I live in the country 100 yards off a small lane. A few days ago the snowstorm came through and as it finished depositing its 24″ of snow, I looked out the window at the driveway and thought to myself, we’re snowed in for at least the next four days….

Read the rest of this post on my blog at the Huffington Post…

he butterfly throws itself into the burning fire If you must love, then you will need that much courage At each step, the heart is pushed to its limits, At each breath, it is tested, If you must love, then you will need that much courage.

Who can we trust,anymore? Tiger Woods, Mark Mcguire ,John Edwards,Eliot Spitzer All our would-be idols have toppled themselves. And it does seem to point out the illusion of “heroes”. We would gladly traipse after our “annointed” few and forego the simpler,unadorned practical – albeit healthy – life styles that this country was founded upon.There seems almost to be a fragrance in the air that we dare not miss or else our lives will have been without flavor or even meaning.
Think back on that pithy phrase “If it seems too good to be true it usually is”. The Buddhists seem to have their finger on it – Awareness/mindfulness is the means and also the goal. In the monastery I was given the duty of sweeping a wide path – some 600 meters long. At first I rebelled and dreaded the monotonomous work but as I learned to concentrate and became more aware, I learned to love this work and after several months you coudn’t pry me from my “sweep detail” with a crowbar.So, my dear friends we need very little to bring peace to our hearts. Be content with our allotted portion and remember another Buddhist truth (in this case 4 noble Truths)
All life is Suffering
All suffering is caused by desire
Eliminate desire – eliminate suffering
The 8 fold path:
Right intention,right thinking,right action,right meditation,right prayer,right duty,wisdom and compassion.

The sage said
We might have
A good marriage
In our seventies.

I wondered at the time
What that meant.

For life and marriage
I had found
Were flawed and temporal
At best.

Now,the fruit tree planted
Years ago brings forth
Fruit so sweet
To the taste.

The tap root has gone deep
And the tree rejoices
Tasting deeply the
Nectar of the earth.

In quietness lies the beauty
the understanding and wisdom
Far from the
Winds of change.

The sage was right.