“Compassion-

Once you’ve seen the face of god,

You see that same face on everyone you meet.”

I wrote yesterday about having feelings of authentic acceptance of others and their individual uniqueness as a foundation of building relationships. Upon reflection, I wonder if having compassion for others is what I meant by feeling authentic acceptance of others. I’ve reminded myself that it is one of my core beliefs that living in a better world starts with an appreciation of the connectedness or oneness of all things, it builds with feelings of compassion for all things, and it is renewed through awareness, mindful practice, and being in nature. Self-cultivation is a continuing upward journey that begins with a decision to embark on the journey. By reflecting on these topics, I self-cultivate! I look for clarity through reflection and meditation… in nature. So today, a new day to begin again, I’ve included a three insightful morning meditations (one listed above) from Deng Ming-Dao’s “365 Tao – Daily Meditations”.

Beginning-

This is the moment of embarking.

All auspicious signs are in place.

To connect strongly with our inner selves, we must first decide to commit to daily self-cultivation. In order to start, we must first decide.

Once we decide, all things come to us. Auspicious signs are not a superstition, but a confirmation. They are a response. Even the mountains and valleys will reverberate to the sound of our purpose.

Renewal-

City on a hill,

Untouched land beyond.

A fallow field is

The secret of fertility.

In nature, we find the nurturing quality of freedom… new possibilities without social impositions. We need time to fallow. None of us can maintain the fertility of our beings without renewal. Our survival depends on the preservation of the wilds.