A question commonly asked – Is happiness achievable? It often depends on who is asking the question! (It shouldn’t, but sadly it does)

Individual Reference Point

In reflecting on what life has dished out to us, our reference point is often that of outer comparisons with family, friends and society–measuring such things as career success, material wealth and our standing in society. The illusion being that happiness lies somewhere in achieving these goals. Deep down, most of us realise that this is not the case – we believe that we are pre-destined to follow a particular path and as such this path is our reference point – our station in life.

You can’t change the past, but you can ruin the present by worrying about the future – Isak Dinesen

However, we can change our reference point. Let me share an experience I had recently. While on a holiday in Asia, my friends and I played a little golf beside our hotel. There was a refreshment kiosk half way round the course that was attended by a young couple selling water, soft drinks and second-hand golf balls for golfers finding the lush tropical jungle challenging. Each time we passed by, we were greeted with super smiles, sweetness and humility and friendly advice as to where we might find our golf balls as we teed off. These smiles, shored up with oodles of friendship, always sent me on my way lighter in mind and body.

The divide between golfer and vendor was obvious, but when we strip away the trappings across the divide, the old adage “less is more” definitely rings through. There is hope once you believe that happiness does not depend entirely on living the outer consumer-led lifestyle. I like this aphorism from The Jewels of Happiness author, Sri Chinmoy:

Do you want to be happy,
Really happy?
Then just think
Of your outer life less,
A little less,
And live more,
A little more,
In your inner life.
- Sri Chinmoy¹

Happiness Lies in the Small Things

Sometimes happiness for me lies in the small things, and when I experience them I just try to be grateful. Here are some of my personal favorites!

1) Putting on an old jacket and finding a €20 note in the pocket.
2) Having your face vigorously licked by a friendly puppy.
3) Going for a jog and experiencing a strong wind on your back.
4) Watching someone break a world record.
5) Shopping for gifts.
6) Someone just pulls out of a parking spot in a very busy area right outside your destination.
7) Eating freshly baked, warm bread from the oven.
8) Witnessing someone drop everything aside to help someone else.
9) Reading your birthday cards.
10) Seeing someone’s sincere smile.

What are the little things that make you happy? Write a comment and let us know!

1. Seventy-Seven Thousand Service-Trees, Part 5, Agni Press, 1998 from http://www.srichinmoylibrary.com/seventy-seven-thousand-service-trees-05/4160

For me, the secret to working harmoniously with others is recognizing that although outwardly each individual may express differently their thoughts, ideas, and aspirations, what lies inside each of us is a common goodness. I can also say that there have been two “jewels” of wisdom that were imparted to me at different stages of my life that have helped me work more harmoniously with others.

Do Unto Others as You Would Have Done Unto You

Typical of most grade school classrooms, our fourth grade class tended to be quite disrespectful of substitute teachers when Sister Mary was not able to teach our class. One substitute teacher was particularly soft and kind and was therefore an obvious target of our mischief. This substitute teacher gave an exercise that, to a group of mischievous fourth-graders, seemed quite silly. She requested that we go back through our school notebook and on every spare line or space around our assignments write, “Do unto others as you would have done unto you.”

After writing this two or three dozen times, it was as if the words on the page began speaking to me. From that moment on, whenever I was faced with a decision that directly, or even indirectly, involved others, my own voice would echo back to me, “Do unto others as you would have done unto you.” The exercise of writing these words over and over again in the fourth grade changed my life forever.

We Each Have Our Own Cross to Bear

Having grown up in an environment where English was not the main language spoken at home, there were sayings over the years that were not part of my upbringing. Many everyday expressions in the American English language did not come up in my school, nor with my circle of friends, nor in my religious studies at church: “A bird in the hand … Nothing ventured … Many a true word … ”, etc.

One of my best friends in my adult life, whom I met about 20 years ago, was a lot more conscious than I was, at the time, of the social ills of life. Although I was the product of a family that emigrated from a third-world country, life was good. My parents were quite detached from their home country, and so I was removed from the abject poverty and social problems that plagued my family’s homeland.

My friend and her circle of friends also had roots from a poor country. Rather than just hearing about childhood stories of difficult upbringings, they had witnessed first-hand extreme poverty and the results of ineffective interventions to deal with poverty. Consequently, out of desperation, people had to make choices that would allow them to survive.

During one conversation, an acquaintance of ours jokingly commented on the “career” choice of someone else who was down and out. My good friend turned very sternly and said, “You can’t judge others. We each have our own cross to bear!”

I had never really heard someone use that expression before. I had to stop, ponder the meaning, then digest what it meant to me. It dawned on me what my good friend meant: people come from different life experiences, some of which may be out of their control, but no matter what, everyone deserves respect and understanding.

Why Is It So Difficult?

The problem, psychologists say, is that we are wired to take a selfish view–we look at the world only from our perspective and this limits our interactions with others¹. When we are able to expand our perspective, our world view, we come to a better understanding of others. This in turn brings us more personal satisfaction. Because we “each have our own cross to bear,” when we “do unto others as we would have done unto ourselves” we find that we naturally begin to treat each other with respect and understanding.

1. Formica, M. (2010). Gaining Perspective from Someone Else’s Perspective. From www.psychologytoday.com

I have worked with children for 20 years of this life, and I also have been meditating daily for 17 years. Working with children goes very nicely with the spiritual side of my life, as it allows me to be like a child, act like a child and remain in my child-heart for a lot of the time. Here are some of the little realisations I have come to about what we can learn from children… (We all know these, we just need to practice them!)

1. Be in the Moment

A child remains in the moment–all the time. They live in the ever-present now–simply and fully. Why is this something we should learn to do? Our tricky adult mind is never in the present. It is always either in the past or in the future. The past we cannot change; the future is beyond our knowledge, but the here-and-now is truly a gift–that is why it is called the ‘present’. If we can be like a child and truly be in the moment, we lose many worries, doubts, fears, anxieties and mental concerns. We learn to live each moment fully and whole-heartedly. Life becomes a series of unplanned, magical moments, which we allow ourselves to flow with. Children do this naturally. Masters of detachment, they simply throw themselves into one thing in one moment and then move effortlessly onto the next, not looking back at the past (even five minutes ago). Try this. You will be happy…

2. Be Happy!

Children simply are happy beings. They smile and laugh hundreds more times each day than adults. Happiness is a ‘heart’ quality and young children are still in their hearts–without the dry old mind operating the way it does for us. The most popular course to study in one of the world’s leading universities (Harvard) right now is “Happiness”! (Positive Psychology) So by the time children have become teenagers and young adults, they are already looking to get back that blissful happiness from youth – and are willing to study it, with an empowering syllabus focusing on aspects of a flourishing and meaningful happy life. And why not?! Just look at children… they are HAPPY. Why? Because they remain in their hearts, unclouded by mind’s judgements and life’s harsh experiences. And they make other people happy too, without trying. A child totters into a room and suddenly the room is lit up with smiles on all the adult’s faces. How to be happy like a child? Try to see the world through the eyes of a child. See love and light and bliss in the simple things around you. Just try.

3. Offer Unconditional Love

Children offer their love, unconditionally. It doesn’t matter if you are the postman, a neighbour or a puppy dog on the street, a child gives love freely and without expectation. This love of a child is divine, unconditional, without limits and for all. How does a child have a heart so big and so full of love? Children are still connected to that Infinite Source of Divine Love. It overflows all around them. Experiencing a child’s love helps us to reconnect and feel this same love inside our own hearts.

4. Live Simply

A child does not need the latest model ‘thing’, or in fact anything external to be happy and peaceful. A child just lives and delights in the natural wonders all around. A child’s life is very simple, uncomplicated. As long as basic needs of life are met, children can be happy in whatever circumstance befalls them. They find joy in the simplest of things – spotting a rainbow, smelling a flower, patting an animal, giggling, running barefoot in a park, etc. The list could go on for pages. Why not start writing your own list of things you can do to enjoy the simple things in life? The world offers so much in its catalogue for you!

5. Have Enthusiasm!

Just observe a child….there is so much a child finds exciting in life and their eagerness knows no bounds. What in your life makes you feel enthusiastic? Children’s enthusiasm is HUGE! It can make an unwary adult feel exhausted and overwhelmed by all that positive emotion! Enthusiasm is such an important spiritual quality to own. It can take you many joyful places in your life. I remember feeling so much enthusiasm that every sentence I wrote was followed by an exclamation mark! If you can bring forward your natural sense of enthusiasm, you will be filled with inspiration and ENERGY – just like a child – to do and be so many positive things!

What’s Next … How to Go About It?

I’m sure I could have named this article “Twenty Pearls of Wisdom We Can Learn from Children,” because there are just so many more than five! You may already know about all the inherent qualities of a child. The challenge is to practice bringing them more into our adult lives. Remember:

• Be in the Moment
• Be Happy
• Offer Unconditional Love
• Live Simply
• Have Enthusiasm

Be like a child. How? Meditation is the only answer I have come across.  Without meditation, I would be a stressed out, cranky adult in my work with children – unable to connect with them at all! Personal experience has shown me that meditation has the power to bring me into my heart and bring forth all of these lovely, divine, childlike qualities from within my own being. Try to practise for just five or ten minutes every morning. Visualise a beautiful, golden, radiant child within your own heart. There is so much this divine inner child can teach us!

All over the world, Nelson Mandela is a human symbol of dignified struggle against adversity and Hhope for a better future. In celebration of his life of service, we have gathered here a small selection of the precious life lessons he has learned and shared with the world over the years.

Overcoming Adversity

I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.¹

There are few misfortunes in this world that you cannot turn into a personal triumph if you have the iron will and the necessary skill.²

I am fundamentally an optimist. Whether that comes from nature or nurture, I cannot say. Part of being optimistic is keeping one’s head pointed toward the sun, one’s feet moving forward. There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to despair. That way lies defeat and death.

After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.

The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.³

I dare not linger, for my long walk is not yet ended.⁴ (In his book, Nelson Mandela: The Pinnacle-Pillar of Mother Earth, Sri Chinmoy, author of The Jewels of Happiness, commented on this quote: “Our beloved President, walk you must along Eternity’s Road, and follow we must—you and only you.”⁵

Hope for the Future

Our human compassion binds us the one to the other – not in pity or patronizingly, but as human beings who have learnt how to turn our common suffering into hope for the future.⁶

Courageous people do not fear forgiving, for the sake of peace.⁷

Peace is the greatest weapon for development that any person can have.

A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.

People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite… Man’s goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never explained.⁸

Let freedom reign. The sun never set on so glorious a human achievement.⁹

Let there be justice for all. Let there be peace for all. Let there be work, bread, water and salt for all. Let each know that for each the body, the mind and the soul have been freed to fulfil themselves. Excerpted from a speech by President Nelson Mandela given on May 10th, 1994.¹⁰

And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.¹¹

Quotes collected by Jamini Young.

1. from: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/n/nelson_mandela.html
2. from http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/367338.Nelson_Mandela?
3. from http://newsone.com/1397375/nelson-mandela-quotes-93rd-birthday/
4. From his autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom
5. From Nelson Mandela: The Pinnacle-Pillar of Mother Earth by Sri Chinmoy
6. from: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/n/nelson_mandela.html
7. from: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/n/nelson_mandela.html
8. from http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/367338.Nelson_Mandela?
9. From http://thinkexist.com/quotes/nelson_mandela/
10. From http://www.notable-quotes.com/m/mandela_nelson.html
11. From http://www.allgreatquotes.com/nelson_mandela_quotes.shtml

Over the past 40 years, Archbishop Tutu has been a beacon of wisdom, compassion and understanding in our often tumultuous world. In this article we have collected together just a few of the many inspiring words he has shared with the world over the years.

Goodness

Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.

Though wrong gratifies in the moment, good yields its gifts over a lifetime.

It may be a procession of faithful failures that enriches the soil of godly success. Faithful actions are not religious acts. They are not even necessary actions undertaken by people of faith. Faithful actions, whether they are marked by success or they end in failure, are actions that are compelled by goodness.

Human beings are fundamentally good. The aberration, in fact, is the evil one, for God created us ultimately for God, for goodness, for laughter, for joy, for compassion, for caring.

Love

In the end what matters is not how good we are but how good God is. Not how much we love Him but how much He loves us. And God loves us whoever we are, whatever we’ve done or failed to do, whatever we believe or can’t.

We are made for loving. If we don’t love, we will be like plants without water.

Hope

We all experience sadness, we all come at times to despair, and we all lose hope that the suffering in our lives and in the world will ever end. I want to share with you my faith and my understanding that this suffering can be transformed and redeemed. There is no such thing as a totally hopeless case. Our God is an expert at dealing with chaos, with brokenness, with all the worst that we can imagine. God created order out of disorder, cosmos out of chaos, and God can do so always, can do so now–in our personal lives and in our lives as nations, globally. … Indeed, God is transforming the world now – through us – because God loves us.

Life is more than breath and a heartbeat; meaning and purpose are the life of life.

Oneness

We are made for goodness. We are made for love. We are made for friendliness. We are made for togetherness. We are made for all of the beautiful things that you and I know. We are made to tell the world that there are no outsiders. All are welcome: black, white, red, yellow, rich, poor, educated, not educated, male, female, gay, straight, all, all, all. We all belong to this family, this human family, God’s family.

If you want to make peace, you don’t talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies.

Differences are not intended to separate, to alienate. We are different precisely in order to realize our need of one another.

A person is a person through other persons; you can’t be human in isolation; you are human only in relationships.

We shall be free only together, black and white. We shall survive only together, black and white. We can be human only together, black and white.

It is through weakness and vulnerability that most of us learn empathy and compassion and discover our soul.

Gratitude

Suffering from a life-threatening disease also helped me have a different attitude and perspective. It has given a new intensity to life, for I realize how much I used to take for granted-the love and devotion of my wife, the laughter and playfulness of my grandchildren, the glory of a splendid sunset, the dedication of my colleagues. The disease has helped me acknowledge my own mortality, with deep thanksgiving for the extraordinary things that have happened in my life, not least in recent times. What a spectacular vindication it has been, in the struggle against apartheid, to live to see freedom come, to have been involved in finding the truth and reconciling the differences of those who are the future of our nation.

We were made to enjoy music, to enjoy beautiful sunsets, to enjoy looking at the billows of the sea and to be thrilled with a rose that is bedecked with dew… Human beings are actually created for the transcendent, for the sublime, for the beautiful, for the truthful… and all of us are given the task of trying to make this world a little more hospitable to these beautiful things.

(quotes compiled by Nancy Ammiano)

In this modern day many of us endure a seemingly perpetual and often hopeless struggle to a strike a happy balance between the incessant demands of our work life and the hope for a life defined by more than just what we do to get paid. We all cherish a hope for a life abundant with smiling friends and loving family, with interesting hobbies and exotic adventures; a life imbued with a sense of flowing newness and ever-expanding potentiality.

So, how do we find this holy grail of happy living? How do we prevent the walls of our work life from closing in upon us and suffocating and stifling our enthusiasm for life? Here are ten tips I would like to share that have helped me.

Ten Tips to Maintaining Your Work & Life Balance

1) Learn to meditate. Yes, it takes practice and, yes, it is challenging, yet there are few, if any, endeavours that will enrich your life as much as learning to meditate. With consistent practice you can find the ‘off’ button for your mind. It will prevent your workplace worries and concerns from following you home each day. Don’t let your work claim more of your life than absolutely necessary!

2) Exercise. Every day. It will give you more energy and more zest for life! If you are too tired or too stressed then more rest will not solve the problem. What you need is exercise. Go for a run on your lunch break, take a yoga class, ride a bike, swim in the sea. Exercise for at least 30 minutes and push yourself beyond your typical comfort zone so that you are breathing deeply.

3) Don’t over sleep. More sleep is not the cure for stress. It will just make you feel more lethargic and will rob you of precious time you could spend doing something you love. For most of us, seven hours of sleep is sufficient.

4) Don’t work at a job you don’t like for the sake of a large pay cheque. The soul-numbing drudgery of a job you really dislike leaves a void within you that we often try to fill by purchasing material objects. As we rack up debt we become a slave to the pay cheque. It is a vicious and fruitless cycle. Money cannot buy happiness! Repeat this to yourself over and over again. It is an absolutely infallible truth. Money cannot buy happiness.

5) Reduce your outgoings. First, learn to live within your means. Then, learn to live on less. Perhaps you can change to a job the pays less but which you actually like doing. Perhaps you can consider working part-time.

6) Dedicate yourself to something outside of work. Volunteer. Perhaps it will lead you in a new direction. When you can find something that you are truly passionate about eventually it may be possible to make your work your life, and your life your work.

7) Don’t be governed by the fear of losing your job. It is utterly unhealthy. Remind yourself that life brings the unexpected and we can never predict what the future holds. Losing your job can actually be one of the best things that ever happened to you. By removing this common fear new doors will open.

8) Don’t watch TV or surf the net excessively. So often we miss out on life’s great experiences because we are content to just watch it second-hand. Yes, it can be entertaining and, yes, it is comfortable, but we are really depriving ourselves of great opportunities. Why not cook something yourself rather than watch a cooking show. Go and play a sport, don’t just watch someone else do it!

9) Step away from technology. Turn off your phone. Go for a walk and leave it at home. Turn off your computer. It is not necessary to check your emails incessantly. These are simple actions that really work if you have determination to put them in to practise.

Your Life is Like a River

Never give up! Keep trying new things and don’t lose heart when your plans don’t eventuate as expected. As Sri Chinmoy said:

Let us look at a river. The river flows constantly towards the sea. It carries all kinds of rubbish – dirt, stones, leaves, sand – that it picks up as it moves toward its goal, but it always continues flowing toward the sea. We should also think of our lives as a river running to the sea. This sea is the sea of fulfilment. If we are afraid to act because we don’t want to get involved with the imperfections of the world, if we become still and inactive, then we will never reach the goal.

- Sri Chinmoy¹

Change the Focus of Your Life

Many years ago I heard a story of a high-flying business executive who worked himself into the ground, motivated solely by the notion of a comfortable retirement, only to be robbed of that dream by the stark finality of an early and unexpected death. It gave me the courage and resolve to reassess my life and make big changes. I hope that you too can find the things that you love doing and make them the focus of your life.

I do hope the above tips may be of some inspiration or assistance to you. Good luck as you work to maintain a good work-life balance!

1. Excerpted from Flame-Waves, Part 1

In this article, we will outline some time-honoured methods, accompanied by illumining quotes from Sri Chinmoy, author of The Jewels of Happiness.

Joy … The very word makes one think of blossoming springtime with its bright sunny days full of hope and promise.

And indeed, this what true joy feels like inside the heart. Even if the outer weather is dark and gloomy, when you experience true joy, the inner weather feels like eternal springtime. This joy is not dependent on outer circumstances; on whether you won the lottery, or landed your dream job, but rather it is a spontaneous feeling, an inexplicable inner thrill.

But how can one achieve this feeling of true joy, retain this joy once achieved, and use this joy to help us in our everyday lives?

Meditation

“True inner joy is self-created.
It does not depend on outer circumstances.
A river is flowing in and through you
Carrying the message of joy.
This divine joy is the sole purpose of life.”¹

One of the most powerful ways to experience joy is through meditation. In fact it is one of my favorite by-products of meditation. One does not need to run off to a cave or an ashram to spend hours and hours in silence in order to experience joy. As a beginner, even 15-20 minutes once or twice a day can produce positive results. I believe that God rewards even small efforts if you are sincerely seeking to get in touch with a deeper part of yourself, which is connected to the divine. Just the simple act of trying to silence your mind (even if you are not quite successful) can be of tremendous benefit.

Many people who attempt to meditate make the mistake of analyzing their meditation with their mind. They believe that if they were not able to shut off their mind completely, then they were not successful, but this is a mistake. One should not judge a meditation with their mind, but by their joy; how the meditation made them feel.

Many times when I sit down to meditate all of my worldly cares are swirling around in my head and the meditation seems difficult. It seems like I was hardly able to still my mind at all, yet when I am finished I am filled with joy and energy, and my mind has a completely new outlook on my so called worldly problems. Nothing has outwardly changed, yet my entire being is surcharged with joy which makes my outer problems seems manageable.

Try using meditation as a powerful tool to create more joy in your life. There is nothing to lose, but much to gain.

Remaining in the Present Moment

“Because I am a truth-seeker,
The future flows towards me.
Because I am a God-lover,
I live in the Eternal Now.”²

Recently I started out having a rather happy Saturday. It was cool and crisp, and although it was mid March and spring should have been on the horizon, we still had mountains of snow. This did not deter my joy however as I felt that winter’s back was breaking and in a few short weeks the snow would be gone, and all would be right with the world.

I sipped my latte, turned on my computer and checked the weather, as is often part of my daily routine. I scrolled down and clicked on my city, and immediately my heart sank at what I read; a snowstorm was headed our way and was due to drop 20 or more centimeters of snow on the city before it blew east. In an instant all of my joy at the hope of spring was gone, and it was replaced with frustration, fear, and despair.

“Oh no!” I thought. “I can’t possibly shovel out 20 more cm of snow! My car will get stuck and I won’t be able to get out of my driveway, then how will I be able to get to work and do the errands that I promised to do, and what if my back goes out from all of that shoveling, and, and, and…”

I sat for a few moments and listened to my fear laden internal monologue and realized that I allowed my mind to go from joy to despair in a matter of 30 seconds and not a flake of snow had even fallen yet!

How many times have we all done this; taken a perceived problem and made it infinitely worse by prognosticating into the future and creating a scenario that does not yet even exist?

“Fear, what is it? … What does it do? It buys our coffin,
long before we are destined to die.”³

There is incredible power in staying with your joy and staying in the present moment. It does take effort, but with practice it becomes easier.

As it turned out, the blizzard that was predicted blew south of us and never materialized. I gave away my joy to a self-created negative thought.

This was a powerful lesson.

Let the future flow toward you, but stay firmly rooted in the present, and have faith that you will be given what is necessary both inwardly and outwardly to deal with whatever might come your way. In this faith, in this eternal presence of now is your joy.

Spreading Joy to Others

“My heart shares joys
To enjoy joy
To the fullest.”⁴

One of the true beauties of joy is that it cannot be contained. Its very nature is to spread, like wildflowers in spring.

Often after a good meditation when I am feeling the energy of joy, I feel like a jack-in-the-box toy; like I’ve been wound up and I’m ready to jump out and shout surprise to a shower of sparkly glitter and brandishing a beautiful bouquet of flowers to share with all.

This is the very nature of joy, to spread, and it is wonderfully contagious.

I am reminded of a story of a woman and her friends who were travelling in some less than hospitable parts of the world.

The group found themselves stuck at a border crossing being held for no apparent reason by some rather intimidating border guards. Language was a barrier, so they sat at this border crossing at a complete impasse, not being allowed in or out. The woman was a part time clown in her hometown, and she often brought some of her clowning supplies with her to entertain local children.

She reached into her bag and pulled out a long blue balloon and began to blow it up. She then began to twist the balloon in various different ways, and soon it was quite clear that the balloon had taken the shape of a cute little dog. This piqued the interest of the guards and they became fascinated by this transformation, so she offered the balloon dog to one of the guards. He smiled at his new treasure as he showed it off to his friends. They began to smile and pass the dog around, and then they gestured to the woman that they would also like one. She set about making more balloon animals and soon all of the guards were laughing and playing like children and were interacting joyfully with the group that they were detaining without speaking a word.

Soon the guards were stamping passports and let the group go through the crossing and on to their next destination without any further delay.

Through innocent child like joy, fear was replaced by trust, and a very delicate situation was diffused.

“Be like a child,
Act like a child.
Go from one flower to another
In your heart-garden,
Until you find complete joy
And perfect satisfaction.”⁵

When you meditate in the morning you receive joy. A little goes a long way, and somehow it always comes back to you in new and inspiring ways.

Think about how many ways that you might share that joy with others throughout the day.

1. From The Wings of Joy, by Sri Chinmoy
2. From Ten Thousand Flower-Flames, Part 14, by Sri Chinmoy
3. From My Rose Petals, Part 1, by Sri Chinmoy
4. From Seventy-Seven-Thousand Service-Trees, Part 26, by Sri Chinmoy
5. From Seventy-Seven-Thousand Service-Trees, Part 4, by Sri Chinmoy