At dawn, everything is just about to wake up.
The wind howls in the stillness of this earthy place,
The ocean is forever powerful,
The waves crash into the shore,
The foam is as white as the clouds,
The ocean is vast, immense and sacred,
It is as deep and wide as the love of our father,
It is vast and limitless as the love of our mother.
Looking at the ocean, I realize how tiny we really are;
We are but a small stream, flowing into the big sea;
A sea of compassion, a sea of wisdom,
and a sea of awakening.
Life is beautiful and ever-changing,
like today’s rain following yesterday’s sunshine,
Life is a constant change and as fragile as a drop of dew,
as sea foam or as evening clouds.
But we are lucky because we have
all the basic conditions for happiness,
From your feet, your breath, and your lips to your eyes.
From your brain, your heart, and your mind
to your healthy hands.
From the hope and encouragement
of your friends and family.
From the everlasting care and love
from your parents and ancestors,
Embedded with much pride, virtues and tradi-tions,
We must live to nourish our mind and heart,
We must live to cultivate
understanding, compassion and courage,
We must live to make this world a better place for all.

*At the Wake Up Retreat in San Francisco, CA. March, 2014