Michael Forbus's Blog – December 2009 Archive (9)

Twins



He wondered at night as he looked at the blackness of the mountain sky

if she was looking at the same stars as he.

He wondered when he thought of her if she ever had

the same thoughts as he.

After all, he thought they were twins.

He thought that their two hearts were sewn together from

the same silken threads.



As he looked at the stars that shimmered and gleamed as a bush full of

fireflies, he wondered where she had gone,

and… Continue

Love is a many splendid thing. Love lifts us up where we belong. All you need is love!

~ from the movie Moulin Rouge ~



Other men said they have seen angels,

But I have seen thee

And thou art enough.

~ by G. Moore ~



I would fly you to the moon and back if you'll be . . . if you'll be my baby.

~ From a song by Savage Garden ~



I love you - those three words have my life in them.

~ by Alexandrea to Nicholas III ~



What lies… Continue

The Possibility of Kindness



We must realize, if tomorrow is going to look any better than today, that the currency for compassion isn’t what someone else does, right or wrong—it is the very fact that that person exists. Commitment to the possibility of kindness cannot be discarded as foolish or irrelevant, even in troubling times when we often can’t find easy answers. If we abandon the force of kindness as we confront cruelty, we won’t learn anything to take into tomorrow—not from… Continue

Day-to-Day



Perhaps we'd much rather focus on a great transcendent state of consciousness out there somewhere, waiting for us to achieve it. But it is in how we live day-to-day that an authentic spirituality is made manifest.



- Sharon Salzberg, The Force of Kindness

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Observe the wonders as they occur around you. Don't claim them.

Feel the artistry moving through, and be… Continue

The Revolution Within



As the first line of the Dhammapada says, "All that we are is the result of what we have thought." Thus, the transformation of sociological and psychological structures must take place initially in our own minds—and those of others—if we truly hope to address the root cause of social suffering. The Four Noble Truths, the five precepts observed by laity and monks alike, the Eightfold Path, and the ten paramitas… Continue

You were born with wings. Why prefer to crawl through life?



-Rumi



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According to Buddhism, individuals are masters of their own destiny. And all living beings are believed to possess the nature of the Primordial Buddha Samantabhadra, the potential or seed of enlightenment, within them. So our future is in our own hands. What greater free will do we need?



~The… Continue

Accepting Imperfection



Any time we want life to be different than it is, we are caught in impatience. We lose our sense of humor; and self-pity, despair, and blame seep into the heart. Gentle forbearance includes the spirit of forgiveness. When we feel conflict with others, understanding their suffering is the first step in being able to communicate, forgive, and begin again. The practice of forgiveness happens when we are able… Continue

We need a little more compassion, and if we cannot have it then no politician or even a magician can save the planet.



~The Dalai Lama



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Change is Inevitable



As Buddhists, we work to accept the impermanence and inevitable decay of the physical body. But it’s not enough to accept it as a fact; we can believe in this and still not want it in plain sight. Nagarjuna said, “Change makes all things possible.” It is… Continue

"Myself"



Of all the words we use to disguise the hollowness of the human condition, none is more influential than “myself.” It consists of a collage of still images—name, gender, nationality, profession, enthusiasms, relationships—that are renovated from time to time, but otherwise are each a relic from one particular experience or another. The defining teaching of the Buddhist tradition, that of non-self, is merely pointing out the limitations of this reflexive view we hold of… Continue