This is a time to remember vastness and mystery. Looking across millions of light years at distant stars is like meditation: it calms the mind so there can be a sense of wonder and sensitivity to the world around me, to my family, communities, this earth. The miracle of starlight, the grace of predictable planetary movement, the rhythm of my breath and the moon’s phases amidst the messiness of every day, steady me and open my heart.  Apollo astronaut Edgar Mitchell, who saw Earth from the moon in 1971, said: “You develop an instant global consciousness, a people orientation, an intense dissatisfaction with the state of the world, and a compulsion to do something about it.”

Simply taking time for mindfulness and meditation you too can awaken to the sacredness of life. Your heart can be touched and tender. Then you care. As the Dalai Lama said on Monday, “Compassion is simply taking care – of your community, of your brothers and sisters. Lovingkindness is expressed in community. Taking care of each other is taking care of your future. This is a matter of our own survival.” This is why we meditate, to remember the mysterious vastness of being and the infinite love of all creation born in each of us as we muddle through this life together, moment by moment, under the starry sky. 

~Trudy Goodman

when I remember to look up at bedtime….

inquiry for today~ how many times can you re-remember today?

where hope meets care

Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.

~Calvin Coolidge