Passage One: Foundations
The foundation upon which
All else is built
Is caring.
All else is secondary.
Our understandings will change.
Our conceptions will evolve.
All manifestations and all creations
Will pass away in time.
What sustains
And what affirms,
What gives depth
And substance to, is caring.
There is no other motivation
That is so divine.
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,
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 it bears,
And if I am caring,
My words and actions,
My creations and endeavors,
Will be fruit that is born
Of a good tree.
