Art Work courtesy of Bobi

“Charity must teach us that friendship is a holy thing, and that it is neither charitable nor holy to base our friendships on falsehood.

We can be, in some sense, friends to all men because there is no man on earth whom we do not have something in common. But it would be false to treat too many men as intimate friends. It is not possible to be intimate with more than very few, because there are only very few in the world with whom we have practically everything in common.

Love, then, must be true to the ones we love and to ourselves, and also to its own laws. I can not be true to myself if I pretend to have more in common than I actually have with someone whom I may like for a selfish and unworthy reason.” ~from No Man Is An Island by Thomas Merton

Here is a recording of Thomas Merton lecturing the novice monks at Gethsemani on Love…  It is awesome.

Enjoy, and have a great day.

Elephant 365 is an example of Elephant Journal’s commitment to the Mindful Life. Everyday we will offer a new reading regarding meditation practice and the spiritual path, all infused with a fresh perspective on traditional spirituality. If you would like to follow Elephant 365 on FaceBook click here and become a fan of Elephant Meditation by clicking the “Like” tab at the top of the page.