World Beyond

Mind

Those who form desires in their minds become offspring of those desires.  --Mundaka Upanishad

Riches do not come from an abundance of goods but from a contented mind.  --Mohammed (The Hadith)

A mind absorbed in sense objects is the cause of bondage, and a mind detached from sense objects is the cause of liberation.  --Vishnu Purana

When the heart weeps for things that are lost, the spirit laughs for what it has found.  --Sufi Proverb

Tao -- Twenty-Nine

Do you want to improve the world?
I don't think it can be done.

The world is sacred.
It can't be improved.
If you tamper with it, you'll ruin it.
If you treat it like an object, you'll lose it.

There is a time for being ahead,
a time for being behind;
a time for being in motion,
a time for being at rest;
a time for being vigorous,
a time for being exhausted;
a time for being safe,
a time for being in danger.

The Master sees things as they are,
without trying to control them.
She lets them go their own way,
and resides at the center of the circle.

Hisashi Buri Ni Haiku

Cool, damp mountain air
Moist with possibilities
Penetrates my soul

Inspiration

The poet sometimes seems to have a chamber in his brain into which an angel flies with divine messages.  --Ralph Waldo Emerson

No one was ever great without divine inspiration.  --Cicero

The good man does not grieve that others do not recognize his merits.  --Confucius

Tao -- Twenty-Eight

Know the male,
yet keep to the female:
receive the world in your arms.
If you receive the world,
the Tao will never leave you
and you will be like a little child.

Know the white,
yet keep to the black:
be a pattern for the world.
If you are a pattern for the world,
the Tao will be strong inside you
and there will be nothing you can't do.

Know the personal,
yet keep to the impersonal:
accept the world as it is.
If you accept the world,
the Tao will be luminous inside you
and you will return to your primal self.

The world is formed from the void,
like utensils from a block of wood.
The Master knows the utensils,
yet keeps to the block:
thus she can use all things.

Take Time to Remember

Anthony Martini of Chicago, mourns his brother, Marine Lance Cpl. Philip John Martini while visiting a memorial of over 3400 pairs of boots representing the U.S. military personnel killed in Iraq, in Chicago's Grant Park, Saturday, May 26, 2007. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Sometime this Memorial Day weekend, or even a few days later if you' were busy traveling, please take time to remember those who have served, and continue to serve our country.

You may not agree with the current administration's policies, set those feelings aside for a moment.

Remember there are young Americans willingly sacrificing themselves, whether it's "just" time away from home and loved ones, or in some cases, even their own lives.  They aren't doing it for their love of Republicans or President Bush.  They're doing it for their buddies, for their friends and family...hoping to make Iraq and America better places.   

The sacrifices are shared by their friends and families.  Newspapers abound with articles describing the tragedy of lost loved ones.  Rather than focus solely on that level of grief, here's a short article that details the emotions involved for parents of a soldier deployed.   

As the 2008 election approaches, let's send a message to the politicians:  no more lies, no more fantasies.  Let's follow a realistic foreign policy that does not squander American lives and treasure.

For more somber reading, from a father who lost a son, please take a look at this editorial.

No matter what your views...this Memorial Day...please take some time to reflect.

Aging

When we are old, we must do more than when we were young.  --Goethe

Our life should be so active and progressive as to be a journey.  --Thoreau

I am still learning.  --Michelangelo

Tao -- Twenty-Seven

A good traveler has no fixed plans
and is not intent upon arriving.
A good artist lets his intuition
lead him wherever it wants.
A good scientist has freed himself of concepts
and keeps his mind open to what is.

Thus the Master is available to all people
and doesn't reject anyone.
He is ready to use all situations
and doesn't waste anything.
This is called embodying the light.

What is a good man but a bad man's teacher?
What is a bad man but a good man's job?
If you don't understand this, you will get lost,
however intelligent you are.
It is the great secret.

Fragile World

The world is fragile
Lives shattered by violence
Pain is vehicle
Suffering can educate
Open your heart to learning

Tao -- Twenty-Six

The heavy is the root of the light.
The unmoved is the source of all movement.

Thus the master travels all day
without leaving home.
However splendid the views,
she stays serenely in herself.

Why should the lord of the country
flit about like a fool?
If you let yourself be blown to and fro,
you lose touch with your root.
If you let restlessness move you,
you lose touch with who you are.