Cat Wisdom

 

Gong Xi Fa Cai

 

Gong Xi Fa Cai!  May we wish you all a happy, healthy and prosperous Year of the Horse!

New Year's Day is not just the start of a year - it's the start of how we choose to live.  It is also about letting go of our attachments, our mundane desires.  

Wishing you and your loved ones a year of peace and light.

With Metta,

DA

A Happy Reunion

 

How quickly the years go by!  Another Chinese New Year is here - this time it's the Year of the Horse - so another round of spring cleaning and de-cluttering and  finally, on new year's eve, we were able to sit down for a "reunion" dinner,  This is a very auspicious occasion symbolizing unity and family bonding and of course we think of ourselves as one big family!  

We had a wonderful surprise when two or three families from the river came to the temple and presented us with Mandarin oranges.  They were very appreciative of the sermons that APK had delivered during their "peace walk" and were showing their gratitude.  

Dinner was a simple but delicious meal of rice and various vegetarian dishes cooked by Head Nun.  As we ate,  we could hear firecrackers exploding with loud bangs together with the noise of heavy traffic outside.  We were so glad we were safely inside the temple away from all the din!

Of course the "Walk for Peace" monks were still very much in the minds of the nuns and APK asked Head Nun whether she had any news of them.  Head Nun is the only person in the temple who has a mobile phone but then it's only for emergency use.  Head Nun very kindly agreed to share some "footage" of the monks' journey from her phone and after that, she read to us one of the messages from their FB page.  It was about mindfulness -  a gentle reminder to us all to practise this teaching.  I am very happy to share this message below:

✍️" Words Born from Peace - The words we speak to others—to our loved ones, our spouses, our children, our parents, our friends, to people we meet—are shaped by what lives inside us in the moment we speak them.

When we are mindful with our actions in daily life, when we bring peace to our inner minds by being present with our breath, something shifts. We gain clarity. We can see more clearly what words will help, what words will heal, what words will bring comfort instead of pain.

But without that mindfulness, without that inner peace, we lose our way. We get swept up in anger before we realize what's happening. We misunderstand people's intentions. We speak from hurt or frustration, and our words—without meaning to—create suffering for the very people we care about most.

How many times have we said something harsh to someone we love, only to regret it moments later? How many times have our words caused pain we never intended, simply because we spoke from inner chaos instead of inner calm?

When we are at peace, when we are present with our own breath and aware of our state of mind, we naturally speak differently. We pause before we react. We listen more deeply. We respond with care instead of impulse. We find words that build up instead of tear down, that soothe instead of wound, that bring understanding instead of creating distance.

It is such a beautiful thing to bring happiness to people with our words. To make them feel cared, valued, loved. To ease their suffering instead of adding to it. To speak in ways that heal rather than harm.

And it all starts with this: being mindful. Choosing peace for our inner minds. Noticing our breath. Paying attention to what we're feeling before we let those feelings determine what we say.

When we walk peacefully within ourselves, our words become gifts we can offer others with care and intention.

May we all learn to speak from that peaceful place. May our words bring more happiness and less suffering to everyone they touch.

May you and all beings be well, happy, and at peace."

We went to bed with this piece of wisdom to reflect on.  

May you and all beings be well, happy and at peace.

Sadhu, Sadhu, Sadhu.

Happy Valentine's Day!

 

To all my human friends, Happy Valentine's Day!  Don't forget - the best gift you can give your Valentine is not a bouquet of flowers or chocolate but loving kindness straight from your heart!

With Metta,

DA

Cat Wisdom

 

Cat Wisdom

 

Cat Wisdom

 

Speak softly.  Speak kindly.

Before you speak, think:

Is it the truth?

Will it hurt anyone?

With Metta,

DA

May You Be Happy

I sit so still, I breathe in slow,

Hands together, heart all aglow.

I close my eyes, I smile inside,

Loving kindness is my guide.

May you be happy, may you be well,

May you be peaceful, my heart can tell.

Near or far, big or small,

Loving kindness is for all.

First for me, I gently say,

May I be happy every day.

May I be safe, may I be kind,

May calm and joy fill up my mind.

Now for my friends and family too,

Teachers, neighbours, old and new.

Even those who make me sad,

I send them love I know I have.

Like the sun that shines so bright,

Like the moon that glows at night,

My kind heart grows and grows each day,

Sending love in every way.

May all beings happy be

In the land, sky and sea.

With a smile and a caring call,

Loving kindness is for all.

With Metta,

Da

(Grateful thanks and loving kindness to the author of this song)

Thought for the Day

 

How many of us can practise this?

A Prayer for All

 

May loving kindness flow freely from your heart today and everyday.  

May you and all beings be well, happy and at peace.

With Metta,

DA