Foundations

The foundation upon which
All else is built
Is caring.

All else is secondary.
All else is transitory.

Our understandings will change.
Our conceptions will evolve.

All manifestations and all creations
Will pass away in time.

The one constant

Is the caring of beings
For one another.

There is no other motivation
For Divine activity.

There is no other state of being
That makes anything
Meaningful.

That one thing, caring,
Gives rise to all other things
Wonderful,

Inspires creativity
And endeavor.

Without that one thing,

There is no purpose or meaning
To anything.

Caring is often painful
And difficult.

Caring is wonderful
And it is priceless.

Where there is caring,
There is life.

Where there is no caring,
There is no life.

Without caring,
Existence can be no more
Than empty pleasures and pain.

Without caring,
There can be no joy,
No appreciation,

No gifts given,
And none received.

Whenever I become confused
About what is what,

I come back to this.

It does not matter what
I think I do or do not understand.

What matters is if I am caring.

If I am, then I have
A firm foundation.

All may be imaginary.
All may be an illusion.

I may not know
Or understand anything
With certainty.

It does not matter.

I will know each tree
By the fruit that it bears.

And if I am caring,
My words and actions,
My creations and endeavors,

Will also be fruit
That is born of a good tree.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excerpt from Passageways Series
© Kim Shaffer 1973 - 2004
All Rights Reserved