August 28th, 2007

"The pleasures of everyday life, if received rightly and accepted as God's gift to us, can point us towards the transcendent, towards God Himself. What we need is the wisdom in dealing with that which can so easily seize our hearts. The point is not to avoid or deny desire (as Buddha would teach), but to desire and enjoy pleasure it its proper context; pleasure is a means, not an end. Every pleasure that is sought as an end in itself ultimately ceases to deliver, and the aching void in our soul persists."
- I'Ching Thomas (www.rzim.org), "Pleasure Misplaced"