Music by The Refusers

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Our True Heritage - A poem by Thich Nhat Hanh

The Road Ahead
Our True Heritage


The cosmos is filled with precious gems.
I want to offer a handful of them to you this morning.
Each moment you are alive is a gem,
shining through and containing earth and sky,
water and clouds.

It needs you to breathe gently
for the miracles to be displayed.
Suddenly you hear the birds singing,
the pines chanting,
see the flowers blooming,
the blue sky,
the white clouds,
the smile and the marvelous look
of your beloved.

You, the richest person on Earth,
who have been going around begging for a living,
stop being the destitute child.
Come back and claim your heritage.
We should enjoy our happiness
and offer it to everyone.
Cherish this very moment.
Let go of the stream of distress
and embrace life fully in your arms.

Thich Nhat Hanh

Vietnamese Buddhist Monk Thich Nhat Hanh's devotion to the path of truth is displayed strongly in his life and in his writings.  During the Vietnam war Hanh worked hard to reconcile North and South Vietnam. He has devoted his life to generating and bringing peace forth in the world.  These efforts got him noticed by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1967. Hanh now lives in France. He teaches, writes and conducts retreats, encouraging many to seek and find peace within themselves and the world.

Source:

http://peacefulrivers.homestead.com/thichnhathanh.html

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