The lotus is the most beautiful flower, whose petals open one by one. But it will only grow in the mud. In order to grow and gain wisdom, first you must have the mud, the obstacles of life and its suffering. . . . The mud speaks of the common ground that humans share, no matter what our stations in life. . . . Whether we have it all or we have nothing, we are all faced with the same obstacles - sadness, loss, illness, dying and death. If we are to strive as human beings to gain more wisdom, more kindness and more compassion, we must have the intention to grow as a lotus and open each petal one by one. (Goldie Hawn)

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The Holy Isle, Firth of Clyde

One day Ryokan a Zen master was walking on the beach. There had been a severe storm and thousands of little starfish had been washed up on to the sand. Realising that they would soon die, he started to pick them up and throw them back into the sea.

A fisherman who was going for his boat saw what Ryokan was doing and told him he was wasting his time. There were thousands of starfish lying on the shore and, since there was no possibility of rescuing them all, his efforts would make no difference.

Indicating the starfish in his hand, Ryokan replied, “It will to this one.”

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A star looks down at me,
And says, “Here I and you
Stand, each in our degree;
What do you mean to do -
Mean to do?”

I say, “For all I know,
Wait, and let Time go by,
Till my change come,” “Just so,”
The star says, “So mean I -
So mean I.”
(Thomas Hardy)

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This video was uploaded by bcsyddonxu

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Namasté