Word 033
Walking through the fields of Asuka, Ishibutai Kofun came into view.
I stood quietly before those enormous stones — a monument left by people who lived here more than a thousand years ago. Around me, the green of the trees and a soft breeze. The stones say nothing. They simply exist. And yet, standing before them, I felt as though they were silently reflecting something back to me.
A memory surfaced — a time when things weren't going smoothly with someone close to me. I had been wondering, "Why are they like that?" But standing here, it occurred to me for the first time: perhaps they were feeling exactly the same way about me.
The people and world around us are a " mirror " of ourselves.
If you ever find yourself feeling irritated by someone, or sensing that another person is making you feel uncomfortable, pause and ask yourself:
"Am I making them feel the same way?"
If you want to live in ease, begin by offering kindness first — to those around you (= GIVE).
The world reflects the colors we bring to it. If you want those colors to change, start from the inside. One step forward in kindness has a way of coming back to you — quietly, warmly, like a breeze returning home.