Like a caring mother

Holding and guarding the life

Of her only child,

So with a boundless heart

Hold yourself and all beings.

….Buddha

we are reminded again and again that we breathe together……that we thrive by caring for one another……that our prayers are answered in ways we cannot imagine….to awaken compassion is to heal self-blame…..

The Christian mystic Thomas Merton says, ‘Life is this simple. We are living in a world that is absolutely transparent and the divine is shining through it all the time. This is not just a nice story or a fable. This is true.’ To me, the divine is the loving awareness that is our source and essence. When we pay careful attention, we see every person as an expression of the love and goodness we cherish. Every being becomes the Beloved. When we see the secret beauty of anyone, including ourselves, we see past our judgment and fear into the core of who we truly are- not an entrapped self but the radiance of goodness. As our trust in our basic goodness deepens, we are able to express our love and creativity more fully in the world. Rather than second-guessing ourselves, rather than being paralyzed by self-doubt, we can honor and respond to the promptings that arise from that goodness. In a similar way, when we trust the goodness in others, we become a mirror to help them trust themselves. When we are not consumed by blaming and turning on ourselves or others, we are free to cultivate our talents and gifts together, to contribute them to the world in service. We are free to love each other, and the whole of life, without holding back……Tara Brach

delusions of self-judgment

I sought my god,

my god I could not see

I sought my soul,

my soul eluded me

I sought my brother

and found all three.

……anonymous