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Showing posts from October, 2019

DEATH

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DEATH         Most people are afraid of even the word.   Yet, death means new life, free life , free of pain, worries, anxieties... new birth. The Buddhists recommend visiting morgues so as to realize the brevity of life here on earth and the importance of living well.  Christians and, I think that all spiritual people, urge us to reflect on that same truth. EVEN DEATH IS NOT TO BE FEARED BY ONE WHO HAS LIVED WISELY.   Buddha DO NOT FEAR FOR I AM WITH YOU , DO NOT BE DISMAYED FOR I AM YOUR GOD.  I WILL STRENGTHEN YOU.    Is 41:10 WHETHER WE LIVE OR DIE, WE ARE THE LORD'S.     Rom 14:8 DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY.    1 Cor 15:54 THE GRAVE IS ONLY A CURTAIN FOR THE PARADISE BEHIND.   Rumi LIFE AND DEATH ARE ONE, EVEN AS THE RIVER AND THE SEA ARE ONE.  K Gibran DEATH IS THE TRANSITION TO UNITY WITH ULTIMATE REALITY.  Thomas Keating THE OPPOSITE OF DEATH IS BIRTH.  LIFE IS ETERNAL.  E. Tolle BY ADMITTING DEATH INTO OUR LIFE, WE ENLARGE AND ENRICH  IT.  Etty H

NIGHT DREAMS

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NIGHT DREAMS ... can be light-filled. It can create G od moments ,aha moments.  It can touch our heart, make us ponder and inspire us for a life time. A friend had a dream of the divine Mother who asked:    - What can I do for you? R-  healing...                                    *********** In a dream I see a Buddha-like figure sitting in a lotus position and shedding tears of blood....                                    *********** Many years after the death of my dad,  I had a dream where I am very small and in his heart. Dad is huge and his embrace and God's are one and the same. This dream was comforting and it helps me understand our Oneness.                                     ************ One night a three year old child with short curly, very blond hair appears in my dream and gives me a kiss on the cheek, then disappears. It felt like an angelic kiss, ...very touching...                                      ************* A while ago in my dream, we r

CELEBRATION OF LIGHT...DIWALI

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CELEBRATION OF LIGHT        Isn't it amazing that the whole world celebrates LIGHT?... It is indeed universal; it is another sign of our Oneness. Every year, there is a festival of LIGHT ( Diwali ) in India when  millions of Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and some Buddhists celebrate the victory of LIGHT OVR DARKNESS. Also, Muslims examine the importance of light within Islam.  NUR or NOR, one of the 99 names of Allah,  means LIGHT. And in the Qur'an.  God is the Light of heavens and earth... The first Diwali was in 527 BC and India is one of the oldest civilization. The Jews celebrate HANUKKAH starting late December by lighting a minorah, a 9 candle holder. It is the Jewish festival of lights. Christians around the world celebrate December 25, the birth of the LIGHT OF THE WORLD,  a title Jesus gave to himself (Jn 8:12) and also to his followers (Matt 5:14). Hindus and Buddhists also celebrate Christmas as a festival of lights. Chinese celebrate the New Year  in early Febr

WAVES

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WAVES ON THE OCEAN OF LIFE    ( challenges, trials, events... )  Post inspired by 2 books: THE DEEPEST ACCEPTANCE, 2012; THE WAY OF REST, 2016 by Jeff Foster The ocean waves do not end, they only fall back into their ocean, their Source, emerging again, falling, playing like children of Infinity, held in unspeakable love. ......Jeff Foster Pondering on the words of Jeff and the waves of the Ocean, we will encounter many God moments. There is a deep okayness with all the waves, a peace beyond understanding, which comes from recognizing their basic inseparability from the ocean...  Jeff Foster When you know who you truly are, there is an abiding sense of peace... E. Tolle If you want to find rest here below and hereafter, in all circumstances say: Who am I?  Desert Fathers Enlightenment for a wave is the moment the wave realizes that it is water.   Thich Nhat Hanh Who am I? Who are we? - we are a ray of Light, a ray of Love - we are Peace - we are Joy, joy

POETRY

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POETRY  is beauty; it touches the soul and brings us wisdom and comfort. Soul receives from soul that knowledge, therefore not by book nor from tongue. If knowledge of mysteries come after emptiness of mind, that is illumination of the heart......RUMI Your soul is the priestess of memory, selecting, sifting and ultimately gathering your vanishing days toward presence...JOHN O'DONOHUE Please call me by my true names, so I can hear all my cries and laughs at once, so I can see that my joy and pain are one. THICH NHAT HANH So the song is becoming as the world becomes, and it can never leave us; for we are the notice in its passages, and we are the divining in its composition, and we practice in death the immortality of its nature forever.   PATTIANN ROGERS               From her book SONG OF THE WORLD BECOMING, 2001, p. 68 Nature never did betray the heart that loved her... Wordsworth Poetry lifts the veil from the hidden beauty of the wor

WISDOM

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WISDOM  is right thinking and right action in harmony with Reality. The wisdom teachers of long ago and of recent and present time,  all tell us about the right way to live. Wise people are detached from their possessions; they are concerned with the well being of others and of our home planet Earth; they are compassionate toward oneself and others; they seek justice and peace; they listen to their Inner Voice. Think for a moment how our society would be different if we were to listen to the voice of Wisdom... Money and power would no longer be considered gods; war and abuse would cease; wealth would be distributed; earth would thrive and our food would be more natural and healthy; compassion would be evident...The world would be a happier place... So, why not try WISDOM. O MANKIND, SPREAD PEACE AND FEED PEOPLE.    the Qur'an THE RICH MUST LIVE MORE SIMPLY SO THAT THE POOR MAY SIMPLY LIVE.    Gandhi AWAKE FROM YOUR SLEEP AND WALK IN WISDOM.    Eph 5:14-15 PATIENCE IS T

CONSCIOUSNESS

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CONSCIOUSNESS  is a complex reality. It is a life force , a creative energy... I will let Thich Nhat Hanh, a wise, elderly Vietnamese Buddhist monk describe the term for you: For me what we call consciousness is very close to Holy Spirit. Both are vehicles of healing... The five Precepts of Full Consciousness, as well as the Three Jewels, have their counterparts in all spiritual traditions. p. 65 from the book THE JOY OF FULL CONSCIOUSNESS on the Buddhist monk Hanh and his Plum Tree Village by J. P. and Rachel Cartier, 2002 The Precepts are like commitments to develop the mind and form character. A Christian Buddhist nun writes:  for me Christianity and Buddhism both lead to transformation. Jesus and Buddha are distinct but not separate. Hanh always encourages his students to look deeply into their own faith tradition. The writer of this blog agrees with Hanh. According to my understanding, consciousness is LOVE and LIGHT giving LIFE to all. There are levels of consciousness

AUTUMN GALLERY

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AUTUMN GALLERY http:// connectwithlucyusingphotos. blogspot.com

JOY PROFOUND

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JOY PROFOUND.. ....a wish to you... Dear reader/viewer, Of late, it has been my privilege to write and to share with you at least 85 some posts; all posts were graciously published by Blogger... My wish is that the universal aspect of this blog shown clearly with the quotes,  plus the many photos showing the beauty of nature, will give you reason to hope, to heal and to meet your True Self, your Divine Self, your original embrace by Love. Remember Earth is a divine milieu. Divine Reality is everywhere, in everyone, and in every thing. If you are young, hang in....the consciousness is rising ( an awakening is taking place ) and soon you will be able to relate to this Divine Reality and to experience more freedom, more peace, more God moments. My other wish is for you to encounter many more Special moments, Grace moments    through a life of service  (in a career or as a volunteer) which will give you JOY PROFOUND... If you are incapacitated by age or health conditions, hang in as

WINNING & LOSING

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WINNING & LOSING     When is winning losing?... when we need to win at all costs; when we are so intent on winning that the joy of playing, acting is no longer there; when we cheat or lie in order to win; when we are prepared to harm or to kill in order to get the trophy. FAILURE  is a teacher. It teaches us to make right choices in order to reach our potential; it teaches us to be content with life even if it is second place, third place or no podium at all. No one escapes failure. Winning is also part of life, yes, but human beings can live healthy, happy lives without it.    Joan Chittister ( post inspired from her book BETWEEN THE DARK AND THE DAYLIGHT,  2015) WINNING BY LOSING for more, search PLENTY & POVERTY http://connectwithlucyusingph otos.blogspot.com  

WORK

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WORK    Years ago, I memorized a French poem and the first line was: Le travail est un tresor.  In plain English, it reads:   Work is a treasure. Work is a treasure since it gives us purpose and meaning while giving us money to pay the bills. To make us happy, the type of work we do has to be fulfilling and if possible, harmonious with our co-workers. Sometimes discovering our pearl means finding new employment, but if work is scarce,  it is always wise to find a new job first before resigning from the former one. In all work challenges, it is good to listen to the Voice of Wisdom to help us cope with our present situation and to take a decision. May we find our  treasure  or create one. LET THE BEAUTY OF WHAT YOU LOVE BE WHAT YOU DO.   Rumi FIND YOUR PURPOSE AND GIVE YOUR WHOLE HEART AND SOUL TO IT.    Buddha THE OUTWARD WORK WILL NEVER BE PUNY IF THE INNER WORK IS GREAT.  Meister Eckhart I SAW THAT THERE IS NOTHING BETTER FOR A PERSON THAN TO ENJOY THEIR WORK, BECAUSE T