Namaste ... I am bowing to you and to all that exists!  It has been an intense time especially the last 24 hours.  "There must be some dislocation of the yin and yang," I say in agreement with the words of Chuang Tsu, the Taoist philosopher.  

Chuang Tsu, China 369-288 bce

The "Okay, enough of the lamenting!" time finally came and in an effort to find the balance and smile, I first looked to nature.  I saw the beautiful blue sky, the gentle river, the mountains extending down to me, and I felt the gentle breeze and the powerful sun warming me.  I breathed it all in consciously attempting to merge the external elements with the internal elements that are us.  My mood lightened as I was brought into the beauty of the moment.  I did sigh with some relief as I was feeling better.  Why not let the fear go and "be here now" as our old friend Ram Dass has taught?

Ram Dass, American 1931- ;-)

Still working on being fearless and strong through these challenging times where others are not of the same thought, I call on all that I have learned.  I close my eyes and follow my breath.  Dissolving into the peaceful feeling, I see that life moves on with its ups and downs.  I ask myself now, do I want to be fearful and angry or do I want to be flowing and happy? 

Happy, of course!  Happiness for me is following the gentle way of love, kindness and compassion.   In the moments I don't  remember this, the peace can escape me.  What to do now? as I asked myself this morning.  Okay, iris, listen to the wise ones and their philosophies of unity and world peace:   breathe, meditate, go into nature, and do all the things you have learned over the years of spiritual study. 

And that it how it goes.  Before long I am back on the pathway, feeling closer to the right mind and heart.  It is a never ending practice, obviously.



          Here is Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh also known as Osho.

Osho, India 1931-1990

I was reading some of his work today and I would like to share his words.  They help!

“Sadness gives depth. Happiness gives height.  Sadness gives roots. Happiness gives branches. Happiness is like a tree going into the sky, and sadness is like the roots going down into the womb of the earth. Both are needed, and the higher a tree goes, the deeper it goes, simultaneously. The bigger the tree, the bigger will be its roots. In fact, it is always in proportion. That's its balance.”

                Thank you for being on this 
             ever-changing pathway with me!
          Try to remain diligent in your practice.
          I keep remembering that world peace 
           comes from within.  Perhaps, our own
            inner peace will become contagious! 
                            
 

            Namaste ... It is Thich Nhat Hanh's birthday today!

Let's join this group in walking meditation!

I am very happy that Thich Nhat Hanh teachings have crossed my pathway.  So on this day of his birthday, October 11, I am allowing my devotion to him to bring me out of my self-imposed healing cocoon.   I wanted to share this quote which is a wonderful explanation of our beginnings and dependent arising:

“Sometimes people ask you: "When is your birthday?" But you might ask yourself a more interesting question: "Before that day which is called my birthday, where was I?"

Ask a cloud: "What is your date of birth? Before you were born, where were you?"

If you ask the cloud, "How old are you? Can you give me your date of birth?" you can listen deeply and you may hear a reply. You can imagine the cloud being born. Before being born it was the water on the ocean's surface. Or it was in the river and then it became vapor. It was also the sun because the sun makes the vapor. The wind is there too, helping the water to become a cloud. The cloud does not come from nothing; there has been only a change in form. It is not a birth of something out of nothing.

Sooner or later, the cloud will change into rain or snow or ice. If you look deeply into the rain, you can see the cloud. The cloud is not lost; it is transformed into rain, and the rain is transformed into grass and the grass into cows and then to milk and then into the ice cream you eat. Today if you eat an ice cream, give yourself time to look at the ice cream and say: "Hello, cloud! I recognize you.”

 

                   Namaste to You