Once Upon A Time …
by Michelle Maynard Koenig
Once upon a time there was a girl
who feared happiness
. . . now she laughs
who feared to speak
. . . now releases her voice
who feared imperfection
. . . now dances with truth
who feared death
. . . now trusts life
who feared love
. . . now introduces her soul to everyone
who feared tomorrow
. . . now welcomes today
who feared yesterday
. . . now recognizes its lessons
who feared the burden of doubt
. . . now soars on the wings of courage
Once upon a time there was a girl
who journeyed into her own;
nothing is ever as bad as it seems
nor is it as good as it can only be.
She finds the possible in the impossible
and life is like a dream.
Who Do I Have To Hate To Be Your Friend?
Who do I have to hate to be your friend?
When are we gonna see us is them?
Unforgiveness is the prison we are living in.
Who do I have to hate to be your friend?
Hello Mother, alone, we regret to inform you
That someone you love is not coming home.
Charles and Maggie, Thomas and Stephen,
Body for body, we call it “getting even.”
Ahmed, Mohammed, David and Abdul,
Along with Jameela, won’t make it to school.
Boaz and Leah, Jonas and Chavez are carried away.
Tell me which ones to grieve and which ones to celebrate.
Who do I have to hate to be your friend?
When are we gonna see us is them?
Unforgiveness is the prison we are living in
Who do I have to hate to be your friend?
Rage, like poison, we swallow the pill,
Making us sicker each day,
When it’s them we are trying to kill
We build a wall that’s unbending with shame.
Lands and languages differ but our pain is the same.
Haasad is wailing and mourning Ameer,
Joseph’s son Joseph is supposed to be here,
The blast – it happened so fast, Johnny could not get clear,
And the cry of his newborn son he’ll never hear.
Who do I have to hate to be your friend?
When are we gonna see us is them?
Unforgiveness is the prison we are living in.
Who do I have to hate to be your friend?
Who do I have to hate to be your friend?
(These introspective words were written by Bret Martin, aka “The Cancer Crooner,” from Santa Rosa; Tommy Smothers performed “Who Do I Have To Hate To Be Your Friend?” during a 2007 Live Vegas Stage Show at the Orleans Hotel, the video can be viewed HERE.)
No Apologies
by Michelle Maynard Koenig
I make no apologies for smiling
where light of the heart contrasts the darkness of fear;
I make no apologies for honesty
in witnessing my soul embracing itself in another soul;
I make no apologies for inquiring
the divine greater-than-I-am-and-know that expands boundaries of awareness;
I make no apologies for gratitude
for all that sustains;
I make no apologies for harmony
the concerto of life;
I make no apologies for love
the source of everything;
I make no apologies for being
everything and nothing
an infinite masterpiece.
You Deserve To Be Loved, Not Tolerated
by Michelle Maynard Koenig
Love the source within you. Then surround yourself with people who recognize that source. It matters not how many or how few. People seasoned with love will accept you for who you are or are not.
At this very moment …
there are people across the Earth similar to you.
People who are from all walks of life.
People who are feeling lonely or missing somebody.
People who are tolerated, but not loved.
At this very moment …
there are people across the Earth similar to you.
People who may find themselves in a situation or relationship that breeds chaos and angst.
People who have secrets haunting them day in and day out.
At this very moment …
there are people across the Earth similar to you.
People who wish.
People who dream.
People who hope.
At this very moment …
there are people across the Earth similar to you.
People gazing out the window of a car, bus, train, or even from the confines of their home,
and wondering if there are others in the world like them.
At this very moment …
there are people across the Earth similar to you.
People who, if you shared with them the self-doubt occupying your thoughts, the worries wrenching your gut in pain, or the faceless fears that continuously rob you of serenity, recognize the familiarity in their own life and understand you.
At this very moment …
there are people across the Earth similar to you.
People who could be reading these words, just as you are.
At this very moment …
I am writing this for you.
You are loved, not tolerated.
She Let Go
A poem written by Rev Safire Rose
She let go.
She let go. Without a thought or a word, she let go.
She let go of the fear.
She let go of the judgments.
She let go of the confluence of opinions swarming around her head.
She let go of the committee of indecision within her.
She let go of all the ‘right’ reasons.
Wholly and completely, without hesitation or worry, she just let go.
She didn’t ask anyone for advice.
She didn’t read a book on how to let go.
She didn’t search the scriptures.
She just let go.
She let go of all of the memories that held her back.
She let go of all of the anxiety that kept her from moving forward.
She let go of the planning and all of the calculations about how to do it just right.
She didn’t promise to let go.
She didn’t journal about it.
She didn’t write the projected date in her Day-Timer.
She made no public announcement and put no ad in the paper.
She didn’t check the weather report or read her daily horoscope.
She just let go.
She didn’t analyze whether she should let go.
She didn’t call her friends to discuss the matter.
She didn’t do a five-step Spiritual Mind Treatment.
She didn’t call the prayer line.
She didn’t utter one word.
She just let go.
No one was around when it happened.
There was no applause or congratulations.
No one thanked her or praised her.
No one noticed a thing.
Like a leaf falling from a tree, she just let go.
There was no effort.
There was no struggle.
It wasn’t good and it wasn’t bad.
It was what it was, and it is just that.
In the space of letting go, she let it all be.
A small smile came over her face.
A light breeze blew through her. And the sun and the moon shone forevermore.
Do You Know Your “No?”
“Live your daily life in a way that you never lose yourself. When you are carried away with your worries, fears, cravings, anger, and desire, you run away from yourself and you lose yourself. The practice is always to go back to oneself.” – Thich Nhat Hanh
Learning to Say “No” – It May Be Easier Than You Think
by Sandra Pawula
When someone asks you for time, pause. Tune into the alarms that are telling you the truth:
- Your stomach tightening
- Feeling annoyed
- A flattening of joy
- A pulling back
- A forced smile
- A voice in your head that wants to respond, “Are you out of your mind?”
Practice new scripts so you can say no with grace.
- “Thank you for asking, I would be happy to help. I charge XYZ. Are you ready to start?”
- “I’m honored you asked, but I won’t be able to help right now.”
- “Let me think about it. I’ll get back to you tomorrow.”
Avoid saying “yes” right off the bat. Take your time and examine the pros and the cons. Ask yourself seriously if the new task fits comfortably in the agenda of your life. If it’s hard to say “no” in person or on the phone, then send an email or letter instead.
If you still want to give, remember you don’t have to give it all. You really can give an hour instead of a whole day. You can offer one idea instead of preparing a full essay. So consider how you can give in a balanced and workable way. Determine your limits and state them in a clear and confident voice. Others will be grateful when you mark a straight line.
When I practiced saying “no”, I discovered it was easier than I ever thought. “Hey, I can do this! I’ve done it once!” The slogan “Just Do It” applies like a charm. I was then encouraged to go on a 30-day fast from saying “yes” to others instead of myself.
You’ll find most people aren’t bothered. They will adjust. They’ll sort out the problem all by themselves or find another friend who can assist. Often, “indispensability” is just a phantom we’ve conjured up in our own head. In reality, life carries on just fine without us.
Understand Your True Purpose
Knowing your true purpose is the the best way to stay on track.
- “What is my personal mission?”
- “Why am I in this life?”
- “Is it to give endless favors or to accomplish a larger goal?”
These are the questions next in line to ask. They will take you one step further to saying a full “yes” to yourself.
Design each day with your mission at the top of the list. By staying true to your ultimate purpose, you will accomplish the greatest good and serve others in a far more effective and intentional way.
Ready to Say “Yes” to You?
Getting to “yes” is a journey, there’s no miracle pill. Chances are your adrenalin will pump the first few instances you reclaim your time. But the sense of liberation will also bring you great joy. So just keep moving forward whatever tests come your way. It will get easier and easier as each victory seeds the next.
No matter how long you’ve been over-giving, you can bring it to a stop. If I can do it after eons of relentless giving, I know you can too.
Sandra Pawula is a freelance editor, writer, and inner explorer. She shares simple wisdom for a happy life at Always Well Within.
The Last Meeting of Two Brothers: A Love Story
When you attain, when you are aware, increasingly you will not be bothered about labels like “awake” or “asleep.” One of my difficulties here is to arouse your curiosity but not your spiritual greed. Let’s come awake, it’s going to be wonderful. After a while, it doesn’t matter; one is aware, because one lives. The unaware life is not worth living. And you will leave pain to take care of itself. ~Anthony De Mello
| This is the story of the first meeting between two brothers, their last meeting, and of family events that took place in the interval. THE FIRST MEETING On the afternoon of the 29th of July 1944, a 13-year-old boy ran from his home to visit his mother in a maternity hospital in Bombay, India. His thoughts ran faster than his legs, for the hour of destiny had arrived. The boy’s future would be golden as he planned—if the newborn sibling were male. But the boy’s future would be of iron—the iron of an apprenticeship in the railways—if the sibling were female. The 13-year-old boy was Tony deMello, and I was the newborn infant. When Tony saw me, he said with joy: “… So now I can become a Jesuit priest!” THE LAST MEETING He was in the United States to conduct seminars on spirituality via a satellite linkup with 600 colleges in the US and Canada, and I was in Manhattan, sent by my Australian employers to work on a particularly interesting global project. In a telephone conversation earlier that day Tony had assured me that he had recovered from jet lag after the long flight from India. But as the evening progressed Tony complained of stomach unease. This should have rung warning bells in me…Tony NEVER complained…he was always at peace with whatever fate dealt him. After dinner we sat in a room to chat, and he left me briefly to take some medication. It did not help. What was planned as a few precious hours spent together was cut short by his increasing discomfort. He said he was tired and wished to retire early. |
 © Copyright Bill deMello Before parting, we agreed to meet later in the year at his Retreat House in India. Our last minute was spent in a big hug and we farewelled each other with choked emotion. The next morning Tony was found dead on the floor of his room. A day later Tony’s body was laid out in the chapel of Fordham University. He looked so vibrantly alive that I could neither believe nor accept that he was dead. I broke down and sobbed … we had much unfinished spiritual business left unresolved. I went through the usual feelings of anger … Why did he have to die? Of sadness … I will never see him again. Of pain and guilt … I should have guessed he was going in for a heart attack and done something about it. Mostly of shock and disbelief … How could a seemingly healthy man, who had been given a clean bill of health by an eminent US heart specialist only months earlier, die of a heart attack? Should we call it fate, destiny, or God’s will? Those questions will remain unanswered till we brothers meet again; who knows where, who knows when. |
Until his sudden death on June 2, 1987, Fr. Tony de Mello was the director of the Sadhana Institute of Pastoral Counseling near Poona, India. Author of five best selling books, renowned worldwide for his workshops, retreats, and prayer courses, he aimed simply to teach people how to pray, how to wake up and live.
Most people, he maintained, are asleep. They need to wake up, open up their eyes, see what is real, both inside and outside of themselves. The greatest human gift is to be aware, to be in touch with oneself, one’s body, mind, feelings, thoughts, sensations.
For more information on the Anthony De Mello and his teachings, please visit www.demellospirituality.com. The site contains spiritual themes and exercises that can enrich and transform your life.
Be Not A Slave To Anything
by Michelle Maynard Koenig
Be not a slave to anything:
fear,
thoughts,
notoriety,
being right,
wrong,
or of insatiable greed.
Within the Corinthians’ text of old,
I am allowed to do anything, I’m told,
Yet, not every indulgence, you see,
is conducive to nurturing the essence within me.
Attachment is the shackles that binds,
A mind, heart, and soul, it does blind,
“Be not a slave to anything,”
Is simply the song my soul doth sing.
Perspective
Through eyes of peace,
I see all life a gift.
Through eyes of fear,
I see myself captive.
Through eyes of forgiveness,
I see humanity soar.
Through eyes of anger,
I see darkness roar.
Through eyes of serenity,
I see the power of stillness.
Through eyes of intolerance,
I see with blindness.
Through eyes of shame,
I see not my purpose.
Through eyes of clarity,
I see honesty courageous.
Through eyes of hate,
I see the soul bleed.
Through eyes of love,
I find everything I need.
Chung Fu: Inner Truth
Nine at the beginning [yang at bottom] means:
Being prepared brings good fortune.
If there are secret designs, it is disquieting.Nine in the second place means:
A crane calling in the shade.
Its young answers it.
I have a good goblet.
I will share it with you.Six in the third place means:
He finds a comrade.
Now he beats the drum, now he stops.
Now he sobs, now he sings.Six in the fourth place means:
The moon nearly at the full.
The team horse goes astray.
No blame.Nine in the fifth place means:
He possesses truth, which links together.
No blame.Nine at the top means:
Cockcrow penetrating to heaven.
Perseverance brings misfortune.
(Chung Fu [I Ching])
The wind blows over the lake and stirs the surface of the water. Thus visible effects of the invisible manifest themselves. The hexagram consists of firm lines above and below, while it is open in the center. This indicates a heart free of prejudices and therefore open to truth. On the other hand, each of the two trigrams has a firm line in the middle; this indicates the force of inner truth in the influences they present.
The attributes of the two trigrams are: above, gentleness, forbearance toward inferiors; below, joyousness in obeying superiors. Such conditions create the basis of a mutual confidence that makes achievements possible. The character of fu (“truth”) is actually the picture of a bird’s foot over a fledgling. It suggests the idea of brooding. An egg is hollow. The light-giving power must work to quicken it from outside, but there must be a germ of life within, if life is to be awakened.
THE LINES
Nine at the beginning means:
Being prepared brings good fortune.
If there are secret designs, it is disquieting.
The force of inner truth depends chiefly on inner stability and preparedness. From this state of mind springs the correct attitude toward the outer world. But if a man should try to cultivate secret relationships of a special sort, it would deprive him of his inner independence. The more reliance he places on the support of others, the more uneasy and anxious he will become as to whether these secret ties are really tenable. In this way inner peace and the force of inner truth are lost.
Nine in the second place means:
A crane calling in the shade.
Its young answers it.
I have a good goblet.
I will share it with you.
This refers to the involuntary influence of a man’s inner being upon persons of kindred spirit. The crane need not show itself on a high hill. It may be quite hidden when it sounds its call; yet its young will hear its not, will recognize it and give answer. Where there is a joyous mood, there a comrade will appear to share a glass of wine.
This is the echo awakened in men through spiritual attraction. Whenever a feeling is voiced with truth and frankness, whenever a deed is the clear expression of sentiment, a mysterious and far-reaching influence is exerted. At first it acts on those who are inwardly receptive. But the circle grows larger and larger. The root of all influence lies in one’s own inner being: given true and vigorous expression in word and deed, its effect is great. The effect is but the reflection of something that emanates from one’s own heart. Any deliberate intention of an effect would only destroy the possibility of producing it. Confucius says about this line:
The superior man abides in his room. If his words are well spoken, he meets
with assent at a distance of more than a thousand miles. How much more
then from near by! If the superior man abides in his room and his words are
not well spoken, he meets with contradiction at a distance of more than a
thousand miles. How much more then from near by! Words go forth from
one’s own person and exert their influence on men. Deeds are born close at
hand and become visible far away. Words and deeds are the hinge and
bowspring of the superior man. As hinge and bowspring move, they bring
honor or disgrace. Through words and deeds the superior man moves
heaven and earth . Must one not, then, be cautious?
Six in the third place means:
He finds a comrade.
Now he beats the drum, now he stops.
Now he sobs, now he sings.
Here the source of a man’s strength lies not in himself but in his relation to other people. No matter how close to them he may be, if his center of gravity depends on them, he is inevitably tossed to and fro between joy and sorrow. Rejoicing to high heaven, then sad unto death-this is the fate of those who depend upon an inner accord with other persons whom they love. Here we have only the statement of the law that this is so. Whether this condition is felt to be an affliction of the supreme happiness of love, is left to the subjective verdict of the person concerned.
Six in the fourth place means:
The moon nearly at the full.
The team horse goes astray.
No blame.
To intensify the power of inner truth, a man must always turn to his superior, from whom he can receive enlightenment as the moon receives light form the sun. However, this requires a certain humility, like that of the moon when it is not yet quite full. At the moment when the moon becomes full and stands directly opposite the sun, it begins to wane. Just as on the one hand we must be humble and reverent when face to face with the source of enlightenment, so likewise must we on the other renounce factionalism among men. Only be pursuing one’s course like a horse that goes straight ahead without looking sidewise at its mate, can one retain the inner freedom that helps one onward.
Nine in the fifth place means:
He possesses truth, which links together.
No blame.
This describes the ruler who holds all elements together by the power of his personality. Only when the strength of his character is so ample that he can influence all who are subject to him, is he as he needs to be. The power of suggestion must emanate from the ruler. It will firmly knit together and unite all his adherents. Without this central force, all external unity is only deception and breaks down at the decisive moment.
Nine at the top means:
Cockcrow penetrating to heaven.
Perseverance brings misfortune.
The cock is dependable. It crows at dawn. But it cannot itself fly to heaven. It just crows. A man may count on mere words to awaken faith. This may succeed now and then, but if persisted in, it will have bad consequences.
(The source of the above commentary can be found at http://deoxy.org/iching/61. For more information on I Ching, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Ching.)
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