Hello everyone!
Thank you so much for the encouraging comments about my blogs! I’ve received many positive remarks. I’m glad many of you are enjoying it. I'll be sure to write more about my experiences in the near future!
I came across this Buddhist passage in a book I was reading. I shared it in a private facebook group which is devoted to the forty-four Peace Corps Volunteers from my trainee class who dispersed to all the different islands of the Eastern Caribbean. I thought this quote was pertinent to all of our current situations as people in Peace Corps but I realized that it would be terrific for anyone to see. They all responded to it in a positive manner so I would like to share it with all of you as well. I hope that you all enjoy.
"May I be a guard for those who are protectorless,
A guide for those who journey on the road.
For those who wish to go across the water,
May I be a boat, a raft, a bridge.
May I be an isle for those who yearn for landfall,
And a lamp for those who long for light;
For those who need a resting place, a bed;
For all who need a servant, may I be their slave.
May I be the wishing jewel, the vase of plenty,
A word of power, and the supreme healing;
May I be the tree of miracles,
And for every being, the abundant cow.
Like the great earth and the pervading elements,
Enduring as the sky itself endures,
For boundless multitudes of living beings,
May I be their ground and their sustenance.
Thus, for every single thing that lives,
In number like the boundless reaches of the sky,
May I be their sustenance and nourishment
Until they pass beyond the bounds of suffering."
- Shantideva
I came across this Buddhist passage in a book I was reading. I shared it in a private facebook group which is devoted to the forty-four Peace Corps Volunteers from my trainee class who dispersed to all the different islands of the Eastern Caribbean. I thought this quote was pertinent to all of our current situations as people in Peace Corps but I realized that it would be terrific for anyone to see. They all responded to it in a positive manner so I would like to share it with all of you as well. I hope that you all enjoy.
"May I be a guard for those who are protectorless,
A guide for those who journey on the road.
For those who wish to go across the water,
May I be a boat, a raft, a bridge.
May I be an isle for those who yearn for landfall,
And a lamp for those who long for light;
For those who need a resting place, a bed;
For all who need a servant, may I be their slave.
May I be the wishing jewel, the vase of plenty,
A word of power, and the supreme healing;
May I be the tree of miracles,
And for every being, the abundant cow.
Like the great earth and the pervading elements,
Enduring as the sky itself endures,
For boundless multitudes of living beings,
May I be their ground and their sustenance.
Thus, for every single thing that lives,
In number like the boundless reaches of the sky,
May I be their sustenance and nourishment
Until they pass beyond the bounds of suffering."
- Shantideva
This quote perfectly reinforces the perspective about the sacrifices we all need to make because of the way that we are all interdependent on each other. If people adopted this passage’s mentality it would generate extraordinary results for our future.
Joan, Jake, Jeff, Dawn, and mom: I request that you share this quote with our fellow Salvation Army volunteers before going over to the shelter on one of the upcoming Wednesday evenings. Potentially, it could put them in a great mindset for serving people who are less fortunate at the shelter. Also, tell all the volunteers that I miss them and hope their lives are filled with happiness!
Another quick thought: With so much uncertainty among human beings across the entire planet, we live in a frightening, unpredictable world. We have some very serious questions that need to be addressed. So many people are going through their lives in a constant state of fear about things like starvation, war, government corruption, incurable diseases, economic deterioration, lack of renewable resources, unemployment, etc. I believe that each individual’s positive actions are of the utmost importance in securing our future. We must all be conduits of change.
“When many little people
In many little places
Do many little things
Then the whole world changes” – from the Michael Franti song called “Gloria.”
Be well,
Be well,
Joe
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