Every time we smile,

all the generations of our ancestors,

our children, and the generations to come —

all of whom are within us — smile too. We practice

not just for ourselves, but for everyone,

and the stream of life

continues.

 
Thich Nhat Hanh

The Higher Power

looks not only at our actions but

into our hearts to gauge our worthiness.

Through genuine inner modesty, acceptance,

and innocence you correct your own

errors and set an example

for others.

fifth changing line,

from The I Ching, or Book of Changes

Hexagram 63 / Chi Chi (After Completion)

(full text here)

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irma garcia, 4th grade teacher, uvalde, texas

makenna lee elrod, 4th grade student, uvalde, texas

The world is

like a ride at an amusement park,

and when you choose to go on it, you think it’s real,

because that’s how powerful our minds are. And the ride goes up

and down and round and round and it has thrills and chills

and it’s very brightly colored and it’s very loud.

And it’s fun, for a

while.

Some people

have been on the ride

for a long time, and they begin to

question: ‘Is this real? Or is this just a ride?’

And other people have remembered, and they come

back to us and they say ‘Hey! Don’t worry, don’t

be afraid — ever — because this is just a

ride.’ And we kill those

people.

…We always kill

those good guys who try and

tell us that — ever notice that? — and we

let the demons run amok. But it doesn’t matter,

because it’s just a ride, and we can change it any time we want.

It’s only a choice. No effort. No worry. No job. No savings

and money. Just a choice, right now, between fear and

love. The eyes of fear want you to put bigger locks

on your door, buy bigger guns, close yourself

off. The eyes of love, instead, see all

of us as one.

Here’s

what we can do

to change the world, right

now, into a better ride. Take all that money

we spend on weapons and defense each year and, instead,

spend it feeding, clothing and educating the poor of the world,

which it would do many times over — not one human being

excluded — and we can explore space together,

both inner and outer, forever.

In peace.

Bill Hicks

Even if I

were a god or a buddha

you’d be on my mind. I sit beneath

the lamp, a skinny monk chanting love

songs. The fierce autumn wind nearly

bowls me over and my heart

is choked with thick

clouds.

Ikkyu

As my love and my faith,

and my interest in the inner grew,

the darkness diminished, within and

without, and Lalla lost herself

in that light.

Lalla