Love And Living

"The progress of the person and the progress of society go together. Our modern world cannot attain to peace, and to a fully equitable social order, merely by the application of laws which act upon humanity, so to speak, from outside ourselves. The transformation of society begins within the person. It begins with the maturing and opening out of personal freedom in relation to other freedoms - in relation to the rest of society. The Christian "giving" that is required of us is a full and intelligent participation in the life of our world, not only on a basis of natural law, but also in the communion and reconciliation of interpersonal love. This means a capacity to be open to others as persons, to desire for others all that we know to be needful for ourselves, all this is required for the full growth and even temporal happiness of a fully personal existence."

--Thomas Merton, Love and Living

"How does Man attain to a real union of love with his neighbor? Not merely by abstract agreement about truths concerning the end of all things and the afterlife, but by a realistic collaboration in the work of daily living in the world of hard facts in which everyone must work in order to eat."

--Thomas Merton, Love and Living

Soul Music

Take time to laugh -- it is the music of the soul.

The Original Instructions

A long time ago, in the beginning, the Creator gave to all people and to all things the Wisdom and the knowledge of how to live in harmony.
Some tribes call these teachings the original Instructions, the original teachings, or the Great Laws.
All of Nature still lives and survives according to these teachings.
In modern times, human beings are searching for the Instructions.
Many churches claim they have these Instructions.
Where are these teachings?
The Instructions are written in our hearts.

Creator, today, whisper to me the secrets of the original Instructions.

A Precious Life

Everyday, think as you wake up:
Today I am fortunate to have woken up.
I am alive.
I have a precious human life.
I am not going to waste it.
I am going to use all my energies to develop myself to expand my heart out to others for the benefit of all beings.

-- His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama

Willingness

What have I been given today?
Am I willing to reach out and grasp it?

Obedience

Obedience to God's law seems an unlikely road to happiness to me.
Indeed, at times it seems to bring me conflict, trial and great loss.
What I lose though is far less than what I gain if I do the will of the God of my understanding, who wills nothing less for me and all his children than the joy of life everlasting in his presence.

Truth

Truth is like the sun.
You can shut it out for a time,
but it's not going to go away.