• May our secret acts nourish the common good.
• May we meet in peace and harmony.
• May our resolve be strong and thoughtful.
• May our talks lead to protection and peace.
• Through our actions, may we invoke peace and honor the Truth that resides in all.

Pieces The Art of Forgiveness, Lovingkindness, and Peace by Jack Kornfield

Grasping too tightly the things of this world, attachments arise.

Holding only to how we want it to be, anger is born.

Not understanding the inevitability of change, confusion clouds the mind.

Meet this transient world with neither grasping nor fear, trust the unfolding of life, and you will attain true serenity.

—from the Bhaghavad Gita

* * * * *

The heart is released whenever we forgive or are forgiven, even in the most painful circumstances.

In ancient Hawaii, if a person had broken a terrible taboo or was accused of a crime, there was always a way out. No matter what he had done, if he could get himself inside the lava rock walls of Puahonua, the ocean-side Temple of Refuge, the priests would offer a ritual of purification and forgiveness. Then he was allowed to return home unharmed.

* * * * *

In the temple of forgiveness, we are reminded of our own goodness.

If only we could help each other build temples of forgiveness instead of prisons.
We can. In our own hearts.

* * * * *

With lovingkindness we see with the heart.

Saints are what they are not because their sanctity makes them admirable to others, but because the gift of sainthood makes it possible for them to admire everyone else.
Symptoms of Inner Peace

The following symptoms are contagious, you are cautioned to share them with
everyone you meet.

1. A tendency to think and act spontaneously rather than from fear;
2. An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment;
3. Loss of interest in judging others;
4. Loss of interest in judging yourself;
5. Loss of interesting interpreting the actions of others;
6. Loss of interest in conflict;
7. Loss of ability to worry ( a very serious symptom);
8. Frequent, overwhelming episodes of appreciation;
9. Feeling connected with others and with nature;
10. Frequent attacks of smiling for no apparent reason at all;
11. Increased tendency to let things happen, rather than make then happen;
12. Increased susceptibility to giving and receiving love.

If you have no more than three of the above symptoms, please be advised that
your condition may be too advanced to return to your former self. If you
become exposed to someone exhibiting these symptoms, remain exposed at your
own risk. THE BLIND MEN AND THE ELEPHANT

Several citizens ran into a hot argument about God and different religions,
and each one could not agree to a common answer. So they came to the Lord
Buddha to find out what exactly God looks like.

The Buddha asked his disciples to get a large magnificent elephant and four
blind men. He then brought the four blind to the elephant and told them to
find out what the elephant would "look" like.

The first blind men touched the elephant leg and reported that it "looked"
like a pillar. The second blind man touched the elephant tummy and said that
an elephant was a wall. The third blind man touched the elephant ear and
said that it was a piece of cloth. The fourth blind man hold on to the tail
and described the elephant as a piece of rope. And all of them ran into a
hot argument about the "appearance" of an elephant.

The Buddha asked the citizens: "Each blind man had touched the elephant but
each of them gives a different description of the animal. Which answer is
right?"

"All of them are right," was the reply.

"Why? Because everyone can only see part of the elephant. They are not able
to see the whole animal. The same applies to God and to religions. No one
will see Him completely." By this parable, the Lord Buddha teaches that we
should respect all other legitimate religions and their beliefs.

Miscellaneous Quotes

Oh peacemaker, before trying to make peace throughout the world, first make peace within thyself.
—Hazrat Inayat Khan

"Basketball is an endurance sport, and you have to learn to control your breath; that's the essence of Yoga, too. So, I consciously began using Yoga techniques in my practice and playing. I think Yoga helped reduce the number and severity of injuries I suffered. As preventative medicine, it's unequaled."
— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (played 20 years in the NBA and is all time leader in points scored, six championships, six-time MVP)

When you are present, when your attention is fully and intensely in the Now, Being can be felt, but it can never be understood mentally. To regain awareness of Being and to abide in that state of 'feeling-realization' is enlightenment.
— Eckhart Tolle

"Treat everyone you meet as if they are God in drag."
— Ram Das

"Your lower self sees you as the center of the universe – Your higher self sees you as a cell in the body of humanity."
— Peace Pilgrim

"Just as there is no loss of basic energy in the universe, so no thought or action is without its effects, present, or ultimate, seen or unseen, felt or unfelt."
— Norman Cousins

We are cups, constantly and quietly being filled. The trick is, knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out.
— Ray Bradbury