February 2010 (Vol. XXIII, No. 2)

Warm greetings, dear friends, on a cold winter's day!  The sun sparkles on a field of snow, dazzling us with a sudden awareness of the miracles Love wrought in creating our beautiful world.  Perhaps one of the greatest of these miracles is that a spark of the Great Love also exists in every one of us.  The seeds of Love are planted in our hearts that we may blanket the world with fields of love.  We have only to open our hearts to enable that love to grow and bloom and spread across our world.  Look deeply into your own heart as you sit within the silence . . . find the love there, and as the husk falls away from the seed, allowing it to grow and bloom, allow any hardness of heart to dissolve into the flame of Love.  Love can change the world!

January 2010 (Vol. XXIII, No. 1)

New Year's Greetings, dear friends of silence!  As we move through the winter season, let us, like the earth, lie fallow for a while, allowing unseen and as yet unknown life to gestate within our depths.  With deep humility, let us reflect in the silence upon what it means to surrender to the Divine Spark that resides in each of us and allow that creative Life Force to do with us what it will.  It is a gift of this quieter season that we can be released from our ego-driven lives and draw closer to the source of Love in the silent darkness.  Let us surrender ourselves in humble recognition that we are called, through faith, simply to be open and accepting; to listen, without expectations, to whatever is coming to birth within us.  We are called to a humble openness, to walk the way of goodness with the comfort of Love, at one with all humanity and with our earth.  May we surrender to the call, whatever it may be, as it comes to each of us.

To live the paradox of our blessed and broken natures

Humility as a virtue has to do with knowing ourselves as human, as earthy, as the clay into which the divine breath has been breathed . . .It is to live the paradox of our blessed and broken natures, to know that matter matters, that flesh carries spirit, that life is discovered at the precise meeting place of the human and the divine.To practice humility is to live deeply into this truth, to lift oneself to the mountain top of prayer and aspiration and to embrace the lowly valley of our own abjection.

~ from "Little Things" by Wendy M. Wright in Weavings, Jan-Feb 2003
Wendy M. Wright Weavings humility

Humility is the base from which everything grows

We are striving for humility in our lives, to draw closer to God . . .It is not an accident that the humus, or the soil, comes from the same word.It's the base from which everything grows.Gardening and the spiritual life go together.

~ from MONASTIC GARDENS by Mick Hales
Mick Hales Monastic Gardens humility

Humble amazement

Humble amazement is a prerequisite for
coming to know God.

~ by Amar Jyoti
Amar Jyoti humility

Humility is the gentle acceptance of that most tender place inside ourselves

Humility is not a matter of beating ourselves up. It is not a question of judging ourselves as stupid or sinful, as hopeless and bad. Who are we to judge these things? Humility, it seems, is the gentle acceptance of that most tender place inside ourselves that throbs with the pain of separation from the Beloved. It is that deep knowingness that identification with the false self brings nothing but further separation. It is an initially reluctant dropping down into the emptiness and an ultimate experience of peace when we stop doing and rediscover simple being . . . when we heed the call to cease creating and remember we are created.

~ from DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL by Mirabai Starr
Marabai Staff Dark Night Of The Soul humility Buy on Amazon

Rooted in this earth of everyday life

The word "humility" (also "human") is derived from the Latin "humus," meaning "the soil." Perhaps this is not simply because it entails stooping and returning to earthly origins, but also because, as we are rooted in this earth of everyday life, we find in it all the vitality and fertility unnoticed by people who mostly tramp on across the surface, drawn by distant landscapes.

~ from INEVITABLE GRACE by Piero Ferrucci
Piero Ferrucci Inevitable Grace humility

Primary prerequiste for holiness

Humility is an inner quality that is ranked as the primary prerequisite for holiness. Without humility, we might be too proud to acknowledge our weaknesses, and so we wouldn't be inclined to work to make the necessary inner changes. . . . To strengthen the soul-trait of humility, walk the mind slowly and methodically along the full journey of life, from the fertilization of the egg all the way through death and decay. It engenders great appreciation for the wisdom of the divine and fosters a healthy and genuine sense of humility and gratitude for all we have received.

~ from CLIMBING JACOB'S LADDER by Alan Morinis
Alan Morinis Climbing Jacob's Ladder humility Buy on Amazon

The feeling of ourselves as we are

Humility in itself is naught else but a true knowing and feeling of ourselves as we are.

~ from THE CLOUD OF UNKNOWING
The Cloud Of Unknowing humility

Passing through the portals of humility

The heights of the spirit can only be climbed by passing through the portals of humility. You can only acquire right knowledge when you have learnt to esteem it.

~ from KNOWLEDGE OF THE HIGHER WORLDS AND ITS ATTAINMENT by Rudolf Steiner
Rudolf Steiner Knowledge Of The Higher Worlds And Its Attainment humility

If you think you are humble, you are not

We don't talk much about humility in AA, almost never use the word. Maybe that is because, as the spiritual adage has it, if you think you are humble, you are not. But I see enough of freedom, serenity, healing, and unselfishness around me to think it must be hiding there somewhere.

~ from SEEDS OF GRACE by S. Molly Monahan
S. Molly Monahan Seeds Of Grace humility Buy on Amazon

I try to be like the water

I try to be like water. Water goes to the humblest, lowest places and provides moisture. My place in the world is pinpoint small, but it goes down deep. The residents of this bleak, barren, and disjointed community have taught me that there can be profound wisdom, wonder, and love in a place of almost total despair. Our neighborhood may be nothing like the pristine hallways of a gallery, but we do art here. Our art holds our feelings, the feeling that we care deeply -- like water, like life.

~ from Lily Yeh in "The Other Side," July/August 2004
Lily Yeh The Other Side humility

The hardest gift to accept

Once you grasp the nature of unconditional love, you realize there is a higher order of complexity that is unfolding within human consciousness as a whole. Then you receive the next gift of the angel light -- humility, perhaps the hardest gift to accept. In the angel light, there is no room for self-importance -- it is, in fact, a major obstacle. Instead, it is necessary to surrender all our false pride. Humility ultimately teaches us that all life is sacred -- a gift of the divine union of form and the formless.

~ from RETURN OF THE CHILDREN OF LIGHT by Judith Bluestone Polich
Judith Bluestone Polich Return Of The Children Of Light humility

Knowing that God is the sole doer

Humility is knowing that God is the sole doer.

~ by Jerry Thomas
Jerry Thomas humility

Beginning of humility

Cara Mia, if that man has not separated you from the love of God, and he has not, then the only thing keeping hate of him alive is your thought about him. Only your pride keeps him in your memory. Dissolve your pride, and you dissolve your hate. To be still possessed of the hate that pain made is not intelligent. Take care. It can sap your energy to what you know to be your purpose. By being troubled about it, you have already discovered it to be unworthy of your grander aims, and that is the beginning of humility.

~ from THE PASSION OF ARTEMISIA by Susan Vreeland
Susan Vreeland The Passion Of Artemisia humility

A humble spirit does not ask for more than it needs

A humble spirit does not ask for more
than it needs, and what it needs,
the Universe provides.

~ by Gary Zukav
Gary Zukav humility

The keystone human virtue of humility

A saint is a person who practices the keystone human virtue of humility. Humility in the face of wealth and plenty, humility in the face of hatred and violence, humility in the face of strength, humility in the face of your own genius or lack of it, humility in the face of another's humility, humility in the face of love and beauty, humility in the face of pain and death. Saints are driven to humbling themselves before all the splendor and horror of the world because they perceive there to be something divine in it pulsing and alive beneath the hard dead surface of material things -- greater and purer than they are.

~ from FATHER JOE by Tony Hendra
Tony Hendra Father Joe humility Buy on Amazon

December 2009 (Vol. XXII, No. 11)

"Is there enough Silence for the Word to be heard?"

Winter Greetings, dear friends, and deep peace of the season's first silent snowfall to each of you. As we naturally turn inward in response to the more reflective nature of the season, may we find there reminders that we can carry the peace of this slower, quieter season within us to every place and every time. For peace, fostered by silent communion with the Love that ever accompanies us, is not confined to any outward season or circumstance. Rather, it is born of our constant awareness of and gratitude for the companioning Presence that accompanies us all the days of our lives. May our innate longing for peace foster a growing ability to nurture it within ourselves and each other by turning within in silence. Discover the "still point" of peace within your sacred heart-space and listen for the Word to be heard.

If one person remains solid and calm

Without doing anything, things can sometimes go more smoothly just because of our peaceful presence. In a small boat when a storm comes, if one person remains solid and calm, others will not panic and the boat is more likely to stay afloat.

~ from LOVE IN ACTION by Thich Nhat Hanh
Thich Nhat Hanh Love In Action peace

We have to be brave enough to soften what is rigid, to find the soft spot

To the degree that each of us is dedicated to wanting there to be peace in the world, then we have to take responsibility when our own hearts and minds harden and close. We have to be brave enough to soften what is rigid, to find the soft spot and play with it. We have to have that kind of courage and take that kind of responsibility. That's the true practice of peace.

~ from PRACTICING PEACE IN TIMES OF WAR by Pema Chodron
Pema Chodron Practicing Peace In Times Of War peace

I asked for peace -- You offered your presence.

I asked for peace
You offered your presence.
I asked for hope
You came to my side.
I asked for joy
You lit my journey.
I asked for love
You gave me yourself.

~ from THE GLORY OF LIGHT by David Adam
David Adam The Glory Of Light peace

Peace is not something you can force on anything or anyone

Peace is not something you can force on anything or anyone... . much less upon one's own mind. It's like trying to quiet the ocean by pressing upon the waves. Sanity lies in somehow opening to the chaos, allowing anxiety, moving deeply into the tumult, diving into the waves, where underneath, within, peace simply is.

~ from THE DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL by Gerald May
Gerald May The Dark Night Of The Soul peace

One moral duty: to reclaim large areas of peace in ourselves

Ultimately, we have just one moral duty: to reclaim large areas of peace in ourselves, more and more peace, and to reflect it toward others. And the more peace there is in us, the more peace there will be in our troubled world.

~ from AN INTERRUPTED LIFE by Etty Hillsum, thanks to Liz Stewart
Etty Hillsum An Interrupted Life peace Buy on Amazon

Life from the Center is a life of unhurried peace and power

Life from the Center is a life of unhurried peace and power. It is serene and radiant. It takes no time, but it occupies all our time, making our life programs new and overcoming. We need not get frantic. Love is at the helm. And when our little day is done, we lie down quietly in peace, for all is well.

~ from A TESTAMENT OF DEVOTION by Thomas Kelly
Thomas Kelly A Testament Of Devotion peace Buy on Amazon

To be at peace with myself

To be at peace with myself means to accept myself the way I am; to reduce the split that is created by the image of what I would like to be and who I really am; to be patient with myself, especially in regard to what conflicts with my idealized self.

~ Anselm Grun
Anselm Grun peace

Let Peace fill our hearts, our world, our universe

Lead me from death to Life
from falsehood to Truth.
Lead me from despair to Hope,
from fear to Trust.
Lead me from hate to Love,
from war to Peace.
Let Peace fill our hearts,
our world, our universe.

~ from the World Peace Prayer
World Peace Prayer peace

Until it is know that true peace is within our very souls

But above all we should understand that there can never be peace between nations until it is known that true peace is within our very souls.

~ Black Elk
Black Elk peace

May that peace come to me!

The peace in the sky, the peace in mid-air,
the peace on the earth, the peace in the waters,
the peace in the plants, the peace in the forest trees,
the peace in the angels, the peace in the Beloved,
the peace in all things
the peace in peace ...
May that peace come to me!

~ from EVERY EYE BEHOLDS YOU, edited by Thomas J Craughwell
Thomas J Craughwell Every Eye Beholds You peace Buy on Amazon

This is the way of peace

This is the way of peace:
Overcome evil with Goodness,
falsehood with Truth,
and hatred with Love.

~ Peace Pilgrim
Peace Pilgrim peace Buy on Amazon

What brings me inner peace

My life, when I look back, has not been easy. One thing I learned was that compassion, a sense of caring, thinking about others' welfare, that sort of mental attitude brings me inner peace.

~ 14th Dalai Lama
14th Dalai Lama peace

Where the peace and the healing will start

The grandmothers agree that personal healing is the essential first step toward healing the world. We need to strive for the peace of mind that has no price before we can realize peace on the planet, they say... . Deep within our hearts is where the peace and the healing will start. Surrender to Spirit. Be silent and listen to the guidance there.

~ from GRANDMOTHERS COUNSEL THE WORLD by Carol Schaefer
Carol Schaefer Grandmothers Counsel The World peace

You too will have peace

Over all the mountaintops is peace,
In all the treetops, scarcely a breath;
The little birds in the forest are silent.
Wait then; you, too, will have peace.

~ Goethe
Goethe peace

If we have no peace

If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.

~ Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa peace

Peace is our eternal hope

Love is our shared truth.
Peace is our eternal hope.

~ Museum of World Religions, Taiwan
Taiwan, Museum Of World Religions peace

A peacemaker prays

A peacemaker prays. Prayer is the beginning and the end, the source and the fruit, the core and the content, the basis and the goal for all peacemaking. I say this without apology, because it allows me to go straight to the heart of the matter, which is that peace is a divine gift, a gift we receive in prayer.

~ Henry Nouwen
Henri Nouwen peace

November 2009 (Vol. XXII, No. 10)

"Is there enough Silence for the Word to be heard?"

Bountiful blessings of the Silence, dear friends!

Taking time each day to allow the Silence to permeate your whole being is a gift to your Self that keeps on giving. For, in Silence we are never truly alone. Indeed, as we abide in the Silence, countless beings are drawn to the peace and well-being that radiates around us ... those from the unseen Realm of Love along with the angels and community of heaven. Since silence is the language of Love, we are practicing the Presence daily each time we surrender ourselves into holy Silence, be it for a few moments, minutes, or hours. As our souls yearn for the Beloved, in stillness and silence our souls are guided to the Divine Indweller. To maintain a daily discipline of silence is to nourish and nurture the Divine Child within us. ... May we each sink again and again into the Silence of Love and listen ... Silence speaks.

A Work of Beauty

A work of beauty requires the diverse and contrary qualities of discipline, hard work, gentleness and love.To create a work of beauty, a human being needs a spiritual life and a rhythm, and those two things need to work well together.By "rhythm" I mean a slower, more thoughtful pace than that which is generally lived in this society.

~ Rod MacIver in "Heron Dance," Issue 48
Rod MacIver Heron Dance beauty

When your ears aren't filled with chatter and the cacophony of negativity

When your ears aren't filled with chatter and the cacophony of negativity, and your life is free of stress-generated mindless actions and the prolonged cleanup operations that result from the subsequent mess, then the still, small voice of spirit may be heard. The music of the universe becomes louder and louder in the silence generated by the absence of charged auto-chatter, and we are able to hear the whispered instructions of the soul, the rustle of angel wings, and the divine harmony of the spheres.'

~ from THE GENIE IN YOUR GENES by Dawson Church
Dawson Church The Genie In Your Genes silence

Silence is the Friend who stills lurking desires

Basking in solitude, Silence is
the Friend who stills
lurking desires, as
Wisdom cuts through tangled
webs of illusion.
Meditation lights the Flame.

~ from WALKING WITH WISDOM by Nan C. Merrill
Nan Merrill Walking With Wisdom silence Buy on Amazon

Timely silence is precious

An early century desert monk once shared an image:

"When the door of the steam bath is continually left open, the heat inside rapidly escapes through it; likewise the soul, in its desire to say many things, dissipates its remembrance of God through the door of speech, even though everything it says is good ..."

Timely silence, then, is precious, for it is nothing less than the mother of the wisest thoughts.

~ Evelyn Underhill
Evelyn Underhill silence

If dedication to silence did not exist, it would be necessary to invent it

Silence purifies. Those who are dedicated to silence must persevere in our over-busy world zones of purified air. We must struggle against the asphyxiation, which threatens the cities of our consumer society. We live in a world mentally polluted by verbal intoxication. If dedication to silence did not exist, it would be necessary to invent it.

~ Pierre Lacont
Pierre Lacont silence

In silence the idea was to recollect ourselves

On the surface, silence was simple: we didn't speak unless it was necessary. But what was the point of silence? The point was, we learned, not mere silence, not silence to preserve some sort of order, but something much greater. In silence the idea was to recollect ourselves, to place ourselves more squarely in the presence of God than we would if people were talking to us all the time. We could pray, we could meditate, we could contemplate.

~ from THE TULIP AND THE POPE by D. Larsen
D. Larsen The Tulip And The Pope silence Buy on Amazon

A lone priestly vision embraced by sacred silence

A poem is a passionate prayer of song
with blessings from and for the faithful All,
an innocent, sacramental creation
remembering ancient tradition,
a gift of praise at an invisible altar,
and a lone priestly vision embraced
by sacred silence,
seeking forever the eternal unknown.

~ Richard W. Bachtold
Richard W. Bachtold silence

Poetry comes out of silence and yearns for silence

Poetry comes out of silence and yearns for silence. Like us, it travels from one silence to another. It is like flight, like a circling over silence.

~ Max Picard
Max Picard silence

In silence we hear God's whisper

In silence
we hear God's whisper
moving like a feather
through our being,
stroking and transforming
timid souls into
fiery passion
for justice.

~ from A MYSTICAL HEART by Edwina Gately
Edwina Gately A Mystical Heart silence Buy on Amazon

God speaks out of the inner-most being of the mystics

God speaks out of the inner-
most being of the mystics while they are silent.

~ Al-Junayd
Al-Junayd silence

I have listed to the Silence

I have listened to the Silence; and in the deep places of Life, I have stood receptive to Thy songs and they have entered my soul. It is in silence that we find the depth of our being. In the deep places of the soul, we connect to the boundless life that connects all things. In this secret place of the Most High, we are borne like leaves floating upon a still pond. Here, beyond identities and accomplishments, we find who we truly are.

~ Patricia Gentry
Patricia Gentry silence

Silence is filled with a Presencde that seeks us in our lostness

... silence is filled with a Presence that
seeks us in our lostness, comforts us in our pain,
heals us in our brokenness, and guides us in our confusion.

~ Trevor Hudson - South Africa
Trevor Hudson silence

Holy silence is God's voice

We first Americans believe profoundly in silence – the sign of a perfect equilibrium. Silence is the absolute poise of balance of body, mind, and spirit.

If you ask us, "What is silence?" we will answer, "It is the Great Mystery. The holy silence is God's voice."

If you ask, "What are the fruits of silence?" we will answer, "They are self-control, true courage or endurance, patience, dignity and reverence. Silence is the cornerstone of character."

~ Ohiyesa in "Sacred Journey" Aug/Sept 2006
Ohiyesa Sacred Journey August/september 2006 silence

Take time

Take time to laugh, cry, and be silent.

~ P. Dove
P. Dove silence

The silent voice

The silent voice of the Eternal
silently speaks.

~ Oonagh Twomey
Oonagh Twomey silence

Silence is not the absence of sound, but the absence of self

Sometimes there would be a rush of noisy visitors and the Silence of the monastery would be shattered. This would upset the monks; not the master, however, who seemed just as content with the noise as with the Silence. To those protesting he said one day:

"Silence is not the absence of sound,
but the absence of self."

~ thanks to Robert Blakesly
Robert Blakesly silence

Winds of Change

Feel the winds of change blowing the superficiality of your life away.

~ from The Sufi Book of Life by Neil Douglas-Klotz
Neil Douglas-Klotz The Sufi Book Of Life

The light of the soul throws sparks, can set up flares

The light of the soul throws sparks, can set up flares, builds fires, causes proper matters to catch fire. To display the lantern of the soul in shadowy times like these, to be fierce and to show mercy toward others, both, are acts of immense bravery and greatest necessity. Struggling souls catch lights from other souls who are fully lit and willing to show it.

~ Clarissa Pinkola Estes
Clarissa Pinkola Estes silence

The light that comes from an inner fire that never dies

As Rembrandt's life moves toward the shadows of old age, as his success wanes, and the exterior splendor of his life diminishes, he comes more in touch with the immense beauty of the interior life. There he discovers the light that comes from an inner fire that never dies; the fire of love. His art no longer tries to "grasp, conquer, and regulate the visible," but to "transform the visible in the fire of love that comes from his own unique heart."

~ from RETURN OF THE PRODIGAL SON by Henri Nouwen
Henri Nouwen Return Of The Prodigal Son silence Buy on Amazon

October 2009 (Vol. XXII, No. 9)

Warm greetings, dear friends!

Ah, the sweet mystery of our lives on Journey ... the mystery of being touched by nature's wonders, great and small ... the mystery of relationships–friends, family, community, nations ... the mystery of deep Silence, inner and outer ... the mystery of our own being–Who am I? ... the mystery of our own birth and death ... the mystery of Life beyond the Veil in the unseen Realm of Love. To sit in solitude and silence and contemplate the Mystery can bring surprises and blessings of new insight, deeper peace, and the joy of simply Being within the Sacred Chapel of our hearts.

We must return to the inner spirit and the spirit of all things

Spirituality's highest purpose is to touch a mystery beyond words, which is perceived only in silence and solitude. Listening within the silence puts one in touch with the energy, vibration, and spiritual forces that are at the heart of creation. The realms are real and can only be reached by a quiet mind and practice. The Grandmothers believe we must return to the inner spirit and the spirit of all things, which we have abandoned while looking elsewhere for happiness.

~ from GRANDMOTHERS COUNSEL THE WORLD by Carol Schaefer
Carol Schaefer Grandmothers Counsel The World mystery

Love all the earth

Love all the earth,
every ray of God's light,
every grain of sand
and blade of grass,
every living thing.
If you love the earth enough,
you will know the Divine Mystery.

~ Fyodor Dostoevsky
mystery

Life is not a problem to be solved

Life is not a problem to be solved, but a Mystery to be lived.

~ Gabriel Marcel
Gabriel Marcel mystery

Death and the loss of his loved ones seemed a harsh way

Owl thought much about his life and about the loss of his father, his brother, and now Grandmother, Eyes of Wisdom. Death and the loss of his loved ones seemed a harsh way for the Universe to arrange his time here. This is perhaps why people have named the "All That Is" the Great Mystery, and that mystery may be what has sent me on this journey to find "My-Story.

~ from EYES OF WISDOM by Heyoka Merrifield
Heyoka Merrifield Eyes Of Wisdom mystery Buy on Amazon

The experience of ecstatic oness with the Divine comes in many forms

The experience of ecstatic oneness with the Divine comes in many forms: quiet contentment, a sense of gentle rapture, a mystical feeling of universal harmony, all-consuming passion, flights of spiritual abandon, and ferocious joy. But the most powerful experience of ecstasy is a combination of these feelings, when, in one unforgettable moment, we touch the hidden God – the terrible and wonderful Mystery that has given birth to all things and that makes them glow and dance with Its life force. In those moments we may see what It sees and feel at least an infinitesimal part of what It feels.

~ from THE SHAMAN'S SECRET by Douglas Gillette
Douglas Gillette The Shaman's Secret mystery

Mystery simply is

The living myth explains the world at a non-rational, non-verbal, or preverbal level, making existence sacred and informing the believer that he/she is not alone in the universe. Myth and mystery inform the heart that a person belongs and has a part in an eternal drama. Mystery simply is.

~ William J. Vertimiglia
William J. Vertimiglia mystery

Ground yourself with deep roots in the Great Mystery

Aspire to humility rather than power,
prestige, and privilege; for
grace and gentleness sustain
the humble of heart.

As seed germinates in fertile soil,
the Seed of Divine Thought
will grow in soul-silence.
Ground yourself with deep roots
in the Great Mystery.

~ from LUMEN CHRISTI ... HOLY WISDOM by Nan C Merrill
Nan Merrill Lumen Christi . . . Holy Wisdom mystery Buy on Amazon

Leave room in your heart for the Mystery

Leave room in your heart for the Mystery.

Come, let's away to prison:
We two alone will sing like birds in a cage:
When thou dost ask me blessing,
I'll kneel down,
And ask of thee forgiveness:
so we'll live,
and pray, and sing,
and tell old tales, and laugh
at gilded butterflies ...
and take upon us the mystery of things,
as if we were God's spies ...

~ from KING LEAR by Shakespeare
Shakespeare King Lear mystery

We know that You are Mystery beyond mystery

Creator of the Universe, we know that You are Mystery beyond mystery, yet our finite minds and fragile fears often want to contain You in a way that keeps us comfortable. We resist stretching our beliefs to include the new. We hesitate to break with the past, even if it is filled with illusion. Help us to be open to your revelation, not merely because it is new, but because it can bring us closer to the truth of who You are and who we are in You.

~ from RADICAL AMAZEMENT by Judy Cannato
Judy Cannato Radical Amazement mystery

God takes our hand and guides us through the Mystery

When you set off on the path, the first thing you do is surrender yourself to a greater power, for you will encounter things you will not understand. You will understand things only with your heart, and that can be a little frightening. For a long time, the journey will seem like a Dark Night, but then any search is an act of faith. But God, who is far harder to understand than a Dark Night, appreciates our act of faith and takes our hand and guides us through the Mystery.

~ from BRIDA by Paulo Coelho
Paulo Coelho Brida mystery Buy on Amazon

The first mystery is simply that there is a Mystery

The first mystery is simply that there is a Mystery. A Mystery that can never be explained or understood. Only encountered from time to time. Nothing is obvious. Everything conceals something else...Spiritual awareness is born of encounters with the Mystery.

~ from HONEY FROM THE ROCK by Lawrence Kushner
Lawrence Kushner Honey From The Rock mystery Buy on Amazon

Faint racing on the surface of mystery

Our life is a faint racing on the surface of mystery.

~ Annie Dillard
Annie Dillard mystery

Changeless and calm, deep Mystery

Changeless and calm, deep Mystery…
Ever more deeply rooted in Thee.

~ Avis Vermilye
Avis Vermilye mystery

Realize that you are the mystery

Being your true self, being your true nature, is different than experiencing it with thought. Realize that you are the mystery, and you can't really look at mystery because you are only capable of looking from the mystery. There is a very awake, alive and loving mystery, and that is what is seeing through your eyes at this moment. Encounter pure mystery, which is pure spirit, and wake up to what you are.

~ from EMPTY DANCING by Adyashanti
Adyashanti Empty Dancing mystery Buy on Amazon

Truth's Dancing Partner

Mystery is truth's dancing partner.

~ Goethe
Goethe mystery

Ground yourself with deep roots in the Great Mystery

Aspire to humility rather than power,
prestige, and privilege; for
grace and gentleness sustain
the humble of heart.

As seed germinates in fertile soil,
the Seed of Divine Thought
will grow in soul-silence.
Ground yourself with deep roots
in the Great Mystery.

September 2009 (Vol. XXII, No. 8)

No one else can know what work will make our hearts sing, but we ourselves in our own inner being. Two mystic poets can, however, help us with the essence of what our Work can aspire to be: Gibran – "Work is love made visible" and Rumi – "Let the beauty we love be what we do." Work as an offering of our Selves in love, with all our strengths and limitations, to the wider community becomes a mutual blessing that honors our very being. To know Work as a sacred vocation no matter how lofty or how humble it may seem becomes equal in the eyes of Love. For all good work contributes to the Whole ... nothing we do with love and kindness is too little.

In the silence we can ponder the ways we work in love, create or honor beauty, and bring blessing to others. What makes your heart sing?

Great acts are the small, quiet ones that no one hears about

I didn't know exactly how to go about helping others. But if I could remember that great acts are the small, quiet ones that no one hears about, that would be a start. I could look for ways myself to help people in need of a boost, to align myself with underdogs. I need to remember Ella's way with her leprosy ... her intent. Perhaps it didn't matter what I did to earn a living, as long as the motive was to help others and not just gain attention.

~ from IN THE SANCTUARY OF OUTCASTS, by Neil White
Neil White In The Sanctuary Of Outcasts work

God, give me work

God, give me work
Till my life shall end
And life
Till my work is done.

~ Winifred Holthy
Winifred Holthy work

When love and skill work together

When love and skill work together,
expect a masterpiece.

~ John Ruskin
John Ruskin work

Contemplatives are the great doers

Contrary to what many think, contemplatives are the great doers. In their return from silence they take up the work of giving form to the liberating truths that have been given to them in flashes of insight and vision. Because they have been present to themselves, they are able to be present to others in a way that awakens, enlivens, gives courage. In them we see more clearly a way of existence that combines both being and doing.

~ N. Gordon Cosby
N. Gordon Cosby work

To be here doing whatever it is I am to be doing

I am learning as I go about my daily life of work, play, or prayers that it is right and good to be here doing whatever it is I am to be doing. In a word, attentiveness and being in the present. Learning to be. A growing sense of vocation with the liberty to be at One ... to be harmonious.

~ Madelieine Thompson
Madelieine Thompson work

Work helps prevent one from getting old

Work helps prevent one from getting old. My work is my life. I cannot think of one without the other. The one who works and is never bored is never old. A person is not old until regrets take the place of hopes and plans. Work and interest in worthwhile things are the best remedy for aging. ... With age your facility of expression and perception diminishes. I have almost nothing left but time. But if I can be of service, I would like to go on living.

~ Scott Nearing at 98
Scott Nearing work

I am lent to be spent in the service of others

O Thou, cut down in me this hour and every
hour the swift growing tree of self-regard
which screens me from the needs of others.

Fill me with the realization that for these
few swift years I am put here on earth,
I am lent to be spent in the service of others.

~ Douglas Speer
Douglas Speer work

In planetary service, all work and workers are equal

In planetary service, all work and workers
are equal. ... All service leads to the good
of the whole.

~ Jacqueline Small
Jacqueline Small work

The way to do is to be!

The way to do is to be!

Without going outside,
you may know the whole world.
Without looking through the window,
you may see the ways of heaven.
The farther you go, the less you know.

Thus the sage knows without traveling ...
sees without looking ...
works without doing.

~ Lao Tzu (470-490 B.C.)
Lao Tzu work

Your work is to discover your world

Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it.

~ Buddha
Buddha work

They worked at a gentle pace

I found that the Ladakhis had an abundance of time. They worked at a gentle pace and had a surprising amount of leisure. Even during harvest season, when the work lasts long hours, it is done at a relaxed pace that allows an eighty-year-old as well as a young child to join in and help. People work hard, but at their own rate, accompanied by laughter and song. The distinction between work and play is not rigidly defined.

~ from ANCIENT FUTURES by Helena Norberg-Hodge
Helena Norberg-Hodge Ancient Futures work Buy on Amazon

What counts is the slightest effort to give one's all

The more I withdraw into God and with God into silence, the closer I feel to everyone and the more I find everyone. The more I make my little efforts to help others by practicing my calling, the more fruit I bear, albeit without seeing a single fruit. I must live my life with naked and pure faith, giving everything without seeing anything. What holy peace and joy this gives to my soul! Even if all I give is worth no more than a penny, how pleasing it is to God, because what counts is the slightest effort to give one's all, and how great is the reward: God's all.

~ from NAZARENA by Thomas Matus
Thomas Matus Nazarena work

Pull away the veil and allow the force to come through

To be in service to God is to realize that there is a loving force in the universe, and I must pull away the veil and allow the force to come through.

~ by Karyn D. Kedar
Karyn D. Kedar work

Your feel your longings and desires and they do the Work

You feel your longing and desires and they do the Work. My whole life has been following my intuition and strange beckonings.

~ David Whyte
David Whyte work

The Work of our lives

To turn all we possess into the channel of universal love becomes the Work of our lives.

~ John Woolman
John Woolman work

Simple labor is smoothing my edges

I'm learning that what's important is not so much what I do to make a living as who I become in the process. Simple labor is smoothing my edges, teaching me to crave work not because it might make me special or wealthy but because the job pleases my spirit, makes me a more pleasant person, and meets my immediate financial needs.

... Forcing things works against instinct and the elements. Working within the tides and the rules of the universe is fast becoming my preference.

~ from A YEAR BY THE SEA by Joan Anderson
Joan Anderson A Year By The Sea work Buy on Amazon

July/August 2009 (Vol. XXII, No. 7)

Summertime Blessings of sunshine's radiance, blossoming's beauty, laughter of children at play ... Love's eternal and infinite variety at the heart of Life. In the stillness of no-time we are free of fear, free to simply be without burdensome thoughts of past or future. Here, "I am who I am" ... here, we are One in Being with All. In the deep Silence of timelessness, may we surrender to the Eternal Now, be present to each holy instant, and know Love-with-us always.

People can live only by dwelling in the living breath of God

People can live only by dwelling in the living breath of God. Only in this way can they be at peace and realize their aspirations. From sunrise to sunset, they dwell in the living breath of God; every sight and thought is part of that breath. God provides a place for them filled with clarity and bliss and stillness. In the silence, we are moved by this wind, which blows everywhere in the world.

~ from THE LOST SUTRAS OF JESUS, ed. by Ray Riegert & Thomas Moore
Thomas Moore, Ray Riegert The Lost Sutras Of Jesus breath

Breath of life, you ride the waves of life with me

Breath of life,
You ride the waves of life with me
in the rhythms of my communion with you.
You enter the comings and goings
of each day and in every prayer I breathe.
Whether I am in the stillness of quiet prayer
or in the fullness of the day's activity,
may your peace flow through my being.

~ Joyce Rupp
Joyce Rupp Prayer breath

Breathing

Breathing is an act of prayer

~ Frank Waters
Frank Waters breath

Nurture yourself with feasts of breath in silence and solitude

"From LUMEN CHRISTI, the wording 'Nurture yourself with feasts of breath in silence and solitude' blew me away, to put it mildly. Although most mornings I do some breathing exercises, it occurred to me that I had not really paid attention to my breath otherwise in months. Going into meditation, I focused on inhaling Divine Love and exhaling peace and harmony. My mind became like a prism, drawing the energy of the pure white light of Love to a focal point and then refracting it into the colors of peace and harmony and breathing them out to the world ... thirty-five minutes in the Silence without distracting thoughts intruding!"

~ in a letter from Anne Amerson, with thanks
Anne Amerson breath

The art of contemplative practice can be facilitated by the breath

In any activity that requires concentrated effort, the breath quite naturally plays a role. If you have ever tried to thread a needle or repair a watch, you might have observed that without even thinking about it the breath quiets and deepens. Singers, swimmers, people who struggle with panic attacks, and a host of others learn the importance of proper breathing in order to negotiate the respective tasks at hand. Thus, that the art of contemplative practice can be facilitated by the breath should come as no surprise.

~ from INTO THE SILENT LAND by Martin Laird
Martin Laird breath

The spiritual core of "soul-breath"

We live in a time of religious fervor, with adherents too busy clashing with each other to honor the sacred space we all share, the spiritual core of "soul-breath" – the same human family from the same Source breathing the same air on the same planet.

~ P.M.H. Atwater
P.M.H. Atwater breath

Windforest take our breath away

Windforest: take our breath away,
and return it to us refreshed
with the life you can give it.
Take it to the ends of the earth,
to nourish what you sustain,
And bring back what is offered you
there to sustain others.
Transform our breath so that new life
can be nurtured.

~ from WINDFOREST by Ellen Fremedon
Ellen Fremedon Windforest breath

Breathing in, breathing out

Breathing in I calm my body and mind.
Breathing out I smile.

~ Thich Nhat Hanh
Thich Nhat Hanh breath

Give us a heart for simple things

Give us a heart for simple things:
Love and laughter
Bread and wine
Tales and dreams

Fill our lives with
Green and growing hope
Make us a people of justice
Whose song is Allelujah
And whose name
Breathes Love.
Amen.

... a Prayer by Walter Wink

~ a Prayer by Walter Wink
Walter Wink Prayer breath

God's breath breathing me

In this latter part of life, my prayer of the heart is most often without words. My tongue is stilled. My mind is stilled. The prayer of the heart becomes the heart's own respiration. I breathe in and I breathe out. It is God's breath. God breathing in, God breathing out. It is God's breath breathing me.

 

~ from CIRCLING TO THE CENTER by Susan Tiberghien
Susan Tiberghien Circling To The Center breath Buy on Amazon

Two graces in breathing

There are two graces in breathing:
drawing in air and discharging it.
The former constrains, the latter refreshes:
so marvelously is life mixed.

~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe breath

Breathing properly and consciously

Breathing properly and consciously assumes an attitude of openness and attentiveness. Our breath has a connection with the deeper emotional layers of consciousness. This is evident when we are emotional, angry, or anxious. At the same time, however, our breath remains open to those dimensions of our consciousness where we unfold and become receptive to God.... We need to discipline ourselves to attain an inner stillness and receptive attention toward God, who is our beginning.

~ from THE EYE AWARE by Jerome Witkam
Jerome Witkam The Eye Aware breath

Each breath as a newborn baby

When we understand how precious each moment is, we can treat each breath, each moment, as a newborn baby. Awareness can become that tender.

~ Michelle McDonald
Michelle McDonald breath

Take the breath of the new dawn

Take the breath of the new dawn,
make it a part of you,
it will give you strength.

~ Hopi saying
Hopi saying breath

Breathing is the connection between the mind and the body

Breathing is the connection between the mind and the body. When the mind concentrates on the breath, it focuses attention on the present moment. Breathing is the first step on the path to discover your spiritual nature. As you get the body to breathe correctly, the mind settles down, and that creates fertile ground to develop whatever spiritual nature exists within you.

~ from BREATHE SMART by Aaron Hoopes
Aaron Hoopes Breath Smart breath Buy on Amazon

The world is breathing

Something inside of me has reached to the place
where the world is breathing.

~ Kabir
Kabir breath

June 2009 (Vol. XXII, No. 6)

Blessings of great beauty be with you all, dear friends of silence.

Without Beauty what a dull world this would be. For, when we are able to see and feel the beauty that abides within us, we, naturally, begin to see the beauty within everyone and everything. Beauty hides Her face only to those whose eyes see others and things as objects to be collected or used. We can, however, learn to see beauty everywhere through the eyes of Love abiding within our hearts. When you love — especially those you would rather turn from — Beauty will gently reveal Herself, if you are open to Her. Then, you will both begin to shine with the Divine Beauty of Love and extend it out to the world. Be still, silent, and see.
 

The Beauty of the Trees

The beauty of the trees,
the softness of the air,
the fragrance of the grass,
speaks to me . . .

The strength of fire,
the freshness of morning,
the taste of salmon,
the trail of the sun,
and the life that never goes away,
they speak of me.
And my heart soars.
~ Chief Dan George
Chief Dan George beauty

God First Came in the Atlas Mountains

To me the realization of God first came in the Atlas Mountains and then in the beauty of nature which stirred my whole inner being. The flowers growing everywhere were absolutely breathtaking, and I saw in them such beauty and wonder that could not have been put there by humankind. When I picked the frangi-pangi flower and thought much about it, I saw Spirit Creator. Who else could have made such beauty?Once natural beauty had turned my heart to God, I found myself continually raising my heart to God, without words but in thought. That is prayer in itself.

 
~ from Wind on the Sand by Pinions
Pinions Wind On The Sand beauty

A Poem Lovely as a Tree

I think that I shall never see
a poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;
a tree that looks at God all day,
and lifts her leafy arms to pray;
a tree that may in summer wear
a nest of robins in her hair;
upon whose bosom snow has lain
who intimately lives with rain.
 
Poems are made by fools like me
but only God can make a tree.
 
~ Joyce Kilmer
Joyce Kilmer beauty

Wild and Untamable Beauty

There is a wild and untamable beauty in us when we are in harmony with nature.

~ Bernard Leach
Bernard Leach beauty

Don't Fill Up Your Life with Petty Knowing

Don’t fill up your life with petty knowing.Leave space for something more mysterious, more beautiful, more profound than you can presently even imagine.The Great Creator has more beauty in store for you than you can even dream is possible at this point in your life... Leave space for the Great Mystery to offer something new and wonderful!Everything is unfolding in beauty; we need only stop holding on to the familiar.

~ from The Power of Prayer, ed. Dale Salwak
Dale Salwak beauty

Our Lives and Deaths Can Be of the Beauty Way

Teachings can only bring us back to who we truly are. Our lives and deaths can be of the Beauty Way. But we must start now; we must become refined—the grinding away process to become truly who we are ... beautiful.

 
 
~ Joan Halifax.
Joan Halifax beauty

Liken Yourself to a Beautiful Original Part of Creation

Liken yourself to a beautiful original part of creation—a true work of art. Then each day ask yourself how you are living: either in ways that show gratitude for this beauty or in ways that indicate how you are defacing it.

 
 
~ from Snow Falling on Snow by Robert J. Wicks
Robert J. Wicks beauty

If Only You Could See Your Face Through My Eyes

If only you could see your face through my eyes,you would realize how beautiful you are

~ Rumi
Rumi beauty

There Is a Way to Smile Through Your Eyes

There is a way to smile through your eyes: to see the beauty behind the appearance of things.Imagine looking at a person who is forlorn and broken and has a bad self-image, and seeing the hidden beauty in that person.When you smile, that person sees their beauty through your eyes.Imagine the gift you are offering that person... A silent, gentle gift of love.

~ V. Inayat Khan
V. Inayat Khan beauty

She Is From God's World -- A Direct Disciple.

She is from God’s world -- a direct disciple, I think, sent down to brighten our lives and teach us of higher things.To me she is beauty itself—the word came after her presence.Each time she smiles, I can only cry, and I think of something I read about the sadness of beauty: just to find it is not hard, but to bear it, that is impossible.If she were totally aware of the beauty she was creating, she would stop in awe of herself.She somehow makes life so much more than it is.

~ from WINTER SEASON by Tony Bentley
Tony Bentley Winter Season beauty

Hear Creation Sing

Hear creation sing
As your heart slowly opens
Towards inner beauty.

~ Alaysinta
Alaysinta beauty

The Most Wholesome Beauty is Virtue-Beauty

The most wholesome beauty is virtue-beauty, the beauty of the soul-emergence into the whole of life, producing a whole person. Virtue-beauty is centered in mortal and immortal goodness shining forth upon the countenance, the movements of the body, and the expression of the individual. The deep, sweet memories of a beloved face, of a beloved deed, passed on from a pure soul, leave the underlying mark of good which all yearn and hope for.

The lamp of grace keeps alive virtue-beauty.
 
~ from GALAXY GATE: the Holy Universe by Colton and Murro
Colton and Murro Galaxy Gate: The Holy Universe beauty

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