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 Thank you for sharing the reading of the week with me. Before I went to bed last night, I set this as my morning (first thing after I wake up) reading. Of course we've heard it before - Money is not wealth. But just like many other things we hear, we read and it gets lost in the myriad of other real meaningful things that we should know and practice in order to leave a truly wealthy life. Today I shall carry this thought with me everywhere I go, keep it with me while I meet everyone that I do today. And at night I am going to reflect on it again.

But yes, just like the sailor, Ive found myself "poor" at times when what I really want is to be around family and all I am surrounded by are four empty walls. The photo frames and the art work will do nothing in making me feel better even though they add to my wealth or esthetics of my room.

Thank you all for taking the time to read my reflection. Have a great day.,

 Yes, I still find myself (often times) pursuing that experience and feel like I am just running around in circles and it's just my trail that I am chasing. But then some times, I stop trying to chase it and just live the life I am given and instead try to welcome the opportunities that life presents I live that experience. Both experiences bring about a new lesson and has its own joys.

 Great post, very thought provoking... however, sometimes I feel that, maybe the very process of starting social work w/o knowing why or have reasons like society or escaping from yourself, etc... (the act of planting the seed of social work) might act as a catalyst in igniting that very question... why am I doing social work? because like JK said, w/o clarity it will not make you happy.... you will continue to remain unhappy and we all know, no one wants to be unhappy... so eventually even the escapee will be forced to think and ask himself some questions and look inward for the answers... thanks for sharing.

Great passage. thanks for sharing.

Thanks for sharing this wonderful passage. It got me thinking about the times when I reflect inwards - what do I think then, am I nothing or I am what I am and accepting that and working towards a change that I want to be, a change in myself that I want to see. Somehow thinking of myself as nothing leaves me even more confused (for the lack of better word). I really like what Bill and Smita shared, echoing my thought off them as well :). Sometimes external factors and sometimes internal stimulus make me want to change certain things about what makes me, me - I used to try and incorporate changes in myself in an attempt to live up to all those expectations whether I agreed or not, I have grown since then. Being afraid, insecure, wanting attention and care, too young, too old are only blocks we've set ourselves up for. In that scenario I would like to apply the philosophy of I am complete: I have enough love and care and attention and I am in the right state of physical wellbeing and mental aptitude. It is an ever growing process :) Thanks for reading.

" They would suddenly see that the world is entirely different from what they had believed it to be." - Of course, because at that point we have started paying attention outside of our ownselves. I am not there yet, I am trying :). Wonderful passage. Thank you so much for sharing.

Wonderful passage. Thanks for sharing it. It is a nice way to look at love, to receive and give it away.. it makes me think of how we are shaped to think that we need love to grow, but after reading this passage, I think that the statement still holds but with a new meaning. We should look inside for that love and grow by giving it. Of course, easier said than done. So, I will keep trying :)

I don't like the title - this I feel after reading the passage. Well, at least part of the title. I feel that the very fact that you even spend your energy thinking about something outside your own self means that some sort of awakening has taken place albeit in the nascent stage.

"Because the fundamental fact about all of us is that we’re alive for a while but will die before long. This fact is the real root cause of all our anger and pain and despair" I disagree with this. Maybe remotely related it is because of the fact that that person is still selfish.

 

Thanks for sharing and reading. :)

Great article. Thanks to the positive influence of CFers and KKers, a lot of us have already seen how little a role money plays in governing our lives to spread kindness and happiness. There is always enough to go around. The fact that KK - Berkeley has not had a single Sunday shutdown goes to show the correct usage of money to enrich our lives by making money serve the community along with our service. At the same time, we need to understand that in the modern world, money does talk, but that does not mean money rules. Thanks for sharing the wonderful passage.

Wonderful passage. Accepting the "paradoxes" of life in various aspects make us unravel a new meaning of the word "paradox". For ex: feeling pain releases pain, experiencing noise when we strive for inner silence, etc... in the grand scheme of things, we are not able to enjoy laughter without it being at the expense of sorrow - at some level... and perhaps all paradoxes go hand in hand with their counterparts.

Also, the point where the author says that in order to "feel" a sense of safety, we do not like paradoxes. I think that we pretend to ignore that paradoxes are an integral part of our lives, just that we ignore it hoping that it will go away.

But the more we accept that, the more security we will feel in the insecurities that these paradoxes present ;-)

Have a great day.

Amazing intersection of science meeting philosophy! I guess new atoms doing the same dance is not necessarily true as new atoms might tweak the same dance to form a slightly new dance that may go on to become the "same dance" for newer atoms. However, it is simply amazing to know that there's way more left to discover than we might think.

To Prathiba: I think new atoms probably are derived from energy that is not created or destroyed so to speak... That's my take on it :)

Have a great day everyone.

Great passage, thanks for sharing :) While I try to implement this philosophy/kindess gesture, I often find myself in a situation where I feel forgiving may interfere with standing ground on certain things, very much realizing that this is not about the ego or being right, even just to get ur understanding across to the other person. so if I choose to turn the other cheek, there have been times that I have been misunderstood which has led to future hurt... but regardless of whether it is turning the other cheek to reciprocate with emotions of kindess and forgiveness or turning the other cheek to let that person smite you again, either way, I believe that there comes a point when self realization or conscience from the soul awakens.

Beautiful poem and a strong message driving me to really take a step back and read those line aloud again in order to feel all those moments when kindness arose in the weakest moments of my life; when I felt I did not have anything left in me, I felt the kindness inside me that helped me help others and myself. I find strength and hope in being kind  when I am just about to give up. The lines that stuck with me:

how desolate the landscape can be
between the regions of kindness.

Beautiful passage. I am glad that the author does not remember what Lobsang said to the child, because that would have distracted the reader. The following words hit me the most:

"the mutual flow of this special quality of attention between human beings that all people, whether they know it or not, are starved for"

We all have been there at some point or another, at least I have been there. Infinite amount of praises and kind words can't do what true compassion conveyed by warm attention put in by the wholeheartedness of being in that moment shared with the other person(s).

For me, it also ties in with NOT multi-tasking, even in our thoughts.

 

The last paragraph resonated with me the most! After reading the entire passage, I find myself thinking about "perspective".... no matter how small or large miseries may be either in hind sight or from an outsiders point of view, they always seem too big or too serious for us in that moment.... but it is our innate nature to spring back in positivity...which gives us the courage to face (or try to face) anything and everything in life with some sort of compassion and acceptance but not defeat or negativity...

What a great circle we had last night. I thank everyone for sharing their reflections...

I came across this article on Yahoo! today where Stephen Hawking talks about his changes in his beliefs in God and his ideas behind God and science.

 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100902/lf_nm_life/us_britain_hawking