Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Fallow


The fallow season of the spirit
is a dark and cold passage.

But like dormant farmland,
it incubates the next harvest.


Monday, December 29, 2014

Adding Labels


God looks through our eyes.
Tao listens through our ears.
Allah touches through our fingers.

But we're the ones who add the labels.


Sunday, December 28, 2014

Target


Letting go of the target
is the hardest thing
about hitting the target,
because to hit the target
is to miss the target.

It isn't the target.
It's the connection.

The connection is
the one true hit.


Saturday, December 27, 2014

Keep Climbing


Every mountain looms larger
the closer you get to it,
and shrinks with every step
you take toward the summit.


Friday, December 26, 2014

State of Mind


Clouded mind.
Busy mind.

Clear mind.
Contented mind.

Still mind.
Calm mind.

Silent mind.
Deep mind.


Thursday, December 25, 2014

Birth of a Miracle


Every birth should be
considered a miracle.

And the life that unfolds from it
should be kept in the same light.

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Changing Answers


Which matters more to you,
the outer journey or the inner path?

Which makes you happier,
the outer world or the inner wisdom?

Which do you turn to when in need,
outer beliefs or inner experiences?

The answers change with age.

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Balancing Act


Each beginning
opens a door,
but it also closes one.

The universe
gives with one hand
and takes with the other.

Opening and closing.
Giving and taking.
Life's balancing act.

Monday, December 22, 2014

Hell for Heaven


Heaven and earth
are never adversaries.

Our own hells lead us
to think otherwise.

When we give up hell,
heaven blooms everywhere.


Sunday, December 21, 2014

Small Heart


My heart is small.
The needs are huge.

My hands are weak.
The helpless are many.

My skills are few.
The work is unending.

But the small, the weak,
and the few are enough
in the flow of Tao.

Saturday, December 20, 2014

Silent Discovery


Sometimes darkness
comes from light.

Sometimes light
comes from darkness.

But never is there
darkness without light.

Never is there
light without darkness.

Silence is how
we discover this.


Friday, December 19, 2014

Genesis


To see God as light
and only light
is to cut ourselves off
from the God that scares us.

But why should we fear?
Didn't God give us
both darkness and light
from the beginning?


Thursday, December 18, 2014

City Wise


Cities grow
from the ground up,
not from the top down.

They're built for everyone,
not just the powerful few.

Wise cities remember this.
Dying cities don't.


Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

As Tao


What is the smallest thing?
What is the briefest span?

These are the building blocks
of the ten thousand things.

The smallest and briefest
create everything as Tao.


Monday, December 15, 2014

Conversion


Darkness turns light
into wisdom.

Light turns darkness
into salvation.


Sunday, December 14, 2014

Tortured Fears


The only accurate information
we can gain through torture
is insight into our own fears.


Saturday, December 13, 2014

Good Medicine


Wisdom brings healing.
Insight brings wisdom.
Silence brings insight.
Pain brings silence.
Experience brings pain.
Time brings experience.
Breath brings time.

Friday, December 12, 2014

Which Hand


Charity in one hand.
Cruelty in the other.

Which hand will I open
first?


Thursday, December 11, 2014

What Color?


What color
would you be
if you could be
any color
you wanted?

Purple for strength?
Blue for courage?
Green for humility?
Yellow for wisdom?
Orange for diligence?
Red for compassion?

Or would you rather stay
with what you know?

Black for struggle.
White for luck.


Wednesday, December 10, 2014

The Only Truth


The only truth I can verify
is the truth of my own experience.
But even that can't be trusted.

Nothing can be verified.
The only truth is the truth
of what I choose to believe is true.


Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Stones across a Stream


I see limits
every where I turn.

When I stop turning
and look straight ahead,
limits become stones
across a stream.


Monday, December 8, 2014

Will


How much will is involved
when a plant grows out of a wall?

How much intention drives
a bird to fly a thousand miles?

What are these but the will to be?
And what is the will to be but divine?


Sunday, December 7, 2014

Never Frozen


Happiness isn't frozen in time.
Only our memories of it are.

What memory holds is never
enough to fill this moment now.

This is the only place where
happiness can happen.


Saturday, December 6, 2014

Abandoned Children


Not all
abandoned children
are children.

This is why
we don't always
recognize them
when we see them.

To love the child
within each of us
is a good start.


Friday, December 5, 2014

Sinners and Saints


We call ourselves sinners
because we fall short
of our best desires.

But we're also saints
because we're all
vessels of the divine.


Thursday, December 4, 2014

Open Ears


Inside or outside.
Which voices do I follow?

If I listen only to the ones inside,
I risk losing my community.

If I listen only to the ones outside,
I'll never find my true self.

Best to keep both ears open.


Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Six Lessons



Simplicity isn't simple.
Love hides seeds of pain.
Answers aren't always answers.
Perfection isn't without blemish.
Wisdom is a journey.
Salvation is unnecessary.


Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Those Who Hate You


No matter who you are,
there are those who hate you.

They may not even know you,
but they hate you anyway.

They hate you because
you're different from them. 

They hate you because
they don't understand you.

They hate you because
they're afraid of you.

But their hatred is powerless,
unless you hate them back.


Monday, December 1, 2014

Measuring Stick


If money is how you
measure your worth,
you'll never have enough.

If control is how you
measure your power,
you'll be forever thwarted.

If joy is how you
measure your life,
you'll find reasons to sing.