In Hebrew they say, Ein chadash tachat hashemesh; in Greek, Ouk esti pan prosfaton upo ton hlion; and in Latin, Nihil sub sole novum. No matter how you say it, it comes down to pretty much the same thing: "There's nothing new under the sun."

Ecclesiastes 1:9

Chapter 1

(6) The wind blows to the south,
and goes round to the north;
round and round goes the wind,
and on its circuits the wind returns.

(7) All streams run to the sea,
but the sea is not full;
to the place where the streams flow,
there they flow again.

(8) All things are full of weariness;
a man cannot utter it;
the eye is not satisfied with seeing,
nor the ear filled with hearing.

(9) What has been is what will be,
and what has been done is what will be done;
and there is nothing new under the sun.

(10) Is there a thing of which it is said,
"See, this is new"?
It has been already,
in the ages before us.

(11) There is no remembrance of former things,
nor will there be any remembrance
of later things yet to happen
among those who come after.

As I plant my radishes and sweet peas I am reminded to be hopeful. The writer of Ecclesiastes can at time be weary of life. That is the danger of having too much! Life is so beautiful but there are snags to enjoying this life.

The Buddha said there are Five Hindrances that are the major obstacles to concentration.

1. Sensual desire (abhidya)

2. Ill will, hatred, or anger (pradosha)

3. Laziness and sluggishness (styana and middha)

4. Restlessness and worry (anuddhatya and kaukritya)

5. Doubt (vichikitsa) -- doubt, skepticism, indecisiveness, or vacillation, without the wish to cure it, more like the common idea of cynicism or pessimism than open-mindedness or desire for evidence.

The last hindrance, doubt, can have a profound effect on happiness. We try not to focus on our skeptical thoughts. We try to be aware of all the things around us and "Be Here Now" without thought of how to bend the world to our will. Like The Dude from the Big Lebowski, we abide. Oh and don't forget to breath.

To do no evil;

To cultivate good;

To purify one's mind:

This is the teaching of the Buddhas.

--The Dhammapada

Talk to you later,

Lynda

The love of truth lies at the root of much humor.
- Robertson Davies