Yes, you are ....

Envoi
God within me, God without,
How shall I ever be in doubt?
There is no place where I may go
And not there see God's face, not know
I am God's vision and God's ears
So through the harvest of my years
I am the Sower and the Sown
God's self unfolding and God's own.

From a tenth C. gravestone, St. Lars Church, Linkoping, Sweden

Going Nowhere

This TED talk is a reminder of our human need to just "be."

Going Nowhere

Quantum Religion

"I have dealt with the many questions of faith as it is presumed..and I am certain that each of us is conceived of the Spirit, born of Virgin, and bears their part in the sufferings and death of the Eternal."

 --- Mary Berlin

Understand.....

Change 
is the law 
of God's mind, 
and resistance to it 
is the source 
of all pain.

Atheist? =

Change 
is the law 
of the universe, 
and resistance to it 
is the source 
of all pain.

still Craig Ferguson

Thanks, Craig!!!

Happy Birthday!!

To proclaim your natal celebration
is not a boast -
for it is perhaps the most
to proclaim a toast
for being alive
and not being toast --- yet!!

 

70 isn't so bad .... so far! LOL!! Thanks to EVERYONE who sent me BD greetings!  

As one of my cards read (via Katie P.) -
"To be seventy years young is far more cheerful and hopeful than to be forty years old." 

        Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

I'm Tired

I'm tired ...
    Tired of the words and pics
    of war and agression. So stupid.
Why all this violence?!

They look like spoiled children
    playing games ---
When does it end?
    Who wins?  --- no one
    Who loses?  --- everyone

They are like spoiled children
   playing games ---
       with others' lives...
       with their own lives

There is so much
   to experience
in this wonderful world ---
Why keep one another
   from the joy of wonder?

Don't take life so seriously, kids.
   G₃ doesn't.

Become like little children, he said ---
   Full of wonder and joy --- now.
It's never too late.

agd

Blessings

To recognize a blessing is to be nestled already in the heart of God.

Perfect 2

An Invocation

This has been the most perfect prayer/insight I have come across.


God within me, God without,
How shall I ever be in doubt?
There is no place I may go
And not there see God's face, not know
I am God's vision and God's ears.
So through the harvest of my years
I am the Sower and the Sown,
God's Self unfolding and God's own.

Rune Stone, Asmund Karasun, Circa 1050 a.d
discovered in Vasterby, Uppland, Sweden..

Perfect Love

The Tao says:

Why do you work so hard

to achieve something

which disintegrates so quickly?

Why do you work 

so diligently

to reap more and higher 

"rewards" (even heavenly)?

It is all illusion.

This world passes

and along with it

all your sweat and determination.

We all receive

the same amount of love - infinite

the same amount of forgiveness - for the asking

the same amount of pardon - for the taking

the same amount of promise - salvation (the awakening)

The Tao is Perfect Love - 

not to be questioned,

but to be awed.

Be purposeful -

It's the reason you are here.
                                                agd 9.21.2014

Matthew 20:1-16

Why pray?

Why should I pray for peace .....
When I hear of the disrespect for life
    in Pakistan
    in Afghanistan
    in many areas of Africa
    in Malaysia
    in China, esp. Tibet
    in Mexico
    in Central American countries
    in South American countries
    in North American countries
    in MY country, the U.S.A.
    in European countries
    in every culture,
    on every continent.

Why are people so unhappy?
Why do people want to make others unhappy?
Why are humans so selfish?
This life is a short journey
and we should live awed by the experience.

The energy of chaos swells to fever pitch
guaranteeing the ruin of our future.

agd

The Fire of Life

Everything is burning ---
    Everything

We are on fire ---
from the greatest star
to the miniscule atom ---

Everything is burning ---
   Everything

We are on fire
--- change the craving fire
to being fire

The fire of desire
cannot be quenched,
but one can trasmute the desire
into compassion ---
The alchemist's dream

What you need to know
is how to deal with suffering

What is more miraculous
than the present moment?

                      agd

Forsooth!

Does grass compare itself
    to a tree?

Does a tree flinch at the filching of a finch ---
   or at the violent kiss of a woodpecker?

Does vermin determine
 the best place to learn in?

Does a fly sigh at the sight
   of its mate's flight?

And where does a carnation
   plan to go on vacation?

Why do humans worry
about every little thing?
It is all forgotten in a century's passing.

Live, laugh. love,
   forgive and believe you are forgiven.

And don't wander too far from  hOMe.

agd

Do unto others

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

You are not as separate a person as you think.
We are all linked, forged from the same kiln,
connected by channels you cannot see,
but through which travel the changing energies
of human experience.

Everything, every thing, everyone, every one is connected.

Therefore, what you do unto others, 
   you are virtually doing to yourself. 
      So, be nice to yourself ---
         Be compassionate to others.

agd

This is NOW!

This is NOW...
     
Humans invent and live "the past"
   and "the future" ---
both illusions of the mind,
but NOW is the experience
of everyone and everything.

How many species consider "tomorrow" ---
    or the "future" in any sense?

Does grass compare itself to a tree?
Does a tree flinch at the filch of a finch ---
   or at the violent kiss of a woodpecker?

When does a clam plan its day ---
   or the brainless starfish its route?

We live only in the NOW,
and no matter how much
we contemplate the past
or dream the future,
there is only NOW ---
for every one and
for everyone of us ---
all God's children, great and small.

                                                 agd

To Die or Not to Die....

This is an interestingly disturbing statistic (or is it?). Perhaps we are growing to take control of our destiny. Life does not end, but is transformed time and time again.

"According to the CDC, “the suicide rate among Americans 45 to 64 has jumped more than 30 percent in the last decade...Among white, upper-middle-aged men, the rate has jumped by more than 50 percent, according to the public data.” "

...."U.S. suicide deaths now outnumber deaths by automobile accident....."

It's raining!

Listen:
Tap, tap,
     Tappity-tap, etc.
   Myriad globes,
      conglomerates of hydrogen bonded to oxygen
         slamming into the stiff, metal roof.
Tappity-tap-tap-
     Tap-tap-tap....
The prayer wheel is still,
     but I'm listening.
                              agd

The Ultimate

PB & J = The ultimate comfort food!

Peace, Blessings and Joy!

Relish Life!

Every individual thing that exists  
is irrelevant, 
though we are programmed 
for self-importance. 
This is illusion. 
We are all eyes and ears 
of One reality. 
Relish the life.
                                            agd

I AM

I have been a priest
through many lives.
A priest offering prayers,
giving counsel,
playing the liturgy of faith.

I am still a priest,
always will be,
but I am not.

I see, I ponder,
I delight, I cry,
I live Life,
and only because
God desires it through me.

I am as God is.
I am.
                               agd

Miracles

God intervenes by invitation only.

Watching Sunlight

I watched sunlight today
playing with shadows
on a white trash can
in my kitchen.

It played 'round
the passing clouds
in the morning sky,
creating moving shadows
of things which were
not moving at all.

Now .. a crisp shadow...
then a brighter beam
and the shadows blurred
as the rays curved
'round and thru the clouds,
making the shadows
dance before me
on the blank whiteness.

I watched sunlight today
playing with shadows,
and it beamed with delight.
                                          agd

If not me, then.... who?

Future

 “Let others lead small lives, but not you. Let others argue over small things, but not you. Let others cry over small hurts, but not you. Let others leave their future in someone else's hands, but not you.”

― Jim Rohn 

Sometimes Memories

You know it’s coming,

But who expects it?

She came into my life

On this third leg of my life’s journey.

She walked with me,

Talked to me,

Meditated with me,

Slept with me,

Ate with me,

Her presence always expected.

And when apart,

I remembered her fully,

And often…

An Always Memory.

She grew old and weaker,

And left in a quiet moment.

Then, all I had was a memory …

Good memories,

Repented memories,

Happy memories,

Just … memories.

And the days pass,

And the months pass,

And the years fly by.

I don’t think of her as often.

She has become a Sometimes Memory.

But that’s not a bad thing.

Everything, everyone will become

A Sometimes Memory to me,

As I will to them.

That’s Life … and that’s OK.

Nothing is ever lost, really,

Nor totally forgotten.

All is recorded in the Akashic Records, God’s Heart.

At the least,

I will have been a memory to someone,

For some time,

For some thing I said or did,

Even if only a Sometimes Memory to most.

June 1, 2014

Troublemakers

Since no one really knows
anything about God,
those who think they do
are just troublemakers.

                                   --- Hafiz

Religion, for all its intent to keep humanity connected --- to one another and to God (Source of Life) --- has been the catalyst in creating violence and wars (in the name of God) throughout the centuries.

But thank God for Faith, which, in its best practice, counteracts the stupidity of religious fervor.

Creative Spirit

My mind is flooded
with ideas,
with words,
with pictures,
with music,
with invention,
with possibilities,
so easiily overwhelmed.

Then what do I follow?
What project do I start?
What possibility to develop?

Choose one? Which one?
Do I have the resources
to complete it?
How much do I need to do ... at all?

Tao speaks:
Do nothing,
and you will accomplish everything.

I need a personal assistant.

agd 7.12.14

The Last Line.....

If you have trouble believing in anyone or anything, 

at least believe in yourself, 

and in that, 

you believe in everything.

Loved

I joy in the memory…

A memory of love,

Of tenderness,

    of caressing

        and caring.

God’s gift to an old man,

Reminds me of His Love,

A smile of approval,

To know the touch of flesh,

And the breath of passion,

The warmth of a smooth kiss,

A look of tenderness,

     of acceptance,

No matter the state of the body.

For in that moment

    of passion,

We are both beautiful,

    desirable,

       and fulfilled.

Deo Gratias

                                     agd 1.28.09

Community

Burning, roaring Stars clustered together

Basking in each others’ light.

So incredibly distant are they

From each other

They know not

One another’s plight.

Burning, radiant Souls cluster together

Basking in each others’ light.

So sadly distant are they

By their egos’ traps

They know not

Each other’s life.

agd 6.29.2014

The Journey Within

To walk in Nature Is a marvel,

A lesson in creative diversity.

But my mind takes me INTO Nature,

Like a mini cam entering the stoma of a leaf,

Observing the structures of its molecules,

Congestions of atoms

Shining like stars

With their own planetary systems.

Microcosms…

Within the microcosm…

Within the macrocosm…

Within ….. ?

Every cell in every bodily structure

Vibrating, pulsing, singing,

Creating a symphony within my head ---

They call it Tinnitus –

(Sounds so high beyond the highest audible note)

And the ever-present OM,

Weaving melodies,

Yes, symphonies,

Notes pulsing,

Now forte, now pianissimo,

Undulating, sweeping phrases

Filling my inner space with sound,

Now swelling,
Now fading.

And in the course of time and activity

The vibrations outside the body

Vie for attention…

And often win.

This is just MY experience,

One of countless monads

With countless experiences…

And in any moment,

G₃ sees all, knows all,

Sighs and laughs.

agd 6.25.2014

Believer In Exile

Can one worship the Ground of All Being

In any other way

Than by fulfilling one's intended purpose?

                      

Can one please the Source of Life

In any other way

Than by daring to live life fully?

Can one honor the Source of Love

In any other way

Than by daring to love unconditionally

And with abandon?

Being… Living… Loving =

The Trinity of a perfect Life

                           Trinity Sunday 2014 - agd

E=MC2

The Scientist says “energy”...

1.       Always was, is and will be

2.       Cannot be created or destroyed

3.       Constantly evolves new material forms

We are a collection of energy in various forms, from the material to the ethereal.

The Theogian says “God”...

1.       Always was, is and will be

2.       Is the Creator of everything, therefore cannot be created or destroyed

3.       Constantly creates new forms and animates them

We are made in the image and likeness of God.

You are ....

You are not separate from the whole.
You are one with the sun, the earth, the air.
You don't have a life.

YOU ARE LIFE!
                                    E.Tolle, Guardians of Being

Sometimes Memories

You know it’s coming,

But who expects it?

She came into my life

On this third leg of my life’s journey.

She walked with me,

Talked to me,

Meditated with me,

Slept with me,

Ate with me,

Her presence always expected.

And when apart,

I remembered her fully,

And often…

An Always Memory.

She grew old and weaker,

And left in a quiet moment.

Then, all I had was a memory …

Good memories,

Repented memories,

Happy memories,

Just … memories.

And the days pass,

And the months pass,

And the years fly by.

I don’t think of her as often.

She has become a Sometimes Memory.

But that’s not a bad thing.

Everything, everyone will become

A Sometimes Memory to me,

As I will to them.

That’s Life … and that’s OK.

Nothing is ever lost, really,

Nor totally forgotten.

All is recorded in the Akashic Records, God’s Heart.

At the least,

I will have been a memory to someone,

For some time,

For some thing I said or did,

Even if only a Sometimes Memory to most.

Thanks, Camille.

June 1, 2014

Happy Summer?

Go ahead - keep confusing the hell out of me! On Saturday, May 31, the meteorologist kept saying this is the last day of Spring -- tomorrow is the first day of summer. What?? Never heard that before. So.... I dove into the Internet - I never knew this -- There are "astronomical" seasons and "meteorological" seasons. Go figure!! So, the meteorological seasons (based on the changing temps) consist of 4 months each - Mar-May, Jun-Aug., Sep-Nov, Dec-Feb. OK, I got it. Good grief. and... HAPPY SUMMER, Y'ALL!

Compassion starts with yourself

   “Chronic remorse, as all the moralists are agreed, is a most undesirable sentiment. If you have behaved badly, repent, make what amends you can and address yourself to the task of behaving better next time. On no account brood over your wrongdoing. Rolling in the muck is not the best way of getting clean.”

― Aldous Huxley

United We Stand, Divided ......

We should lean against each other more
In such a stange world as this
That can make you scared
And even make you believe in that lie called death.

We should support each other ---
Give more warmth
In such a demanding world as this.

Let all movement
Gently yield something of God....
For all in existence is just spinning
Like this sweet Earth...
In a divine currrent.
                                      Hafiz, Sufi poet/mystic

Memorial Day, May 26, 2014

A Quiet Morning

A quiet morning,

   No blaring news.

Nothing to disturb

   But the clicking of the prayer wheel,

And a passing robin’s shadow.

We are waiting for the sun

   To warm the air 

So we can mow the grass...

Such a violent, bloody practice!

The bugs are here – at last? Really?

Such wonderful creatures though …

    So many legs!

Not just two, like us,

And you would think four would be sufficient ---

But six, eight – Oy! – 50 or more!

Really?

Why would ANYone need so many legs?

Do they get anywhere faster?

Are they so heavy they need such support?

And where, oh where could they possibly get

Enough socks and shoes to match so many legs?

---If they were us?

Maybe that's why grandmas knit so much.

No, for them … barefoot is best,

I guess.

It’s a quiet morning,

   No blaring news,

Just the clicking of the prayer wheel

And a passing robin’s shadow.

Agd 5.9.14

IT"S ONLY A LITTLE SQUARE

It’s only a little square,

3” x 3” or so?

But in your hand you hold…

A history book… of the Earth,

Of humanity.

The atoms of this square once lived green,

Or walked in Eden,

Lived and died,

Was covered and pressed

For thousands, no, millions…

No, maybe billions

Of Earth’s solar orbits.

Then YOU came along,

By God’s hand, by design,

Discovering a black goo under your feet.

You touched it,

You studied it,

You smelled it,

You listened to it,

And discovered

A thousand uses for it:

To heat a home,

To create energy to run machines,

To light the darkness.

And by some scientific miracle,

Playing with its molecules…

New materials were made … like… plastic.

It’s only a small square,

3”x3” or so…

Unfold it, it grows,

It enlarges…

Until it becomes a container,

2’x3’ or so.

In your hand,

The molecules of a life once lived green,

A billion years in the cooking,

Thousands of mind hours to recreate,

And thousands of hours of muscle to manufacture,

And you throw it on a trash heap,

And bury it… again.

Selah.

                                        Agd 4.26.14

He is Risen!

The past few days,

dark and sad,

give rise to a new dawn,

a radiant light,

a sun of glory,

a healed heart,

a friend at my side

who guides me

in the way of love.

                                      agd

Let's Talk ... in Tens

Today's meeting is tentative,
but I will attend,
even if it tends to rain hard.
The discussion won't be intense,
and the result will be tenuous
at best.

agd - 2014

Christian Unity

Pope Francis - "Come on, we are brothers. Let's give each other a spiritual hug & let God complete the work He has begun " to Evengelicals in an interview with Bishop Tony Palmer - Om

Bonding

Grayson plopped into the crook
of my left arm,
resting his purring head on my clavicle.
He peered into my eyes.
Then he slowly stretched his thin arm,
catching my chin,
and lowered it across my chest.
A moment --- and we breathed deep sighs...
together.

agd 3.21.14

'Tis Spring, you know

The day's strengthening rays
   have not yet convinced
      the daffodils here
         to come out and play.

Do they know more than we?
Don't they look at the calendar?
Should we remind them?

"Hey, herbaceous friends! C'mon out!
This IS the first day of Spring, you know!"

                                                              agd 3.21.14

Reason for being.....

Service is the rent we pay for the privilege of living on this earth. It is the very purpose of life, and not something you do in your spare time.

Shirley Chisholm

A Short Story - The Beach

   What a salubrious day! He feels so blessed to spend this balmy, spring day at his most favorite place in all of life --- the beach. The smell of the ocean, the constant breeze, the gull cries, the white noise of the rhythmic surf --- it is mesmerizing, relaxing and energizing, all at the same time. The human hordes have not yet descended on this naturally beautiful locale, so the sands are relaxed, duned here, flattened there, tracked by sandpipers and other busy creatures of the shoreline.

   So he chooses a spot and sits, his field of vision filled with the blue sea’s expanse and far horizon. He cannot avoid a sense of bliss beginning to radiate from deep within. He closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and joyful bliss blurs the edges which gives us the illusion of separation of being .  One…Om…One --- all is One.
   The day passes, and a few people walk by this unassuming form on the quiet beach. The sun sets, a night passes, the sun rises. He has not moved. So few beachwalkers, completely unaware of his deep experience. Another day passes, the sun sets. Then someone stars to notice. It is just after sunset, and a beachwalker notices this sitting figure in the dim light, seeming to itself glow. Curious, the beachwalker is drawn to investigate, and meanders toward the faintly glowing form. He wanted to inquire if the man is okay, but cannot approach the figure any closer than about six feet.  All around him there appeared to be an impassable energy. He did not respond to the beachwalker’s attempts to communicate.
   The beachwalker called a friend, who called a friend, and together they tried to figure out what to do. The sitting figure seemed okay, but something out of the ordinary was definitely happening here. Together they passed the night, eyes fixed on the form outlined in light. Another sun rose, announcing a new day. They called 911.  Others came. But no one could get closer than about six feet. The blissful figure seemed enclosed in a huge ball, like in a snow globe, which felt to the touch like a wall of energy. And again, calling out to the figure brought no response. More people came. The media came, too, setting up camp in order to document this happening, whatever it was, which had drawn an increasingly growing crowd. The beach was full of onlookers, the curious and the mad, the dreamers and the God-seekers. So many came. The excitement  and anticipation was palpable. What’s going on here?
   Day 3 --- Day 4 --- Day 5 --- no change to the bliss-filled form, but the beach… the beach was abuzz with humanity, no one quite sure of what to make of the happening. Who is he? What is he doing? Why is he here? Is he a prophet? A guru? A holy man? A God? Is this … God?
   Day 5, high noon --- The seated figure begins to rise vertically from the sand. The crowd moves a little farther away. The dim light radiating from his body increases, and soon surpasses the brilliance of the noon-day sun. But yet, it doesn’t hurt the eyes of everyone staring in amazement. Their hearts are beating, eyes are filling with tears of  … what? – Joy? – Love? –Holy Fear? …. Now what??!!
   The figure rises ten feet, then 20, then thirty… Where the heck is he going?? But then, within a few minutes, his form slowly descends to the sands which supported him earlier. The light slowly dims. The man is as he was before, sitting still on the surf’s edge, a bit of a smile on his face, his hair being tossed by the constant breeze.
   Then he moves, stretching his arms wide, as if just waking from a restful nap. His opening eyes are met with the eyes of hundreds of souls staring at him, as if waiting for something. With arms wrapped around his knees, he smiles  and says: “He---y! What’s up?”

                                                                                                                                a. dec 2014

Prayer...

What should I pray for?

I have come to understand,
   G3 is in me,
        and I am in G3,
and G3 is in all things
    and everywhere.

Therefore, if I am praying to my Self,
   for my Self,
       whether in Allen or in others,
Is it not just a navel-gazing, egoistic exercise?

Then, what am I am praying for?
                              --- agd 2014  

Note: G3 =  my abbreviation for the Triune God. (see Christianity, see Taoism, see Hinduism, etc.)

Be aware!

I took a walk today.

Not a green bud
   to be seen anywhere,
       so be aware,
And DON'T put away
   your winter underwear!!

                        --- agd 2014

The Spirit will teach you......

Cherish that which is within you,
and shut off that which is without.
                               --- Chuang Tzu

Who are you?

We are who we are,
even if sometimes
we forget.
                         --- K, Men In Black II

Happy Valentine's Day

If I see a fluffy tail disappear
     around a corner,
I know it is you.
When I hear a meow from another room,
I know it is you.
When I call, you run to me,
and my face fills with a smile.

You are there...
   when I come home,
   when I rest,
and I cannot think of living
   without your gentle touch.
You are the only Valentines I need,
   Grayson, Maizi and Abbi.

Silent as Winter

Falling autumn leaves bare the branches,
naked under the cooling sun.

But the pin oak holds on,
wrapped in its papery scales
like a crocheted sweater,
anticipating winter's chill.

.... and they sing.
The chilled breezes rustle the cocoa-hued wrap,
and the whispering chant assures the world ---
                    I AM

agd2014

All good.

To be truly united with all in knowledge, love and service,
and thus to realize the Self in the omnipresent God,
is the essence of good.
                                   --- Rabindranath Tagore

The superior human...

There are three marks of a superior human:
being virtuous, he is free from anxiety;
being wise, she is free from perplexity;
being brave, he is free from fear.
                            --- Confucius

Endurance

Both Heaven and Earth endure forever.
The cause of their endurance
      is their indifference.
                                  --- Lao Tzu

"Heaven" and "Earth" however, are part of the created worlds, which are not forever. That they endure is the will of the Creator as they evolve within their own limited systems, affected by their particular systems'  laws. How long will they endure? -- I don't know, nor does anyone know, but the One Who set these worlds in motion.

There is only One

When you look at that unchanging Existence from the outside,
       you call it God;
and when you look at it from the inside, you call it yourself.
       It is but One.
                                                                           -- Swami Vivekananda

Meditation is the way

When developed sufficiently,
     intuition brings immediate comprehension of truth.
You have this marvelouw realization.
    Meditation is a way.
                                         --- Paramahansa Yogananda

Resolutions

Don't make resolutions for what you hope you WILL do. Rather, make resolutions for things you hope NOT to do.
Example:
I will not be bossy.
I will not be selfish.
I will not be lazy.
Etc.

Live in the moment

As for people and affairs of the contemporary world,
they hold no attraction for me...
So I close my gate, shut my door, hum poems
and sing songs to myself.
 ----Yoshishige No Yatsutane

There is something to be said for an ascetic life. For myself, being involved in this moment's world is a gift and a revelatory joy. What diversity, what availability of history and knowledge we have at our fingertips. Don't just shop for entertainment, plan for a learning adventure. Would that the entire world population have access to the technology which affords the few with such wondrous experiences. Radio, TV, Internet - RTI - the tools for immediate and expansive growth.

Freedom

Know who you are,
Understand your inner nature,
Become conscious of this infinite nature
     within yourself.
Then you will break free of burdens.
              --  --  Swami Vivekananda (paraphrased)

The Dance of Life

If all beings are Buddha -
why all this striving?
     - Dogen

Ah, the drama of Life - yes, we are all "Buddha", we are all "God". So why all the drama? Ay, there's the rub! The interchange of life and death, of struggling, of the experiencing of joy and sorrow, pain and pleasure, beauty and horror. love and hatred, faith and unfaith - this is what makes the world go 'round. And for what? The Dance of Life is God's raison d'etre.

Shine on!

 “Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it.” -- Bruce Lee

Every individual exists as a unique creation to fill a specific space in a particular time. Not everyone is created to be a superstar, but all are created to be stars in themselves, to shine the light of God through their particular life. Be true to your Self, and your self will fulfill its purpose and will know bliss.

Everything has purpose.

However fickle I seem,
my heart is never unfaithful;
Out of the slime itself,
spotless the lotus grows.
                  - Japanese folk song

Integrity

Life and death are important.
Don't suffer them in vain. - Bodhidharma

Liberation

When you are born,
        you cry,
and the world rejoices.

When you die,
     the world cries,
and you rejoice in your liberation.
       : Buddhist teaching.

We fight to stay in this dimension, but can't wait to leave it for a "better place", which we say the departed are in:  "He is at peace. He's in a better place."  Then why do we fight so hard to stay here? Why is THIS dimension so coveted? This is only one dimension within many. This is only one material, bodily experience among many.  Our hard-wired instincts keep us "here", living, working, creating, believing in the integrity of this world's reality. But deep within us is the yearning to return Home, back to the reality we live in, in between lives.

An infant cries, and we laugh, because we know that suffering is part of this life.
A holy man laughs, because he knows that life is temporary, and refuses to fear death.

So don't cry for me when I die. Rejoice with me - I am only returning Home - See you there!!