PONDER THESE THINGS
I attach to Love, Truth, Freedom…and, then I run away when the Ogre comes.
Just run in circles, will be easier to reattach next
time!
“Isn't it true
however far we've wandered into our provinces of persecution, where our regrets
accuse, we keep returning back to the common faith from which we've all
dissented, back to the hands, the feet, the faces? Children are always there
and take the hands, even when they are most terrified. Those in love cannot
make up their minds to go or stay. Artist and doctor return most often. Only
the mad will never, never come back. For doctors keep on worrying while away,
in case their skill is suffering or deserted. Lovers have lived so long with
giants and elves, they want belief again in their own
size. And the artist prays ever so gently, let me find
pure all that can happen.”
-- "Letters from Iceland" by W.H. Auden
in the movie Away from Her
“The desires of the heart are as crooked as cork
screws. Not to be born is the best for
man. The second best is the formal
order. The dance is pattern. Dance while you can. Dance, dance for the figure is easy. The tune’s catching and will not stop. Dance ‘til the stars come down from the
rafters. Dance, dance,
dance ‘til you drop.”
-- "Letters from Iceland" by W.H. Auden
in the movie Away from Her
“Is there
any way to let this go, do you think?
“If I let it go, it’ll only hit me hard when I bump into it
again.”
-- "Letters from Iceland" by W.H. Auden
in the movie Away from Her
“I'm
thinking that sometimes you just have to make the decision to be happy. Just decide.
Things aren't ever what you hoped they'd be. Not ever, for anybody. The only thing that separates one kind of
person from another is there are some who stay angry about it and there are
some who... accept what comes their way.”
-- "Letters from Iceland" by W.H. Auden
in the movie Away from Her
“I
think all we can aspire to in this situation is a little bit of grace.”
-- "Letters from Iceland" by W.H. Auden
in the movie Away from Her
"In
three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes
on."
-- Robert Frost
"Realize deeply that the present moment
is all you ever have.
Make the Now the primary focus of your life."
-- Eckhart Tolle
"It was the best of times, it was the
worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was
the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of
Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the
winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we
were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way - in
short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest
authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the
superlative degree of comparison only."
-- Charles Dickens, Tale of Two Cities
"Love is an act of courage."
The Dark Night of the
Soul
"On a dark night,
Kindled in love with yearnings--oh, happy chance!--
I went forth without being observed,
My house being now at rest.
"In
darkness and secure,
By the secret ladder, disguised--oh, happy chance!--
In darkness and in concealment,
My house being now at rest.
"In the
happy night,
In secret, when none saw me,
Nor I beheld aught,
Without light or guide, save that which burned in my
heart.
"This
light guided me
More surely than the light of noonday
To the place where he (well I knew who!) was awaiting me--
A place where none appeared.
"Oh,
night that guided me,
Oh, night more lovely than the dawn,
Oh, night that joined Beloved with lover,
Lover transformed in the Beloved!
"Upon
my flowery breast,
Kept wholly for himself alone,
There he stayed sleeping, and I caressed him,
And the fanning of the cedars made a breeze.
"The
breeze blew from the turret
As I parted his locks;
With his gentle hand he wounded my neck
And caused all my senses to be suspended.
"I remained, lost in oblivion;
My face I reclined on the Beloved.
All ceased and I abandoned myself,
Leaving my cares forgotten among the lilies."
--
St John of the Cross
Daffodils
“I
wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
"Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
"The waves beside them danced, but they
Out-did the sparkling leaves in glee;
A poet could not be but gay,
In such a jocund company!
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
"For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils."
--
William Wordsworth
Looking
"What was I looking for today?
All that poking under the rugs,
Peering under the lamps and chairs,
Or going from room to room that way,
Forever up and down the stairs
Like someone stupid with sleep or drugs.
"Everywhere I was, was wrong.
I started turning the drawers out, then
I was staring in at the icebox door
Wondering if I'd been there long
Wondering what I was looking for.
Later on, I think I went back again.
"Where did the rest of the time go?
Was I down cellar? I can't recall
Finding the light switch, or the last
Place I've had it, or how I'd know
I didn't look at it and go past.
Or whether it's what I want, at all."
-- W.D. Snodgrass
Cracked Pot
"An elderly Chinese woman had two large
pots, each hung on the ends of a pole, which she carried across her neck.
One of the pots had a crack in it while the
other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water.
At the end of the long walk from the stream
to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.
For a full two years this went on daily, with
the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water.
Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its
accomplishments.
But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its
own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been
made to do.
After 2 years of what it perceived to be
bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream.
“I am ashamed of myself, because this crack
in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house.”
The old woman smiled, “Did you notice that
there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side?
That’s because I have always known about your
flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while
we walk back, you water them.”
“For two years I have been able to pick these
beautiful flowers to decorate the table.”
Without you being just the way you are, there
would not be this beauty to grace the house.”
Each of us has our own unique flaw…
But it’s the cracks and flaws we each have
that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding.
You’ve just got to take each person for what
they are and look for the good in them."
-- Anonymous
Why Do We Yell in Anger?
A sage asked his followers, "Why do people yell at each other when they
are upset?"
The disciples thought for a while, "Because we lose our calmness,"
said one. "We yell for that."
"But, why to yell when the other person is just next to you?" asked
the sage. "Isn't it possible to speak to him or her with a soft voice? Why
do you yell at a person when you're angry?"
The disciples gave some other answers but none satisfied the sage. Finally he
explained, "When two people are angry at each other, their hearts distance
a lot. To cover that distance they must yell, to be able to hear each other.
The angrier they are, the stronger they will have to yell to hear each other
through that great distance."
Then the sage asked, "What happens when two people fall in love? They do
not yell at each other but talk softly, why?”
“Their hearts are very close. The distance
between them is very small."
The sage continued, "When they love each other even more, what happens?”
"They do not speak, only whisper and they get even closer to each other in
their love. Finally they even need not whisper, they only look at each other
and that's all. That is how close two people are when they love each
other."
Then the sage said, "When you argue do not let your hearts get distant, do
not say words that distance each other more, else there will come a day when
the distance is so great that you will not find the path to return."
-- Anonymous
Drink the Water
"It is enough to believe that all is possible
in God's creation.
Never allow the thought to cross your mind
that your ideas are the only true ones, and that those of others are false.
Then God will explain everything.
What can a man understand of God's
activities?
The facets of God's creation are infinite.
I do not try to understand God's actions at
all.
I have heard that everything is possible in
God's creation, and I always bear that in mind.
Once Hanuman was asked,
"What day of the lunar month is
it?"
Hanuman said, "I don't know anything about
the day of the month, the position of the moon and stars, or any such things.
I think of Rama alone."
Can one understand the work of God?
He is so near - still it is not possible for
us to know Him...
God has covered all with His maya.
He doesn't let us know anything.
Maya is lust and greed.
He who puts maya aside to see God, can see Him.
Once, when I was explaining God's actions to
someone, God suddenly showed me the lake at Kamarpukur.
I saw a man removing the green scum and
drinking the water.
The water was clear as crystal.
God revealed to me that Satchidananda
(Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute or the Ultimate Reality) is covered by the
scum of maya.
He who puts the green scum aside can drink
the water."
-- Sri Ramakrishna
The $20.00 Bill:
"Sometimes we just need to be
reminded!
A well-known speaker started off his seminar
by holding up a $20.00 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, 'Who would
like this $20 bill?'
Hands started going up.
He said, 'I am going to give this $20 to one
of you but first, let me do this. He proceeded to crumple up the $20
dollar bill.
He then asked, 'Who still wants it?'
Still the hands were up in the air.
Well, he replied, 'What if I do this?'
And he dropped it on the ground and started
to grind it into the floor with his shoe.
He picked it up, now crumpled and
dirty. ‘Now, who still wants it?'
Still the hands went into the air.
My friends, we have all learned a very
valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it
because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20.
Many times in our lives, we are dropped,
crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the
circumstances that come our way.
We feel as though we are worthless.
But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your
value.
Dirty or clean, crumpled, or finely creased,
you are still priceless to those who DO LOVE you. The worth of our lives
comes not in what we do or who we know, but by WHO WE ARE and WHOSE WE ARE.
You are special - Don't EVER forget it!!!
Count your blessings, not your problems.
And remember: amateurs built the ark
…professionals built the Titanic.
If Spirit brings you to it – Spirit will
bring you through it."
-- Anonymous
Quote from the desk of Sri Daya Mata:
"Humility is perpetual quietness of the
heart.
It is to have no trouble.
It is to never be fretted, or vexed, or irritated, or sore, or disappointed.
It is to expect nothing, to wonder at nothing that is done to me.
It is to be at rest when nobody praises me, and when I am blamed and despised.
It is to have a blessed home in myself, where I can go in and shut the door,
and kneel to my Father in secret, and be at peace as in a deep sea of calmness,
when all around and above is troubled."
-- Canon T.T. Carter (1809-1901)
"Love Love itself."
-- Gangaji
Faith in the Mother
"Look at the
torture the mother bears in bringing up the baby. Does she enjoy
it? Surely. Fasting and praying and
watching. She loves it better than anything else. Why? Because there is no selfishness.
"Pleasure will
come - good: who forbids it? Pain will come: welcome that
too. A mosquito was sitting on a bull's horn; then his conscience
troubled him and he said, "Mr. Bull, I have been sitting here a long
time. Perhaps I annoy you. I am sorry, I will go away."
But the bull replied, "Oh, no, not at all! Bring your whole family
and live on my horn; what can you do to me?"
"Why can we not
say that to misery? To be brave is to have faith in the Mother!
" 'I am Life, I am
Death.' She it is whose shadow is life and death. She is the
pleasure in all pleasure. She is the misery in all misery. If life
comes, it is the Mother; if death comes, it is the Mother. If heaven
comes, She is there. If hell comes, there is the
Mother; plunge in. We have not faith; we have not patience to see
this. We trust the man in the street; but there is one being in the
universe we never trust and that is God. We trust Him when He works just
our way. But the time will come when, getting
blow after blow, the self-sufficient mind will die. In everything we do,
the serpent ego is rising up. We are glad that there are so many thorns
on the path. They strike the hood of the cobra.
"Last of all
will come self-surrender. Then we shall be able to give
ourselves up to the Mother. If misery comes, welcome; if happiness comes,
welcome. Then, when we come up to this love, all crooked things shall be
straight. There will be the same sight for the brahmin, the pariah, and the dog. Until we love
the universe with same-sightedness, with impartial, undying love, we are
missing again and again. But then all will have vanished, and we shall
see in all the same infinite, eternal Mother."
-- Swami Vivekananda
Tao
"Truthful words
are not beautiful.
Beautiful words are
not truthful.
Good men do not
argue.
Those who argue are
not good.
Those who know are
not learned.
The learned do not
know.
The sage never tries
to store things up.
The more he does for
others, the more he has.
The more he gives to
others, the greater his abundance.
The Tao of heaven is
pointed but does no harm.
The Tao of the sage
is work without effort."
-- Lao Tsu
The Silent One
"The man who
lives in silent solitude
is not only not living
in a state of inactivity
and idleness:
He is in the highest
degree active,
even more than the one
who takes part in the
life of society.
He untiringly acts
according
to his highest rational
nature.
He is on guard; he
ponders;
he keeps his eye
upon the state and
progress
of his moral existence.
This is the true
purpose of silence.
And in the measure
that this ministers
to his own improvement
it benefits others for
whom
undistracted submergence within
themselves
for the development of
the moral life
is impossible.
And he does more, and
that of a higher kind
than the private
benefactor,
because the private,
emotional charities
of people in the world
are always limited
by the small number of
benefits conferred,
whereas he who confers
benefits
by morally
attaining
to convincing and
tested means
of perfecting the
spiritual life
becomes a benefactor of
whole peoples.
The silent recluse
teaches by his very silence,
and by his very life he
benefits, edifies,
and persuades to the
search for God.
This benefit springs
from genuine silence
which is illuminated and
sanctified
by the light of
grace."
-- The Way of a
Pilgrim
Streams
of Joy and Peace
"There used to be an apple tree o'er yonder by my wall,
Its big round fruit dropped right down at my feet!
It bloomed so nice in spring and gave me apples in the fall,
But I was just so careless of my treats,
I never did say thank you--oh such a simple deed!
Until one day a bad disease crept in,
That bad disease it killed the flowers, then it hurt the seeds!
I loved that tree and missed it so much then!
"I used to have a deep, deep well, my, my, how cool and pure!
I always filled my bucket every day,
And was that water sweet and did it taste good? That's for sure!
But oh, alas, my thanks I ne'er did say.
And so one day when I went out and lowered down that rope,
I cried out, "There's no water anymore!"
I tried again, but it was dry, bone dry, alas no hope!
I should have told my gratitude before!
"I used to have a special friend, I thought he'd live so long,
But I forgot that life was just a puff!
I didn't make amends for lots of things when I was wrong,
And didn't say "I love you" near enough!
We went about our busy ways and thought we had good health,
But one day Mr. Death he snatched my mate,
And oh, what good is fancy houses, cars, and lots of wealth?
For once a soul is lost, then it's too late!
"So open up your mouth and say those things--now go on, start!
Like Thank You and I'm Sorry and the rest.
And don't you dare forget the one that softens any heart,
Please say I Love You--that's the very best!
Don't let your tongue be lazy, please just stand up now and speak!
And if you do, your love will grow and grow!
So all you have to do to find the Light of Love is seek,
And streams of Joy and Peace will flow and flow!"
-- Eldeen Rafferty in The Suncatchers, Nelson Pub., 1995
"Why do you get up in the morning? The reduction
of suffering." -- Russian Mystic
"The acceptance of free choice as Divine Expression is Absolute
Truth." -- Anonymous
I may not be able to get past other peoples’ closed minds but I can always get
past mine.
God’s grace is your companion.
"Success is doing what you love." -- Anonymous
That'll Do
"A kind and steady heart can make a grey sky blue
And a task that seems impossible is quite possible for you
A kind and steady heart is sure to see you through
It may not seem like very much right now
But it'll do, it'll do.
"When you find yourself in the middle of a storm
And you're tired and cold and wet
And you're looking for a place that's cozy and warm
You'll make it...
You can never forget!
"A kind and steady heart can conquer doubt and fear
A little courage goes a long, long way
Gets you a little bit farther down the road each day
And before you know it, you'll hear someone say,
'That'll do, Babe, that'll do.'
"A kind and steady heart is sure to see you through
A little courage goes a long, long way
Gets you a little bit farther down the road each day
And before you know it, you'll hear SOMEONE say,
'That'll do, that'll do, that'll do, Babe, that'll do'."
-- Randy Newman
"I understand less and less about more and more and care less and less
about more and more." -- Anonymous
"We always want to know what everyone else is doing, but we never try to
figure out what is it that’s going on within our own hearts. What is it that we
really want? What is it that we really want to hold within ourselves? What is
it that we want to live for? No matter how many times you forget to feel your
own heart, again and again bring yourselves back to your own heart. Whether you
know what your heart is or not doesn’t matter; there is something inside. Bring
yourself back to it…and this very heart speaks to you. It is the tender sprout
which breaks a rock…It is in this place we do get recognition, we do get the
approval, we do get the permission to live this life of ours…So look within,
look inside your own heart." -- Anonymous
"The only thing that keeps us from fully knowing ourselves as we truly are
is our own false self-image." -- Anonymous
"Wherever you set your foot,
O Beloved, tulip and violet
And jasmine spring up.
"You breathe upon a piece of clay,
and it becomes either
a dove or an eagle.
"You wash your hands in a dish,
and from the water of your hand,
the dish becomes of gold.
"Your hem strikes against a thorn,
and its clutch becomes
a strumming lute."
-- Anonymous
"Would today be different if it were the first or the last day of living
on our good planet earth?" -- Anonymous
"If we weren’t so busy worrying about what’s going to happen next we might
realize that nothing yet has ever happened." -- Anonymous
"Life is a mystery to be lived and not a problem to be solved." --
Anonymous
"Deepen your own power to thought and love. Bring your own lotus to
blossom: the bees will come of themselves. Believe first in yourself, then in
God. A handful of strong men will move the world. We need a heart to feel, a
brain to conceive and a strong arm to do the work. Buddha gave himself for the
animals. Make yourself a fit agent to work. But it is God who works, not you.
One man contains the whole universe. One particle of matter has all the energy
of the Universe at its back. In a conflict between the heart and the brain
follow your heart.
"Yesterday, competition was the law. Today, co-operation is the law.
Tomorrow, there is no law. Let sages praise thee, or let the world blame. Let
fortune itself come or let poverty and rags stare thee in the face. Eat the
herbs of the forest, one day, for food; and the next,
share a banquet of fifty courses. Looking neither to the
right hand nor to the left, follow thou on!"
-- Anonymous
THE GREAT INVOCATION
"From
the point of Light
Within the Mind of God
Let light stream forth into
The minds of men.
Let Light descend on Earth.
"From the point of Love
Within the Heart of God
Let love stream forth into
the hearts of men.
May Christ return to Earth.
"From the center where the
Will of God is known
Let purpose guide the little
Wills of men –
The purpose which the
Masters know and serve.
"From the center which we
Call the race of men
Let the Plan of Love and
Light work out.
And may it seal the door
where evil dwells.
"Let Light and Love and
Power restore the Plan
On Earth."
--In the Alice Bailey books
Recipe for Happiness
"Take
two heaping cups of patience
One heart full of love
Two hands of generosity
Dash of laughter
One head full of understanding
Sprinkle generously with kindness
Add plenty of faith and mix well
Spread over a period of a lifetime
Serve everyone you meet."
-- Anonymous
I’d Pick More Daisies
"If I
had my life to live over again, I’d try to make more mistakes next time. I
would relax. I would limber up. I would be sillier than I have been this trip.
I know of a very few things I would take seriously. I would take more trips. I
would climb more mountains, swim more rivers and watch more sunsets. I would do
more walking and looking. I would eat more ice cream and less
beans. I would have more actual troubles and fewer imaginary ones. You, see, I
am one of those people who lives prophylactically and
sensibly and sanely hour after hour, day after day. Oh, I’ve had my moments and
if I had it to do over again, I’d have more of them. In fact I’ll try to have
nothing else. Just moments, one after another, instead of
living so many years ahead each day. I have been one of those people who
never go anywhere without a thermometer, a hot water bottle, a gargle, a
raincoat, aspirin, and a parachute. If I had it to do over again, I would go
places, do things, and travel lighter than I have.
"If I
had my life to live over, I would start bare-footed in the spring and stay that
way later in the fall. I would play hooky more. I wouldn’t make such good
grades except by accident. I would ride on more merry-go-rounds. I’d pick more
daisies."
-- Don Herold