Learning that fluid is best

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These are the first days of autumn, my favourite season.  This has been a good Summer in Ireland, and the leaves are very slow to reflect a change of atmosphere. However, inevitably, the seasons evolve and have their own rhythm, with periods of growth and periods of rest.  As John O Donohue’s quote yesterday suggests, there is something in our being that is linked to the changes in nature. We can instinctively feel that all things change. That gives birth to the understanding that  there is only suffering to be had when we try to hold onto things, like the long days of summer, or elements of life that have passed. However, I realize how much I like permanence and continualy rehearse a story of a solid, single identity. So I will try and walk in nature and learn that, like the seasons, I too change, things come and go in my life.  Nature lets go and moves on. So should we. We all have need for different tempos in our lives.

Stop chasing after

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De temps en temps,

il est bon de faire une pause dans notre quête du bonheur et juste être heureux.

Now and then

it’s good to pause in our pursuit of happiness

and just be happy.

Guillaume Apollinaire, French poet, 1880 – 1918

photp ingrid taylar

Staying Young

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This is what it means to be young:

This faith in the most beautiful surprises,

this joy in daily discovery.

Rilke

Not being fixed

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When one door of happiness closes, another opens,

but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us.

Helen Keller

A story about doing what is right

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Once, the sage Tulsidas saw a scorpion that was struggling to escape from a river.   The scorpion was about to drown, when Tulsidas reached over and saved it.   The scorpion immediately stung Tulsidas.   In shock, Tulsidas dropped the scorpion back into the waters, where it began struggling again to keep from drowning.   Tulsidas again reached over and picked up the scorpion to save it from drowning.   The scorpion stung Tulsidas once again.   This happened three more times, before Tulsidas was finally able to toss the scorpion to safety in the wooded land around the river.

A man who had been watching this whole incident walked over to Tulsidas, and asked him, “Are you crazy?”

Tulsidas replied, “It is the scorpion’s nature to sting, and it is my nature to be helpful to all beings.   If the scorpion keeps its nature even in the face of death, why should I give up my compassionate nature in the face of his sting?”

Photo: Per-Anders Olsson

Content with enough

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If you have one pot

And can make your tea in it

That will do quite well.

How much he is missing

Who must have a lot of things.

Sen no  Rikyu, 1522 – 1591, Japanese tea master