The Heart Of The Matter

Banana ‘heart’ blossom

The heart of the matter

Love is like a banana

Or be like an Ape

In response to The Daily Post’s weekly photo challenge: “Gone, But Not Forgotten.”

Educating the heart

Listening educates my mind and heart.

I must have listened to this video a hundred times.  Watching the video distracts me from listening so I converted it to voice only.  When I listen, I also like to jot down the words and I ended up transcribing the spoken words.  The key words compassion, acceptance and tolerance are words that I will keep in my heart and put into practice.

Listen and prepare ourselves in educating our mind and hearts.

(click to listen)

When a child is born,
we do everything we can
to protect them, nurture them, love them.

A child’s heart and mind are fragile.
As they grow, we want to teach them everything we know.

We send them to school
to fill their minds with wonderful knowledge
to give them the tools they need for life.

At school they get a taste what things are like in a world outside.
There’s friendship, romance, disappointment,
embarrassment, discrimination and bullying.

They are the tools we give them enough to prepare them for this world.

We have an enormous responsible and an amazing opportunity.
If we truly want to prepare them for the world outside,
we must also educate the heart.

Because to navigate the world outside
with compassion, acceptance and tolerance
we need to teach them
compassion, acceptance and tolerance.

This can begin in our schools and it can start today.

It can happen at hockey practice, dance class
and day camps and music lessons
and it’s already happening around the world
with astonishing results.

If we want our children to grow
into socially and emotionally capable young people,
we must ask for a balanced education
and put importance on educating both the mind and the heart.

Prepare them for this world.
Educating the Heart
The Dalai Lama Center for Peace and Education
Voice over by: Poet and author Shane Koyczan

You can view the video here.

 

Open your Heart

Open the doors of your heart.

Give special attention, love and prayers to all those who come to the door of your home and workplace.

Let this simple gift of self be a witness to the love of Christ among us.

The Pivot of My Heart

Japanese Art

 I sit beneath the cliff, quiet and alone. 

Round moon in the middle of the sky’s a bird ablaze:
all things are seen mere shadows in its brilliance,
that single wheel of perfect light… 

Alone, its spirit naturally comes clear.
Swallowed in emptiness in this cave of darkest mystery,
because of the finger pointing, I saw the moon. 

That moon became the pivot of my heart. 

 (Han Shan)

Listen with our heart (29)

This gallery contains 1 photo.

Back to Espace Bernadette.  Once we settled, Good Sister escorted us to Bernadette’s bedroom.  You know the room that I requested that I did not get.  The room is now converted into a chapel.  Subsequently, we followed the footsteps of Bernadette … Continue reading →

Friday Meditation (31)

Please relax as I guide you to a relaxing virtual tour of  Espace Bernadette.  Enjoy.  “Listen with your ears, more importantly listen with your Heart” –  Good Sister at Espace Bernadette.    “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; … Continue reading →

One Love, One Heart

On the way home last night, I went to Church for Lenten blessing.  It’s just like Christmas on Ash Wednesday.  It was a crowded service.  I can only assume we came to Church to be redeemed and be forgiven for all the “sins” we have committed in our thoughts, words and deeds. 

I went to be reminded that I am a mere mortal being, impermanent on this Earth and to receive the sign on my forehead.  This sign is given by the Priest.  He dipped his thumb in an ash, made a sign of the cross on my forehead and told me “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”  This line is derived from the story of how God made Adam, from a pile of dirt. Then I went home with a dirt mark while people stare at me with puzzled look.  And I just smiled. 

Meditating while walking and what came up to mind is the heart.  Is the heart the most important part of the body?  How come I have only one heart?  I have two hands, feet, eyes, lungs, ears; a pair of lungs, left and right hemisphere of the brain, etc.  It must be valentines, I brush off my thoughts. 

It’s a good thing that they came up with Valentine’s Day to distract people from the history of Valentine.  Personally, it’s my father’s death anniversary.  We will have a Celebration of Life but I won’t be able to make it due to work obligations.  I know, it’s only once a year.  Father will understand.  I do keep him in my prayers. 

My offering to you for Valentines is this heart: 

St. Francis of Assisi

Peace be with you.  Seeker

next is the brain

Charity begins at home
My heart is the best organ of my body, next is the brain
The best garden booster, Black Earth Soil
There are seven energy centres in our body which is called “Chakras”.  When I meditate, what is best for me is to connect the point in my head (brain) with my heart (home). 

The heart is for compassion, the brain is for intuition.
And here’s a song  I’m always going home.

This is in response to Daily Prompt: Free Association. It’s fun, come and join us.