March 22, 2011

March 20, 2011

Do not look back my friend, no knows how the world ever began. Do not fear the future, nothing lasts forever. If you dwell on the past or the future you will miss the moment. SJ Rumi

Those who think the heart is only in the chest take two or three steps and they are content. The rosary, the prayer rug, and repentance are paths that they mistake for the destination.

March 11, 2011

About Joy and Sorrow

The Prophet by Khalil Gibran

“Then a woman said,’Speak to us of Joy and Sorrow.’

And he answered:

Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.

And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.

And how else can it be?

The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.

Is not the cup that hold your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter’s oven?

And is not the lute that soothes your spirit, the very wood that was hollowed with knives?

When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.

When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.

Some of you say, “Joy is greater than sorrow,” and others say, “Nay, Sorrow is the greater.” But I say unto you, they are inseparable.

Together they come, and when one sits alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed.

Verily you are suspended like scales between your sorrow and your joy.

Only when you are empty are you at standstill and balanced.

When the treasure-keeper lifts you to weigh his gold and his silver, needs must your joy or your sorrow rise or fall.

I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun

Recently I overheard a father and daughter in their last moments together at the airport. They had announced the departure.
Standing near the security gate, they hugged and the father said, ‘I love you, and I wish you enough.’

They kissed and the daughter left. The father walked over to the window where I was seated. I tried not to intrude on his privacy, but I could not refrain from asking:
‘When you were saying good-bye, I heard you say, ‘I wish you enough.’ May I ask what that means?’

He began to smile. ‘That’s a wish that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone.’
He paused a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail, and he smiled even more.
‘When we said, ‘I wish you enough,’ we were wanting the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them.’
Then turning toward me, he shared the following as if he were reciting it from memory.

I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear.

I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more..

I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting.

I wish you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger.

I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting…
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.

I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good- bye.

----------------------------------------------------

Like a river, life flows through white waters to tranquility to white waters to tranquility…….

Is SORROW and JOY not part of the same river?

The human mind likes to separate, put in boxes : In order to control. And we cause ourselves endless suffering. We want to make things permanent eg happiness and we get caught in the happiness trap.

Embrace the paradox. Allow the white waters and the tranquility. Honour the dark night of your souls as well as the golden rays enlightening the darkness.

http://paulocoelhoblog.com/2011/02/14/i-wish-you-enough/