I once had the privilege of knowing a refugee who had lost his entire family and all belongings in the killing fields of Cambodia. I watched for signs of hostility or bitterness--even regret--and saw nothing but a calm acceptance of life and his own reality as they were.
There is something remarkable about people who show sincere depth of character in the strength of calm with which they surround themselves.
It strikes me that whoever can cultivate this kind of temperament will avoid lots of missteps and misfortune. I think an essential, innate harmony comes to the fore when we live from our deepest center. From this soul-center love, grace, and beauty are born.
The deepest part of the soul is calm
like the resonant silence of winter's night.
When we cultivate a temperament
calm as a summer's dawn
we will sidestep many thorns and pitfalls
while striding these winding trails.
The harmony of living fully is felt
in the silence of the soul
where wonder and beauty are revealed.
Within the sinuous turns of this journey we will
find wisdom and even-mindedness
and the arts of living in harmony with
the rhyme of our soul
where calm is never stirred.
Inner strength is calm,
showing depth of character, like a deep wood.
The tranquility of fortitude carries
a mien of power
and conveys the bearing of an earnest nature.
The strengths of kindness and charity entwine
themselves with the symphony of our heart.
