Thousands of candles can be lighted

from a single candle, and the life of the candle

will not be shortened. Happiness never

decreases by being shared.

                                            ~ The Buddha

                                          

Our mother, whose body is the Earth,

Sacred is thy being. Thy gardens grow.

Thy will be done in our cities, as it is in nature.

Thanks be this day for food, and air, and water.

Forgive us our sins against Earth,

as we are learning to forgive one another.

And surrender us not unto extinction,

but deliver us from our folly.

For thine is the beauty, and the power, and all life,

from birth to death, from beginning to end.

Amen. So be it. Forever. Blessed be.

~ Henry Horton

 

Through practice, I've come to see that the deepest source of my misery is not wanting things to be the way they are. Not wanting myself to be the way I am. Not wanting the world to be the way it is. Not wanting others to be the way they are. Whenever I'm suffering, I find this war with reality to be at the heart of the problem.

                                                                                     ~ Stephen Cope

When despair for the world grows in me and I wake in the night at the least sound in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be, I go and lie down where the wood drake rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds. I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief. I come into the presence of still water. And I feel above me the day-blind stars waiting with their light. For a time I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

                                                               ~ Wendell Berry

Once you are able to look at another being

and see no difference at all,

there is no need for harmony.

For here, there is only Oneness.

This is the place the story began.

And this is the end toward which

                                all consciousness now strives to return.                                          ~Buddha

 

Yoga is not a work-out, it is a work-in. And this is the point of spiritual practice; to make us teachable, to open up our hearts and focus our awareness so that we can know what we already know and be who we already are.                                                   ~Rolf Gates

 

Somewhere in us a dignity presides

That is more gracious than the smallness

That fuels us with fear and force,

A dignity that trusts the form a day takes.

 

So at the end of this day, we give thanks

For being betrothed to the unknown

And for the secret work

Through which the mind of the day

And wisdom of the soul become one.

                                               ~ John O'Donohue

When the heart bursts into flame, history completely disappears and lightning strikes the ocean in each cell. There, before origins, when the       double helix is struck like a tuning fork, there is a hum on which the              universe is strung.        

                                                                                       ~ Stephen Levine

Yoga is not a work-out, it is 

a work-in. And this is the

point of spiritual practice; to

make us teachable; to open

up our hearts and focus our

awareness so that we can

know what we already

know and be who we

already are.

                                                 ~ Rolf Gates

Once you have decided you want

the present moment to be your

friend, it is up to you to make the

first move: Become friendly

toward it, welcome it no matter

in what disguise it comes, and

soon you will see the results. Life

becomes friendly toward you;

people become helpful,

circumstances cooperative.

One decision changes your entire

reality. But that one decision you

have to make again and again -

until it becomes natural to live in

such a way.

                                          ~ Eckhart Tolle

We are all one energy, one heart, one love

and one spirit. There is nobody ahead,

there is nobody behind;

there is no hierarchy.

Every one of us is walking this journey

together, every single one of us.

                                               ~ Penache Desai

 

The Goal Of Yoga

(No, it's not the Handstand)

The yoga pose is not the goal. Becoming flexible is not the goal.

Standing on your hands is not the goal.

The goal is to create space where you were once stuck.

To unveil the layers of protection you've built around your heart.

To appreciate your body and become aware of the mind and the noise it creates. 

To make peace with who you are.

The goal is to love, well... You.

Come to your yoga mat to feel; not to accomplish.

Shift your focus and your heart will grow.

                                            ~ Rachel Brathen

 

Do not be dismayed by the brokenness of the world.

All things break. And all things can be mended. 

Not with time, as they say, but with intention.

So go. Love intentionally, extravagantly, unconditionally.

The broken world waits in darkness for the light that is you.

~ L.R. Knost

Hope is the thing with feathers

That perches in the soul

And sings the tunes

Without the words

And never stops at all

                                        ~Emily Dickinson

To be hopeful in bad times is not foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness. What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places-and there are so many- where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction. And if we do act, in however small a way, we don't have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory.                                                                                   ~ Howard Zinn

Some believe in existence.

Others believe nothing exists.

Rare is the one who believes nothing

and is never confused. 
                                                                                    ~ Astavakra Gita

It may be that when we no longer know what to do, we have come to our real work and when we no longer know which way to go, we have begun our real journey.

 

The mind that is not baffled is not employed. The impeded stream is the one that sings.                                                ~ Wendell Berry

 

Mindfulness meditation doesn't change life.

Life remains as fragile and unpredictable as ever.

Meditation changes the heart's capacity to accept life as it is.

It teaches the heart to be more accommodating,

not by beating it into submission,

but by making it clear that accommodation

is a gratifying choice.

~ Sylvia Boorstein

When you are inspired by some great purpose,

some extraordinary project, all thoughts break their bonds;

your mind transcends limitations.

 

Your consciousness expands in every direction,

and you find yourself in a new, great and wonderful world.

Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive.

 

And you discover yourself to be a greater person by far than

you ever dreamed yourself to be.

                                                                                       ~ Patanjali

The universe

is full of

magical things

patiently waiting for

       our wits

       to

       grow

       sharper.                                                                                          

                              ~ Eden Philpotts

 

Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart.

Who looks outside, dreams.

Who looks inside, awakens.

                                                                     ~ Carl Jung

 

 

Let your flower open,

but hold nowhere to the fruit.

Let the seeds fall to the ground

and germinate in your own great nature.

Treasure yourself.

~ Stephen Levine

 

 

And now here is my secret,

a very simple secret;

it is only with the heart that

one can see rightly, what is 

invisible to the eye.                                              

                              ~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery

 

 

When I rise up

let me rise up joyful

like a bird.

 

When I fall

let me fall without regret

like a leaf.

                                                                                                               ~ Wendell Berry

 

Statistically, the probability of any one of us being here is so small that you'd think the mere fact of existing would keep us all in a contented dazzlement of surprise.                                                                               ~ Lewis Thomas

 

We are the eternal moment seeking more. The direct experience of Wholeness produces a search for Wholeness that will leave us feeling incomplete, which will, in turn, ultimately lead us back to Wholeness. When the forms we sought Wholeness in, let us down, we begin to discover Wholeness in the Formless. ~ Rolf Gates

 

There is a whisper, but it's louder than the wind.

It calls to us, "Come Home. The story is over,

the pages worn thin. Come Home."

It's like a chant,

a sacred OM underlying all else.

It requires no doing anything,

or going anywhere or becoming anything.

If only we see that we are this whispering sound,

all else will dissolve into peace.

                                                 - Rafael Stoneman

 

 

Just like the sunbeam can't separate itself from the sun,

and a wave can't separate itself from the ocean,

we can't separate ourselves from one another.

We are all part of a vast sea of love,

one indivisible divine mind.

                                                                            -Marianne Williamson

 

You must not be afraid to travel

where there are no roads.

 

You must not give into the darkness

when there is no sign of light.

 

You must not be afraid to grow wings

when you are tired of the ground.

 

You must not be afraid to swim

when you are nothing but a stone.

 

If experience is the child born of risk,

than acceptance is the old man born of dreams.

                                                                                                    -Unknown

 

In oneself lies the whole world

and if you know how to look and learn,

the door is there and the key

is in your hand. Nobody on earth can

give you either the key or the

door to open, except yourself.

- Jiddu Krishnamurti

 

One day, after we have mastered the winds and the waves, gravity and the tides, we will harness for God the energies of love. And then for the second time in human history, mankind will have discovered fire.          - Tielhard De Chardin

 

Nothing is not the opposite of everything. Dark is not the opposite of light.

Good is not the opposite of bad. They are all the same coin, the head is inseparable from the tail. Yin is entirely dependent on Yang to exist. All opposites arise and fall away together. So, running away is also running toward. Silence is sound, stillness is movement. Nothing is everything. - Mike Jenkins

 

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living.

I want to know what you ache for,

and if you dare dream of meeting your heart's longing.

It doesn't interest me how old you are.

I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love,

for your dreams, for the adventure of being alive.

I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in empty moments.     - Amrita

 

There is a whisper, but it's louder than the wind. It calls to us, "Come home. The story is over, the pages worn thin. Come home." It's like a chant, a sacred OM underlying all else. It requires no doing anything, or going anywhere or becoming anything. If only we see that we are this whispering sound, all else will dissolve into peace.                                                                - Rafael Stoneman

 

Waiting

The jeweled cloud sways overhead, waiting.

Meanwhile, our cells are turning to air,

finer and finer arrangement.                  

                                                  -- Dorothy Walters

 

Awake, my dear

Be kind to your sleeping heart

Take it out into the vast fields of  Light

And let it breathe....

                             - Hafiz

THE BREATHING FIELD

Between each vertebra is the through line of your life's story, where the setting sun has burned all colors into the cord. Step over. Put on the dark shirt of stars. A full moon rises over the breathing field, seeps into the clover and brown lace of its roots, where insects are resting their legs. Take in the view. So much is still to be seen. Get back behind your back, behind what is behind you.                           -Wyatt Townley

 

Crying is one of the highest devotional songs. One who knows crying, knows spiritual practice. If you can cry with a pure heart, nothing else compares to such a prayer. Crying includes all the principles of Yoga.

                                                                                                             ― Kripalvanandji

 

You are up and you are happy. You are down and you are sad. All ups and downs help you to find a balance in your being. This is what life is all about. Once balanced, no more ups and downs, but bliss and joy and silence and gratitude.

                                                                                                                         - Tishan

 

Often misconstrued, authenticity is not about being an open book,

revealing every detail of yourself without rhyme or reason.

It is simply the act of openly and courageously seeing what needs

to be seen, saying what needs to be said, doing what needs to be

done, and becoming that which you are intent on being.

                                                                                       - Scott Edmund Miller

 

Yoga is not a work-out, it is a work-in. And this is the point of spiritual practice; to make us teachable; to open up our hearts and focus our awareness so that we can know what we already know and be who we already are.

                                                                                                          - Rolf Gates

 

Your mind is just like a river.

Thoughts and thoughts and a

crowd of thoughts go on passing.

You simply sit by the bank,

unconcerned, just a witness, and

you are in for a great surprise.

Slowly, slowly, as you become

more and more centered and

simply a witness, thoughts start

disappearing.

                          - Osho

 

The reality that is present to us and in us: call it being...Silence. And the simple fact that by being attentive, by learning to listen (or recovering the natural capacity to listen) we can find ourselves engulfed in such happiness that it cannot be explained: the happiness of being at one with everything in that hidden ground of Love for which there can be no explanations...May we all grow in Grace and Peace, and not neglect the Silence that is printed in the center of our being. It will not fail us.

                                                                                                           - Thomas Merton

 

There are two ways you can change your life: manipulate the environment, or manipulate your mind. Sometimes you can change the environment. Always, you can change your mind. 
- Alan Cohen

 

LOST - Stand still. The trees ahead and bushes beside you are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here, and you must treat it as a powerful stranger, must ask permission to know it and be known. The forest breathes. Listen. It answers, I have made this place around you. If you leave it, you may come back again, saying Here. No two trees are the same to Raven. No two branches are the same to Wren. If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you, you are surely lost. Stand still. The forest knows where you are. You must let it find you.

                                                                                                         - David Wagoner

Silence is not silent.

Silence speaks.

It speaks most eloquently.

Silence is not still.

Silence leads.

It leads most perfectly.

                 - Sri Chinmoy

 

I know I am made from this earth, as my mother's hands were made from this earth, as her dreams were made from this earth, and these hands, this tongue speaking. All that I know speaks to me through this earth and I long to tell you, you who are earth too, and listen as we speak to each other of what we know; the light is in us.                                                       - Susan Griffin

 

Look to this day, for it is life

The very life of life!

In its brief span lie all

The verities and realities of our existence.

The bliss of thought,

The splendor of beauty,

The glory of action.

For yesterday is but a dream,

And every tomorrow a vision of hope;

Look well therefore to this day!

                                               - Sanskrit Proverb

 

Advice from a tree

Stand tall and proud

Sink your roots

Deeply into the earth

Reflect the light

Of a greater source

Think long term

Go out on a limb

                             -Ilan Shamir

 

If you send out goodness from yourself, or if you share that which is happy or good within you, it will all come back to you multiplied ten thousand times. In the kingdom of love there is no competition; there is no possessiveness or control. The more love you give away, the more love you will have.

                                                                                                              - John O'Donahue

 

And the world cannot be discovered by a journey of miles, no matter how long, but only by a spiritual journey, a journey of one inch, very arduous and humbling and joyful, by which we arrive at the ground of our feet, and learn to be at home.                                 

                                                                                      - Wendell Berry

 

Breathing is the fundamental link between all things in nature. It is our conscious relationship to life. Breathing connects our awareness to every movement, every thought, every emotion we have. How we breathe is how we live. And the way we breathe can allow us to recover our wholeness, our balance of body and mind.

                                                                                - Bija Bennett

 

And the world cannot be discovered by a journey of miles, no matter how long, but only by a spiritual journey, a journey of one inch, very arduous and humbling and joyful, by which we arrive at the ground at our own feet, and learn to be at home.

                                                                           - Wendell Berry

 

The majestic grandeur of a mountain face and the little stones that line riverbed are the same thing. The only distinction between them is time. The stones are the mountain's way of singing with the river.                                    - Daily Compass

 

Once you are able to look

at another being and see no

difference at all, there is

no need for harmony. 

For here, there is only 

Oneness.

 

This is the place

the story began. 

And this is the end

toward which all

consciousness

now strives

to return.

                                  - Buddha

I cannot say
I was not expecting you
Sometimes we can smell the rain
In a cloudless sky
And there are so many paths
Through these woods
That your approach
Drifted in and out of my windows
With the birdsong
And the lilacs
So I was never sure
It was not the fickle breeze
Turning my head
And touching my heart
But when you did appear
Silently bearing gifts
Like a night bird
Come with snow
Beauty and abundance
Fell from your wings
And covered the land
                                             -Tony Kendrew

 

Let us remember within us the ancient clay, holding the memory of seasons, the passion of the wind, the fluency of water, the warmth of fire, the quiver-touch of the sun and shadowed sureness of the moon. That we may awaken to live to the full the dream of the Earth.                                         -John O'Donohue

 

Paradoxically, we achieve true wholeness

only by embracing our fragility and sometimes,

our brokenness.

Wholeness is a natural radiance of love,

and love demands that we allow the destruction

of our old self for the sake of the new.

                                                                                          -Jalaja Bonheim

 

Be patient with everyone, but above all with yourself. Do not be disheartened by your imperfections, but always rise up with fresh courage. How are we to be patient in dealing with our neighbor's faults if we are impatient in dealing with our own? They who are fretted by their own failings will not correct them. All profitable correction comes from a calm and peaceful mind.

                                                                               -St. Frances de Sales

 

Walking, I am listening to a deeper way.

Suddenly all my ancesters are behind me.

Be still, they say.

Watch and listen.

You are the result of the love of thousands.

                                                               - Linda Hogan

 

Within your being, within your mind and your living body, lies a world of joy and power. Within you lies a kingdom that you know little of. The kingdom of fearless living, of sharing love, and the unfolding glory of your infinite being. All this and more is yours.

                                                                                        - Ruth St Denis

 

You may think that you are earthly beings,

but you have been kneaded from the substance of certainty.

You are the guardians of God's light, so come,

return to the root of the root of your own self.

                                                     - Rumi

 

Yoga does not remove us from the reality or responsibilities of everyday life, but rather places our feet firmly and resolutely in the practical ground of experience. We don't transcend our lives; we return to the life we left behind in the hopes of something better.                - Donna Farhi

 

                          To Risk

To laugh, is to risk appearing the fool

To weep, is to risk appearing sentimental

To reach out for another is to risk involvement

To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self

To place your ideas, your dreams, before the crowd is to risk loss

To love is to risk not being loved in return

To live is to risk dying

To hope is to risk despair

To try at all is to risk failure

But risk we must

Because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.

                                                                 - William Arthur Ward

 

Transformation comes from looking deeply within,

to a state that exists before fear and isolation arise,

the state in which we are inviolably whole just as we are.

We connect to ourselves, to our own true experience,

and discover there that to be alive means to be whole.

                                                           - Sharon Salzburg

 

Your heart does not answer to your mind; your heart reveals the deepest wishes of your soul. No amount of clever justifications or smart excuses alters your heart's wish, it just delays the richly fulfilling life you seek.

                                                                                              - Robert Beno

 

Our true home is in the present moment. To live in the present moment is a miracle. The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the green earth in the present moment, to appreciate the peace and beauty that are available now. Peace is all around us - in the world and in nature - and within us - in our bodies and our spirits. Once we learn to touch this peace, we will be healed and transformed. It is not a matter of faith; it is a matter of practice.                       - Thich Nhat Hanh

 

We are not

human beings

having a spiritual

experience.

We are spiritual

beings having

a human 

experience.

                                                                         Pierre Telhard de Chardin