Contemplative Monday

I have been planning to change the source of these Monday quotes

to another enlightened person that I find inspiring

and helpful in my day-to-day routine.

I hope you do as well.

I had to wait to hear back from his 'office' before I started.

I heard back this week and it's A-OK to use his quotes

 as long as I am accurate and not profiting from his writing.

The only 'profit' I get is the thought it may help one person

get through the day more happily and compassionately.

His name is Thich Nhat Hahn. He is a Buddhist monk and one of the leading

spiritual masters of our time. If you wish to learn more about his life

you can find information on-line.

The source of today's quote comes from his book:

'The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh' (click to learn more)

from the Shambhala Pocket Classics.

A LIFE OF MIRACLES

" As we sit down next to a stream, we can listen to its laughter
 and watch its sparkling waters, noticing the pebbles glistening
 and the fresh green plants nearby,
 and we may be overcome with happiness.

We are one with the stream's freshness, purity, and clarity.
But in just an instant we may find we've had enough.

Our heart is troubled, and we think of other things. We are no longer at one with the stream.

It is of no use to sit in a peaceful forest if our mind is lost in the city.
When we live with a child or a friend, their freshness
and warmth can relax us.

But if our heart is not with them, their precious presence is neglected, 
and they no longer exist. We must be aware of them to appreciate their value,
to allow them to be our happiness.

If through carelessness and forgetfulness we become dissatisfied with them,
 and begin asking too much of them or reprimanding them, we will lose them.

Only after they are gone will we realize their preciousness and feel regret.
But once they are gone, all our regrets are in vain.

Around us, life bursts forth with miracles----a glass of water, a ray of sunshine, 
a leaf, a caterpillar, a flower, laughter, raindrops.
If you live in awareness, it is easy to see miracles everywhere.

Each human being is a multiplicity of miracles. Eyes that see thousands of colors,
shapes, and forms; ears that hear a bee flying or a thunderclap; 
a brain that ponders a speck of dust as easily as the entire cosmos;
a heart that beats in rhythm with the heartbeat of all beings.

When we are tired and feel discouraged by life's daily struggles,
we may not notice these miracles, but they are always there."