"it's a question of discipline." the little prince told me. "When you've finished washing and dressing each morning, you must tend your planet."

in the whole of the universe there are only two: the lover and the beloved.

i give you the images i know
lie still with me and watch

sound when stretched is music,
movement when stretched is dance,
mind when stretched is meditation,
life when stretched is celebration.

have patience! in time, even grass becomes milk.

the very belief that violence is unavoidable is a root cause of violence.

work as worship

whatever you do is work - either physical or mental work • physically, you may be sitting quietly, but still mentally you may be doing a lot • so when are you not working? you work constantly, even unconsciously. So actually there is no distinction between work and worship. everything is work • so then, what becomes work and what becomes worship?

it's all in the mind • you think this is worship; you think that is work; that's all • when you cook something for god, it becomes prasad (blessed food) • when you cook something for yourself, it's not prasad, but the cooking is the same • when you go round and round the temple, you are circumambulating worshipping god • when you go round and round the cinema theater, you don't feel that way, but the walking is the same • the great acharya shankara once said, "my puja (worship) should be a continuous puja • whenever i walk, i feel that i am circumambulating your shrine • whenever i talk to someone i am repeating your mantra • every word is a mantra; every word is a prayer •" master sivanandaji used to say, "you should have the magic wand which turns everything you touch to gold •" with the right attitude, everything becomes yoga; all that you do becomes worship.

work becomes worship when you understand it and do it with joy as service to everybody • otherwise, it becomes a burden • god needs work; that's why he created you, not for you to simply sit before an altar and say, "god, you're wonderful; all glory to you •" he will say, "nonsense, stop that and go do in my job."

god is omnipresent • whatever you do to others, you are doing to god • so there's no difference between work and worship • you are working and worshipping at the same time • even when you bathe, the scriptures say that you are washing the god within • when you eat, the food is going to the god within • if you think that way, then you are constantly worshipping and serving god as the nature.

there were many great saints who never even went inside a temple • there was one who just cleaned and weeded the temple grounds, but he attained God-realization • another was a potter • all he knew was how to throw a pot • every day he made some pots • and set aside a few in the name of god, which he gave away for free • there was a barber saint • whenever he saw poor or sick people, he gave them a free shave • that was his service, and he attained realization just by that.

it's not what you do that's important, it's how you do it • don't think that only by sitting in front of the altar or by doing some chanting you are doing something spiritual • it's not even possible to sit and worship the whole day in front of an altar • rituals are not that important; they are only there to remind you • maybe that's how you begin, but it should not stop there • there should come a time when that spirit permeates your entire life.

whatever you do should be done joyfully as a service to god • then you don't even have to come and sit in front of the altar and do anything • you'll always be happy doing things outside and feel that that is your spiritual practice • if you make a distinction between your spiritual practice and your work, then you haven't grown up yet.

the bhagavad gita says, "whatever you eat, whatever you offer in sacrifice, whatever you give, whatever austerity you practice, do it as an offering to me •" everything is doing. You do worship; you do meditation; you do asanas; you do walk; you do talk • every action should be selfless; then you're a karma yogi • you're not even supposed to worship for yourself • you're not supposed to meditate for yourself • even if you meditate for yourself, its a selfish act.

everything should be based on selflessness • why should you meditate? to clean and calm the mind and make it strong so you can serve well • why should you even eat? to have enough strength and vitality to. serve • then even your meditation and your eating become karma yoga • so, ultimately, everything should become karma yoga • if you are living for the sake of everybody, serving god and his creation every minute with every breath, you are worshipping constantly • work becomes worship and every act is a part of that worship.

perhaps imagination is only intelligence having fun.

the smallest act of good is potent enough to overcome a world of night.

the devil can cite scripture for his purpose.

a ship in harbor is safe - but that is not what ships are for.

to forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover the prisoner was you.

'tis a gift to be simple
'tis a gift to be free
'tis a gift to come down where we aught to be
and when we find ourselves in the place just right
twill be in the valley of love and delight

tis a gift to be simple
tis a gift to be free
tis a gift to come down where we aught to be
and when we find ourselves in the place just right
'twill be in the valley of love and delight

when true simplicity is gained
to bow and to bend we shan't be ashamed
to turn, turn, it will be our delight
till by turning turning we come round right

when true simplicity is gained
to bow and to bend we shant be ashamed
to turn, turn, it will be our delight
till by turning, turning we come round right

would that there were an award for people come to understand the concept of enough • good enough • successful enough • thin enough • rich enough • socially responsible enough • when you have self-respect, you have enough, and when you have enough, you have self-respect.

simplicity doesn't mean to live in misery and poverty • you have what you need, and you don't want to have what you don't need.

my photographs at best hold only a small strength, but through them I would suggest and criticize and illuminate and try to give compassionate understanding • and through the passion given into my photographs (no matter how quiet) i would call out for a spiritualization that would create strength and healing and purpose, as teacher and surgeon and entertainer.

i'm very much against photographs being framed and treated with reverence and signed and sold as works of art • they aren't • they should be seen in a magazine or a book and then be used to wrap up fish and chucked away.

if only there were evil people somewhere, insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them • but the line dividing good and evil cuts through heart of every human being • and who is willing to destroy a piece of his heart?

for a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life • but there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, or a debt to be paid • then life would begin • at last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.

once you really commence to see things, then you really commence to feel things

michael strassfeld

light gives of itself freely, filling all available space • it does not seek anything in return; it asks not whether you are friend or foe • It gives of itself and is not thereby diminished.

it's a little like wrestling a gorilla • you don't quit when you're tired; you quit when the gorilla is tired.

vision is the art of seeing things invisible.

the sun, each second, transforms 4 million tons of itself into light... human generosity is possible only because at the center of the solar system a magnificent stellar generosity pours forth free energy day and night without stop and without the slightest hesitation.