Your little group of kindles is a miracle in progress. At birth, kittens are entirely reliant on their mothers for food and warmth. Their tiny bodies can’t regulate temperature very well and they often crawl over each other in a pile of kitty warmth. Kittens’ eyes and ear canals are closed during their first few days of life, rendering them unable to see or hear one another. Newborn kittens spend their first weeks eating, sleeping and cuddling in order to survive.

Between the ages of 10 and 21 days, your little fuzzballs will be able to see and hear the world around them. Their tiny eyes open, and while their sight remains clouded for another couple of weeks, they can finally see their siblings. Cats can see colors, although not as vibrantly as humans do. A kitten’s sense of smell also develops during this time, and she will begin to sniff her way around the room. Kittens are the perfect source of conserved energy, sleeping as many as 18 hours a day.

Source: Louise Lawson, Demand Media 

Love makes our friend a little dearer. Joy makes our heart a little lighter. Faith makes our path a little clearer. Hope makes our lives a little brighter. Peace brings us all a little nearer. ~Unknown

You’ll be surprised to learn that despite your dog’s eagerness to eat just about anything in sight, his sense of taste is not as excellent as you might believe. Yes, Scruffy may drool buckets of saliva at the sight of baloney, but his overall taste is relatively poor. While he’s capable of detecting bitter, sweet, salty and sour tastes, you’ll be surprised to learn that he has only one-sixth the number of taste buds a human has. Source: Adrienne Farricelli, Demand Media

Don’t ever let anyone break your soul. You have to stand on your own two feet and fight. There are those who would do anything to see you fall. Never give them the satisfaction. Hold your head up high. Put a smile on you face, and stand your ground. ~Unknown

Devils Thumb – Lake Louise Alberta. Photo credit: Randy Neufeldt

The Dhammakāya Movement is a Buddhist movement founded in 1916 by the Thai meditation master Phra Mongkolthepmuni (1885-1959) – the late abbot of Wat Paknam Bhasicharoen, Thonburi. The movement is primarily represented today by its non-profit foundation, the Dhammakaya Foundation, and the Wat Phra Dhammakaya temple in Pathum Thani Province, Thailand.

It has many doctrinal elements to distinguish it from conventional Theravāda Buddhism and in some respects resembles schools of Mahāyāna Buddhism. The Dhammakāya school of meditation is marked by its literal interpretation of Buddhist technical terms, (including the term dhammakāya) in their physical meaning, as described by Phra Mongkolthepmuni. Many sermons of Phra Mongkolthepmuni himself can be traced back to some schools of meditation in Southeast Asia preserved only in ancient meditation manuals.

Following the death of Phra Monkolthepmuni, the Foundation’s work was continued by his disciple, Khun Yay Mahā Ratana Upāsikā Chandra Khonnokyoong. In 1970, a temple, called Wat Phra Dhammakaya, was constructed as a home for the movement. Located in Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani Province, the temple was intended to become an international center for the study of meditation.

Painful as it may be, a significant emotional event can be the catalyst for choosing a direction that serves us more effectively. Look for the learning. ~Louisa May Alcott

There are no random acts. We are all connected. You can no more separate one life from another than you can separate a breeze from the wind. ~Mitch Albom

Jendhamuni – April 15, 2015.

Live for today, not for tomorrow. Be of good cheer don’t stress about sorrow. Rain will come, the sun will shine, remember above all you are one of a kind… ~Unknown

TransAlta Inlet at Wabamun Lake. Photo credit: Randy Neufeldt

What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity.
They are but trifles, to be sure, but scattered along life’s
pathway the good they do is inconceivable.
~Joseph Addison

Daffodils. Photo credit: Randy Neufeldt

Happiness comes from within. It is not dependent on external things or on other people. You become vulnerable and can be easily hurt when your feelings of security and happiness depend on the behavior and actions of other people. Never give your power to anyone else. ~Brian L. Weiss