Center of the Universe

“At the center of the universe dwells the Great Spirit. And that center is really everywhere. It is within each of us.”

—-Black Elk

Morning Trip (367)

”Nature reminds us that we cannot hold on forever. Only with letting go can new life come. . . . So autumn always makes me wonder what I am holding on to. What is it that I am afraid to let go of? . . . What must be put aside so that spring can arrive?”
—-John Izzo, Second Innocence: Rediscovering Joy and Wonder

Morning Trip (344)

Though I cannot flee from the world of corruption, I can prepare tea with water from a mountain stream and put my heart to rest.

—-Ueda Akinari

Morning Trip (343)

”From the center of my life, there came a great fountain…”

—Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat Pray Love (Used a line of poem from Louise Gluck)

Morning Trip (337)

“How can the divine Oneness be seen?
In beautiful forms, breathtaking wonders, awe-inspiring miracles?
The Tao is not obliged to present itself in this way.
If you are willing to be lived by it, you will see it
everywhere, even in the most ordinary things.”
–Hua Hu Ching, taken from The Essence of TAO by Pamela Ball

Morning Trip (318)

“…’I think about religion, most of it is same-same.’
‘Not everybody thinks so, Ketut. Some people like to argue about God.’
‘Not necessary,’ he said. ‘I have good idea, for if you meet some person from different religion and he want to make arguement about God. My idea is, you listen to everything this man say about God. Never argue about God with him. Best thing to say is, “I agree with you.” Then you go home, pray what you want. This is my idea for people to have peace about religion.’….”
–Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat Pray Love

Morning Trip (285)

“I like to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in.”
–George Washington Carver

Morning Trip (282)

“I do not ask of God that He should change anything in events themselves, but that He should change me in regards to things, so that I might have the power to create my own universe about me, to govern my dreams, instead of enduring them.”
–Gerard de Nerval