
to the buoyancy of hope
and transform dark and desolate valleys
into sunlit paths of inner peace. (Mmm)
eulogy for the martyred children - martin luther king jr. - 1963
Write it on your heart
that every day is the best day in the year.
He is rich who owns the day, and no one owns the day
who allows it to be invaded with fret and anxiety.
Finish every day and be done with it.
You have done what you could.
Some blunders and absurdities, no doubt crept in.
Forget them as soon as you can, tomorrow is a new day;
begin it well and serenely, with too high a spirit
to be cumbered with your old nonsense.
This new day is too dear,
with its hopes and invitations,
to waste a moment on the yesterdays.
ralph waldo emerson
Sunday, August 19, 2007
August 19. 2007
O God!Refresh and gladden my spirit.Purify my heart.Illumine my powers.I lay all my affairs in Thy hands.Thou art my Guide and my Refuge.I will no longer be sorrowful and grieved;I will be a happy and joyful being.O God! I will no longer be full of anxiety,nor will I let trouble harass me.I will not dwell on the unpleasant things of life.O God! Thou art more friend to me than I am to myself.I dedicate myself to Thee, O Lord.
Baha'i prayers - `Abdu'l-bahá
Amen.
Letting go doesn’t mean giving up, but rather accepting that there are things that cannot be.– Anon
Don't worry it's going to be ok.
It's all right little one you're safe and loved.
It's ok to cry, it's ok to be afraid, it's ok to be weak,
it's ok to be vulnerable, it's ok to be human.
It's from all these elements that we grow,
and it's from all these elements that I am born out of you.
I Love You.
You're not alone.
So long as you reach out to others you're never alone.
Ask for my help in loaning you the courage you already have.
It's not that I never give you more than you can handle,
I am not responsible for the consequences of your actions,
only you are.
Stay on the path if you're suffering
by taking the steps you need to take.
Hang on and hang in there, because it's now
that you're growing at light speed,
You're never going backward only forward.
Decay your loneliness, by making full use
of my greatest gift to mankind, which is mankind.
Feel my alleged absence, as proof,
for the paradox that I exist and have always existed.
Let me in by letting me out.
Love fear and all of the other feelings spored
are what create this reality.
These are the cause and effect of compassion and true forgiveness.
Ask for my help in walking through the anguish of forgiveness.
Do everything in your power to learn to forgive
and love those that hurt you,
Not for just them, but for others as well as yourself.
And never give up the hope that some day your ex-sufferingwill be able to help the ones who were sick and hurt you,
As well as those who suffered like you.
Learn all this by practicing to love everyone.
Always look into yourself first;
you're past, your present, your motives,
you're feelings, and share the secrets
you find with myself as well as others.
Be gentle and kind to yourself
by being vulnerable, and sharing yourselfwith others who are patient, kind and who can onlytry to love and accept you as much as I do.As you get better at this,take the risks that will enable you to venture outfurther and further, so that your true selfmay finally be exposed to the real worldI created for you to live in.Be honest with everyone by neveraccepting the blame that is not yours.Free yourself with the truth, by tellingthose stepping on your toes how you feel,no matter how difficult it may seem at first, orwhat it's consequences may beyou'll only get better at it.If you can learn to love/forgive,fully listen, understand and accept those around you,you will eventually begin to learn how to love/forgive,fully listen, understand and accept yourself.
A personal prayer - Kevin Morais
We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the life that is waiting for us.-- Joseph Campbell
How are you sabotaging your potential for change? We unconsciously use defense mechanisms to shield us from situations weperceive to be scary or painful. A part of you may want to grow andchange, but another part may be resisting because change always movesyou into new territory in your thinking and emotions. If you find you are getting anxious, fearful, angry, frustrated,dismissive or unmotivated, then defense mechanisms are at work. Watchfor them and know them to be signs of fear that wants to hold you back.Then courageously move through them. "I have never been contained except I made the prison." -- Mary Evans
Mulla Nasrudin was sitting on his cot in a homeless shelter. "You know," he said to the fellow on the next cot, "when I was seventeen years old, I made up my mind that nothing was going to stop me from getting rich." "Well, how came you never got rich?" his friend asked. "OH," said Nasrudin, "BY THE TIME I WAS NINETEEN, I REALIZED IT WOULD BE EASIER TO CHANGE MY MIND."
People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar.-- Thich Nhat Hanh
Never regret a day in your life.
Good days give you Happiness.
Bad days give you Experiences.
Both are essential to life.
Keep going...
Happiness keeps you Sweet,
Trials keep you Strong,
Sorrows keep you Human,
Failures keep you Humble,
Success keeps You Glowing,
But Only God keeps You Going!
Have a great day! The Son is shining!!
God is so big He can cover the whole world with his Love and so small
He can curl up inside your heart.
http://club.live.com/chicktionary.aspx?icid=chick_hotmailtextlink2>
I realize that the body is not separate from the mindAs I let go my old attitude toward my bodyI appreciate the influence of the spirit and soulAnd I embrace my body and my entire selfMy body is a reflection of my thoughtsAs I give myself positive affirmationsI release my negative emotions and thoughtsAnd I let my body be healed as well as my mind
… I open my heart, my soul and my bodyI know the strength and the power of faithI feel the process of cleansing andI welcome the miracle of healing…May every cell of my body be healthyMay every feeling of my soul be radiantMay every thought of my being be vibrantMay every action be aligned with love… I am aware of the need to forgiveI am grateful for the opportunity to growI am confident that I will succeedI am expecting my freedom and healing…I am ONE and I am LOVING.I am HERE and I am NOW.I am HEALED and I am WHOLE.Thank YOU. Let it Be! And SO IT IS!
prayer for healing - Darina Stoyanova
Baha'i prayers - `Abdu'l-bahá
Amen.
Letting go doesn’t mean giving up, but rather accepting that there are things that cannot be.– Anon
Don't worry it's going to be ok.
It's all right little one you're safe and loved.
It's ok to cry, it's ok to be afraid, it's ok to be weak,
it's ok to be vulnerable, it's ok to be human.
It's from all these elements that we grow,
and it's from all these elements that I am born out of you.
I Love You.
You're not alone.
So long as you reach out to others you're never alone.
Ask for my help in loaning you the courage you already have.
It's not that I never give you more than you can handle,
I am not responsible for the consequences of your actions,
only you are.
Stay on the path if you're suffering
by taking the steps you need to take.
Hang on and hang in there, because it's now
that you're growing at light speed,
You're never going backward only forward.
Decay your loneliness, by making full use
of my greatest gift to mankind, which is mankind.
Feel my alleged absence, as proof,
for the paradox that I exist and have always existed.
Let me in by letting me out.
Love fear and all of the other feelings spored
are what create this reality.
These are the cause and effect of compassion and true forgiveness.
Ask for my help in walking through the anguish of forgiveness.
Do everything in your power to learn to forgive
and love those that hurt you,
Not for just them, but for others as well as yourself.
And never give up the hope that some day your ex-sufferingwill be able to help the ones who were sick and hurt you,
As well as those who suffered like you.
Learn all this by practicing to love everyone.
Always look into yourself first;
you're past, your present, your motives,
you're feelings, and share the secrets
you find with myself as well as others.
Be gentle and kind to yourself
by being vulnerable, and sharing yourselfwith others who are patient, kind and who can onlytry to love and accept you as much as I do.As you get better at this,take the risks that will enable you to venture outfurther and further, so that your true selfmay finally be exposed to the real worldI created for you to live in.Be honest with everyone by neveraccepting the blame that is not yours.Free yourself with the truth, by tellingthose stepping on your toes how you feel,no matter how difficult it may seem at first, orwhat it's consequences may beyou'll only get better at it.If you can learn to love/forgive,fully listen, understand and accept those around you,you will eventually begin to learn how to love/forgive,fully listen, understand and accept yourself.
A personal prayer - Kevin Morais
We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the life that is waiting for us.-- Joseph Campbell
How are you sabotaging your potential for change? We unconsciously use defense mechanisms to shield us from situations weperceive to be scary or painful. A part of you may want to grow andchange, but another part may be resisting because change always movesyou into new territory in your thinking and emotions. If you find you are getting anxious, fearful, angry, frustrated,dismissive or unmotivated, then defense mechanisms are at work. Watchfor them and know them to be signs of fear that wants to hold you back.Then courageously move through them. "I have never been contained except I made the prison." -- Mary Evans
Mulla Nasrudin was sitting on his cot in a homeless shelter. "You know," he said to the fellow on the next cot, "when I was seventeen years old, I made up my mind that nothing was going to stop me from getting rich." "Well, how came you never got rich?" his friend asked. "OH," said Nasrudin, "BY THE TIME I WAS NINETEEN, I REALIZED IT WOULD BE EASIER TO CHANGE MY MIND."
People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar.-- Thich Nhat Hanh
Never regret a day in your life.
Good days give you Happiness.
Bad days give you Experiences.
Both are essential to life.
Keep going...
Happiness keeps you Sweet,
Trials keep you Strong,
Sorrows keep you Human,
Failures keep you Humble,
Success keeps You Glowing,
But Only God keeps You Going!
Have a great day! The Son is shining!!
God is so big He can cover the whole world with his Love and so small
He can curl up inside your heart.
http://club.live.com/chicktionary.aspx?icid=chick_hotmailtextlink2>
I realize that the body is not separate from the mindAs I let go my old attitude toward my bodyI appreciate the influence of the spirit and soulAnd I embrace my body and my entire selfMy body is a reflection of my thoughtsAs I give myself positive affirmationsI release my negative emotions and thoughtsAnd I let my body be healed as well as my mind
… I open my heart, my soul and my bodyI know the strength and the power of faithI feel the process of cleansing andI welcome the miracle of healing…May every cell of my body be healthyMay every feeling of my soul be radiantMay every thought of my being be vibrantMay every action be aligned with love… I am aware of the need to forgiveI am grateful for the opportunity to growI am confident that I will succeedI am expecting my freedom and healing…I am ONE and I am LOVING.I am HERE and I am NOW.I am HEALED and I am WHOLE.Thank YOU. Let it Be! And SO IT IS!
prayer for healing - Darina Stoyanova
August 5, 2007
You are the Creator,
and You are the One
Who dissolves all creation.
You are the Non-doer;
ever changeless; resting in Yourself.
And You are the Doer behind everything,
without Whose will neither a leaf falls,
nor a cat licks it's paws,
nor a woman blinks her eyes.
You are the Infallible,
the Almighty,
the Soul of the Universe.
You are beyond all material qualities;
You are the Inconceivable!
devaki katja nagel
When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.
-- Lao Tzu
Letting go is one of the hardest lessons in life. In life, there are many things that we have to let go of. We have to let go of situations, things, memories, people and ultimately, even ourselves.
It's easy to form attachments to people and things. It is a kind of paradox because in fact, we need to form attachments to others. But when it’s time to let go, it is often very painful. Even the mere thought of not having that person or thing in your life may squeeze your heart in pain.
However, either death or some other form of change will bring a time where it will be necessary for you or that person to let go of the relationship or friendship, so that each of you can fulfill your life path.
Letting go of your past and memories is also extremely hard. Even though old memories can be tormenting, we might hold on to the past and refuse to move forward. However, by refusing to let go of the painful past, it'll serve as a roadblock to love.
Letting go of your old self and the process of letting the new you emerge can be one of the scariest experiences in your life. But by leaving behind your old self and taking a leap of faith into the unknown, it might just reveal what you are truly capable of becoming.
http://www.great-inspirational-quotes.com/letting-go-quotes.html
I have lots of things to teach you now,
in case we ever meet,
concerning the message that was transmitted to me
under a pine tree in North Carolina
on a cold winter moonlit night.
It said that Nothing Ever Happened, so don't worry.
It's all like a dream.
Everything is ecstasy, inside.
We just don't know it because of our thinking-minds.
But in our true blissful essence of mind is known
that everything is alright forever and forever and forever.
Close your eyes,
let your hands and nerve-ends drop,
stop breathing for 3 seconds,
listen to the silence inside the illusion of the world,
and you will remember the lesson you forgot,
which was taught in immense milky ways
of cloudy innumerable worlds
long ago and not even at all.
It is all one vast awakened thing.
I call it the golden eternity.
It is perfect.
We were never really born,
we will never really die.
It has nothing to do with the imaginary idea
of a personal self,
other selves,
many selves everywhere,
or one universal self.
Self is only an idea, a mortal idea.
That which passes through everything, is one thing.
It's a dream already ended.
There's nothing from staring at mountains months on end.
They never show any expression,
they are like empty space.
Do you think the emptiness of space will ever crumble away.
Mountains will crumble, but the emptiness of space,
which is the one universal essence of mind,
the one vast awakenerhood,
empty and awake,
will never crumble away because it was never born.
The world you see is just a movie in your mind.
letter to ex-wife - jack kerouac
There is an old Chinese tale about a woman whose only son died. In her grief, she went to the holy man and asked, "What prayers, what magical incantations do you have to bring my son back to life?"
Instead of sending her away or reasoning with her, he said to her, "Fetch me a mustard seed from a home that has never known sorrow. We will use it to drive the sorrow out of your life." The woman went off at once in search of that magical mustard seed.
She came first to a splendid mansion, knocked at the door, and said, "I am looking for a home that has never known sorrow. Is this such a place? It is very important to me."
They told her, "You've certainly come to the wrong place," and began to describe all the tragic things that recently had befallen them.
The woman said to herself, "Who is better able to help these poor, unfortunate people than I, who have had misfortune of my my own?"
She stayed to comfort them, then went on in search of a home that had never known sorrow. But wherever she turned, in hotels and in other places, she found one tale after another of sadness and misfortune.
The woman became so involved in helping others cope with their sorrows that she eventually let go of her own. She would later come to understand that it was the quest to find the magical mustard seed that drove away her suffering.
The Magical Mustard Seed
Author Unknown
To surrender oneself is something more
than to devote oneself, more than to give oneself,
it is even more than to abandon oneself to God.
To surrender oneself is to die to everything and to self,
to keep it continually turned towards God.
Self-surrender is no longer to seek self-satisfaction in anything
but solely God's good pleasure.
It should be added that self-surrender is to follow
that complete spirit of detachment
which holds to nothing;
neither to persons nor to things,
neither to time nor to place.
It means to accept everything, to submit to everything.
But perhaps you will think this is a difficult thing.
Do not let yourself be deceived; there is nothing so easy to do,
nothing so sweet to put into practice.
The whole thing consists in making a generous act at the very beginning,
by saying with all the sincerity of your heart:
"My God, I wish to be entirely thine; deign to accept my offering"
— then all is said. ...
You must always remember that you have surrendered yourself.
st. thérèse couderc - 1864
Do everything with a mind that lets go.
Do not expect any praise or reward.
If you let go a little, you will have a little peace.
If you let go a lot, you will have a lot of peace.
If you let go completely, you will know complete peace and freedom.
Your struggles with the world
will have come to an end.
insight meditation - achaan chah
Let my heart be the vessel of God's Love.
Let my thoughts be the blossom of God's Love.
Let my words be the expression of God's Love.
Let my actions be the fulfillment of God's Love.
willingness - david ridge
and You are the One
Who dissolves all creation.
You are the Non-doer;
ever changeless; resting in Yourself.
And You are the Doer behind everything,
without Whose will neither a leaf falls,
nor a cat licks it's paws,
nor a woman blinks her eyes.
You are the Infallible,
the Almighty,
the Soul of the Universe.
You are beyond all material qualities;
You are the Inconceivable!
devaki katja nagel
When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.
-- Lao Tzu
Letting go is one of the hardest lessons in life. In life, there are many things that we have to let go of. We have to let go of situations, things, memories, people and ultimately, even ourselves.
It's easy to form attachments to people and things. It is a kind of paradox because in fact, we need to form attachments to others. But when it’s time to let go, it is often very painful. Even the mere thought of not having that person or thing in your life may squeeze your heart in pain.
However, either death or some other form of change will bring a time where it will be necessary for you or that person to let go of the relationship or friendship, so that each of you can fulfill your life path.
Letting go of your past and memories is also extremely hard. Even though old memories can be tormenting, we might hold on to the past and refuse to move forward. However, by refusing to let go of the painful past, it'll serve as a roadblock to love.
Letting go of your old self and the process of letting the new you emerge can be one of the scariest experiences in your life. But by leaving behind your old self and taking a leap of faith into the unknown, it might just reveal what you are truly capable of becoming.
http://www.great-inspirational-quotes.com/letting-go-quotes.html
I have lots of things to teach you now,
in case we ever meet,
concerning the message that was transmitted to me
under a pine tree in North Carolina
on a cold winter moonlit night.
It said that Nothing Ever Happened, so don't worry.
It's all like a dream.
Everything is ecstasy, inside.
We just don't know it because of our thinking-minds.
But in our true blissful essence of mind is known
that everything is alright forever and forever and forever.
Close your eyes,
let your hands and nerve-ends drop,
stop breathing for 3 seconds,
listen to the silence inside the illusion of the world,
and you will remember the lesson you forgot,
which was taught in immense milky ways
of cloudy innumerable worlds
long ago and not even at all.
It is all one vast awakened thing.
I call it the golden eternity.
It is perfect.
We were never really born,
we will never really die.
It has nothing to do with the imaginary idea
of a personal self,
other selves,
many selves everywhere,
or one universal self.
Self is only an idea, a mortal idea.
That which passes through everything, is one thing.
It's a dream already ended.
There's nothing from staring at mountains months on end.
They never show any expression,
they are like empty space.
Do you think the emptiness of space will ever crumble away.
Mountains will crumble, but the emptiness of space,
which is the one universal essence of mind,
the one vast awakenerhood,
empty and awake,
will never crumble away because it was never born.
The world you see is just a movie in your mind.
letter to ex-wife - jack kerouac
There is an old Chinese tale about a woman whose only son died. In her grief, she went to the holy man and asked, "What prayers, what magical incantations do you have to bring my son back to life?"
Instead of sending her away or reasoning with her, he said to her, "Fetch me a mustard seed from a home that has never known sorrow. We will use it to drive the sorrow out of your life." The woman went off at once in search of that magical mustard seed.
She came first to a splendid mansion, knocked at the door, and said, "I am looking for a home that has never known sorrow. Is this such a place? It is very important to me."
They told her, "You've certainly come to the wrong place," and began to describe all the tragic things that recently had befallen them.
The woman said to herself, "Who is better able to help these poor, unfortunate people than I, who have had misfortune of my my own?"
She stayed to comfort them, then went on in search of a home that had never known sorrow. But wherever she turned, in hotels and in other places, she found one tale after another of sadness and misfortune.
The woman became so involved in helping others cope with their sorrows that she eventually let go of her own. She would later come to understand that it was the quest to find the magical mustard seed that drove away her suffering.
The Magical Mustard Seed
Author Unknown
To surrender oneself is something more
than to devote oneself, more than to give oneself,
it is even more than to abandon oneself to God.
To surrender oneself is to die to everything and to self,
to keep it continually turned towards God.
Self-surrender is no longer to seek self-satisfaction in anything
but solely God's good pleasure.
It should be added that self-surrender is to follow
that complete spirit of detachment
which holds to nothing;
neither to persons nor to things,
neither to time nor to place.
It means to accept everything, to submit to everything.
But perhaps you will think this is a difficult thing.
Do not let yourself be deceived; there is nothing so easy to do,
nothing so sweet to put into practice.
The whole thing consists in making a generous act at the very beginning,
by saying with all the sincerity of your heart:
"My God, I wish to be entirely thine; deign to accept my offering"
— then all is said. ...
You must always remember that you have surrendered yourself.
st. thérèse couderc - 1864
Do everything with a mind that lets go.
Do not expect any praise or reward.
If you let go a little, you will have a little peace.
If you let go a lot, you will have a lot of peace.
If you let go completely, you will know complete peace and freedom.
Your struggles with the world
will have come to an end.
insight meditation - achaan chah
Let my heart be the vessel of God's Love.
Let my thoughts be the blossom of God's Love.
Let my words be the expression of God's Love.
Let my actions be the fulfillment of God's Love.
willingness - david ridge
Friday, July 20, 2007
July 15
Help us, Holy One
to begin our quest for you
knowing and accepting
that you will forever escape
our every attempt to confine you
to what we can understand.
Our words cannot capture you.
Our imagination cannot define you.
Our hearts cannot limit you.
But support us, I beg you,
on a journey without end,
with a love that knows no bounds.
Angelus Silesius (1600’s)
Zoketsu Norman Fischer
God is the purest naught
untouched by time or space;
the more we reach for him,
the more he will escape.
Angelus Silesius (1600’s)
The life of letting go is the life of freedom, the life of nonattachment. Nonattachment doesn’t mean we are distant from things or have no warmth or no care for things; the word nonattachment is good because it suggests some distance and in love there always has to be some distance- some spaciousness or openness. In ordinary everyday human life there is always some desire- if there weren't any desire there couldn't be any life. But if desire is held onto too strongly it becomes very confining. If there’s too much strongly held desire in our loving then our loving becomes confining too and soon it is no longer love, it turns into dependency, or even antipathy; real love has to have some distance in it, some nonattachment.
Zoketsu Norman Fischer
D.H. Lawrence wrote: “Men are not free when they are doing whatever they like. Men are only free when they are doing what the deepest self likes. And there is getting down to the deepest self. It takes some diving.”
When we are motivated by immediate gratification to do “just what we like”, we will feel continuously driven. No amount of productivity or consuming or recognition can break through the trance of unworthiness and put us in touch with the “deepest self”. As Lawrence points out, to do what the deepest self likes, “takes some diving.” To listen and respond to the heart requires a committed and genuine presence. The more completely we’re caught in the surface world of pursuing substitutes, the harder it is to dive.
Tara Brach
Ask, and it shall be given you;
seek, and you shall find;
knock, and it shall be opened to you.
For whoever asks, receives;
and he who seeks, finds;
and to him who knocks, the door is opened.
Matthew 7:7:8 - Jesus of Nazareth
With the eye of nonattachment we can see that the object of our love can never be possessed, can never be held onto. When I say this maybe it seems tragic to you. In a way it is tragic, tragic if you don’t like it and you don’t want to accept it. But if you accept it you see that it is a good thing that we cannot possess or hold onto the object of our love: because if we could it would not really be a living being; it would only be our invention, and inventions are not lovable. Any living being needs its own integrity and its own freedom and spaciousness- so there has to be always some distance and nonattachment in loving.
Zoketsu Norman Fischer
As they could not agree on who was right they went to see the master. He listened as the first disciple praised the path of wholehearted effort and when asked by the disciple, “Is this the true path?” the master said, “You’re right.” The second disciple was quite upset and responded eloquently with the path of surrender and letting go.” When he had finished he asked, “Is this not the true path?” The ,master responded, “You are right.” A third disciple was in the room and said, “But master, they cannot both be right.” And the master smiled and said, “You are right too!”
It would be easier, Divine One
To stay with what I know
To take only well marked paths
to familiar places
in my heart and soul.
But if I am to come to you
then I must leave behind
the comfort of what I already know
and accept your invitation
to journey into your infinite mystery.
Take my hand,
guide my steps,
Give courage to my heart and soul.
John Kirvan
Friday, July 13, 2007
July 8, 2007
There ain’t no answer.
There ain’t going to be any answer.
There never has been an answer.
That’s the answer
Gertrude Stein
In the 16th century, St. John of the Cross counsels that after, and in the midst of, our liturgies, hymns and discursive prayers, Christians must also occasionally enter a dark night of the senses and soul, emptying ourselves of our self-centered preferences and ideas about God and everything else. Jesus modeled this discipline of self-emptying love for us, but he did not do it instead of us. We ourselves need to clear our minds of self-centered and habitual thinking. We must become inwardly nonattached in an ambience of love that continuously connects us to others and to creation. Our contemplative tradition tells us that when we open ourselves to the Divine movement within, the Holy Spirit will help us do this work. We do the work of creating a space within us for God, and then trust that the Holy Spirit will do the work in us: as we flow out of ourselves, the Holy Spirit flows in.
Wes Niskeryh
Zoketsu Norman Fischer
Ho! If I am supposed to get sick, let me get sick, and I'll be happy. |
May this sickness purify my negative karma and the sickness of all sentient beings. |
If I am supposed to be healed, let all my sickness and confusion be healed, and I'll be happy. |
May all sentient beings be healed and filled with happiness. |
If I am supposed to die, let me die, and I'll be happy. |
May all the delusion and the causes of suffering of sentient beings die. |
If I am supposed to live a long life, let me live a long life, and I'll be happy. |
May my life be meaningful in service to sentient beings. |
If my life is to be cut short, let it be cut short, and I'll be happy. |
May I and all others be free from attachment and aversion. |
Letting go really is dying but dying isn’t just dying: dying is freedom, release, peacefulness. Dying means laying down the burden of our life and going off into the mountains for a big hike, just wandering around, like a cloud. Dying means that we don’t hold onto anything of the six senses- whatever we see hear smell taste touch or think we just appreciate it for what it actually is - we don’t “me” it and try to hold it fixed- we just let it come and go- we allow it to be born and die as it really is being born and dying moment by moment.
This is really the kindest way to live and it is the only way to love: to let each thing really be what it is and then to let it go- to let it be free. To try to hold ourselves or our world or another person in place is impossible. Nothing can be held in place. Life is very pressured, very stressful, very burdensome- and this is why- because we are trying mightily to hold in place what cannot be held in place, we are trying to preserve the unpreservable and fix the unfixable. Actually everything has integrity as it is; everything is surrounded by immense space: each of our thoughts, even our miseries, certainly trees and grasses, the sun and moon and clouds, our human body- everything passes and reappears as it is, all of it operating together in a marvelous harmony of freely passing by, if we will only let it, if we will only let go and allow it to be that way in the course of our living.
Zoketsu Norman Fischer
O, Brother of the Cosmos, focus your light within us -- make it useful
Create your reign of unity now
Your one desire then acts with ours,
As in all light,
So in all forms,
Grant us what we need each day in bread and insight:
Loose the cords of mistakes binding us,
As we release the strands we hold of other's guilt.
Don't let surface things delude us,
But free us from what holds us back.
From you is born all ruling will,
The power and the life to do,
The song that beautifies all,
From age to age it renews.
I affirm this with my whole being.
THE ARAMAIC PRAYER OF JESUS translated from the Aramaic by Saadi Neil Douglas-Klotz of the Sufi Order of the West
July 1, 2007
Let our hearts be the vessel of God's Love.
Let our thoughts be the blossom of God's Love.
Let our words be the expression of God's Love.
Let our actions be the fulfillment of God's Love.
willingness - David Ridge
Attachment is the origin, the root of suffering; hence it is the cause of suffering.’ [1]
Attachment is an attraction: a like or dislike, which we express in many different ways to people, situations, possessions and definitely in our own projections and expressions. In fact, we do not know how to live without attachment. It is a condition that can create some form of holding on to– sensory, sensual, emotional, intellectual, subjective or objective – some form of repulsion or attraction. This is the concept of attachment in a nutshell: It is the human tendency to identify with, to link up and to relate to something very intimately from a very personal point of view. We cannot develop objectivity in that situation because we are constantly projecting ourselves.
Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati
If one
Ponders on objects of the sense, there springs
Attraction; from attraction grows desire,
Desire flames to fierce passion, passion breeds
Recklessness; then the memory—all betrayed—
Let noble purposes go, and saps the mind,
Till purpose, mind, and man are all undone.
Bhagavad Gita
Human beings get attached to ideas — ideas about who they are, what's the best way to live, ideas about what other people should be like, how other people should live, and so on — and our attachment to those ideas causes most of our day-to-day suffering. It really does. I know it seems like the circumstances and reality is what makes us unhappy. But it is our ideas about reality and believing that other people really should be different that causes the suffering, not the reality itself. When you change your ideas about something, it changes the way you feel about it.
Adam Khan
Do not expect any praise or reward.
If you let go a little, you will have a little peace.
If you let go a lot, you will have a lot of peace.
If you let go completely, you will know complete peace and freedom.
Your struggles with the world
will have come to an end.
insight meditation - achaan chah
We tend to run away from discord. Discord and anger are real so what is the use of reacting against them? The moment we react we are creating a process within ourselves which holds on to the negativity, and the moment that happens, our mind, nature and behaviour are affected by that impression. Our past impressions and memories bring up the corresponding negative emotion and we project anger, frustration or discord, more so than it actually is.
Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati
In this life we cannot do great things.
We can only do small things with great love.
mother teresa
Let nothing disturb thee;
Let nothing dismay thee;
All things pass:
God never changes.
Patience attains
All that it strives for.
He who has God
Lacks for nothing:
God alone suffices.
st. teresa of avila - 16th century
Friday, July 6, 2007
June 24, 2007
Meister Eckhart
To be identified with your mind is to be trapped in time: the compulsion to live almost exclusively through memory and anticipation. This creates an endless preoccupation with past and future and an unwillingness to honor and acknowledge the present moment and allow it to be. The compulsion arises because the past gives you an identity and the future holds to the promise of fulfillment in whatever form. Both are illusions.
Eckhart Tole
That’s the main thing. As long as you are wanting to be thinner, smarter, more enlightened, less uptight, or whatever it might be, some how you are always going to be approaching your problem with the same logic that created it to begin with: you’re not good enough.
Pema Chodron
What you thin k of as the past is a memory trace, stored in the mind of a former Now. When you remember the past, you reactivate a memory trace – and you do so now. The future is an imagined Now, a projection of the mind. When you think about the future, you do it now. Past and future obviously have no reality of their own. Just as the moon has no light of its own, but can only reflect the light of the sun, so are past and future only pale reflections of the light, power and reality of the eternal present. Their reality is “borrowed” from the now.
Eckhart Tole
Excitedly the young monk started seven days, only to be lost in forgetfulness ten minutes later. Coming back to himself, he again started the seven days, only to be lost once again in mindless thought – perhaps about what he would do after his enlightenment. Again, and again. And again he began his seven days, and again and again he lost his continuity of mindfulness. A week later, he was not enlightened, but he had become very much aware of his habitual fantasies and wandering mind – a most instructive way to begin his practice on the Path to real awakening.
Buddhist story
Looking forwards and backwards [in time] is how we lose joy. How we become fragmented, shallow, and diversified. Once gotten beyond time and temporalities we are free and joyous all the time; then is the fullness of time, then is the Son of God born in you.
Meister Eckhart
Eckhart Tole
May today there be peace within.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.
May you be content knowing you are a child of God. Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.
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