Geese appear high over us,
pass, and the sky closes. Abandon,
as in love or sleep, holds
them to their way, clear
in the ancient faith: what we need
is here. And we pray, not
for new earth or heaven, but to be
quiet in heart, and in eye,
clear. What we need is here.
Wendell Berry
Smile,
breathe
and go slowly.
Thich Nhat Hahn
photo daniel mayer
Nature does not hurry,
yet everything is accomplished.
Lao Tzu
In the dew of little things
the heart finds its morning
and is refreshed.
Kahlil Gibran
Useful practice these days in Ireland, with its mix of sunshine and heavy showers….
There is something to be learned from being out in the rain. When you get caught out by a sudden shower, your first instinct is not to get wet and you run quickly along the road. But in doing so you have to run under the eaves of the houses and you still get wet. However, when you are balanced from the beginning, you will not get annoyed, even though you will get the same soaking. This understanding extends to everything in life.
Yamamoto Tsunetomo, 1659 – 1719, author Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai.
photo Frankie Fouganthin
Saying yes to everything in a day, including things we would prefer not to be happening, is not easy, but it helps us remember that life is made up of both pleasant and unpleasant:
Even now,
decades after,
I wash my face with cold water —
not for discipline,
nor memory,
nor the icy, awakening slap,
but to practice
choosing
to make the unwanted wanted.
Jane Hirshfield, A Cedary Fragance from Given Sugar, Given Salt
