New Guidelines

From the Stone Tarot, the Universe; from the Buddhist Quote Cards, Dhammapada 8:100 :

Now

illusions shatter

like dropped cups.

~ Alison Stone

Stone includes the planets of our solar system in her painting of the Universe. It was a reminder of the stunning discovery that the Earth was not the center of everything, but the Sun. Years later, astronomers would again shake things up when they declared our galaxy was just one of many in the Universe. From a spiritual point of view, this card does the same thing - expanding our minds and hearts in a way that we can no longer perceive things as we did before. The verse from the Dhammapada reads:

Better than a thousand meaningless statements

is one meaningful word, which, 

having been heard, brings peace.

The noise from words seems to never stop, whether from people talking, television or social media. How many of them create fear, stir up anger or cause sadness rather than bringing comfort, healing and encouragement? When the mind and heart open, we can no longer ignore the impact of what we say, post or write. We realize we need to be a part of the solution rather than the problem, which can begin simply with the way we communicate.

As we move through this beautiful and troubled world, may we vow to be a 

beacon of peace, a fearless carrier of respect and lovingkindness for all life, a 

teller of truth, a voice for justice, a protector of those who are vulnerable or 

targeted. May the power of wisdom, integrity and compassion be our guide.

~Jack Kornfield