The world shines about me,
luminous as the moon, smiling like a rose,
and a sweet benediction
flows through everything existing.
How beautiful life is.

~Desse Barama (Peace) by Hamza El Din

image: Reid Park Rose Garden / Tucson, AZ / May 2012

Peace

"We don't love others when we find them beautiful,
we find others beautiful when we love them."

~Josei Toda - Japanese Educator and Peace Activist

Loving What Is

 Welcome anything that comes to you,

but do not long for anything else.

~Andre Gide

Shining Light

Words of wisdom from Peace Pilgrim:

"In all the people I meet... I see that divine spark. And that's what I concentrate on. All people look beautiful to me; they look like shining lights to me. I always have the feeling of being thankful for these beautiful people who walk the earth with me."

"There is a spark of good in everybody, no matter how deeply it may be buried.  It is the real you.  When I say 'you' what am I really thinking of?  Am I thinking of the clay garment, the body?   No, that's not the real you.  Am I thinking of the self-centered nature?   No, that's not the real you.  The real you is that divine spark..."

"Humanity has only scratched the surface of its real potential.”

“Unnecessary possessions are unnecessary burdens. If you have them, you have to take care of them! There is great freedom in simplicity of living. It is those who have enough but not too much who are the happiest.”

"When you find peace within yourself, you become the kind of person who can live at peace with others.”

"Live the present.  Do the things you know need to be done.  Do all the good you can each day.  The future will unfold."

From Wikipedia: Peace Pilgrim (1908 – 1981) was an American pacifist, vegetarian, and peace activist.  She walked across the United States for 28 years expressing her ideas about peace.  Peace Pilgrim's only possessions were the clothes on her back and the few items she carried in the pockets of her blue tunic which read "Peace Pilgrim" on the front and "25,000 Miles on foot for peace" on the back. She had no organizational backing, carried no money, and would not even ask for food or shelter. When she began her pilgrimage she had taken a vow to "remain a wanderer until mankind has learned the way of peace, walking until given shelter and fasting until given food."     

"Wouldn’t it be better to uplift each other, than to destroy each other? That’s the simple question that Peace Pilgrim asked, by virtue of the way she lived." ~ from Reflections on Peace Pilgrim’s Life by John Robbins, author of Diet for A New America

“The heart of things is at peace.”

 ~Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

Deep Looking

"You who are journalists, writers, citizens, you have the right and duty to say to those you have elected that they must practice mindfulness, calm and deep listening, and loving speech. This is a universal thing, taught by all religions.  In Buddhism, we call this samatha -- stopping, concentration, calm.  When calm is there we are able to practice deep looking." ~from True Love by Thich Nhat Hanh

Reality Check

"All there is, is Reality,

and any illusion, any appearance, any shadow,

cannot but be a reflection of that very Reality.

Illusion cannot have an independent existence."

 

 ~from Peace and Harmony in Daily Living by Ramesh Balsekar

Blooming

"The mind can go in a thousand directions, but on this beautiful path, I walk in peace. With each step, the wind blows. With each step, a flower blooms." ~Thich Nhat Hahn

Peace

"Is there a difference between happiness and inner peace? Yes. Happiness depends on conditions being perceived as positive; inner peace does not." ~Eckhart Tolle

"Without peace of mind, life is just a shadow of its possibilities." ~Jean Borysenko

"Cultivate peace of mind which does not separate one's self from one's surroundings. When that is done successfully, then everything else follows naturally." ~Robert M. Prisig

"People say 'I want peace.' If you remove I (ego), and your want (desire), you are left with peace." ~Sathya Sai Baba

“For peace of mind, resign as general manager of the universe.” ~Larry Eisenberg

Rose Hedge

across a rose fence--

a cat lover

a cat hater

~Kazuo Sato

How far can we see across the rose-hedge fence, beyond our own personal likes and dislikes, feelings for or against?  Can we be more like the rose hedge: neutral as nature, open to views from both sides of the fence and beyond?  This microcosmic haiku exposes the truth of the world situation and yet it somehow nudges us to imagine, as in the classic John Lennon song, "Imagine"...and go beyond it. ~commentary adapted from haiku mind by Patricia Donegan

The pink flowery hedge was found in Chicopee, Massachusetts in July.

Keeping it Simple

Zen is not some kind of excitement, 

but merely concentration

on our usual everyday routine.

~Shunryu Suzuki

Being Here Now

"Be yourself. Life is precious as it is. 

All the elements for your happiness are already here.

There is no need to run, strive, search or struggle.

Just Be."

~Thich Nhat Hanh

Reflections of Stillness

"When you allow yourself to return to your true nature, you're not wanting any particular thing to happen in the stillness."  ~Adyashanti, Emptiness Dancing

This post is for "Weekend Reflections," a fun and fascinating photography meme hosted by James at Newtown Area Photo.  Click here to see other Weekend Reflections or to share your own.

Tangerine Meditation

image credit: pa1nt

"Each time you look at a tangerine, you can see deeply into it. You can see everything in the universe in one tangerine. When you peel it and smell it, it’s wonderful. You can take your time eating a tangerine and be very happy."

~from Peace is Every Step by Thich Nhat Hanh

No problem

"Thoughts are not necessarily a distraction. Nor is the body. Thoughts are arising in this present awareness and dissolving back into it. The silence remains untouched, unstained, immaculate. Thoughts are only a problem if you are preoccupied with them, giving them all your attention, believing in the entity of "me" around which the thoughts swirl. But thoughts in and of themselves are not some kind of enemy. Thoughts can be very useful, functional, and even entertaining. They are allowed in this vast clearing. No problem" ~Catherine Ingram

Not-wanting

 "As long as we associate happiness with getting what we want, we've associated it with exactly the opposite thing that makes us happy. Getting what we want doesn't make us happy, not wanting makes us happy."

~from YouTube video Behind the Wanter • Adyashanti

 "When there is no desire, all things are at peace."
~Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching chap.37

"Enjoying life is really a matter of choosing to not want something other than what you’ve got. When you stop desiring something more or better, you can begin to enjoy what you have right now."
~Gina Lake, Radical Happiness