THE ART OF FORGIVENESS, LOVINGKINDNESS, AND PEACE

THERE ARE THOSE WHO DISCOVER THEY CAN LEAVE BEHIND DESTRUCTIVE REACTIONS AND BECOME PATIENT AS THE EARTH, UNMOVED BY FIRES OF ANGER OR FEAR, UNSHAKEN AS A PILLAR, UNPERTURBED AS A CLEAR AND QUIET POOL.

WE CAN DIRECT OUR ACTIONS BUT NOT THEIR FRUITS.

"THE SECRET OF HUMAN FREEDOM IS TO ACT WELL, WITHOUT ATTACHMENT TO THE RESULTS."

Bhagavad Gita

SO, TOO, WE ARE TAUGHT BY THE TAO: 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.

WHEN LOVE MOVES THROUGH US IT INSPIRES ALL WE DO.

"THE OUTER WORK WILL NEVER BE PUNY IF THE INNER WORK IS GREAT."

Meister Eckhart

WE KNOW THAT LIFE CHANGES UNEXPECTEDLY. THOUGH OUTER EVENTS MAY BE DIFFICULT, THE KEY TO OUR HAPPINESS IS HOW OUR MIND RESPONDS TO THEM.

"MOST PEOPLE BELIEVE THE MIND TO BE A MIRROR, MORE OR LESS ACCURATELY REFLECTING THE WORLD OUTSIDE OF THEM, NOT REALIZING ON THE CONTRARY THAT THE MIND IS ITSELF THE PRINCIPAL ELEMENT OF CREATION."

Rabindranath Tagore

WITH EQUANIMITY WE CAN SEE CLEARLY.

"WE CAN MAKE OUR MINDS SO LIKE STILL WATER THAT BEINGS GATHER AROUND US, THAT THEY MAY SEE THEIR OWN IMAGES, AND SO LIVE A MOMENT WITH A CLEARER PERHAPS EVEN A FIERCER LIFE BECAUSE OF OUR QUIET."

William Butler Yeats

All of the following words are from a book by Jack Kornfield with the above title. "This simple book was written in the summer of 2001, shortly before the tragic events of terrorism and war swept another wave of violence over the world."

From page 80:

OUR TIME IS TOO PRECIOUS NOT TO LOVE.

~KNOWING LIFE IS SHORT,

HOW CAN WE QUARREL?

Buddha

CAN WE FOLLOW THE WORDS OF BUDDHA, YOU AND I?