Lead With Your Heart, LLC
"Achieving Balance With All Species Through Love"
Paramahansa Yogananda
Saint Francie of Assisi
Thich Nhat Hanh
Recommended Reading
"I embrace all beliefs that honor the divine and wellbeing of all species"
Diane Ellis
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Paramahansa Yogananda
Paramahansa Yogananda
http://www.yogananda-srf.org/
All Creation is Thine Inimitable Handiwork
Teach us to love the birds and
beasts; and the frail wayside
flowers and mute grasses, oft
crushed by our unheeding feet.
The countless forms in Nature
are expressions of thy versatile genius--
originals from Thy ceaselessly vibrating fingers.
May we see in all creation Thine inimitable handiwork.
My Guru and spiritual guide. I have been very blessed with being able to spend several years at Master's many temples. attending services lead by the monks and nuns of the Self Realization Fellowship, yearly convocations, and weekend retreats on the beautiful grounds where Master once walked while I lived in southern california. His original, untouched writings are my most cherished as it speaks to me directly from his heart. These writings are translated by only select individuals, monastics of The Self Realization Fellowship that are very intune with Yogananda's thoughts, feelings and teachings of what he wanted to convey and teach others. Paramahansaji is with me always guiding my life's work as a voice for the animals.
Some of my favorite books by Paramahansa Yogananda:
The Bhagavah Gita
The Second Coming of Christ
Autobiography of a Yogi
Journey to Self-Realization
Man's Eternal Quest
The Divine Romance
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Saint Francis of Assisi
Does Every Creature Have A Soul?
A tool
in your hand I am, dear God,
the sweetest instrument you have shaped my being into.
What makes me know complete--
feeling the soul of every creature against
my heart.
Does every creature have a
soul?
Surely they do; for anything God has touched
will have life
forever,
and all creatures He
has held.
The Sacraments
I once spoke to my friend, an old squirrel, about the Sacraments--
he got so excited
and ran into a hollow in his tree and came
back holding some acorns, an owl feather,
and a ribbon he had found.
And I just smiled and said, "Yes, dear,
you understand:
everything imparts
His grace."
Some of My Favorite Books about St. Francis of Assisi:
Little Flowers of St. Francis of Assisi, by Brother Ugolino, W. Heywood, Translator
Saint Francis of Assisi - A Life of Joy, by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
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Thich Nhat Hanh
Thich Nhat Hanh
http://www.plumvillage.org/index.html
Respect For Our Precious Earth
I promise to practice mindful walking everywhere I go to express my love, respect, and care for our precious Earth.
"I know that when I make steps with mindfulness, peace and joy, the Pure Land manifests immediately; the Kingdom of God becomes available right away. All the wonders of life are available in this moment, including the budding leaves, the pebbles, the streams, the squirrels, the sound of the birds, the breeze, the moon, and the sparkling stars in the midnight sky. Yet, because I have often been pushed and pulled in many directions as I walk, I have not always been able to touch these wonderful things of life. Looking deeply I see that there is no phenomenon which is not wonderful; the drop of dew, the blade of grass, the ray of sunlight, a cloud, or a flash of lightning. In the past I have wandered around like someone who has nothing to live for. I have discarded the present moment in my search for an illusory happiness in the future. Now, thanks to your teaching of dwelling happily in the present moment, I have begun to wake up!! My mindful breathing and walking bring me back to the present and in this moment I am able to experience the Pure Land of the Buddua, here and now".
I promise that from now on I shall practice so that every step I take will bring me back to the present moment, to life, and to my true home. I vow that whenever I take a step I shall be aware of my breathing and the wonderful contact between the sole of my foot and the surface of the Earth. I shall not speak when I am walking. If I need to say something I shall stop, put all my heart into what I am saying or into listening to the other speaking. Once I have finished speaking or listening, I shall continue my mindful walking. If the person who is walking with me does not yet know this practice, I shall stand still and share it with him or her. while I am walking I shall be able to put all my heart into every step and nourish the Dharma happiness which will refresh and heal my body and mind".
From the book "Touching the Earth" by Thich Nhat Hanh.
The energy of mindfulness, concentration and insight gives rise to compassion, forgiveness, joy, transformation, and healing.
The Five Mindfulness Teachings:
1. Vow to cherish all life on earth and not support any acts of killing.
2. Pledge to practice generosity and not support social injustice and oppression.
3. Make a commitment to behave responsibly in our relationships and not engage in
sexual misconduct.
4. Practice loving speech and deep listening in order to relieve others of suffering.
5. Practice mindful consumption and mindful eating. Being aware of the suffering
caused by unmindful consumption.
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Some of My Favorite Books by: Thich Nhat Hanh
Parallax Press
http://www.parallax.org
Touching the Earth: 40 Guided Meditations, Rev. Ed.
Based on the loving-kindness and compassion meditation of the Lotus Sutra, Touching the Earth contains one of the most popular and transformative practices of Thich Nhat Hanh. Written in short simple meditations, it is a step-by-step guidebook to the practice of Beginning Anew, containing clear instructions and over forty guided meditation verses. It allows the reader to practice alone or with others by engaging in an "intimate, poetic conversation with the Buddha."
The Miracle of Mindfulness: A Manual on Meditation
The Miracle of Mindfulness is universally recognized as one of the classic introductory manuals on meditation, concentration, and relaxation. It is at once practical and inspirational. Originally written as a long letter to a friend, The Miracle of Mindfulness retains an intimate, personal tone.
The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching: Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy & Liberation
Thick Nhat Hanh brings his gifts of clarity and poetry to an explication of the basic teachings of Buddhism--the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. These teachings are the time-tested means to transform our suffering into mindfulness and joy.
Going Home: Jesus and Buddha as Brothers
Fromt the author of the best-selling Living Buddha, Living Christ comes a journey into healing one of the greatest wounds of our time: Alienation from our own spiritural traditions.
Living Buddha, Living Christ opened the door to a dialogue between Christianity and Buddhism and Buddha and Jesus say "hello" to each other. Going Home takes us on a journey into the practice of revitalized Christianity and Buddha and Jesus sit down together and have a lengthy conversation. They ask each other advice, how they can be united and demostrate their theological convergence and talk about each others prayers, rituals and forms of practice.
