Unique Moments

Each second we live is a new and unique moment of the Universe, a moment that 
will never be again. And what do we teach our children? We teach them that two 
and two make four, and that Paris is the capital of France. When will we also 
teach them what they are?

We should say to each of them: Do you know what you are? You are a marvel. 
You are unique. In all the years that have passed, there has never been another 
child like you. Your legs, your arms, your clever fingers, the way you move.

You may become a Shakespeare, a Michelangelo, a Beethoven. You have the 
capacity for anything. Yes, you are a marvel. And when you grow up, can you 
then harm another who is, like you, a marvel? You must work, we must all work, 
to make the world worthy of its children.
                                                                                         ~ Pablo Picasso

When my children were small, I would often tell them how wonderful they were. Reminding them they are unique human beings is a responsibility I take very seriously. I mean really, it's my job to instill into their psyche confidence and a deep sense of self. Along with this is the idea that all life is sacred. Even those people we may not like or agree with ~ they are unique, sacred, and an essential part of the nature of the universe.

The major tenet of Yoga is Ahimsa, non-harming. Many great Yoga teachers and gurus proclaim it to be the basis for all other attributes. If we do no harm, we can co-create a place of harmony and joy. Of course, non-harming must begin with our self. Each act of kindness toward self or other will affect our perception of the world. It will transform how we experience the world. 

How do we "make the world worthy of its children"? It starts by practicing Ahimsa and recognizing we are all in this together. We are connected. We are ONE. 

It's My Birthday!

Late Ripeness

Not soon, as late as the approach of my ninetieth year,

I felt a door opening in me and I entered

the clarity of early morning.

One after another my former lives were departing,

like ships, together with their sorrow.

And the countries, cities, gardens, the bays of seas

assigned to my brush came closer,

ready now to be described better than they were before.

I was not separated from people,

grief and pity joined us.

We forget -- I kept saying -- that we are all children of the King.

For where we come from there is no division

into Yes and No, into is, was, and will be.

We were miserable, we used no more than a hundredth part

of the gift we received for our long journey.

Moments from yesterday and from centuries ago -

a sword blow, the painting of eyelashes before a mirror

of polished metal, a lethal musket shot, a caravel

staving its hull against a reef -- they dwell in us,

waiting for a fulfillment.

I knew, always, that I would be a worker in the vineyard,

as are all men and women living at the same time,

whether they are aware of it or not.

By Czeslaw Milosz

(1911-2004)

Compassion

"Compassion for me is just what the word says; it is 'suffering with'. It is an immediate participation in the suffering of another to such a degree that you forget yourself and your own safety and spontaneously do what is necessary." ~ Joseph Campbell

In light of world events and the devastating tragedy in Japan, it seems important to reflect on the concept of "compassion." According to several spiritual traditions, compassion is an attribute of our true nature. It is not something we need to cultivate, but rather simply undercover. Like mining a diamond or chipping away unnecessary stone as the artist creates her sculpture, we recognize habits, attitudes and beliefs that don't support compassion and clear them away.

Compassion emerges from our hearts and we find ourselves being held in the great womb of the universe - that primordial place of protection and safety. Then each of our hearts opens and we hold each other. The world and all of us in it need to be held. Then we need to "spontaneously do what is necessary."