Zen Paths to Harmony

"Life is a gift to be savored -- nothing more, nothing less." The book combines quotes and photographs to reinforce that theme. This book is one of a series that looks at inspirational sayings combined with nature photography to create a sense of Zen experience. ". . . [R]ecognizing the cycles of the natural world . . . we can find peace of mind and experience true joy." How are we to do this? ". . . [C]oncentration on the moment, to experience it exactly as it is in every detail." "[W]e must calm the mind, let go of the chatter and allow stillness to fall." ". . . [S]hed the skin of habitual behavior . . . and see the world through the eyes of a child." Here are some of my favorite sequences from the book:"The quieter you become, the more you can hear." -- Baba Ram Dass (image of a leaf)"From morning, Perfectly tranquil, Far removed from the world's turmoil -- One with the spring mist." -- Rengetsu, Buddhist Nun (with the image of a sunrise over a marsh)"Flow with whatever may happen and let your mind be free: Stay centered by accepting whatever you are doing." -- Chuang Tzu (gentle, cascading tropical waterfall image)"Abundant clouds, A few lingering blossoms, Fresh summer mountains, Fragrant green leaves, And gentle cool breezes." -- Rengetsu, Buddhist Nun (with images of clouds)"I exist as I am, that is enough." -- Walt Whitman (with field covered with blossoms surrounding a lone, bare tree)"Constant d r i p p i n g hollows out a stone." -- Lucretius (with an image of a water-filled hole in a stone)"If I keep a green bough in my heart, the singing bird will come." -- Chinese proverb (with images of grass blades)"Open their hearts, ice and water become friends again." -- Teishitsu (with an bough covered with freezing rain)"I saw it, but I did not realize it." -- Elizabeth Peabody (with images of redwood trees)"Water runs back to the ocean; The moon goes down, but never leaves the heavens." -- Sayings of the Masters (with a rocky shoreline)"Outside noisy, inside empty." -- Chinese proverb (sun-speckled water)"My life is an undivided whole, and all my activities run into one another . . . ." -- Mahatma Gandhi (with image of a dewy spider web)The typography is cleverly designed to emphasize the meaning of the words. Some words droop. Others pour. Yet others soar. Sizes and designs of the type create the cadence. I liked this volume almost as much as the one on change, and a little more than the one on laughter.If you are like me, this book will give you a wonderful peaceful feeling. When you are finished enjoying your newly enhanced harmony, I suggest that you add some more quotations and images that reinforce this feeling. You can simply cut these out as you see them, and save them to be combined with this book. Perhaps you should start carrying a camera with you to gather images for this purpose. Be sure to pass along the gift of harmony to all you meet.