God hath not promised skies always blue,
Flower strewn pathways all our lives through;
God hath not promised sun without rain,
Joy without sorrow, peace without pain.
But God hath promised strength for the day,
Rest for the labor, light for the way,
Grace for the trials, help from above,
Unfailing sympathy, undying love.
God hath not promised we shall not know
Toil and temptation, trouble and woe;
He hath not told us we shall not bear
Many a burden, many a care.
God hath not promised smooth roads and wide,
Swift, easy travel, needing no guide;
Never a mountain rocky and steep,
Never a river turbid and deep.
I hope you choose kindness. Even when others are being cruel. When someone asks you to give them your heart all warm and full of trust, and they give you something makeshift and full of barbed wire in return: be kind. Some people need to feel your heart wrap around them more than you know.
I hope you choose empathy. Even when you don’t want to. When someone gives you reasons to judge them, to dislike them; when they behave in ways that you do not understand: be empathetic. Some people need you to walk a mile in their shoes.
I hope you choose calm. Even when you’re in the midst of chaos. When someone upends your world, and the rest of the world feels utterly upside down: be calm. Some people need you to be their safe haven.
I hope you choose peace. Even when wars rage within and around you. When someone tries to take you to battle, when it feels like your character and choices are under siege: be peaceful. Some people need your help learning to let go.
I hope you choose trust. Even in the face of falsehoods. When someone has dishonored you, when they have lied to you, when someone has made you feel small; remember that not everyone will do these same things: be trusting. Some people need you to take leaps of faith.
I hope you choose patience. Even when you are overwhelmed by unknowns. When someone cannot give you answers, when you begin to wonder why you’re here, when you simply want to give up: be patient. Some people are truly worth the wait.
I hope you choose love. Even when it would be easier to hate. When someone stirs white-hot rage within you, when they insult you, when they question your worth: be loving. Some people need your love more than you do.
Whether you admit it not, we’ve all experienced life’s struggles in one way or another. The use or utterance of dailymantras can lessen frustrations and negative thoughts. Before pessimism cloud your mind and foul your mood, try these 10 simple mantras and see how your day goes.
Number Ten: Okay, Life! Life is unfair. Realists know and acknowledge this. It gives you reasons to jump for joy today; it makes you want to be numb the next day. That’s how it always goes. You can never be happy all the time. You can’t be broken every second, either. So cheer up! Whatever comes your way, it’s part of life.
Number Nine: I’m Doing This for Me. There are moments when you feel guilty about doing the things you love, especially when some people get hurt. Dumb if you do, dumb if you don’t. That couldn’t be any truer, could it? In this shaky times, when you seem to lose your balance on things and people, always ask ‘Who am I doing this for?’ You should know what the best answer is. Own your happiness.
Number Eight: I Choose to Live. You should always, always choose to live. Even if you feel so disappointed, even if you think you’re better off somewhere away from Earth, even if you think you don’t like to see another sunrise, do not wish for an end. Your life’s story re-starts every day. You have countless chances to be better. Choose to live, and love that choice, always.
Number Seven: I Am Enough. You think you’re less good-looking, less smart? If you feel so small and insignificant, it’s because you think you are. So what if your dream job has been given to somebody else? So what if your peers are wealthier and prettier? As much as possible, do not compare yourself with others ‘for always there will be greater and lesser persons’ than you are. But that does not mean you are lesser of a worthy human being. Stand proud. You have what it takes to be great! You, your truest self, is enough. Even more.
Number Six: I Can Do This. That anxiety or giddiness you feel thinking how your scholarship interview would turn out is normal. Somewhere in other parts of the world, someone is having her first child and there’s someone else having his first taste of heartbreak. Bottomline, everyone’s having a first time on things and that includes you. Nail it.
Number Five: I Am Beyond Normal. I Am Amazing. You are beautiful and ugly. You are smart and awkward. You are boring and crazy. You are bliss and gloom. You are success and failure. You are all these ironies. But you are more than any of these adjectives.
Number Four: I Need to Change Because I Need to Grow Because I Need to Live. You need to. For the love of yourself. For the love of life.
Number Three: Just Do. Since you were three years old, you were already so noisy about being a doctor or a teacher or an astronaut. Whether those dreams have changed or not, you should be working on your way towards your goals, shouldn’t you? Now is the time to take some, even small, steps forward. Now is the time to pave your way to happiness. Move. Now.
Number Two: I Am Resilient and Able. You are made up of 207 bones and billions of cells. You will not be literally wrecked by any outside force. Isn’t that a proof of how strong you should be feeling now? That pain, that tightening on your chest, that hard breathing – most of them are just in your mind. While it is alright to feel down, you have to realize that it is human nature to fight. So, fight. You will win because you can.
Number One: I Am at Peace. Be happy with the things that you do. Take pride in what you have overcome. Love the person that you are now. But most of all, be at peace with yourself. Many people and circumstances will push you to the ground. Life will be harsh at times. But reach deep down to where your innermost heart and soul reside. Be at peace with them and no matter how your day goes, you will remain standing.
We all deserve a break once in a while. But if you’re thinking about beaches or mountaintops, you’re going typical. Aren’t temples worth exploring, too?
My friends, we all deserve a break once in a while. But if you’re thinking about beaches or mountaintops, you’re going typical. Aren’t temples worth exploring, too? There are hundreds of temples in Asia alone. While these holy places are mostly visited for religious traditions by Hindus and Buddhists, these temples also welcome tourists who want to take a peak of a significant culture. You might want to visit some of these beautifully historical temples on the list.
Paro Taktsang Monastery – Paro, Bhutan
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Paro Taktsang, commonly called Tiger’s nest, is Bhutan’s most sacred site. The monastery hangs on a granite cliff more than 10,000 meters above sea level. According to legends, Buddhist Master Padmasambhava flew to the cliff from Tibet on the back of a tigress and meditated in a cave in the 8th century. Thus, the name. In 1998, a fire broke out and burnt the main building of the monastery and destroyed some of the important paintings and artifacts. The incident did not totally damage the entire beauty and sacredness of the Paro Taktsang, though. Bhutanese Buddhists and foreigners endure a two-hour difficult trek to reach the monastery. It consists four main temples, shelters for monks and eight caves where Padmasambhava meditated. The temples house the various manifestations (reincarnation) of Padmasambhava and religious paintings. The mystical atmosphere of the monastery and the breathtaking view of Bhutan up from the cliff never fail to attract millions of tourists and religious individuals every year.
Borobudur – Central Java, Indonesia
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Built some time between 750 AD and 850 AD, Borobudur Temple is one of the world’s greatest Buddhist monuments. It’s Sanskrit origin ‘Vihara Buddha Uhr’ means ‘Buddhist Monastery on the Hill’. The religious site has been abandoned and hidden for centuries under layers of volcanic ash from Mount Merapi and a thick jungle before it was discovered in 1814 by British rulers in Indonesia. It took decades before Borobudur regained the attention and protection it deserved. There was even a proposal to dismantle the monuments and distribute them to museums around the globe. In 1983, the monuments were restored and cleaned. Local and foreign tourists took notice of the religious site after UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site in 1991.
Kashi Vishwanath Temple – Uttar Pradesh, India
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Kashi Vishwanath Temple has probably the most unfortunate history among Hindu temples. In Asia. It has been rebuilt several times after Muslims in India repeatedly destroyed the temple. From 1033 to 1669 AD, kashi was demolished and replaced by Masjids, then restored by Hindu devotees only to be destroyed again. The present temple was built through the orders of Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar in 1776 AD. In 1785 AD, the temple was renovated and covered in gold. A huge bell from the King of Nepal was put up, and many smaller temples were built near Varanasi. Located inside the prime place of pilgrimage Varanasi, Kashi Vishawanath is considered the holiest temple as it is said to be dear to Lord Shiva. Those who come and die in this landmark riverside temple attains liberation and happiness. The Ganga around the temple is believed to be the nectar of the earth.
Shwedagon Zedi Daw Pagoda – Yangon, Myanmar
activetravelmyanmar.com
Covered in gold plates and diamonds, the 2600-year old Shwedagon Pagoda is Myanmar’s most sacred Buddhism site. The legend begins with two Burmese merchants who met Gautama Buddha and were given eight strands of his hair. The merchants returned to Burma (Myanmar’s ancient name) and gave the hair relics to their King. Years after, the spot where the relics of previous Buddhas were enshrined was found. The eight hairs of Gautama Buddha was then placed on the same spot and Shwedagon Pagoda was built over it. Over hundreds of years, Shwedagon Pagoda has survived earthquakes, typhoons, fires and invasions. But what makes Shwedagon more popular is the missing Great Bell of Dhammazedi – the largest bell in the world. It was given as a gift to the pagoda by King Dhammazedi but was stolen by Portuguese warlord Filipe de Brito e Nicote. The bell, made of metal, silver and gold, was taken down from the pagoda and was rolled through a raft to the Bago River. The bell sank into the bottom of the river and has never been found since then. People in Myanmar as well as other foreign historians and divers still search for the missing 300-ton bell until now.
Kotoku-in Temple – Kamakura, Japan
visionsoftravel.org
What makes Kotoku-in Temple famous among Buddhists is the 13-meter tall Buddha in it. The Great Buddha of Kamakura is a bronze statue Amitabha Buddha constructed in 1252, in the Kamakura period. Great Buddha was originally enshrined in Daibutsu-den Hall but the entire building was destroyed by typhoon that hit Japan in 1334. The hall was rebuilt but was again destroyed by another typhoon in 1369. The last building that housed the statue was washed by tsunami in 1498. Since then, The Great Buddha was placed in open air, making it an unusual tradition amongst large Buddha statues in Japan.
Hanging Temple – Shanxi, China
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Despite being considerably forgotten, the Hanging Temple is an architectural wonder. Hanging 75 meters above the ground into a cliff near Hengshan Mountain, the 1400-year old temple does not just defy the gravity but of religion as well. It fairly celebrates three religions within it – Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. It has 40 rooms and a total of 78 statues and carvings representing the three religions. The statue of Sakyamuni for Buddhism stands in the middle, Laozi, a deity in Taoism, on the right and Confucius, founder of Confucianism, on the left, with different expressions. The Hanging Temple, also called Hanging Monastery, was design skillfully combing religion and culture of Chinese feudal society. According to legends, just one monk named Liao Ran built the temple at the end of the Northern Wei dynasty.
Boudhanath Stupa – Kathmandu, Nepal
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Named the largest stupa in Nepal and the holiest Tibetan Buddhist temple outside of Tibet, dominates the skyline of Kathmandu. The stupa was said to be built by Jyajima, a poor mother with four sons. Being too religious, Jyajima initiated the construction of Boudhanath, with the land given by the king of Nepal. Soil, bricks and stones were carried on elephants, horses and other animals. When the woman died, her four sons completed the stupa. It was also known that a man, no matter what sins he has, shall be grant atonement if he circles around the stupa even just once in his life. During the Tibetan New Year in Nepal, Boudhanath Stupa hosts the largest celebration. But here’s a truly sad truth: Bhoudanath has been reduced into rubble by the 7.8-magnitude quake that shook Nepal in April 2015.
Angkor Wat – Cambodia
lonelyplanet.de
Undeniably one of the world’s most visited religious and tourist site, Angkor Wat is a tangible testimony of the wealth and power of the Khmer Empire. It was constructed between 1113 and 1145 during the reign of King Suryavarman II. The temple was built for 37 years because of conflicts and power struggles in the empire. Angkor Wat was originally offered to Vishnu, the Hindu God of protection. While the purpose of Angkor Wat’s construction is still a hot debate among historians and Cambodians, Khmers tag it as funerary temple. Angkor Wat faces west – the direction believed to symbolize death – while all other temples are facing east. Inside the Angkor Wat are thousands of apsara (heavenly nymph) wall carvings. With its extricate details and form, Angkor Wat is also considered a replica of the universe and represents an earthly model of the cosmic world.
The luxurious architecture and breathtaking facade of these religious structures are just actually a plus. What you will surely get, aside from fun, is the feeling of serenity and unearthly contentment. These temples and a lot more are worth your time. Because why not.
Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant, they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love, for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is perennial as the grass.
Take kindly to the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.
folded sleeves 