I was recently asked:

When someone says the word "Beauty," what do you think of?


This was my answer:

The first 10 things to come to mind:
1) The feeling at the point where a bell quiets beyond the capacity to hear.

2) A flower as it speeds through its life cycle in less than a second.

3) Light at the end of a deep breath.

4) The first moment of pain.

5) The warp in time one can see if they intensely stare at the space between a white line and a black line for about 2 hours.

6) 84,000 moons, each in a drop of water having traveled so far and without disturbing the moon, the sky or the water.

7) The look of sudden understanding in someone's eyes.

8) Wrinkles on old people, old books and old trees.

9) That which can not be experienced with senses but is simply understood.

10) Pure selfless-sacrifice.  This is also called 'love.'

Daily Saying for June 24th, 2011

Do not misplace the intensity of this moment!  The clothes you wear, the flavors in your mouth, the texture and colours of this writing, the smell of the room and the sounds of the outside world all can be experienced at once!  There is nothing new inside yourself!  Throw it out!  Let the intensity overwhelm you!  Then and only then are you living.  How intense this moment is!
       ~至道