“Homesickness is a great teacher. It taught me, during an endless rainy fall, that I came from the arid lands, and like where I came from. I was used to dry clarity and sharpness in the air. I was used to horizons that either lifted into jagged ranges or rimmed the geometrical circle of the flat world. I was used to seeing a long way. I was used to earth colors--tan, rusty red, toned white--and the endless green of Iowa offended me. I was used to a sun that came up over mountains and went down behind other mountains. I missed the color and smell of sagebrush, and the sight of bare ground.” WorldWayLongEarthUsedFallWhiteBehindsSunTeacherSeeingAirLandTaughtColorMountainRedSightGreenSmellCirclesEndlessClarityRangeDryFlatsHorizonOffendedLong WayRainyGreat TeacherIowaHomesicknessSharpness Author:Wallace Stegner
“Unless you see your nature, you shouldn't go around criticizing the goodness of others. There's no advantage in deceiving yourself. Good and bad are distinct. Cause and effect are clear. But fools don't believe and fall straight into a hell of endless darkness without even knowing it. What keeps them from believing is the heaviness of their karma. They're like blind people who don't believe there's such a thing as light. Even if you explain it to them, they still don't believe, because they're blind. How can they possibly distinguish light?” PeopleIfsBelieveStillsLightFallCausesDarknessHellKnowingClearEffectsFoolGoodnessAdvantageBlindDon't BelieveKarmaEndlessCriticizeDeceivingGood And BadCause And EffectHeavinessBlind PeopleDeceiving Yourself Author:Bodhidharma
“Still others commit all sorts of evil deeds, claiming karma doesn't exist. They erroneously maintain that since everything is empty, committing evil isn't wrong. Such persons fall into a hell of endless darkness with no hope of release. Those who are wise hold no such conception.” PersonsStillsWisdomFallEvilDarknessHellWiseEmptyDeedsKarmaEndlessCommitReleaseEmptinessSinnerConceptionNo HopeBad Karma Book:The Zen Teaching of Bodhidharma Source: The Zen Teaching of Bodhidharma
“Created half to rise, and half to fall; Great lord of all things, yet a prey to all; Sole judge of truth, in endless error hurled; The glory, jest, and riddle of the world!” WorldFallHalfLordJudgingGloryAll ThingsErrorsEndlessSolePreyRiddleJest Author:Pope Francis
“When a sunbeam falls on a transparent substance, the substance itself becomes brilliant, and radiates light from itself. So too Spirit bearing souls, illumined by Him, finally become spiritual themselves, and their grace is sent forth to others. From this comes knowledge of the future, understanding of mysteries, apprehension of hidden things, distribution of wonderful gifts, heavenly citizenship, a place in the choir of angels, endless joy in the presence of God, becoming like God, and, the highest of all desires, becoming God.” SoulLightSpiritualJoySpiritDesireFallUnderstandingGraceWonderfulMysteryBecomingHighestAngelBrilliantEndlessSubstanceHeavenlyCitizenshipDistributionTransparentApprehensionPresence Of GodChoirSunbeamsHidden ThingsBecoming God Author:Saint Basil
“Is it possible to have an endless series of successes without falling on our faces? I suppose it is, but I think it would entail doing the same things over and over again without taking chances, without taking risks or exploring our limits, without finding out what we can and can't do.” ThinkingFacesFallChanceRiskLimitsFindingsSeriesEndlessExploringTake A ChanceTaking Risks Book:An Improvised Life: A Memoir Source: An Improvised Life: A Memoir
“Lives are only one with living. How dare we, in our egos, claim catastrophe in the rise and fall of the individual entity? There is only Life, and we are beads strung on its strong and endless thread.” FallIndividualStrongEgoClaimsDareEndlessOnenessThreadEntityCatastropheBeadsRise And Fall Book:Cross Creek Source: Cross Creek