I want everyone to be aware that a new Internet Protocol Television Channel called www.InfiniteQuest.com begins broadcasting in June. I am the executive producer for content for the astrological portion of this incredible form of communication. Many highly established astrologers will be featured including: Melanie Reinhart, Maggie Kerr, Lee Lehman, Ph.D., Heather Roan-Robbins, Julie Loar, Chris Brennan, Erin Sullivan, Gaby Mittelman, Demetra George, Kelley Hunter, Lynn Bell, and Caroline Casey.
My contribution is called "Alan Oken's Corner of the Universe." InfiniteQuest also contains sections (and experts) on tarot, numerology, self-development, meditation, mediumship, psychology, etc. It will offer constant video down-streaming, iPod broadcasting, webinars, courses, and so much more. I hope you will mark the launch date down on your calendars and visit.

If you truly want to wake up, then I invite you to get very curious about the awakeness that is here right now. Are you aware of anything at all in this moment? What is that awareness like? Just as a single drop of water is wet, the awareness that is reading these words has all of the qualities of your ultimate true nature as pure awareness. Does the part of you that is already awake need to wake up or is it already profoundly and mysteriously aware? Just for a moment, instead of seeking more awareness, find out more about the awareness that is already here.

The awareness that is here in this moment is alive, spacious, discriminating and full of love. Everything that really matters is found in this awareness. Love, peace and joy flow from within us out to the experiences we have of the world. Seeking the source of peace or love in the world is like looking for the source of the water in the puddle that forms under a water faucet. Not only is the source here within us, but it is flowing right now as the simple awareness that is reading these words.

~ Nirmala

I pray for all of us, oppressor and friend,
that together we may succeed in building a better world
through human understanding and love,
and that in doing so we may reduce
the pain and suffering of all sentient beings.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama

"Thus, we can reject everything else: religion, ideology, all received wisdom. But we cannot escape the necessity of love and compassion.

This, then, is my true religion, my simple faith. In this sense, there is no need for temple or church, for mosque or synagogue, no need for complicated philosophy, doctrine, or dogma. Our own heart, our own mind, is the temple. The doctrine is compassion."


H.H. The Dalai Lama

“So, here's a little article: How the Economy Down Turn Can Change Our Lives by Leonid Sharashkin, Editor and translator of the Anastasia series. It's mostly preachin' to the choir on your list, but a nice reminder for us all.”

http://www.inlightimes.com/archives/2008/11/economy.htm

"Irreverence is the champion of liberty and its only sure defense."

~ Mark Twain (1888)

The New Moon in Aries brings us into a new realm of possibility around initiation and leadership in our life. Aries is the first sign of the Zodiac and it shows where we can move forward powerfully and activate a new cycle of growth in our life, especially relevant to career and things where our inspired vision is important. The sun is our connection to the deepest levels of Self and the confidence we need to act upon our deepest inspirations. We do no normally act from this place of soul integrity but for the next month this will be possible.
The Nakshatra of the New Moon cycle is Ashwini, the twin horse who are also the physicians of the Gods and those who initiate the souls journey on the wheel of time through the zodiac. This is a good month for a new healing paradigm and course of study - especially as it relates to Vedic Studies like astrology and ayurveda.
The New Moon with the exalted Sun is very powerful. Plus we also have an exalted Venus and Jupiter about to move out of debilitation.

ENJOY THE RENEWAL!

"The true satirist is conscious of the frailty of man's institutions and attempts,
through laughter, to inspire a remodeling. The best satire does not seek to do harm
or damage by its ridicule, rather it seeks to create a shock of recognition and to make
vice repulsive so that the vice will be expunged. Whenever possible this shock of
recognition is best conveyed through laughter or wit. Far from being simply destructive,
satire is implicitly constructive."

~ Robert Harris

April 24: Venus is not so happy to enter Aries at 07.19am. -
Mars and Venus will both be in Aries from April 24 until May 30. This will heighten passions for what was brewing under the surface with the two of them in watery Pisces will leap forth as this erotic pair (they get that way from traveling together, on their own Mars is simply sexy and Venus just sensual), burns up quite a fiery trail in Aries. This can be very exciting on the human level but care must be taken for the incredible acceleration that is always present in Aries will definitely slow down when these two are in Taurus come early June. Now Mars is definitely in charge and passions will rule but once Venus is the boss, practical considerations will be very much on the agenda (along with healthy doses of chocolate).

We can learn to let thoughts go,
just rest our mind in its natural state,
the open primordial basis of all phenomena.
We can rest in this fundamental openness
and enjoy the display of whatever arises
without making a big deal.

-Pema Chodon

Deadly Sins Taking Toll on the Earth
by Pat LaMarche
Thirty-nine years ago today we celebrated the first Earth Day. I was 9. I remember learning about my planet. We didn't study global warming or the melting polar ice cap or even nuclear power - oh sure, we worried about nuclear bombs but not nuclear reactors.
If scientists in 1970 foresaw big ecological disasters, they weren't telling the 9-year-olds. We didn't have a clue that polar bears would drown when the glaciers melted or that South American frogs would go blind from vanishing atmospheric protections.
We worried about litter. We had good reason. Pollution was everywhere. I lived in Pawtucket, R.I. The Blackstone River was walking distance from my house and it looked more like a landfill than a tributary. I remember watching every kind of refuse float by, even kitchen appliances.
In Maine the waterways were polluted with toxins smaller than refrigerators and far more deadly. Volatile chemicals floated atop rivers and occasionally one errant compound would collide with another and burst into flames.
On Earth Day 1970 we focused on cleaning up the mess we had made with all that inorganic waste. And in our classrooms we were taught the reasons our surroundings were so environmentally unsavory. We learned that for many years we had been too lazy to clean up after ourselves.

As you know, laziness is one of the Seven Deadly Sins.

Of course, if you're a biblical scholar who has studied the book of Proverbs you might call laziness "sloth." And today sloth is only one of the aggravating factors behind our environmental degradation. Our ecological problems are far more complicated than just discarded refuse. If we take stock of the other six deadly sins, we will see that we are killing our planet - and ourselves - with an assortment of sinful behaviors.

Here, you'll see what I mean:

Envy: That's when you want something that your neighbor has - like natural resources. You might want to take the day off from work and grab a couple of history books. Cortez and the Incas are a good place to start. You can't desire another peoples' or place's natural resources without plundering an awful lot of Mother Nature. Mankind has been doing it for centuries.
Greed: Mountaintop removal has to be the most flagrant example of unbridled greed since we stole this country from the Natives. Just ask the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: "Since mountaintop removal coal mining began in 1970, an estimated 1.5 million acres of hardwood forest have been lost, over 470 mountaintops have been blasted, and 1,200 miles of Appalachian streams have been buried."
Lust: Dictionary.com defines this as a "desire to gratify." This sin is hurting our planet in a very basic human sense. You can see in a mirror that our need for self-gratification is killing us. WebMD says that our insatiable desire for food and drink will kill more of us this year than our lust for cigarettes and is far more deadly than our desire for sexual gratification. If you thought this was gluttony, I disagree. When it comes to gluttony: our desire for food is dwarfed by other self-indulgences.
Gluttony: No matter what it is, we just can't get enough of it. Take televisions for example. According to USA Today the average U.S. household has more TVs than people. And in addition to plastics and other nonbiodegradable components, discarded cathode ray tubes and other heavy metal components are calamitously contaminating our planet.
Pride: Have you got the nicest lawn on the street? The New Jersey state Web site has great information on chemical fertilizers and pesticides and their very short journey to your water glass. Take a look and see what our pretty lawns are costing us. Seriously, if the chemicals on your lawn require a sign warning pets and pregnant woman to stay away, your pride is killing our planet.

Now for the most deadly sin:

Wrath: Hunter Lovins once asked, "Did we put our kids in 0.5 mile-per-gallon tanks and 17 feet-per-gallon aircraft carriers because we failed to put them in 32 mpg cars?"
But Toby Keith best sums up wrath, "We'll put a boot in your ass. It's the American way."

© 2009 The Bangor Daily News

Eric Idle (of Monty Python) was asked "Does laughter have a place in religion?" "
I don't know, because I don't really understand what religion is," he responded.
"I think laughter has the most important place in life because laughter is a survival
mechanism that teaches us what is true or not. The religious impulse is a moral
one that we've learned as we evolved from animals: how to behave morally. But
laughter is the honing device that teaches us whether anything is full of bullshit or not."

The exact New Moon occurs on Friday, Apr. 24, at 11:24 PM, EDT
(Apr. 25, at 8:54 AM in Gujarat) in the I Ching hexagram "Opposition".
The image is fire above and water below. Clearly this is a time of
contrast and struggle. Two opposing forces are meeting. This will not be
a comfortable encounter. On a personal level this is a battle between
clarity and pleasure. You can see what you want or desire but can you
perceive the implications of your desires? Are you clinging to your
possessions and comforts at the expense of others? Or are you
prepared to give up what you have so that others may benefit?
Most people live in their own little worlds or castles collecting things and
enjoying what they have accumulated. Perhaps one even worries about
how to maintain what one has. Outside of this personal protected home
is the rest of the world, out there. Usually our worry for protecting what
we have from what is out there eclipses any concern for the welfare of
others. It also blocks the ability to sit in inner peace and true
contentment. The battle between them and us, or me and mine rages.
The cost is a loss of innocence and heartfelt feeling. This is a serious
barrier to meditation. There is a conflict between outer clarity and inner
or personal pleasure. We can see what is needed, but can we give up
what we want?
Even in the world today the battle between fire or heat and water is in
an extreme balance. The ice caps are melting. Pollution is increasing
and the very waters of life are threatened. Does anyone think that this
situation will improve without significant personal discomfort? Clarity
versus pleasure! Quality of life is being challenged by necessity.
We can be paralyzed in fear about this, or realize that God works within
and without, even though not everyone is listening, or trying to help.

This is a Taurus new moon, the new moon of Spring. Beauty abounds.
Nature is radiating aliveness and new beginnings. This new moon is
ruled by Venus the planet of love and beauty and wealth. It is also the
planet of overindulgence, greed and lust. When one wants something
too much, it is usually better to leave it alone. Everyone seems worried
about maintaining what they have or want. How many people are
actually concerned about sharing or giving away what they have to help
others?
To give or to receive is the question. What you will do is the answer.
Venus represents true values and self-worth. Value can be measured in
quantity or quality. What is the nature of your self-worth?
Chanting God's name with sincere feelings is called bhava or devotion.
It is a special quality in bhakti yoga, the yoga of love and devotion. This
loving quality is the essence of devotional service to God, that is,
repeating His name with love and sincerity. This is can be felt in the
incredible faith of Christians singing and praying to God and in the
devotion of Hindus, and in the prayers of Muslims. The chanting,
praying or singing of God's name is the essence of Venus' true worth.
Cultivating inner self worth has greater value than accumulating outer
resources.
To chant or pray on the Taurus new moon really enhances the beauty
and quality of both the chanting and our lives. Are you listening to good
sounds or other sounds? Can you improve the quality of sound in your
life? A heart felt prayer or chant will resonate up to the heavens. By
doing it you make it happen. Don't just listen to a cd or watch a video.
Slow down, sit down and do it yourself! Hari Om!
On this new moon there are two very challenging aspects in the
horoscope. One, there is a distinct impulse to go for and get what you
want at any cost, and to consider anyone interfering with you as an
enemy. This is the Venus Mars Uranus conjunction squaring Pluto. Two
there is an ability to convince yourself, or intellectually justify anything
you desire. This is the Neptune Mercury square. The first factor is
insensitive and ruthless, The second is deceptive and unrealistic. Both
of these factors tend to pull us out into the world and its concerns.
Through action and the desire for power we fight to get what we want.
Through speculation and deception we convince ourselves that we are
justified and correct.
Both of these factors pull us out into the outer illusions of life. They pull
us into what is called maya. Is the world a dream? What is real. What is
true? What is valuable?
The challenge of this new moon is to remember true worth and inner
value and of course God. Chanting at this new moon will have special
power and may actually be the only force capable of breaking through
the outer illusions. Do we have to fight for what we want? Or can we
trust that God is in control of everything and will take care of our needs?
A little inner peace will have a tremendous effect. It cannot be obtained
by force but by openness and surrender. Selfishness is an obstacle to
spiritual growth.
In this Age of Kali or darkness and quarrel, it is said that chanting the
name of God is the most potent way of finding God and enlightenment.
What will you do with this new moon in Taurus. Will you chant and
remember a name of God? I will chant for you. Will you chant with me?

A Peaceful Legacy
http://www.commondreams.org/video/2009/04/14

Notions of God don’t go down very well in scientific circles. Paul
Davies has written that science has looked out to the edges of the
universe to deep space, into deep time -- to the beginning of the
universe, and into deep structure -- to the basic level of the quantum.
And science is proud to proclaim that it has found no need or place for
God. The universe works perfectly well without any divine agent. Science
has nicely got rid of God,-- thank you very much. But so far they have
ignored an equally important fourth area of study -- that of the mind. I
don't think any great spiritual teacher ever said God would be found out
there at the edge of the universe. If God is to be found anywhere it is
deep within ourselves, at the core of our own being ....

There are fascinating parallels between consciousness and light. Even in
everyday language we speak of the Inner Light, the light of
consciousness. St. John spoke of the light which lighteth every mind
that came into the world. Just as consciousness is a big anomaly for the
current scientific paradigm, so is light.

Light moves at the same speed relative to all observers. No matter how
fast you go, light will overtake you and go 186,000 miles/sec faster.
Even if you accelerated yourself to 185,999 miles/sec, it would go
186,000 miles/sec faster, not 1 mile/sec faster. It was this anomaly
that led Einstein to his famous Special Theory of Relativity. This
predicts that the closer you approach the speed of light, the slower
your clocks run, and the shorter your measurements of length. This goes
completely against common sense, but it turns out that in this instance
it is commonsense that is wrong. Atomic clocks have been flown around
the world, and they do indeed slow down by the predicted amount.

You have probably heard that nothing can ever travel at the speed of
light. The reason is that mass increases with speed, and at the speed of
light an object’s mass would have become infinite, and it would take
more than all the energy in the universe to accelerate the object up to
light speed. But light travels at the speed of light, by definition, and
the reason it can is that it always has zero mass. Einstein’s equations
predict that from light’s own point of view time has stopped, and
distance has shrunk to zero. So all light knows is now. It doesn't exist
in time and space as we do. Light, somehow, lies beyond the world of
space, time, and matter. It is not part of the material world.

The same could be said of consciousness. It seems to have no mass. And
according to the mystics, who have delved into the nature of their own
consciousness, time and space disappear when you get down to the deepest
levels of consciousness. Saint Augustine said, "He that knows the truth,
knows what this light is and that it is eternity". And Emerson said,
"time and space are but the physiological colors the eye makes, the soul
is light".

So I think there is more to this than verbal parallels. It seems to me
that light is the first level of manifestation both in the physical
realm and the realm of mind.

Immediately the phrase "God is Light" comes to the mind. And I think
there may be more to this than we at first suppose. Mystics the world
over have repeatedly claimed two things. First that the true nature of
the self is pure consciousness, the light of consciousness. And second
that the self is also identical with God.

Of course, saying that "I am God" doesn’t go down well in most cultures.
When the German mystic Meister Eckhart said "I am God" or "I and God are
One," the Vatican told him to recant. You can say you have the
experience of God but not that you are God. But when the mystic says "I
am God", they are not talking of the individual self, not the ego which
identifies itself with things like "I am Peter Russell, I am British, I
am male, I think these thoughts, etc., etc.". What they are really
saying is that the pure self, the most fundamental level of our being,
is God. In other words, God is consciousness -- not consciousness of any
particular thing, but the very faculty of consciousness that is present
in all things. As Ramana Maharshi said, "I Am is the name of God. God is
none other than the self". Or, in the words of a Sufi mystic, "When thou
knowest thine own existence, then thou knowest God".

This is where we end up once we start investigating the true nature of
consciousness. Although science doesn’t realize it, once it embarks upon
this exploration and begins to delve into deep mind, it is going to find
itself confronting the one thing it has avoided and denied for so long
-- the nature of God.

From: Science. Consciousness (and dare I say it?) God by Peter Russell,
Albuquerque, 1999.

=========================================================

Hold your soul open for my welcoming.
Let the quiet of your spirit bathe me
With its clear and rippled coolness,
That, loose-limbed and weary, I find rest,
Outstretched upon your peace, as on a bed of ivory.

Let the flickering flame of your soul play all about me,
That into my limbs may come the keenness of fire,
The life and joy of tongues of flame,
And, going out from you, tightly strung and in tune,
I may rouse the blear-eyed world,
And pour into it the beauty which you have begotten.

- Amy Lowell, *Sword Blades & Poppy Seeds*
http://tinyurl.com/c3sqjd

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

In India it is considered a great sin to awaken anyone who is asleep. If a man is asleep, do not wake him; let him sleep; it is the time for him to sleep; it will not do to wake him before his time. Thus a mystic understands also that a person who is taking his time to wake up must not be awakened to give him the mystic's idea. It would be a sin, because he is not prepared to understand it, and his beliefs would be shaken. Let him go on thinking God is in Benares; let him think He is in the temple of Buddha; let him think He is in heaven; let him think He is in the seventh heaven above the sky. It is the beginning; he will evolve in time and arrive at the same stage. The rest he is having just now is good for him. The awakening comes, all in its good time.

This explains what is meant by saying that Sufism is a religious philosophy; the philosophy is clothed with religion, that it may not break the ideals and faiths and beliefs of those who are beginning their journey towards the goal. Externally: the religion, inwardly: the philosophy. The one who wants to understand will understand. 'He who has ears to hear, let him hear.'

In whatever form, life expresses its meaning, if only man is able to understand it. The one who does not understand this will not understand life's meaning. His inner sense is closed; it is just like being deaf. In the same way his sense of communication with things has become dull, he does not understand them. But if a person does not hear he may not say that life is not speaking. In the same way, if a person cannot sense the meaning of life, he may not say that life has no meaning. The word is everywhere, and the word is continually speaking.



A mystic removes the barrier that stands between himself and another person by trying to look at life not only from his own point of view, but also from the point of view of another. All disputes and disagreements arise from people's misunderstanding of each other. Mostly, people misunderstand each other because they have their fixed points of view and are not willing to move from them. ... If we are willing to understand, then understanding is within our reach. Very often, however, we are not willing to understand, and that is why we do not understand. Mankind suffers from a sort of stubbornness. A man goes against what he thinks is coming from another person. Yet, everything he has learned has come from others, he has not learned one word from himself. All the same, he calls it his argument, his idea, and his view, although it is no such thing. He has always taken it from somewhere. It is by accepting this fact that a mystic understands all, and it is this which makes him a friend of all.

and while there: Kauai Hindu Monastery
Located on 353 acres, this sanctuary is a theological seminary, publishing center, home of Iraivan Siva temple, and a destination for Hindus who come on pilgrimage from around the world. It is a traditional Saivite Hindu monastery-temple complex on Hawaii's Garden Island, dedicated to the divine within everyone and all things.
Web Site:https://www.himalayanacademy. com/ssc/hawaii/

Venus remains strong while Mars takes some hits

April begins with major pressure of a Mars Saturn opposition on 4 April. This will be stressful and it can suddenly fuel tensions and stresses around the world as seen by the G20 protests that are already taking place in London. Generally Aries and Scorpio plus Capricorn and Aquarius will feel the pressure from this conjunction. Specially for Aries and Scorpio, it will be in the form of some delay or frustration. Best is to be patient during the transit and allow it to pass. Unless you cannot avoid the issue, it is best to tackle them after the transit.
Venus remain retrograde forthe first half of the month and then turns direct on 17th April. One of the major aspects of Venus this month is that it is moving extremely slowly and even when it moves direct it continues to go so slow that the much slower Mars will catch up with it and conjoin on 21 April. This will be a a more pleasurable hit for Mars thasn the earlier Saturn one. Lagna/ Rising Signs ruled by Mars and Venus- Aries, Taurus, Libra and Scorpio - may find reltionship issues at the forefront. Venus Mars conjunctions tend to deliver quick passions and are not always good at long term. This is part of the continuing Venus Mars conjunctions. Venus Mars connecting in different signs are giving us various flavours regarding relationship and love. Venus retrograde has been good for stock markets as they have risen- specially in USA quite spectacularly since it began. Therefore its direct motion may bring about some correction in the markets. Something to watch for.
Also the slow motion of Venus can help us to slow down and think about live generally and not make too hasty decision. Venus's continued exaltation can help life the mood of the world from extreme pessimism to one of cautious optimism. Venus is Pisces is about sowing seeds for the future that will bring good rewards. So this may be a good time to think of the future in a new way and how to plan so that it is more profitable and fruitful than the past 8 years ( Venus was last retrograde in Pisces in 2001). It is a neutral month with very little other activity going on- giving all of us a respite from major dramas. Sun becomes exalted on 14 April to 15 May. Helping Leo lagnas who have been going through the stress of hosting Saturn for the last few year. Mercury moves out of debilitation in Pisces on 6th April. It rushes through Aries and moves to Taurus on 23 April. Mercury in Taurus is good for Virgo lagnas.

by Komilla Sutton

"One could say simply, enlightenment is when there is no longer any identification with thinking. When there is no longer self-identification with thought processes and self-seeking through thinking. Then the compulsive nature of thinking ceases. Then gaps arise in the mind-stream. That means the unconditioned consciousness arises and is realized as stillness or presence. There is nobody there who 'realizes.' It is realized. It realizes itself."

~ From An Interview with Eckhart Tolle.

Man is the picture of the reflection of his imagination; he is as large or as small as he thinks himself.

All works of art and music and poetry come from imagination, for imagination is the free flow of mind, when the mind is allowed to work by itself and bring out the beauty and harmony it contains. But when it is restricted by a certain principle or rule, then it does not work freely... No one has believed in God, no one has loved God, and no one has reached the presence of God who has not been helped by his imagination.

Our Time is Now
The human heart can go the length of God
Dark and cold we may be
But this is no winter now
The frozen misery of centuries
Cracks, breaks, begins to move
The thunder is the thunder of the floes,
The thaw, the flood, the upstart spring.
Thank God our time is now
When wrong comes up to meet us everywhere
Never to leave us 'til we take
The greatest stride of soul folk ever took
Affairs are now soul size
The enterprise is exploration into God
But where are you making for
It takes so many thousand years to wake
But will you wake, for pity’s sake

~ From the play: A Sleep of Prisoners, by Christopher Fry

If anybody asks you what the Path is about.…
It’s about generosity.
It’s about morality.
It’s about concentration.
It’s about gaining insight through
focused self-observation.
It’s about the cultivation of subjective states
of compassion and love based on insight.
And it’s about translating that compassion
and love into actions in the real world.

~Shinzen Young

A soul shows the proof of its evolution in the degree of the tolerance it shows. The life in the lower creation shows the lack of tolerance. The tendency of fighting with one another, which one sees among beasts and birds, shows the reason at the back of it, that intolerance is born in their nature. ... But when a soul has evolved still more, tolerance becomes the natural thing for him. Because the highly evolved soul then begins to realize 'Another person is not separate from me, but the other person is myself. The separation is on the surface of life, but in the depth of life I and the other person are one.' Therefore tolerance is not learned fully by trying to follow it as a good principle. It is learned by having the love of God, by attaining the knowledge of self, and by understanding the truth of life.

When you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the temples and in the streets, so that they get the glory of men. I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing."
- Jesus, New Testament

The starfish story – "It matters to this one!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GunVwl6K4M&feature=related

***************
49 seconds of pure love
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sPYJWz_PNc&NR=1

*************
Lots of interesting things on this site:
http://consciousrevolution.ning.com/
particularly enjoyed David Wolf's audio interview on the Economy; David is very cognizant about what is transpiring today, but also has a refreshing and upbeat view of our future present now.

"The metabolic pathways of pain and malaise evolved because they
served the fitness of our genes in the ancestral environment. They will be
replaced by a different sort of neural architecture -- a motivational
system based on heritable gradients of bliss. States of sublime well-being
are destined to become the genetically pre-programmed norm of mental
health."

- David Pearce, http://www.hedweb.com/, The Hedonistic Imperative

The only secret of attaining happiness is to learn how to appreciate our privileges in life. If we cultivate that sense of appreciation we shall be thankful, we shall be contented and every moment we shall offer our thanks to God, for His gifts are many and enormous. When we do not see them it is because our wants cover our eyes from seeing all with which we are blessed by Providence. No meditation, no study, nothing can help in that direction, except one thing, and that is to keep our eyes open to appreciate every little privilege in life, to admire every glimpse of beauty that comes before us, being thankful for every little love, kindness or affection shown to us by young or old, rich or poor, wise or foolish. In this way, continually developing the faculty of appreciating life and devoting it to thanksgiving, we arrive at a bliss which no words can explain, a bliss which is beyond imagination: the bliss that we find ourselves having already entered the kingdom of God.