Life’s Pleasures
Posted by Psychological Wisdom
Imagine a world without pleasure. Life would appear colorless and humorless. A baby’s smile would go unappreciated. Foods would be tasteless.
— Robert Ornstein and David Sobel in Healthy Pleasures
Prayer
May the God whose longing is for justice
And whose passion is for freedom for all
Strengthen us to work for all that makes for peace.
— from Timeless Prayers for Peace, edited by Geoffrey Duncan
Literary Wisdom
"In a city, perhaps more than in any other locale, we have God's face all around us, if we look for it — not in the sky, but in the faces of others. Whether we're talking about Los Angeles or Louisville or Bakersfield or Bend, cities can show us how varied we are as human beings: varied in ethnicity, race, age, style, health.
— Marcy Heidish in Soul and the City
Spiritual Wisdom
To learn to laugh is not merely a secular pleasure, it opens onto the sacred realm. Spiritual traditions from around the world teach us not to take ourselves too seriously.
— Drew Leder in Spiritual Passages
Poem
Dear companions,
We have been in love with God
For so very, very long.
What can Hafiz now do but
Forever Dance!
— Daniel Ladinsky rendering of a Hafiz poem in I Heard God Laughing
Tibetan Buddhist Wisdom
The Dalai Lama was once asked how to teach children compassion in a world full of violence and intolerance. And he replied, “Teach them to like and respect insects.”
— His Holiness the Dalai Lama, quoted in Step Out Gently by Helen Frost
Blessing
The blessing of God and the Lord be yours.
The blessing of the perfect Spirit be yours.
The blessing of the three be pouring on you
Mildly and generously, more and more
And forever.
— Ray Simpson in Celtic Blessings