Letting Go

Two monks were returning to the monastery in the evening.
 It had rained and there were puddles of water on the road sides. 
At one place a beautiful young woman was standing unable to walk across because of a puddle of water. 
The elder of the two monks went up to her, lifted her in his arms, and left her on the other side of the road. 
 He then continued his way to the monastery.
In the evening the younger monk came to the elder monk and said, 
"Sir, as monks, we cannot touch a woman ?"
The elder monk answered, "Yes, brother".
Then the younger monk asks again, 
" But then Sir, how is that you lifted that woman on the roadside ?"
The elder monk smiled at him and told him 
" I left her on the other side of the road, but you are still carrying her. " 

Body, Mind & Spirit

"Good for the body is the work of the body, good for the soul the work of the soul, and good for either the work of the other."  ~Henry David Thoreau

If I Knew...

If I knew it would be the last time

That I'd see you fall asleep,

I would tuck you in more tightly

and pray the Lord, your soul to keep.

If I knew it would be the last time

that I'd see you walk out the door,

I would give you a hug and kiss

and call you back for one more.

If I knew it would be the last time

I'd hear your voice lift up in praise,

I would video tape each action and word,

so I could play then back day after day.

If I knew it would be the last time

I could spare an extra minute or two,

To stop and say “I love you,”

instead of assuming you would know I do.

If I knew it would be the last time

I would be there to share your day,

Well I'm sure you’ll have so many more,

so I can let just this one slip away.

For sure there’s always tomorrow

to make up for an oversight,

and we always get a second chance

to make everything just right.

There will always be another day

to say our, “I love you,”

And certainly there’s another chance

to say our, "Anything I can do?"

But just in case I might be wrong,

and today is all I get,

Id like to say how much I love you

and I hope we never forget.

Tomorrow is not promised to anyone,

young or old alike,

And today may be the last chance

you get to hold your loved one tight.

So if you’re waiting for tomorrow,

why not do it today?

For if tomorrow never comes

you’ll surely regret the day.

That you didn’t take the extra time

for a smile, a hug, or a kiss

and you were too busy to grant someone,

what turned out to be their one last wish.

So hold your loved ones close today,

and whisper in their ear,

Tell then how much you love them

and that you’ll always hold them dear.

Take the time to say “I'm sorry,”

“Please forgive me,” “Thank You,” or “It's okay.”

And if tomorrow never comes,

you’ll have no regrets about today.

Let Your Heart Roam Free...

 

"Love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place."  ~Zora Neale Hurston

Friendship

"Never forget that once upon a time, in an unguarded moment, you recognized yourself as a friend."  ~ Elizabeth Gilbert

Individuality

“I like it when a flower or a little tuft of grass grows through a crack in the concrete.  It's so fuckin' heroic."  ~ George Carlin

Refuge Prayer by Thich Nhat-Hanh

At the foot of the Bodhi tree, beautifully seated, peaceful and smiling,
the living source of understanding and compassion, to the Buddha I go for refuge.
The path of mindful living, leading to healing, joy, and enlightenment,
the way of peace, to the Dhamma I go for refuge.
The loving and supportive community of practice, realizing harmony, awareness, and liberation,
to the Sangha I go for refuge.
I am aware that the Three Gems are within my heart, I vow to realize them.
I vow to practice mindful breathing and smiling, looking deeply into things.
I vow to understand living beings and their suffering, to cultivate compassion and loving kindness,
and to practice joy and equanimity.
I vow to offer joy to one person in the morning and to help relieve the grief of one person in the afternoon.
I vow to live simply and sanely, content with just a few possessions, and to keep my body healthy.
I vow to let go of all worry and anxiety in order to be light and free.
I am aware that I owe so much to my parents, teachers, friends and all beings.
I vow to be worthy of their trust, to practice wholeheartedly,
so that understanding and compassion will flower,
and I can help living beings be free from their suffering.
May the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha support my efforts.