Each creature God made must live in its own true nature

A fish cannot drown in water,
A bird does not fall in air.
In the fire of creation,
Gold doesn't vanish:
The fire brightens.
Each creature God made
Must live in its own true nature;
How could I resist my nature,
That lives for oneness with God?

April 1996 (Vol. IX, No. 4)

May seed sprouting and new life awakening this Spring be reflected in your own soul growth, dear friends. New beginnings, changes of the seasons of our lives, bring apportunities for renewal, refreshment and refinement of our inner life with the Loving Companion Presence. May all find BLESSINGS to be shared with others.

A bird in a tree

For some minutes my mind knows only a silent stillness within, a meditation without effort, a celebration of occasion. Slowly my vision focuses on a bird of red-streaked, chocolate-covered feathers and bright orange beak... I have been watching her a long while now without registering, labeling or defining her particular condensation of being, taking her as much for granted as she appears to take me. So beautiful. So natural. A bird in a tree.

~ from FLAT ROCK JOURNAL by Ken Carey
Ken Carey Flat Rock Journal nature Buy on Amazon

When you see the world as part of yourself, you will take care of it

When you see the world as part of yourself, you will take care of it. When you see yourself as part of the world, you will be cared for.

In the shining secret garden, the solitary sign of the crocus speaks once more through blackened snow. The poet's word has revived with the resurrected flower, echoing the refrain of the One Song.

~ from SACRED POEMS by Richard Bachtold
Richard Bachtold Sacred Poems nature Buy on Amazon

Hearken, O Earth, to the sublime voice that arises

Thy voice is heard as a melodious chant in the stillness of my heart, and is translated in my head by words which are inadequate and yet replete with Thee. And these words are addressed to the Earth, remember that I am present in you and lose not hope; each effort, each grief, each joy and each pang, each call of thy heart, each aspiration of thy soul, each renewal of thy seasons, all, all without exception, what seems to thee sorrowful and what seems to thee joyous, what seems to thee ugly and what seems to thee beautiful, all infallibly lead thee towards me, who am endless Peace, shadowless Light, perfect Harmony, Certitude, Rest and Supreme Blessedness.

Hearken, O Earth, to the sublime voice that arises,
Hearken, and take new courage.

~ from THE MOTHER translated by Sri Aurobindo
Sri Aurobindo The Mother nature Buy on Amazon

God is the friend of silence

It is necessary that we find God, who cannot be found in noise and unpeace. God is the friend of silence. See how Nature -- trees, flowers, and grass -- grow in stillness; how stars, moon, and sun run their course in silence. The more we receive through quiet prayer, the more we can give in the activity of our daily lives. In essence, it is not what WE say, but what GOD says to us and through us. All our words are useless if they do not come from within.

~ Mother Teresa of Calcutta
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The diaphany of the Divine at the heart of the universe on fire

Throughout my life, by means of my life, the world has little by little caught fire in my sight until, aflame all around me, it has become my experience in contact with the earth -- the diaphany of the Divine at the heart of the universe on fire ... Christ's heart, a fire! capable of penetrating everything and gradually spreading everywhere.

~ from THE DIVINE MILIEU by Teilhard De Chardin
Teilhard de Chardin The Divine Milieu nature Buy on Amazon

Deep rivers move in silence

Deep rivers move in silence ... shallow brooks are noisy.

~ Samuel Butler
Samuel Butler nature Buy on Amazon

I pledge allegiance to the Earth

I pledge allegiance to the Earth and to the flora, fauna and human life that it supports, one planet, indivisible, with safe air, water and soil, economic justice, equal rights and peace for all.

~ Woman's Environment & Development Organization
Woman's Environment & Development Org nature

God is the mirror of silence

God is the mirror of silence in which all creation is reflected.

~ Yogananda
Yogananda nature Buy on Amazon

Seeds in the black earth

If seeds in the black earth can turn into such beautiful roses, what might not our hearts become in our journey toward the stars?
~ Anonymous
Anonymous nature

May you walk in balance

Each of us has the responsibility to protect sacred land and life in every country of the world, in whatever way he or she can. We must remember that lightning and wind are not controlled by human boundaries. A sacred breath unifies the divine web of life. Any part that is broken affects us all. May you walk in balance.

~ from a video "The Earth is Alive" by Joan Price
Joan Price nature

The order hidden within the chaos of a running stream

It was architect Mies van der Rohe who said, "God dwells in the details". Scientists study fractals to find order hidden within chaos, the details of our world. Fractals -- we are finding that they suggest an underlying order in things as diverse as stock market fluctuations, flooding ... and the order hidden within the chaos of a running stream. I catch hints and whispers of a beneficent universe... Our familiar, intimate environment is a universe in itself -- and one full of delightful revelations.

~ from ON BECOMING LOST by Cathy Johnson
Cathy Johnson On Becoming Lost nature Buy on Amazon

Happiness is a butterfly

Happiness is a butterfly which,
when pursued, is always
beyond our grasp, but which
if you sit down quietly,
may alight upon you.

~ Nathaniel Hawthorne
Nathaniel Hawthorne nature

Birth is a miracle

Birth is a miracle in every germinating seed.

~ Marge Piercy
Marge Piercy nature Buy on Amazon

Each creature God made must live in its own true nature

A fish cannot drown in water,
A bird does not fall in air.
In the fire of creation,
Gold doesn't vanish:
The fire brightens.
Each creature God made
Must live in its own true nature;
How could I resist my nature,
That lives for oneness with God?

~ Mechthild of Magdeburg
Mechthild of Magdeburg nature Buy on Amazon

Earth's crammed with heaven

Earth's crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God,
But only they who see
take off their shoes.

~ Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Elizabeth Barrett Browning nature Buy on Amazon

Earth's crammed with heaven

Earth's crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God,
But only they who see
take off their shoes.

Beyond the island of ego

Grandfather continued, "Beyond the island of ego, the prison, lies the world of the spirit-that-moves-in-all-things, the force that is found in all things. It is a world that communicates to all entities of Creation and touches the Creator ... a world that expands our universe and helps us fuse ourselves to the earth... There is a bridge, which I call the 'Sacred Silence', that not only brings one to the ultimate purity of the spiritual mind and opens a clear communication, but also transports one to those worlds beyond the island of flesh... The pure mind is a common truth to all philosophies and religions, so the Sacred Silence, is found in all philosophies, though it is called by another name. That name is meditation.

Our home that must be defended like a holy relic

What struck me most was the silence. It was a great silence, unlike any I have ever encountered on Earth, so vast and deep that I began to hear my own body... There were more stars in the sky than I expected. The sky was deep black, yet at the same time bright with sunlight. The Earth was small, light blue, and so touchingly alone, our home that must be defended like a holy relic.

To become one with nature and other people

It is time to touch the Silence, to become one with nature and other people. When we go into the Silence, we learn to hear the rhythm of the great Mystery, the heartbeat of Earth. Going into the Silence, we learn to be alone with our thoughts:

To hear the Silence
To listen and to see the Silence
To listen and to taste the Silence
And, with closed eyes, to feel the Silence.

It is in quiet moments that we find our heartbeats. When we let go and search the dark warmth of our silence, we feel the rhythmic beat of the Earth vibrating, flowing toward us.

My heart leaps out of my mouth at the sound of the winds in the woods

My heart leaps out of my mouth at the sound of the winds in the woods. I, whose life was but yesterday so desultory and shallow, suddenly recover my spirits, my spirituality, through my hearing... Ah! if I could so live that there would be no desultory moments ... I would walk, I would sit and sleep, with natural piety. What if I could pray aloud, or to myself, as I went along by the brookside, a cheerful prayer, like the birds! And then, to think of those I love, who will know that I love them, though I tell them not ... I thank you, God. I do not deserve anything ... and yet the world is gilded for my delight ... my path is strewn with flowers... O keep my senses pure!

May the music of nature sing to you

May the music of nature sing to you

softly in the whispering of the wind ...
sweetly in the melodies of the songbird ...
peacefully in the rustling of the leaves ... and,
lovingly in ways that touch your heart.

In the country it seems as if every tree said to me "Holy! Holy!"
Who can give complete expression to the ecstasy of the woods!
O, the sweet stillness of the woods!

Spiritual consciousness is the highest form of politics

A chief must never forget the Creator, never forget to ask for help. The Creator will guide our thoughts and strengthen us as we work to be faithful to our sacred trust and restore harmony among all peoples, all living creatures, and Mother Earth. We were instructed to carry a love for one another and to show great respect for all the beings of this earth. In our ways, spiritual consciousness is the highest form of politics. When people cease to respect and express gratitude for these many things, then all life will be destroyed... These are our times and our responsibilities. Every human being has a sacred duty to protect the welfare of our Mother Earth, from whom all life comes. In order to do this, we must recognize the enemy -- the one within us. We must begin with ourselves.

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