that it be filled,
and it will be filled.
You may be pushed down.
You may be kept from rising.
But no one can keep you
from lifting your heart
toward heaven—
only you.
It is in the midst of misery
that so much becomes clear.
The one who says nothing good
came of this,
is not yet listening.
—Clarissa Pinkola Estes
— 10 —
The Greatest Truth of Love
don’t be afraid
of what you do not understand
and cannot yet grasp
if you are lost
in the dark night of the soul
nothing has ever happened
that was not meant
even if your thoughts
tell you this is not so
we share the same intertwined heaven
we are carried and held in the same light
we are loved in the same light
light will not elude you
let every breath
fill your mind with peace
let your soul unfold courageously
in divine wisdom
and open itself for the beautiful things
that want to enter your life from the future
the greatest truth of love
the only thing that matters
is that you are alive.
—Swedish Chant
— 11 —
A Guide for Those Who Have Lost Their Way
May I become at all times, both now and forever
A protector for those without protection
A guide for those who have lost their way
A ship for those with oceans to cross
A bridge for those with rivers to cross
A sanctuary for those in danger
A lamp for those without light
A place of refuge for those who lack shelter
And a servant to all in need.
—Buddhist Prayer of Peace
— 12 —
Only Connect
A thousand fibers connect us
with our fellow men;
and among those fibers,
as sympathetic threads,
our actions run as causes,
and they come back to us as effects.
—Herman Melville
— 13 —
We Are on the Same Path
Religions are different roads
converging upon the same point.
What does it matter
that we take different roads
so long as we reach the same goal.
—Mahatma Gandhi
— 14 —
For Every Care, a Promise
May God give you
For every storm, a rainbow
For each tear, a smile
For every care, a promise
And a blessing in each trial.
A faithful friend to share,
For every sigh, a sweet song,
And an answer for each prayer.
May the blessing of God’s soft rain be on you.
—From Irish Oral Tradition
— 15 —
The Buddha’s Guide to Gratitude
Give thanks
For what has been given to you,
However little.
Be pure, never falter.
—Buddha
— 16 —
Seek and Ye Shall Find
Ask, and it shall be given you;
Seek, and you shall find;
Knock, and it shall be opened to you.
For whoever asks, receives;
