All things change when we do
The first word “Ah”
blossoms into others
All of them true.
Kukai, 774–835, Japanese monk, civil servant, scholar, poet.
As the week begins
Mysteriously, wonderfully,
I bid farewell to what goes
I greet what comes;
for what comes cannot be denied
and what goes cannot be detained
Chuang Tzu
Mais où sont les neiges d’antan?
(But where are the snows of yesteryear?)
French saying
photo of last fridays Spring weather in Kildare
Sunday Quote: In the heart
If you want the truth, I will tell you the truth:
Listen to the secret sound,
the real sound,
which is within you
Kabir
Putting labels
A label is a mask life wears. We put labels on life all the time. ‘Right,’ ‘wrong,’ ‘success,’ ‘failure, ‘ lucky’, ‘unlucky’ may be as limiting a way of seeing things as ‘diabetic’, ‘epileptic’, ‘manic-depressive’ ….. Labeling sets up an expectation of life that is often so compelling we can no longer see things as they really are. This expectation often gives us a false sense of familiarity toward something that is really new and unprecedented. We are in relationship with our expectations and not with life itself.. Belief traps or frees us. Labels may become self-fulfilling prophecies.
Rachel Naomi Remen
photo rinina25
Seeds
I have posted this before but, like most of our practice, it is something we need to remember, or be mindful of. At times we fall into the trap of complaining, causing suffering for ourselves or others:
We often ask, ‘what’s wrong?’ Doing so, we invite painful seeds of sorrow to come up and manifest. We feel suffering, anger, and depression, and produce more such seeds. We would be much happier if we tried to stay in touch with the healthy, joyful seeds inside of us and around us. We should learn to ask, ‘what’s not wrong?’ and be in touch with that.
Thich Nhat Hahn
photo steven depolo
Endless opportunities
When you open yourself to the continually changing, impermanent dynamic nature of your own being and of reality, you increase your capacity to love and care about other people and your capacity to not be afraid.
You’re able to keep your eyes open, your heart open, and your mind open. And you notice when you get caught up in prejudice, bias and aggression.
You develop an enthusiasm for no longer watering those negative seeds, from now until the day you die. And you begin to think of your life as offering endless opportunities to start to do things differently.
Pema Chodron
Mindfulbalance 