I have learned over the years
that what is sacred
is in everything,
everywhere.
I am connected to it
by opening my eyes,
being present to it,
alive to it,
and willing to let it in.
There is the sacred,
and then
there is the profane.
The more I find what is sacred in the world
the more my windows are filled,
and the profane
takes up less and less space,
for there always seems to be a purpose to the profane
that transforms ordinary things or ugliness
into the sacred over time.
We search for beauty and goodness
even in things that repulse us,
all in the name of seeing what is sacred.
Perhaps the profane is not simply the profane,
but the sacred profane,
like the bespoiled skies over Gary, Indiana
when we drove through in my teenage years,
or the rotting garbage and chemical waste
washing up on the shores of the Hudson River . . .
the tortured bodies of thousands of people,
broken and beaten and raped,
sprawling in landfills all over the world.
I see these things as sacred
in that they are profane in their irreverence of what we strive for,
just as clearly
as we see the sacred sun rising every day
and the goodness we spread through out the world.
Nature is sacred
and pays us no mind
until we desecrate her body.
I don’t quite see things as good or evil,
because sometimes evil begets good,
and other times good begets evil..
in that they show us very clearly
that redemption
is always a possibility . . .
there is always tension between the two.
Perhaps that is how balance is restored in the Universe.
If there was no darkness,
then how could we know the light?
How is it
that we survive in this crazy,
horrifyingly ugly
and gloriously beautiful world?
I have yet to find the answer,
but I’m ready to find meaning in this mystery. ♥
All beings connect me to a sense of the sacred such as seeing reflection on the mirror or the shadow of my reflection knowing that I did not have the power or ability to create any part of my body, or just to be alive – this just meaningful to me today since I just returned home from being in the hospital for almost two weeks, and being blessed with my senses even though I am loosing some of the senses functions or when I stop to be present so that I can be aware of my being and others, or the unexpected opportunity to wonder and wander, or desire to be curious and be rewarded with unexpected awe or different outcome or just to be alive ….
Truth is what connects everything.
Letting go of everything I fear to lose is what must happen- having said that I’m completely out of my comfort zone . I know this is the only way but attachment is tempting..
Christina, I’ve noticed a growing belief in god in myself too. It’s helped me navigate cultural politics as a 2nd generation Vietnamese American with a mild case of autism and bipolar mania immigrating to the US when I was 1.5yrs old. Despite my family being very accepting, the Traditional Asian foundation will always remain. Trusting god goes a long ways. After all, they created my parents. Also, it eases the burden on my mind where I can resort to corruptive backstage political maneuvering strategies less often.
The Ocean as it accompanies me when I am lonely
Grackles or Ravens chattering back and forth with their many varied vocalizations
A fragile butterfly
Wind on my face
Snowflakes
Patterns found repeated in nature and the cosmos.
Sitting quietly, helps me feel more connected to something sacred. Also, being alone in nature, is a good way for me to feel more connected to something bigger than myself. The sound of a small stream, the towering silence of a redwood forest, the vastness of a desert landscape, the quiet buzz of Insects a hot summer day, the roar of the surf, catching the eye of a coyote or a raven and having a momentary sacred connection.
I hope you all are having a peaceful and joy filled day. 🙏
I need a nudge or a reminder, like this question. I can reach the sacred quickly when reminded. Other reminders include: a sunrise/sunset, a good conversation, a beautiful object, a plant/animal/fungus, reading beautiful words, a song … many reminders. Merry Christmas/happy Hannukah everyone.
I have come to the conclusion that everything is sacred. I am sacred. You are sacred. All of creation is sacred. We are all Life. Our problem is that as a species we don’t know it. “The enemy are us,” Someone famous once said but who it was escapes me.
. There is nothing more real and more necessary than the relationship I build with myself. My mentor use to say that we are here to integrate our insides and our outsides. Until we are willing to do that hard personal relationship work, we will not succeed in building the relationships with others needed to re-member (real-ize) the sacredness of Life itself. We’ll just keep walking down the same old street, we’ll just keep coming around the mountain to the same spot.
Today’s quote from Br. David: “May you grow still enough to hear the stir of a single snowflake in the air, so that your inner silence may turn into hushed expectation.” is a reminder that becoming more self aware of the sacredness of my own life is vital. How else can I be open and willing to see the sacredness of your life and all of creation? I share a poem by Portia Nelson.
Autobiography in Five Short Chapters by Portia Nelson
Chapter 1
I walk down the street.
There is a deep whole in the sidewalk.
I fall in.
I am lost…I am hopeless.
It isn’t my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.
Chapter 2
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don’t see it.
I fall in again.
I can’t believe I am in the same place.
But it isn’t my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.
Chapter 3
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep whole in the sidewalk.
I see it there.
I still fall in…it’s a habit.
My eyes are open.
I know where I am.
It’s my fault.
I get out immediately.
Chapter 4
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.
Yes to all of this. 😁
Choosing to “walk down another street”. This is so good. Reminding me of the action that’s required make change. I can’t wait for it to come to me. And, integrating the “inside and the outside” has been my work lately. Thank you for this reminder. I am finding that much of the anxiety of my life was caused by this mis-match.
Hi Charlie…I found the the Portia Nelson poem helpful several years ago when I read Charles Whitfield’s book “Healing the Child Within.” I checked an that book is available on Thriftbooks.com. Used copies as cheap as about 6 bucks. The book really spoke to me as did my dear mentor (RIP) who always accented the need to integrate my outsides and my insides. I was seriously bullied as a child and to survive I couldn’t let the pain show. The word, “vulnerability” spoke weakness to me. Now it is one of my favorite words!
Carol Ann, thank you for the reminder that the work we do on ourselves–building a good internal relationship–is the foundation for the external. Sometimes it feels like everything is internal to me, especially during the inward times of winter. But we all contain the universe, and the practices we do inside by necessity are what reaches the outside as well. Wishing you a wonderful day.
When I open my mind, it leads me to accept people and things that were previously out of my perception. The openness brings me a sense of the sacred. Happy holiday to everyone! 🤶
My quiet meditative prayer time with the Divine.
Mother Nature in all her splendor.
Happy Christmas All.
May your holidays be merry, bright & blessed. 🙏🏻✨🕯️🎄✨🙏🏻
🕊️♥️
A good night sleep or afternoon nap connects me to the sacred. I wake up feeling well-rested. Quality time with Ngoc clears the mind and recharges the soul.
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I have learned over the years
that what is sacred
is in everything,
everywhere.
I am connected to it
by opening my eyes,
being present to it,
alive to it,
and willing to let it in.
There is the sacred,
and then
there is the profane.
The more I find what is sacred in the world
the more my windows are filled,
and the profane
takes up less and less space,
for there always seems to be a purpose to the profane
that transforms ordinary things or ugliness
into the sacred over time.
We search for beauty and goodness
even in things that repulse us,
all in the name of seeing what is sacred.
Perhaps the profane is not simply the profane,
but the sacred profane,
like the bespoiled skies over Gary, Indiana
when we drove through in my teenage years,
or the rotting garbage and chemical waste
washing up on the shores of the Hudson River . . .
the tortured bodies of thousands of people,
broken and beaten and raped,
sprawling in landfills all over the world.
I see these things as sacred
in that they are profane in their irreverence of what we strive for,
just as clearly
as we see the sacred sun rising every day
and the goodness we spread through out the world.
Nature is sacred
and pays us no mind
until we desecrate her body.
I don’t quite see things as good or evil,
because sometimes evil begets good,
and other times good begets evil..
in that they show us very clearly
that redemption
is always a possibility . . .
there is always tension between the two.
Perhaps that is how balance is restored in the Universe.
If there was no darkness,
then how could we know the light?
How is it
that we survive in this crazy,
horrifyingly ugly
and gloriously beautiful world?
I have yet to find the answer,
but I’m ready to find meaning in this mystery. ♥
My faith. Today I learned at Christmas mass that Bethlehem means ” house of bread”.
Sense of sacred brings peace into my life which I am grateful for.
Merry Christmas all 🎄🦌
All beings connect me to a sense of the sacred such as seeing reflection on the mirror or the shadow of my reflection knowing that I did not have the power or ability to create any part of my body, or just to be alive – this just meaningful to me today since I just returned home from being in the hospital for almost two weeks, and being blessed with my senses even though I am loosing some of the senses functions or when I stop to be present so that I can be aware of my being and others, or the unexpected opportunity to wonder and wander, or desire to be curious and be rewarded with unexpected awe or different outcome or just to be alive ….
🙏
Truth is what connects everything.
Letting go of everything I fear to lose is what must happen- having said that I’m completely out of my comfort zone . I know this is the only way but attachment is tempting..
Walking in the woods.Definitely walking among the trees.
My growing religious faith, growing because it connects me to sense of the sacred, especially on a day like today.
Christina, I’ve noticed a growing belief in god in myself too. It’s helped me navigate cultural politics as a 2nd generation Vietnamese American with a mild case of autism and bipolar mania immigrating to the US when I was 1.5yrs old. Despite my family being very accepting, the Traditional Asian foundation will always remain. Trusting god goes a long ways. After all, they created my parents. Also, it eases the burden on my mind where I can resort to corruptive backstage political maneuvering strategies less often.
That my bodily functions, at some level, cooperate with each other to make me whole.
Have a gentle day everyone.
The Ocean as it accompanies me when I am lonely
Grackles or Ravens chattering back and forth with their many varied vocalizations
A fragile butterfly
Wind on my face
Snowflakes
Patterns found repeated in nature and the cosmos.
Sitting quietly, helps me feel more connected to something sacred. Also, being alone in nature, is a good way for me to feel more connected to something bigger than myself. The sound of a small stream, the towering silence of a redwood forest, the vastness of a desert landscape, the quiet buzz of Insects a hot summer day, the roar of the surf, catching the eye of a coyote or a raven and having a momentary sacred connection.
I hope you all are having a peaceful and joy filled day. 🙏
I need a nudge or a reminder, like this question. I can reach the sacred quickly when reminded. Other reminders include: a sunrise/sunset, a good conversation, a beautiful object, a plant/animal/fungus, reading beautiful words, a song … many reminders. Merry Christmas/happy Hannukah everyone.
I have come to the conclusion that everything is sacred. I am sacred. You are sacred. All of creation is sacred. We are all Life. Our problem is that as a species we don’t know it. “The enemy are us,” Someone famous once said but who it was escapes me.
. There is nothing more real and more necessary than the relationship I build with myself. My mentor use to say that we are here to integrate our insides and our outsides. Until we are willing to do that hard personal relationship work, we will not succeed in building the relationships with others needed to re-member (real-ize) the sacredness of Life itself. We’ll just keep walking down the same old street, we’ll just keep coming around the mountain to the same spot.
Today’s quote from Br. David: “May you grow still enough to hear the stir of a single snowflake in the air, so that your inner silence may turn into hushed expectation.” is a reminder that becoming more self aware of the sacredness of my own life is vital. How else can I be open and willing to see the sacredness of your life and all of creation? I share a poem by Portia Nelson.
Autobiography in Five Short Chapters by Portia Nelson
Chapter 1
I walk down the street.
There is a deep whole in the sidewalk.
I fall in.
I am lost…I am hopeless.
It isn’t my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.
Chapter 2
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don’t see it.
I fall in again.
I can’t believe I am in the same place.
But it isn’t my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.
Chapter 3
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep whole in the sidewalk.
I see it there.
I still fall in…it’s a habit.
My eyes are open.
I know where I am.
It’s my fault.
I get out immediately.
Chapter 4
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.
Chapter 5
I walk down another street.
Yes to all of this. 😁
Choosing to “walk down another street”. This is so good. Reminding me of the action that’s required make change. I can’t wait for it to come to me. And, integrating the “inside and the outside” has been my work lately. Thank you for this reminder. I am finding that much of the anxiety of my life was caused by this mis-match.
Hi Charlie…I found the the Portia Nelson poem helpful several years ago when I read Charles Whitfield’s book “Healing the Child Within.” I checked an that book is available on Thriftbooks.com. Used copies as cheap as about 6 bucks. The book really spoke to me as did my dear mentor (RIP) who always accented the need to integrate my outsides and my insides. I was seriously bullied as a child and to survive I couldn’t let the pain show. The word, “vulnerability” spoke weakness to me. Now it is one of my favorite words!
Carol Ann, thank you for the reminder that the work we do on ourselves–building a good internal relationship–is the foundation for the external. Sometimes it feels like everything is internal to me, especially during the inward times of winter. But we all contain the universe, and the practices we do inside by necessity are what reaches the outside as well. Wishing you a wonderful day.
When I open my mind, it leads me to accept people and things that were previously out of my perception. The openness brings me a sense of the sacred. Happy holiday to everyone! 🤶
My Ngoc, it’s funny how that works. In hindsight, often times, it turns out that we overthink things.
AMEN!
My quiet meditative prayer time with the Divine.
Mother Nature in all her splendor.
Happy Christmas All.
May your holidays be merry, bright & blessed. 🙏🏻✨🕯️🎄✨🙏🏻
🕊️♥️
My heart and soul connects me to the sacred.
For those who celebrate – wishing you a Merry Christmas🎄
A good night sleep or afternoon nap connects me to the sacred. I wake up feeling well-rested. Quality time with Ngoc clears the mind and recharges the soul.
LOC, Yes, it is all about our relationship with self and others.
Carol Ann, this reminds me of Jennifer’s answer and my response to her from the question about allowing ourselves to rest from a couple days ago.