Wisdom and blessings from various religious traditions as we go through life's transitions.

1. StagesStages
ofof
LifeLife

2. Origins
In every birth,
blessed is wonder.
In all creation,
blessed is the
beginning.
In every child,
blessed is life.
Jewish Blessing

3. Origins
Giving birth,
nourishing,
acting without
expectations,
this is the
supreme virtue.
Taoism. Tao Te Ching

4. Birth
Allow the little
children to
come to Me
and do not
hinder them.
For of such is
the kingdom of
God.
Christianity. Mark 10: 13-14

5. Birth
Baby knows all
manner of
wise words,
though few on
earth can
understand
their meaning.
Rabindranath Tagore

6. Youth
Your children
are not your
children.
They are the
sons and
daughters of
life's longing
for itself.
Khalil Gibran, The Prophet

7. Youth
May these
children live
long, meet
the Dharma,
benefit
others, and
live a fulfilling
life.
Buddhist Prayer

8. Marriage
When two
people
understand each
other their words
are sweet and
strong, like the
fragrance of
orchids.
Confucianism. I Ching

9. Marriage
Man and woman
are God’s
master-pieces.
Their love is
supreme,
transcendent,
shining forever.
Rev. Sun Myung Moon

10. Mature in
Love
All of the days of
your life may
you walk
gently through
the world and
know its beauty.
Native American Religions
Apache Blessing

11. Sweet the
glances we
exchange.
Enshrine me in
your heart and
let one spirit
dwell within us.
Hinduism. Atharva Veda 7.36
Mature in
Love

12. Farewells
We are on a
market trip to
earth:
Whether we fill
our baskets or
not, once the
time is up, we
go home.
African Traditional Igbo Song

13. Farewells
It is inevitable that
humans should
be reborn as
beings that
resemble God.
How does that
happen?
Through death.
Reverend Sun Myung Moon

14. Passing
The dust
returns to the
earth as it was,
the spirit
returns to God
who gave it.
Judaism. Ecclesiastes 12.7

15. Passing
Perishable
nature must
put on the
imperishable,
and mortal
nature must
put on
immortality.
Christianity. 1 Corinthians 15:53

16. Ascension
Freed from the
body, she
becomes one
with the
immortal spirit,
Brahman, Light
eternal.
Hinduism, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 4.4.7

17. Ascension
Just as the
womb takes in
and gives
forth again, so
the grave
takes in and
will give forth
again.
Judaism. Talmud, Berakot 15b

18. Ascension
Discarding the
physical body
enables us all
to participate in
the infinite
realm of God’s
love.
Rev. Sun Myung Moon