Love is a very vast, sea. It is deep and moving, and dotted with numerous islands. The Ancient Greeks gave these a lot of thought and named them Eros, Philia, Storge, Agape, Ludus, Pragma, and Philautia. Some of these are rather enticing and appear to float your boat quite nicely, for a while. But lingering too long at anyone, you realize soon you might have lost your bearings. Navigation is key, you proclaim as you weigh the anchor and note once more the distance between the stars and the horizon.

In many houses on Christmas Day, you will see shining silver tinsel draped on the branches of Christmas trees. Have you ever wondered where the idea of tinsel came from? Like so many other traditions, tinsel also has its story. Today we will share with you one of these which took place in Ukraine, many, many, years ago.

ONCE upon a time, ever so many years ago, Truth suddenly vanished from out of the world. When people perceived this, they were greatly alarmed and at once sent five wise men in search of Truth. They set out, one in this direction and one in that, all plentifully equipped with traveling expenses and good intentions. They sought for ten long years.

In a time long ago, in a place of fields and pastures, lived a farmer who had three sons. To any farmer, having one son was considered a great boon. But having three, well… that was a blessing for which he would thank every star in the heavens above. But not this farmer. He had given up thanking his lucky stars some time ago because these three sons of his were as lazy as ever could be.

The time of year when the nights grow steadily longer has arrived. Here in the Northeast at least, it seems that the long hot days of summer passed by quickly,  and the brilliant array of colorful Autumn foliage has also swiftly come and gone. Suddenly, it is November. On a particularly cold and windy night about 1700 years ago, a young Roman horse soldier by the name of Martin came across a beggar at the city gates of Amiens, France.

In the ancient days of Japan, there lived an old couple who had an only child. She was a girl of remarkable charm and beauty and was much loved and well cared for by the couple. It came to pass that the old man fell sick and passed away. His widow was now left to care for their daughter and became more and more concerned for her future well-being.

In a long-ago time when people lived in close connection with the earth and all its creatures, a tribe of Indian people living in a village near the sea. Among them was a wise and kind old warrior who at his birth had been given great power. And with this power, he could perform many wonderful deeds. Nothing was beyond his understanding, for he knew all things. His wife had long passed on, but he had one daughter. She was very beautiful and gentle and took no interest in frivolous things. She lived a very quiet life and all the people liked her well. She was always welcome wherever she went.

Once upon a time, there lived a man who had nearly as many children as there were sparrows in the garden. He had to work very hard all day to get them enough to eat, and was often tired and cross, and abused everything and everybody so that people called him ‘Father Grumbler.’

High on a hill in the land of Phrygia, in a little house of tumble-down stones lived an aged couple, Philemon and Baucis. Long had they had loved one another, from the days when they were children. Their love never waned throughout the many years they lived but grew over the course of time, into ever deeper compassion.

In the ancient days of China, there was a Taoist Master who lived in a hut deep within the mountains.