Within you there is a stillness and sanctuary to which you can retreat at anytime and be yourself
Whoever wants music instead of noise, joy instead of pleasure, soul instead of gold, creative work instead of business, passion instead of foolery, finds no home in this trivial world of ours Some of us think holding on is what makes us strong; but sometimes it is letting go I have always believed, and I still believe, that whatever good or bad fortune may come our way we can always give it meaning and transform it into something of value There is no reality except the one contained within us. That is why so many people live such an unreal life. They take the images outside them for reality and never allow the world within to assert itself To hold our tongues when everyone is gossiping, to smile without hostility at people and institutions, to compensate for the shortage of love in the world with more love in small, private matters; to be more faithful in our work, to show greater patience, to forgo the cheap revenge obtainable from mockery and criticism: all these are things we can do You know quite well, deep within you, that there is only a single magic, a single power, a single salvation...and that is called loving. Well, then, love your suffering. Do not resist it, do not flee from it. It is your aversion that hurts, nothing else - Hermann Hesse, German-Swiss novelist, poet and painter Through times thick and days thin,
Love always wins Through sun and rain and snow and hail, Love does not fail Love resides in us. Love surrounds us. Love, we can trust Love is our guide, always by our side There when we cry and when we fly high May beings everywhere share Love untethered, Love strong and gently weathered, Love old and wise and smooth, There to always soothe Love holds us in clarity and uncertainty In community and alone Love's light always shines bright, Through rain and clouds When our vision is blocked With misty notions of what's real, Love will always heal Love never fails Love always prevails - JM, poet and trauma survivor There may come a moment in life when the world no longer stimulates us and we feel deeply apathetic, even abandoned. This can motivate us toward the search for our real nature beyond appearances. When we no longer find interest in activities and states, when we no longer feel much pleasure in objects and human relationships, we may find ourselves asking: "Is there something wrong with this world or with my attitude toward it?" This serious doubt can lead us to ask: "What is the meaning of existence? What is life? Who am I? What is my true nature?" Sooner or later any intelligent person asks these questions.
- Jean Klein, master of Advaita Vedanta in the tradition of Ramana Maharshi and Atmananda Krishna Menon and author of many books on non-dualism. I’ve spent so much time
Trying to figure out Just who I am Defining myself by This. Not that. Me. I. My. Not this. Nor that Some of this, some of that Each attempt as ungratifying as the next Each circumambulation a creation and deterioration of identity Each a procession to the pyre In countless eons I have been burned from something into nothing From Name to dust Only now I discover What I am is a hearth May the warmth of what burns inside me comfort those coming in from the cold May my every teardrop contribute to the beginning-less stream of compassion May all beings remember their nature as wide open-heartedness Without obscuration or obstacle - Scott Menasco, PhD., MFT |
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September 2023
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