"To be able to sing together..."

To be able to sing together
pulling the nets all together from the sea,
together to forge the iron like a lace,
all together to plow the soil,
to be able to eat the honey-filled figs together
and to be able to say:
everything but the cheek of the beloved
we all share together everywhere…
--Nazim Hikmet, The Epic of Sheikh Bedrettin

"The Wolves Are My Family"

"The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life. Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof."

--Richard Bach, Messiah's Handbook

"The wolves are my family. They are part of me and I am part of them. We are one."

--Tonya "Littlewolf" Carloni

Cherry Blossoms

the light filling the air

is so mild this spring day

only the cherry blossoms

keep falling in haste--

why is that so?

--Ki no Tomonori

Breathing with the Cycle of Life

"It's time to exhale. This year for Earth Day, April 22, take the time to sit down and breathe. Exhale a little more. Breathe with more awareness and flow with the rhythm of the Earth and in tune with its people, animals, and plants. We can approach our relationship with the Earth more responsibly by recognizing our unending connection. Each of us has the power to make the Earth better and it begins with our breathing with the cycle of life."

--Joseph Alexander, "It Is Time to Exhale!" Dahn Yoga Life, April 2012

First, Play Well by Yourself!

"What kind of life do you want? Isn't it a life of happiness, health, peace of mind, loving yourself and loving others and being loved? In order to do all these things easily, you must become the true master of your life. For that, you must first play well by yourself and become closer to yourself."

--Chunghae Sunsanim 

Poem of the Mountain

"Mountain"

I was embraced in your arms and now I take my leave.
The azaleas sway, waving as they see me off.
The sound of flowing water before me opens the path
As I return to the valley of people.
As I live and I grow old,
When life makes me weary, I gaze at you in the distance,
And if I still long for you, I go to you and enter your embrace.
I'll live like that, and, come the day when I can see you no more
I can be wrapped in your embrace
And become you.

--Minbok Ham

Time to Exhale

"Humanity is at a critical point in the material civilization ... to prevent our civilization from running headlong into an abrupt and spectacular end, we must at least stop inhaling. We have reached our lung capacity. In order to continue this grand cycle of life, we must soon begin to exhale. After that we can breathe in again. The choice is before us. For the very survival of humanity, we need to collectively let our breath out."

--Ilchi Lee, Peaceology

Tender Affection

"[Francis] was moved by the same tender affection toward fish, too, when they were caught, and he had the chance, he threw them back into the water, commanding them to be careful lest they be caught again. Once when he was sitting in a boat near a port in the lake of Rieti, a certain fisherman, who had caught a big fish ... offered it kindly to him. He accepted it joyfully and kindly and began to call it brother; then placing it in the water outside the boat, he began devoutly to bless the name of the Lord. And while he continued in prayer for some time, the fish played in the water beside the boat and did not go away from the place where it had been put until his prayer was finished and the holy man of God gave it permission to leave."

--Thomas of Celano

(As found in We Thank You, God, for These: Blessings and Prayers for Family Pets, by Anthony F. Chiffolo and Rayner W. Hesse, Jr.)

"The Call"

"The Call"
by George Herbert

Come, my Way, my Truth, my Life:

Such a Way, as gives us breath:

Such a Truth, as ends all strife:

Such a Life, as killeth death.

Come, my Light, my Feast, my Strength:

Such a Light, as shows a feast:

Such a Feast, as mends in length:

Such a Strength, as makes his guest.

Come, my Joy, my Love, my Heart:

Such a Joy, as none can move:

Such a Love, as none can part:

Such a Heart, as joys in love.

Creatures of Light

You are a creature of light.

From light have you come,

to light shall you go,

and surrounding you through every step

is the light of your infinite being.

--Richard Bach