A poem inspired by Thomas Merton and D.T.Suzuki

Listen

We humans are too concerned with things.
Activities,things and too many people clutter our life.
All this clutter causes us to lose sight of the beauty,of the simplicity of this life.
Listen in an open room undisturbed by man-made devices.
Do not be afraid of what you might hear or think.
We have forgotten to listen for the beauty.
The beauty of the ocean waves upon the shore,the wind through the trees,brushes and homes.
Accept and embrace this beauty which is life.
Leave behind the clutter and confusion we have created.
Only then will you truly experience the beauty of this life.

Thomas Merton

If you were compiling a short list of the greatest twentieth century christian thinkers and writers, you would have to put Trappist monk Thomas Merton on it.To say he was a prolific author is an understatement.Merton wrote on a wide variety of subjects,some of which pertained to deepening your relationship with Christ and monasticism, as well as contemporary issues such as race relations,eastern religions and the brotherhood of man.His book, The Seven Storey Mountain(An Autobiography of Faith), is a fascinating account of a young man's life and journey to faith and his subsequent total committment to that faith.
Acquainted with tragedy at a young age,Thomas Merton was a seeker who never stopped looking and appreciating the people and world around him.

On Generosity by Thich Nhat Hanh

The author of the below excerpted article is Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese buddhist monk,writer and peace activist.He is a prolific writer who was an outspoken opponent of the French,and later American presence in his homeland.Exiled from Vietnam for several decades due to his faith and political views; Nhat Hanh writes eloquently of the need for us to live simply and with a deep appreciation of everything and everyone that is around us.He encourages us to savour each moment of this life as well as to reach out to others who are in need.
I recognize that some christians have a problem with other christians who acknowledge those of different faiths as being an inspiration in their lives.I would respond to this by saying that there are common threads which run through many of the world's religions.Love,peace,the sanctity of life and the need for altruism are a few that come to mind.There are people who don't share my faith but have deepened mine through their writings and lives.Thich Nhat Hanh is one of those people.
"The feeling of generosity and the capacity for being generous are not enough.We need to practice our generosity.This takes time.We may want to help others to be happy,but we are caught in the problems of our own daily lives.Sometimes one pill or a little food could save the life of a sick or hungry child,but we may think we do not have the time to help.It costs only about twenty cents to provide both lunch and dinner for a poor child in many countries.There are many simple things like this we can do to help people,but we do nothing because we think we cannot free ourselves from our busy lifestyles."(Taken from the book Interbeing by Thich Nhat Hanh).
Nhat Hanh touches on something we will address more in future articles,that many people have lost control of their lives.They've fallen into a lifestyle that has shut out their dreams,aspirations, and ultimately, their humanity.

What We are all About

Through articles and quotes from this author and others,this blog hopes to encourage people in two areas.
One,is to appreciate and cherish each moment of every single day.Jesus is quoted in the sixth chapter of Matthew as saying,"do not worry about tomorrow,for tomorrow will worry about it's own things.Sufficient for the day is it's own trouble." A friend told me once many years ago that everyone is a diagnosis or an accident away from remembering what is really important in this life.In the world we live,it is very easy to get so caught up in having things and making more money to have and pay for yet more things,that we neglect relationships and the beauty of everything that lies around us.
The second thing this site wants to encourage, is reaching out and helping others.The title from this blog is inspired from the Epistle of James which says:"For as the body without the Spirit is dead,Faith without works is dead also." There are so many who are neglected and in need these days,it only takes a trip to an assisted living center,hospital or nursing home to see this.Frankly,I never cease to be amazed at how people who profess to be religious, and many churches also, seem to have forgotten about this "mission field." One only has to recall Jesus' words--"as you've done it unto the least of them, you've done it unto me."Helping others is not only what we should do, but it gives an individual such a personal joy in performing the seemingly simplest acts of charity.
I would add, that although I am a christian,this site will quote people of other faiths.Those preoccupied with "doctrinal purity" as it pertains to christianity, may be better served by perusing the thousands of sites relating to that area.With that said,I believe what you will read on this blog will inform, inspire and encourage you.New posts by myself will come out 2 or 3 times a week,the other days I will provide an introduction to excerpts from other authors.
Brother David