That illusion of a world so shaped that it echoes every groan, of human beings so tied together by common needs and fears that a twitch at one wrist jerks another, where however strange your experience other people have had it too, where however far you travel in your own mind someone has been there before you — is all an illusion. We do not know our own souls, let alone the souls of others. Human beings do not go hand in hand the whole stretch of the way. There is a virgin forest in each; a snowfield where even the print of birds’ feet is unknown. Here we go alone, and like it better so. Always to have sympathy, always to be accompanied, always to be understood would be intolerable. That snowfield of the mind, where man has not trodden, is visited by the cloud, kissed by the falling petal, as, in another sphere, it is the great artists, the Miltons and the Popes, who console not by their thought of us but by their forgetfulness.

~Virginia Woolf

the cadence of living. indeed.

inquiry for today~    ever want to just check out for awhile? yeh…..it’s ok……

the grit of the wise ones

“Not knowing for sure” is a famous Zen practice—it conveys the truth of our human incarnation. Not knowing and acting anyway, with a playful and caring heart, you cede control of the outcome and willingly cast your unique spirit into the mystery. In this way you learn what is called the freedom of imperfection. With this freedom comes joy, playfulness, forgiveness and compassion for yourself and others. You can enjoy even the mistakes; they are part of the game. In this way you can become more gracious, forgiving, wise. Then you can act with your best intentions, all the while recognizing you cannot control the results.

~Jack Kornfield