[This is a Series: Post 1, Post 2, Post 3, Post 4, Post 5, Post 6, Post 7, Post 8, Post 9, Post 10]
“The task is to move from happy endings to mature serenity in a world without happy endings.” - Paul Shepard
“We are here to awaken from the illusion of our separateness.” - Thich Nhat Hanh
“When doomsday comes, if someone has a palm shoot in his hand, he should plant it.” -Muhammad
“The entire cosmos is a cooperative. The sun, the moon, and the stars live together as a cooperative. The same is true for humans and animals, trees, and the Earth. When we realize that the world is a mutual, interdependent, cooperative enterprise — then we can build a noble environment. If our lives are not based on this truth, then we shall perish.” -Buddhadasa Bhikkhu
When contemplating sickness, old age and death a Korean monk said:
“Sunsets are beautiful too, not just Sunrises.”
I was recently helping a teenager process her emotions related to her mother dying (I a Zen hospice volunteer) and I asked her to practice putting her fear, anxiety and pain on the table in front of her. Just set them down for a moment so they aren’t consuming her. So she could look at them more clearly. This reminded me of this final quote:
“Casting all your anxieties on him (Jesus), because he cares for you.” -Book of Peter 5:7