Touched by An Angel

Touched by An Angel
-Maya Angelou 
We, unaccustomed to courage
exiles from delight

live coiled in shells of loneliness
until love leaves its high holy temple
and comes into our sight
to liberate us into life.

Love arrives
and in its train come ecstasies
old memories of pleasure
ancient histories of pain.
Yet if we are bold,
love strikes away the chains of fear
from our souls.

We are weaned from our timidity
In the flush of love's light
we dare be brave
And suddenly we see
that love costs all we are
and will ever be.
Yet it is only love
which sets us free.

Be Happy. God Bless.

ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING

by Francie Baltazar-Schwartz

Jerry was the kind of guy you love to hate. He was always in a good mood and always had something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!"

He was a unique manager because he had several waiters who had followed him around from restaurant to restaurant. The reason the waiters followed Jerry was because of his attitude. He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Jerry was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Jerry and asked him, "I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?"

Jerry replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, Jerry, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood.' I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life."

"Yeah, right, it's not that easy", I protested.

"Yes it is," Jerry said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live life."

I reflected on what Jerry said. Soon thereafter, I left the restaurant industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.

Several years later, I heard that Jerry did something you are never supposed to do in a restaurant business: he left the back door open one morning, and was held up at gunpoint by three armed robbers. While trying to open the safe, his hand, shaking from nervousness, slipped off the combination. The robbers panicked and shot him. Luckily, Jerry was found relatively quickly and rushed to the local trauma center.

After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body. I saw Jerry about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Wanna see my scars?"

I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place. "The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door", Jerry replied. "Then, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live, or I could choose to die. I chose to live.

"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?", I asked.

Jerry continued, "The paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the emergency room and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read, 'He's a dead man'. I knew I needed to take action."

"What did you do?", I asked.

"Well, there was a big, burly nurse shouting questions at me", said Jerry. She asked if I was allergic to anything. "Yes", I replied. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply... I took a deep breath and yelled, "Bullets!" Over their laughter, I told them, "I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead."

Jerry lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully. Attitude, after all, is everything.

This story was send to me by a friend in my e-mail. Today sharing with my blog readers and friends so that you all keep positive and smiling attitude towards life and live it full.

Be Happy. God Bless.

To Care For Those

A son took his old father to a restaurant for an evening dinner. Father being very old and weak, while eating, dropped food on his shirt and trousers. Other diners watched him in disgust while his son was calm.
 After he finished eating, his son who was not at all embarrassed, quietly took him to the wash room, wiped the food particles, removed the stains, combed his hair and fitted his spectacles firmly. When they came out, the entire restaurant was watching them in dead silence, not able to grasp how someone could embarrass themselves publicly like that. The son settled the bill and started walking out with his father.
 At that time, an old man amongst the diners called out to the son and asked him, “Don’t you think you have left something behind?”.
 The son replied, “No sir, I haven’t”.
The old man retorted, “Yes, you have! You left a lesson for every son and hope for every father”.
The restaurant went silent.

Moral: To care for those who once cared for us is one of the highest honors. We all know, how our parents cared for us for every little things. Love them, respect them, and care for them.

Be Happy. God Bless.

Just One

Just One - Anonymous

One song can spark a moment,
One flower can wake the dream
One tree can start a forest,
One bird can herald spring.

One smile begins a friendship,
One handclasp lifts a soul.
One star can guide a ship at sea,
One word can frame the goal.

One vote can change a nation,
One sunbeam lights a room
One candle wipes out darkness,
One laugh will conquer gloom.

One step must start each journey.
One word must start each prayer.
One hope will raise our spirits,
One touch can show you care.

One voice can speak with wisdom,
One heart can know what's true,
One life can make a difference,
You see, it's up to you!

Be Happy. God Bless.

A Profoundly Inspiring Near-Death Experience Story

This whole story is forwarded to me in an e-mail. I was totally astonished by the story.I can't stop sharing it with all my blog readers and followers as it is not only inspiring but an eye opener. I would like all to go through each line of this true life story till the end and hope you will all get the touch of love and light of the divine.

 Mellen-Thomas Benedict is an artist who survived a near-death experience (NDE) in 1982. He was dead for over an hour and a half. During that time, he rose up out of his body and went into the light. Curious about the universe, he was taken far into the remote depths of existence, and even beyond, into the energetic void of nothingness behind the Big Bang.

In 1982, I died from terminal cancer. My condition was non-operable. I chose not to have chemotherapy. I was given six to eight months to live. Before this time, I had become increasingly despondent over the nuclear crisis, the ecology crisis, and so forth. I came to believe that nature had made a mistake – that we were probably a cancerous organism on the planet. And that is what eventually killed me.

Before my near-death experience, I tried all sorts of alternative healing methods. None helped. So I determined that this was between me and God. I had never really considered God. Neither was I into any kind of spirituality. But my approaching death sent me on a quest for more information about spirituality and alternative healing. I read various religions and philosophies. They gave hope that there was something on the other side.

I had no medical insurance, so my life savings went overnight on tests. Unwilling to drag my family into this, I determined to handle this myself. I ended up in hospice care and was blessed with an angel for my hospice caretaker, whom I will call "Anne." She stayed with me through all that was to follow.

Into the Light

I woke up about 4:30 am and I knew that this was it. I was going to die. I called a few friends & said good-bye. I woke up Anne & made her promise that my dead body would remain undisturbed for 6 hours, since I had read that all kinds of interesting things happen when you die. I went back to sleep. The next thing I remember, I was fully ware & standing up. Yet my body was lying in the bed. I seemed to be surrounded by darkness, yet I could see every room in the house & the roof, & even under the house.

A Light shone. I turned toward it & was aware of its similarity to what others have described in near-death experiences. It was magnificent & tangible, alluring. I wanted to go towards that Light like I might want to go into my ideal mother's or father's arms. As I moved towards the Light, I knew that if I went into the Light, I would be dead. So I said/felt, "Please wait. I would like to talk to you before I go."
The entire experience halted. I discovered that I was in control of the experience. My request was honored. I had conversations with the Light. That's the best way I can describe it. The Light changed into different figures, like Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, archetypal images & signs. I asked in a kind of telepathy, "What is going on here?"

The information transmitted was that our beliefs shape the kind of feedback we receive. If you are a Buddhist or Catholic or Fundamentalist, you get a feedback loop of your own images. I became aware of a Higher Self matrix, a conduit to the Source. We all have a Higher Self, or an oversoul part of our being, a conduit. All Higher Selves are connected as one being. All humans are connected as one being.

It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. It was like all the love you've ever wanted & it was the kind of love that cures, heals, regenerates. I was ready to go at that time. I said "I am ready, take me." Then the Light turned into the most beautiful thing that I have ever seen: a mandala of human souls on this planet. I saw that we are the most beautiful creations – elegant, exotic ... everything.

I just cannot say enough about how it changed my opinion of human beings in an instant. I said/thought/felt, "Oh, God, I didn't realize." I was astonished to find that there was no evil in any soul. People may do terrible things out of ignorance and lack, but no soul is evil. "What all people seek – what sustains them – is love," the Light told me. "What distorts people is a lack of love."

The revelations went on & on. I asked, "Does this mean that Humankind will be saved?" Like a trumpet blast with a shower of spiraling lights, the Light "spoke," saying, "You save, redeem & heal yourself. You always have & always will. You were created with the power to do so from before the beginning of the world." In that instant I realized that we have already been saved.

I thanked the Light of God with all my heart. The best thing I could come up with was: "Oh dear God, dear Universe, dear Great Self, I love my Life." The Light seemed to breathe me in even more deeply, absorbing me. I entered into another realm more profound than the last, and was aware of an enormous stream of Light, vast & deep. I asked what it was. The Light answered, "This is the River of Life. Drink of this manna water to your heart's content." I drank deeply, in ecstasy.

The Void of Nothingness

Suddenly I seemed to be rocketing away from the planet on this stream of Life. I saw the earth fly away. The solar system whizzed by & disappeared. I flew through the center of the galaxy, absorbing more knowledge as I went. I learned that this galaxy – & the entire Universe – is bursting with many different varieties of life. I saw many worlds. We are not alone in this Universe. It seemed as if all the creations in the Universe soared past me & vanished in a speck of Light.

Then a second Light appeared. As I passed into the second Light, I could perceive forever, beyond Infinity. I was in the Void, pre-Creation, the beginning of time, the first Word or vibration. I rested in the Eye of Creation & it seemed that I touched the Face of God. It was not a religious feeling. I was simply at One with Absolute Life & Consciousness.

I rode the stream directly into the center of the Light. I felt embraced by the Light as it took me in with its breath again. And the truth was obvious that there is no death; that nothing is born & nothing dies; that we are immortal beings, part of a natural living system that recycles itself endlessly.

It would take me years to assimilate the Void experience. It was less than nothing, yet greater than anything. Creation is God exploring God's Self through every way imaginable. Through every piece of hair on your head, through every leaf on every tree, through every atom. God is exploring God's Self. I saw everything as the Self of all. God is here. That's what it is all about. Everything is made of light; everything is alive.

The Light of Love

I was never told that I had to come back. I just knew that I would. It was only natural, from what I had seen. As I began my return to the life cycle, it never crossed my mind, nor was I told, that I would return to the same body. It did not matter. I had complete trust in the Light & the Life process.

As the stream merged with the great Light, I asked never to forget the revelations & the feelings of what I had learned on the other side. I thought of myself as a human again & I was happy to be that. From what I have seen, I would be happy to be an atom in this universe. An atom. So to be the human part of God ... this is the most fantastic blessing. It is a blessing beyond our wildest imagination of what a blessing can be.

For each & every one of us to be the human part of this experience is awesome, and magnificent. Each & every one of us, no matter where we are, screwed up or not, is a blessing to the planet, right where we are. So I went through the reincarnation process expecting to be a baby somewhere.

But I reincarnated back into this body. I was so surprised when I opened my eyes, to be back in this body, back in my room with someone looking over me, crying her eyes out. It was Anne, my hospice caretaker. She had found me dead thirty minutes before. We do not know how long I was dead, only that she found me thirty minutes before. She had honored my wish to have my newly-dead body left alone. She can verify that I really was dead.

It was not a near-death experience. I believe I probably experienced death itself for at least an hour & a half. When I later awakened & saw the light outside, confused, I tried to get up to go to it, but I fell out of the bed. She heard a loud "clunk", ran in, and found me on the floor. When I recovered, I was surprised & awed about what had happened. I had no memory at first of the experience. I kept slipping out of this world & kept asking, "Am I alive?" This world seemed more like a dream than that one.

Within 3 days, I was feeling normal again, clearer, yet different than ever before. My memories of the journey came back later. But from my return I could find nothing wrong with any human being I had ever seen. Previous to my death I was judgmental, believing that people were really screwed up. Everyone but me.

About 3 months later a friend said I should get tested for the cancer. So I got the scans & so forth. I felt healthy. I still remember the doctor at the clinic looking at the "before" & "after" scans. He said, "I can find no sign of cancer now." "A miracle?" I asked. "No," he answered. "These things happen ... spontaneous remission." He seemed unimpressed. But I was impressed. I knew it was a miracle.

Lessons Learned

I asked God: "What is the best religion on the planet? Which one is right?" God said with great love: "It doesn't matter." What an incredible grace. It does not matter what religion we are. Religions come & they go. They change. Buddhism has not been here forever, Catholicism has not been here forever & they are all about to become more enlightened. More light is coming into all systems now. Many will resist & fight about it, one religion against the next, believing that only they are right.

When God said, "It doesn't matter," I understood that it is for us to care about, because we are the caring beings. The Source does not care if you are Protestant, Buddhist, or Jew. Each is a reflection, a facet of the whole. I wish that all religions would realize it & let each other be. It is not the end of separate religions, but live & let live. Each has a different view, and it all adds up to the big picture.

I went over to the other side with a lot of fears about toxic waste, nuclear missiles, the population explosion, the rain forest. I came back loving every single problem. I love nuclear waste. I love the mushroom cloud; this is the holiest mandala that we have manifested to date, as an archetype. More than any religion or philosophy on Earth, that terrible, wonderful cloud brought us together all of a sudden, to a new level of consciousness.

Knowing that maybe we can blow up the planet 50 times, or 500 times, we finally realize that maybe we are all here together now. For a period, they had to keep setting off more bombs to get it into us. Then we started saying, "we do not need this any more." Now we are actually in a safer world than we have ever been in & it is going to get even safer.

So I came back loving toxic waste, because it brought us together. These things are so big. Clearing of the rain forest will slow down & in 50 years there will be more trees on the planet than in a long time. If you are into ecology, go for it; you are that part of the system that is becoming aware. Go for it with all your might, but do not be depressed or disheartened. Earth is in the process of domesticating itself & we are cells on that Body. Population increase is getting very close to the optimal range of energy to cause a shift in consciousness. That shift in consciousness will change politics, money, energy, & more. 

The Great Mystery of life has little to do with intelligence. The Universe is not an intellectual process. The intellect is helpful; but our hearts are the wiser part of ourselves. Since my return I have experienced the Light spontaneously. I have learned how to get to that space almost any time in my meditation. You can also do this. You don't have to die first. You are wired for it already. The body is the most magnificent Light being there is. The body is a universe of incredible Light. We don't need to commune with God; God is already communing with us in every moment!

  

Be Happy. God Bless.

It Might and It Might Not

It Might and It Might Not - Anonymous

You never know when someone
Might catch a dream from you.
Or something you say may open up the windows
Of a mind that seeks light;
The way you live may not matter at all,
But you never know, it might.

And just in case it could be
That another's life, through you,
Might possibly change for the better
With a better and brighter view,
It seems it might be worth a try
At pointing the way to the right;
Of course, it may not matter at all,
But then again, it might.

Be Happy. God Bless.

The Will To Win

    The Will To Win - Berton Braley

If you want a thing bad enough
To go out and fight for it,
Work day and night for it,
Give up your time and your peace and
Your sleep for it

If only desire of it
Makes you quite mad enough
Never to tire of it,
Makes you hold all other things tawdry
And cheap for it

If life seems all empty and useless without it
And all that you scheme and you dream is about it,

If gladly you'll sweat for it,
Fret for it, Plan for it,
Lose all your terror of God or man for it,

If you'll simply go after that thing that you want.
With all your capacity,
Strength and sagacity,
Faith, hope and confidence, stern pertinacity,

If neither cold poverty, famished and gaunt,
Nor sickness nor pain
Of body or brain
Can turn you away from the thing that you want,

If dogged and grim you besiege and beset it,
You'll get it!

Be Happy. God Bless.

A Guide to Walking Meditation

A Guide to Walking Meditation -Thich Nhat Hanh

Your Steps Are Most Important

What activity is most important in your life?  To pass an exam, get a car or a house, or get a promotion in your career?  There are so many people who have passed exams, who have bought cars and houses, who have gotten promotions, but still find themselves without peace of mind, without joy, and without happiness.  The most important thing in life is to find this treasure, and then to share it with other people and with all beings. 

In order to have peace and joy, you must succeed in having peace within each of your steps.  Your steps are the most important thing.  They decide everything.  I am lighting a stick of incense and joining my palms together as a lotus bud to pray for your success.

You Can Do It

Walking meditation is practicing meditation while walking.  It can bring you joy and peace while you practice it.  Take short steps in complete relaxation; go slowly with a smile on your lips, with your heart open to an experience of peace.  You can feel truly at ease with yourself.  Your steps can be those of the healthiest, most secure person on earth.  All sorrows and worries can drop away while you are walking.  To have peace of mind, to attain self-liberation, learn to walk in this way.  It is not difficult.  You can do it.  Anyone can do it who has some degree of mindfulness and a true intention to be happy.

Going Without Arriving

In our daily lives, we usually feel pressured to move ahead.  We have to hurry.  We seldom ask ourselves where it is that we must hurry to. 

When you practice walking meditation, you go for a stroll.  You have no purpose or direction in space or time.  The purpose of walking meditation is walking meditation itself.  Going is important, not arriving.  Walking meditation is not a means to an end; it is an end.  Each step is life; each step is peace and joy.  That is why we don’t have to hurry.  That is why we slow down.  We seem to move forward, but we don’t go anywhere; we are not drawn by a goal.  Thus we smile while we are walking.

Trouble-Free Steps

In our daily life, our steps are burdened with anxieties and fears.  Life itself seems to be a continuous chain of insecure feelings, and so our steps lose their natural easiness. 

Our earth is truly beautiful.  There is so much graceful, natural scenery along paths and roads around the earth!  Do you know how many dirt lanes there are, lined with bamboo, or winding around scented rice fields?  Do you know how many forest paths there are, paved with colorful leaves, offering cool and shade?  They are all available to us, yet we cannot enjoy them because our hearts are not trouble-free, and our steps are not at ease.

Walking meditation is learning to walk again with ease.  When you were about a year old, you began to walk with tottering steps.  Now, in practicing walking meditation you are learning to walk again.  However, after a few weeks of practice, you will be able to step solidly, in peace and comfort.  I am writing these lines to assist you in doing that.  I wish you success.

Shaking Off the Burden of Worries

If I had the Buddha’s eyes and could see through everything, I could discern the marks of worry and sorrow you leave in your footprints after you pass, like the scientist who can detect tiny living beings in a drop of pond water with a microscope.  Walk so that your footprints bear only the marks of peaceful joy and complete freedom.  To do this, you have to learn to let go – let go of your sorrows, let go of your worries.  That is the secret of walking meditation.

This World Contains All the Wonders of the Pure Land

To have peace and joy and inner freedom, you need to learn how to let go of your sorrows and worries, the elements that create unhappiness.  First of all, notice that this world contains all the wonders you could expect to find in the Buddha Land.  It is only because of our veil of sorrows and worries that we cannot always see these wonders.

I always think that I like this world even better than I would the Pure Land because I like what this world offers: lemon trees, orange trees, banana trees, pine trees, apricot trees, and willow trees.  Some people say that in the Pure Land there are valuable lotus ponds, seven-gem trees, and roads paved with gold, and that there are special celestial birds.  I don’t think I would like these very much.  I would rather not walk on roads paved with gold and silver.  I wouldn’t even use roads that were lined with marble here on earth.  Dirt roads with meadows on both sides are my favorite; I love pebbles and leaves covering the ground.  I love bushes, streams, bamboo fences, and ferries. 

When I was a young novice, I told my Master, ‘If the Pure Land doesn’t have lemon trees, then I don’t want to go.’  He shook his head and smiled.  Maybe he thought I was a stubborn youngster.  However, he did not say that I was right or wrong.  Later when I realized that both the world and the Pure Land come from the mind, I was very happy.  I was happy since I knew that lemon trees and star-fruit trees exist also in the Pure Land, with dirt roads and green grass on all sides.

I knew that if I kept my eyes open in mindfulness and my steps at ease, I could find my Pure Land.  That is why I do not let a single day pass without practicing walking meditation.

The Seal of an Emperor

Choose a nice road for your practice, along the shore of a river, in a park, on the flat roof of a building, in the woods, or along a bamboo fence.  Such places are ideal, but they are not essential.  I know there are people who practice walking meditation in reformation camps, even in small prison cells.

It is best if the road is not too rough or too steep.  Slow down and concentrate on your steps.  Be aware of each move.  Walk straight ahead with dignity, calm, and comfort.  Consciously make an imprint on the ground as you step.  Walk as the Buddha would.  Place your foot on the surface of the earth the way an emperor would place his seal on a royal decree.

A royal decree can bring happiness or misery to people.  It can shower grace on them or it can ruin their lives.  Your steps can do the same.  If your steps are peaceful, the world will have peace.  If you can take one peaceful step, you can take two.  You can take one hundred and eight peaceful steps.

A Lotus Flower Blooms Beneath Each Step

When an artist or a sculptor creates a picture or a statue of Buddha sitting upon a lotus flower, it is not just to express his reverence towards the Buddha.  The artist must above all want to show the Buddha’s state of mind as he sits: the state of complete peace, complete bliss.  We all sit several times a day, but few of us can sit in peace and with ease, few of us can sit majestically like the Buddha.  Most of us get restless after a while, as if we were sitting on hot coals.  The Buddha may sit on the grass or on a rock, but he looks as serene as he would look sitting on a lotus flower.

When I first entered the monastery, my master taught me to observe this thought just before sitting: ‘Sitting with my back straight, I wish all beings may be seated on the platform of enlightenment, their hearts freed from all illusion and mistaken views.’  Only after I said that would I slowly sit down.  That is the way to learn to sit like a Buddha.

I have a message for students of Pure Land Buddhism: Sit on a Lotus Throne right now, at this moment; do not wait until you get to the Pure Land.  Be reborn on a lotus flower in each present moment.  Don’t wait until you face death.  If you can experience rebirth on a lotus flower now, if you can sit on a lotus flower now – then you won’t have any doubt about the existence of the Pure Land.  The same is true for walking.  The Infant Buddha is often portrayed taking his first seven steps on earth, causing a lotus flower to appear in each of his footsteps.  We should all cause a lotus flower to bloom with each of our peaceful steps.  Next time you practice walking meditation, please try visualizing a lotus flower opening as your feet touch the ground, like a newborn Buddha.  Don’t feel unworthy of this vision.  If your steps are serene, they are worthy of this flowering.  You are a Buddha, and so is everyone else.  I didn’t make that up.  It was the Buddha himself who said so.  He said that all beings had the potential to become awakened.  To practice walking meditation is to practice living in mindfulness.  Mindfulness and enlightenment are one.  Enlightenment leads to mindfulness and mindfulness leads to enlightenment.

  

The Miracle is Walking on Earth

Walking with ease and with peace of mind on the earth is a wonderful miracle.  Some people say that only walking on burning coals or walking on spikes or on water are miracles, but I find that simply walking on the earth is a miracle.  Neige Marchand, when translating The Miracle of Mindfulness into French, entitled the book La Miracle, C’est de Marcher sur Terre.  I like that title very much.

Imagine that you and I were two astronauts.  We have landed on the moon, and we find that we cannot return to earth because the engine of our ship is broken beyond repair.  We will run out of oxygen before the control center on earth can send another ship up to rescue us.  We know that we have only two more days to live.  What would you and I think of, other than going back to our dear green planet and walking side by side, in peace and without worries?  Only when confronted with death do we know the precious value of our steps on the green planet. 

Now let’s imagine ourselves as those astronauts who have somehow survived their experience.  Let’s celebrate our happiness and our joy at being able to walk on our dear earth again.  We manifest this miracle in each of our steps.  Lotus flowers bloom as we walk.

Maintain your practice, aware that your steps are creating miracles.  The earth appears before your eyes as something miraculous.  With that correct understanding, with that meditative thought, you will achieve blissful steps on this planet earth.

Stand on one foot, and be aware that it is resting upon the earth; see the great sphere upon which it rests.  See it clearly – how wonderfully round it is.  While walking, look down and anticipate the ground where you are about to place your foot, and when you do, mindfully experience your foot, the ground, and the connection between your foot and the ground.  Think of your foot as an Emperor’s seal.

In the meditation hall, while doing kinhin (walking meditation) remember ‘The Emperor’s Seal’, or ‘Lotus flowers blooming’, or ‘The earth appears’ as themes of your walking meditation.

Be Happy. God Bless.

BEST WISHES FOR YOU

 Best Wishes For You -Michelle Klemm
I wish you luck,
a great piece every day,
a ladybird on a four-leaved clover
and sunshine at all times.
You shall never have a Black Friday,
luck shall come along with you on your way.

I wish you health,
resistance against illness.
Neither cough, cold, croakiness,
backache nor weariness -
none of this shall plague you,
be lusty and fit each and every day.

I wish you love,
no chance for those thieves,
who come and steal your heart,
just to torture you afterwards.
I hope the one will find you,
with whom a red thread conjoins.

I wish you strength,
when your work is stressing.
Life is rarely easy-going,
but do not give up for that reason.
Persevere no matter what happens.
Proceed, do not fear the challenge.

I wish you satisfaction,
because life often demands modesty.
Be glad for what you possess;
do not commiserate what you miss.
You know, money cannot make you happy,
love and friendship are the most important things.

I wish you happiness,
do not waste time
with tears and great sadness.
Never shall befall you harm,
you shall lead a life of charm
and shall wear a smile on you face.

I wish you time,
a valuable merchandise these days truly.
It may not pass so speedily;
time to rest and to relax,
time for those near to your heart
and time for yourself just at will.

Be Happy. God Bless.

The Art Of Loving

At the heart of Nhat Hanh’s teachings is the idea that “understanding is love’s other name” — that to love another means to fully understand his or her suffering. (“Suffering” sounds rather dramatic, but in Buddhism it refers to any source of profound dissatisfaction — be it physical or psychoemotional or spiritual.) Understanding, after all, is what everybody needs — but even if we grasp this on a theoretical level, we habitually get too caught in the smallness of our fixations to be able to offer such expansive understanding. He illustrates this mismatch of scales with an apt metaphor:
 If you pour a handful of salt into a cup of water, the water becomes undrinkable. But if you pour the salt into a river, people can continue to draw the water to cook, wash, and drink. The river is immense, and it has the capacity to receive, embrace, and transform. When our hearts are small, our understanding and compassion are limited, and we suffer. We can’t accept or tolerate others and their shortcomings, and we demand that they change. But when our hearts expand, these same things don’t make us suffer anymore.
We have a lot of understanding and compassion and can embrace others. We accept others as they are, and then they have a chance to transform. “We really have to understand the person we want to love. If our love is only a will to possess, it is not love. If we only think of ourselves, if we know only our own needs and ignore the needs of the other person, we cannot love. We must look deeply in order to see and understand the needs, aspirations, and suffering of the person we love. This is the ground of real love. You cannot resist loving another person when you really understand him or her.

To love without knowing how to love wounds the person we love. To know how to love someone, we have to understand them. To understand, we need to listen.

When you love someone, you should have the capacity to bring relief and help him to suffer less. This is an art. If you don’t understand the roots of his suffering, you can’t help, just as a doctor can’t help heal your illness if she doesn’t know the cause. You need to understand the cause of your loved one’s suffering in order to help bring relief.

The more you understand, the more you love; the more you love, the more you understand. They are two sides of one reality. The mind of love and the mind of understanding are the same.

 From time to time, sit close to the one you love, hold his or her hand, and ask, 'Darling, do I understand you enough? Or am I making you suffer? Please tell me so that I can learn to love you properly. I don't want to make you suffer, and if I do so because of my ignorance, please tell me so that I can love you better, so that you can be happy." If you say this in a voice that communicates your real openness to understand, the other person may cry.
 That is a good sign, because it means the door of understanding is opening and everything will be possible again.
 Maybe a father does not have time or is not brave enough to ask his son such a question. Then the love between them will not be as full as it could be. We need courage to ask these questions, but if we don't ask, the more we love, the more we may destroy the people we are trying to love. True love needs understanding. With understanding, the one we love will certainly flower.”

Often, when we say, “I love you” we focus mostly on the idea of the “I” who is doing the loving and less on the quality of the love that’s being offered. This is because we are caught by the idea of self. We think we have a self. But there is no such thing as an individual separate self. A flower is made only of non-flower elements, such as chlorophyll, sunlight, and water. If we were to remove all the non-flower elements from the flower, there would be no flower left. A flower cannot be by herself alone. A flower can only inter-be with all of us… Humans are like this too. We can’t exist by ourselves alone. We can only inter-be. I am made only of non-me elements, such as the Earth, the sun, parents, and ancestors. In a relationship, if you can see the nature of interbeing between you and the other person, you can see that his suffering is your own suffering, and your happiness is his own happiness. With this way of seeing, you speak and act differently. This in itself can relieve so much suffering. ― Thích Nhất Hạnh
Be Happy. God Bless.

Happy Hugging Meditation

“One word can end a fight; One hug can start a friendship; One smile can bring Unity; One person can change your entire life!” ― Israelmore Ayivor

 Thich Nhat Hanh devised a fusion of East and West furnishing a universal human language for what everybody needs — a practice he called “hugging meditation,” which, in requiring that we disarm all of our chronic cynicisms, appears at first intolerably awkward but blossoms into deeply rewarding.

"According to the practice, you have to really hug the person you are holding. You have to make him or her very real in your arms, not just for the sake of appearances, patting him on the back to pretend you are there, but breathing consciously and hugging with all your body, spirit, and heart. Hugging meditation is a practice of mindfulness. “Breathing in, I know my dear one is in my arms, alive. Breathing out, she is so precious to me.” If you breathe deeply like that, holding the person you love, the energy of your care and appreciation will penetrate into that person and she will be nourished and bloom like a flower."
 At the heart of hugging meditation, Nhat Hanh points out, are the core Zen principles of interconnectedness and “interbeing,” with each other as well as with the universe. With the great simplicity and sincerity of Zen writings, he considers both the interpersonal and the intrapersonal rewards of the practice:
" When we hug, our hearts connect and we know that we are not separate beings. Hugging with mindfulness and concentration can bring reconciliation, healing, understanding, and much happiness. The practice of mindful hugging has helped so many people to reconcile with each other — fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, friends and friends, and so many others." But beyond the action itself the most important commitment — an intention of absolute presence with the other and with the moment’s ephemeral aliveness, which is perhaps the task most challenging yet most sorely needed for our spiritual survival in the modern world. Nhat Hanh outlines both the philosophical foundations and practical steps to mastering this delicate art of holding one another’s wholeness while fully inhabiting that blink of existence: Hugging is a deep practice; you need to be totally present to do it correctly. When I drink a glass of water, I invest one hundred percent of myself in drinking it. You can train yourself to live every moment of your daily life like that.
 We may practice hugging meditation with a friend, our daughter, our father, our partner or even with a tree. To practice, we first bow and recognize the presence of each other. Then we can enjoy three deep conscious breaths to bring ourselves fully there. We then may open your arms and begin hugging. Holding each other for three in-and-out breaths. With the first breath, we are aware that we are present in this very moment and we are happy. With the second breath, we are aware that the other is present in this moment and we are happy as well. With the third breath, we are aware that we are here together, right now on this earth, and we feel deep gratitude and happiness for our togetherness. We then may release the other person and bow to each other to show our thanks.
 When we hug in such a way, the other person becomes real and alive. We do not need to wait until one of us is ready to depart for a trip, we may hug right now and receive the warmth and stability of our friend in the present moment. Hugging can be a deep practice of reconciliation. During the silent hugging, the message can come out very clear: “Darling, you are precious to me. I am sorry I have not been mindful and considerate. I have made mistakes. Allow me to begin a new. I Promise to embrace you with all my heart.”
Be Happy. God Bless.

Youth

                                                               

Youth - Samuel Ullman
Youth is not a time of life - it is a state of mind,
it is a temper of the will,
a quality of the imagination,
a vigor of the emotions,
a predominance of courage over timidity,
of the appetite for adventure over love of ease.
Nobody grows old by merely living a number of years.
People grow old only by deserting their ideals.
Years wrinkle the skin,
but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.
Worry, doubt, self-distrust,
fear and despair - these are the long,
long years that bow the head and
turn the growing spirit back to dust.
Whether they are sixteen or seventy,
there is in every being's heart
the love of wonder,
the sweet amazement at the stars
and star like things and thoughts,
the undaunted challenge of events,
the unfailing childlike appetite
for what is to come next,

and the joy and the game of life.
You are as young as your faith,
as old as your doubt;
as young as your self-confidence,
as old as your fear,
as young as your hope,
as old as your despair.
When the wires are all down
and all the innermost core of your heart
is covered with the snows of pessimism
and the ice of cynicism,
then you are grown old indeed.
But so long as your heart receives messages
of beauty, cheer, courage, grandeur
and power from the earth,
from man and from the Infinite, so long you are young.

Be Happy. God Bless.

Visualize What You Want

Visualize What You Want

Visualize what you want.See it, Feel it, Believe in it.

Your mind is a mental workshop.
You can build anything in it.
Make your mental blueprint,
And begin to build.

The beginning is in your imagination;
First think, then organize your thoughts into plans
Then transform your thoughts into reality by taking some positive action.

Use your imagination to perceive your reality,
Even when it is not fully materialized.

You must first see it clearly in your mind
Before you can do it.

First visualize and then actualize your way
To success.

You really can live your dreams.
All you need to do is try.

Be Happy. God Bless.

The Most Beautiful Person

“You can be the most beautiful person in the world and everybody sees light and rainbows when they look at you, but if you yourself don't know it, all of that doesn't even matter. Every second that you spend on doubting your worth, every moment that you use to criticize yourself; is a second of your life wasted, is a moment of your life thrown away. It's not like you have forever, so don't waste any of your seconds, don't throw even one of your moments away.” ― C. JoyBell C.
Be Happy. God Bless.

Journey of Life

Journey of Life - Author Unknown

Do not undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others,
It is because we are different that each of us is special.
Do not set your goals by what other people deem important.
Only you know what is best for you.

Do not take for granted the things closest to your heart.
Cling to them as you would your life,
for without them, life is meaningless
Do not let your life slip through your fingers
By living in the past nor for the future.

By living your life one day at a time,
You live all the days of your life.
Do not give up when you still have something to give.
Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying.
It is a fragile thread that binds is to each other.

Do not be afraid to encounter risks.
It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.
Do not shut out of your life by saying it is impossible to find.
The quickest way to receive love is to give love;
The fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly.

In addition, the best way to keep love is to give it wings.
Do not dismiss your dreams.
To be without dreams is to be without hope;
To be without hope is to be without purpose.

Do not run through life so fast that you forget
not only where you have been, but also where you are going.
Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored each step of the way.

Be Happy. God Bless.

Praying for Ice Cream

                                         

Last week I took my children to a restaurant. My six-year-old son asked if he could say grace. As we bowed our heads he said, "God is good. God is great. Thank you for the food, and I would even thank you more if mom gets us ice cream for dessert. And Liberty and justice for all! Amen."
Along with the laughter from the other customers nearby, I heard a woman remark, "That's what's wrong with this country. Kids today don't even know how to pray. Asking God for ice-cream! Why, I never! "Hearing this, my son burst into tears and asked me, "Did I do it wrong? Is God mad at me?"... As I held him and assured him that he had done a terrific job and God was certainly not mad at him, an elderly gentleman approached the table. He winked at my son and said, "I happen to know that God thought that was a great prayer." "Really?" my son asked.
 "Cross my heart." Said the old man!
 Then in a theatrical whisper he added (indicating the woman whose remark had started this whole thing), "Too bad she never asks God for ice cream. A little ice cream is good for the soul sometimes.".
 Naturally, I bought my kids ice cream at the end of the meal. My son stared at his for a moment and then did something I will remember the rest of my life. He picked up his sundae and without a word walked over and placed it in front of the woman. With a big smile he told her, "Here, this is for you. Ice cream is good for the soul sometimes, and my soul is good already."
Be Happy. God Bless.

My First Expert.. My Mother Kept A Garden

image courtesy :www.huffingtonpost.com

My Mother Kept A Garden - Author Unknown 
My Mother kept a garden,
a garden of the heart,
She planted all the good things
that gave my life it's start. 
She turned me to the sunshine
and encouraged me to dream,
Fostering and nurturing
the seeds of self-esteem... 
And when the winds and rain came,
she protected me enough-
But not too much because she knew
I'd need to stand up strong and tough. 
Her constant good example
always taught me right from wrong-
Markers for my pathway
that will last a lifetime long. 
I am my Mother's garden.
I am her legacy-
And I hope today she feels the love
reflected back from me 

My Mother is not only my first expert but she is my first institution. There are many little moments which are shinning in my memory when I am writing this article where my Mom helped me to boost my self esteem. Sharing today one of my favorite and most memorable memory. Years back few guest arrived our place and Mom was busy attending them and asked me to look after the milk boiling on cook top. May be she want to prepare some sweet traditional Indian dessert. I was in my early teens and not have too much knowledge about cooking. There was a few pieces of lemon my Mom kept aside to use in another recipe. Out of my over enthusiasm I thought I will surprise Mom with new type of lemon milk and squeeze the lemon on the milk. OMG... OMG the milk started to curdled. I panicked call Mom immediately and accepted the blunder that I had done. Bit upset but she didn't scold me, just in soft voice said next time when you experiment just let me know may be we both can create magic. I was about to start a long cry but she stopped me and told don’t waste time instead ask your Dad to attend the guest and you stand here and help me. She strain the mixture and let it sit. While my Dad attended the guests she prepared some savory snacks with some vegetable and that curdled milk which turned into cottage cheese and with other half she added some castor sugar, rose essence and make soft sweet cheese ball. Decorate it with rose petals and chopped pistachio. I am stunned in about 30 minutes time she was ready with savory and sweet snacks with perfect garnish to serve the guest. With a bright smile we both enter the room, my Mom also told the guests that how I helped to make the dish. They all appreciated my effort. Deep down I am filled with not only love for my Mom but with respect. Later on after all the guests left our house, happy I hugged my Mom and say thank you and asked that why she didn't scold me for such a huge mistake.
She gave me the lesson of life time...she said in soft sweet voice which I still remember ... my dear  girl …not always things will go the way we want…..but if we loose temper , scream and worry it will not change the situation to good but make it more worse….rather we should find out ways how to make worst the best…how to bring out beautiful out of the mess and it can only happen when we try to solve the problem in silence..and add love to all…..at the end what count is happiness for self and for others…see how beautifully we both made the guests happy.
 Today I am a known food and motivational blogger sharing recipes,wisdom and good thoughts with the world. My first expert, my beloved Mom is my base till now, each day teaching me such wisdom with tenderness. Each day I am growing brighter, my Mom is my sunshine who light every day of mine. May you stay healthy happy always…Maa love you forever.
Be Happy. God Bless.

Hidden Mystery

Hidden Mystery - Fred Burks
In the deepest depths of you and me
In the deepest depths of we
Lies the most beautiful jewel
Shining forth eternally

Within that precious jewel
Within that priceless piece of we
Lies a time beyond all time
Lies a place beyond all space

Within that sacred source of radiance
Lies a love beyond all love
Waiting
          Waiting
                    Waiting
Ever so patiently

Waiting for you, waiting for me
Waiting patiently for all to see
The beauty that is you inside of me
The beauty that is me inside of thee

In the deepest depths of you and me
In the deepest depths of we
Lies the love and wisdom
Of all Eternity.

Be Happy. God Bless.

Take Responsibility of Your Own Self

Take responsibility for your own happiness, do not expect people or things to bring you happiness, or you could be disappointed. – Rodolfo Costa.
Many of you had gone through this quote but do you know what is this all about taking responsibility of your own self. May be like me many of you are in the foggy misty confusion that the words are powerful but how to live this words.  We all are taught in schools  how to read, write so that we fit well in the material world. Our parents teach us  how to behave in a proper manner  and become a person whom society  will look up with respect and honor , on the whole we are taught how to be responsible to do something  but in this whole process  none teaches  us that it is also a responsibility to be someone… like  to be happy, to be lovefull , to be peaceful ….this is self responsibility.
Every other person was sending the messages that we will be granted as a responsible person when we do a task or a job well and bring desired  expected result.  For example parents think we are responsible when we bring good grade in exams, boss will think that we are responsible if we meet the deadline  in time , spouse think we are responsible when every need of their is fulfilled unquestioned and the list of responsibility goes on and we rub our self hard to meet every need with a smile so that we don’t loose the tag of responsible from our character criteria list.
In this whole journey we all miss the self. Responsibility became a prominent word which cover our outer self and in this journey our own self energy get depleted, we became very responsible person  whom other love to look on but empty inside.
Who don’t love praise surely it boost our self esteem and we feel great  no doubt but  do this happiness last. It stays for a moment and then we are given another responsibility and we run after that so that  our parameter  stays on a right lane.  It is to look a situation from outside in. When you do a job people praise and you feel happy . Let’s try the other way round inside out. Take the responsibility to be happy inside , to be loving and to be peaceful inside and then do the job outside how fun it will be.
Till now the thought process is when I do something well people will praise and then I will feel happy.  So your happiness is literally on other’s hand. Now shift your thought take the responsibility of your own happiness. Be responsible for your own inner self. Connect with the positive happy energy of your won self and then do the work  given. As we all know work done with positive energy always yield more superior result . So now you are happy and doing the work and not doing it for happiness.  Praise or critics will not effect your state of happiness and you will remain in the state of positive vibes all the day through.
 We are all human being not human doing.  May be we are very responsible in our doing and meet all the material need in the outer world but if our  being is not nourished and nurtured well  and is not stable then  the  vibrational energy that we are emitting from our self  are not  that of happiness, love  and peace  , remember at the end neither you will be happy nor others  around.  May be you will be gifted with the garland of superficial words from outer world  but in times a void will be created and you will be unable to figure out that what went wrong that you being so responsible in all your doings still feeling empty and restless.
 Now it’s time to make your being , your inner self stable. Your emotional dimension is at the core ..suppose when you are happy everything around will seems happy, when you feel love you could handle the worst of the situation with ease.  It’s time to look inward  and connect with your core values that is  love , happiness and peace. Self  responsibility means that my response is my ability to response.  I am the self creator  responsible for all my decisions, thoughts , belief , perception and action. Outward situations will come you can’t control that but what  we can control is our inner thoughts and how to respond in that situation. Inner stability is our choice. From now on when you make your responsibility list  put self  on the top. Once your connection with your inner self is stable all other responsibility will automatically fall in places.
 A little exercise affirm “ I am the creator of my every though, belief, perception, attitude and action.”  Accept it and consciously note how many time you are reacting to a situation and blaming others even you know you can’t change the situation .Suppose you are stuck in a huge traffic jam on your important meeting.  You start complaining  though you know you can’t change the situation then why to grudge and grumble instead relax, be happy  and enjoy the me time with a happy music or any creative thought  or send good vibes to others , it don’t need a penny but it all need a shift of your attitude towards the situation. Stay connected with your core values that is happiness, love and peace and consciously take care that situation don't over power and snatch all your inner gift . It will not happen in one day but start practicing and consciously keep eye on to your inner world  you will definitely be successful. Keep trying, keep focusing and moving with a positive feeling inside out.
Hope from now on you will not look for happiness , love or peace. Your inner self will be filled with  all your inner gift and and you will  be a generous giver of happiness,  peace and love which when flow back to you again will drenched you  and your  life will be a memorable journey  to live on.

This above write up is inspired from BK Sister Shivani’s teaching on self management. Thanks a ton for Sister  for making life peacefully beautiful.

© Sutapa Ghosh

Be Happy. God Bless.