Smiling is very important. If we are not able to smile, then the world will not have peace. It is not by going out for a demonstration against nuclear missiles that we can bring about peace. It is with our capacity of smiling, breathing, and being peace that we can make peace.–Thich Nhat Hanh. Technorati … Read more
Abba Anthony said, “The time is coming when people will be insane, and when they see someone who is not insane, they will attack that person saying: ‘You are insane because you are not like us.’ ” Isn’t that like the United States today? Isn’t that like much of the world today?
We do not exist for ourselves alone, and it is only when we are fully convinced of this fact that we begin to love ourselves properly and thus also love others. What do I mean by loving ourselves properly? I mean, first of all, desiring to live, accepting life as a very great gift and … Read more
“The wise are not learned and the learned are not wise”. It’s a line from the Tao te Ching that I first read in the Tao of Pooh. A Franciscan nun from Philadelphia suggested I read the book about five years ago. I go back to the book occasionally because there is a lot of … Read more
“If one ‘trains’ and disciplines his faculties and his whole being, it is in order to deepen and expand his capacity for experience, for awareness, for understanding, for a higher kind of life, a deeper and more authentic life ‘in Christ’ and ‘in the Spirit.’ The purpose of discipline is not only moral perfection (development … Read more
Friday found my wife and I in Virginia’s beautiful Shenandoah Valley and close to Holy Cross Abbey. A Franciscan friend had suggested visiting there recently and we did not let the opportunity pass us by. The abbey is situated in a beautiful area and is very peaceful. The Monks have a great giftshop and have … Read more
Understanding impermanence can give us confidence, peace, and joy. Impermanence does not necessarily lead to suffering. Without impermanence, life could not be. Without impermanence, your daughter could not grow up into a beautiful young lady. Without impermanence, oppressive political regimes would never change. We think impermanence makes us suffer. The Buddha gave the example of … Read more
Just now as I’m sitting on my porch enjoying the warmth of Brother Fire I heard the sound of a gaggle of Canada Geese flying overhead. The sound of the geese coming and going on this flyway is a blessing. They are a benediction for me. It is a sacred moment and a bell of … Read more
When we are driving, we tend to think of arriving, and we sacrifice the journey for the sake of the arrival. But life is to be found in the present moment, not in the future. In fact, we may suffer more after we arrive at our destination. If we have to talk of destination, what … Read more
“The monastery is the center of the world.” This drastic statement by John Eudes in Chapter this morning reminded me of exactly the same statement made by Thomas Merton when he came to the Abbey of Gethsemane for the first time. The monastery is just not a place to keep the world out but a … Read more
