Eternal Life        By Sandy Jones

This gift is from St. Teresa of Avila

We bloomed in Spring.
Our bodies are the leaves of God.
The apparent seasons of life and death
our eyes can suffer; but our souls, dear,
I will just say this forthright: they are God Himself,
we will never perish unless He does.

And this from Gospel of Thomas:

Jesus said "I was appointed from eternity, from the beginning, before the world began. Before he made the earth or its fields or any of the dust of the world."

Jesus said : "If those who lead You say to You : 'See, the Kingdom is in heaven !', then the birds of the sky will be there before You. If they say to You, 'It is in the sea !', then the fish will be there before You. But the Kingdom is inside You and outside You. When You know Yourselves, then You will be known, and You will know that You are the children of the Living Father. But if You do not know Yourselves, then You dwell in poverty ; then You are that poverty."

Jesus said : "Know that what is before Your face, and what is hidden from You will be revealed to You. For nothing hidden will fail to be revealed." Jesus said : "I am the Light that falls on all things. I am the All. From Me the All has gone out and to Me the All came back. Cleave a piece of wood, and I am there. Lift up a stone, and You will find Me there."

Jesus said : "Images are visible to man, and the light which is in them is hidden in the image of the Light of the Father. He will reveal Himself and His image is hidden by His light."

The Truth is and has been spoken for thousands of years---Now it is time to finally Listen and Live It.

Takuan Soho ancient Zen Master says this: "True Self is the Self that existed before the division of heaven and earth and before one's father and mother were born. This Self is the Self within me, the birds and the beasts, the grasses and the trees and all phenomena. It is exactly what is called 'Buddha Nature'".

"O grave, where is thy victory? O death, where is they sting?!"

Buddha was asked by the angels how they can keep the Truth out man's reach. One angel suggested they could hide it deep in the deepest part of the sea. And Buddha said no, they will find it there.

And another angel said, how about we hide it in the Pleiades. No, said the Buddha, they will eventually find it there.

Then the Buddha said, I know where we can hide it; let's clothe it in simplicity and hide it in their hearts.

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