Blessed are the Man and the Woman
Blessed are the man and the woman
who have grown beyond their greed
and put an end to their hatred
and no longer nourish illusions.
But they delight in the way things are
and keep their hearts open, day and night.
They are like trees planted near flowing rivers,
which bear fruit when they are not ready.
Their leaves will not fall or whither.
Everything they do will succeed.
Psalm 1: Translated by Stephen Mitchell
––excerpt from A Book of Psalms: Selections adapted from the Hebrew
Practices
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Reflect upon the areas of your life where you have grown beyond greed, envy, or hatred. Give gratitude for the growth, and track where you are still susceptible to illusions; or notice who or what might still trigger your susceptibility to greed, envy or hatred.
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Where do you find yourself delighting in the way things are? And how and where are you keeping your heart open day and night?
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In this season of the fall, where are you bearing fruit, and what are you harvesting?
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Read Psalm 1 daily for the rest of the month, and see what other insights or discoveries it might provoke for you, especially since this Psalm accentuates that if we delight in the way things are and "keep our hearts open day and night" everything will succeed...How will you foster the inherent qualities that lead to the experience of internal and external success?
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