1. ‘bhavatu sabbe mangalum’ – may all beings be happy [Pali].  Gifted to me by my Buddhist teacher, S. N. Goenka. Words that he chanted at the conclusion of many meditation sessions, and for me the essence of Buddhist sentiment. Tattooed on my back by Rosie at Ewell, Surrey on 5 January 2009. Gifted to me by Cari.
2. ’somos pocos pera estamos locos’ -  we are few but we are crazy [Spanish]. Discovered years ago in a wonderful book by Robert James Waller, I think it may have been ‘Slow Waltz in Cedar Bend’. Not sure now, perhaps ‘Border Music’.  He also wrote ‘The Bridges of Madison County’.  Great writer, evokes time and place wonderfully, and infuses his stories with wonderful characters on the most poignant and easily recognised journeys. Anyway, the sentiment appeals to me…ha!
3. ‘kia kaha, kia toa, kia manawanui’ – be strong, be brave, be steadfast [Maori].  My favourite Maori saying.  It just seems to capture the essence of courage, and the essence of being Maori.  
4. ‘Be still, and know that I am God’ – (Psalm 46:10). Powerful, direct and directive.
5. ‘C’est la vie’ [say-la-v] [French] – a saying used to express a philosophical acceptance of the ways things are.  I have had this saying in my memory for perhaps 40 years. I learnt it from my parents, and although neither them nor I were able to speak French, this was a saying that has stayed with me. It is only now, as I reach an age of greater personal understanding that I have an appreciation of why I have retained these few words in French for so many years.
6. ‘Que sera sera’ – whatever will be, will be [fictional language]. A song written by Ray Evans and Jay Livingdton and made famous by Doris Day in the Hitchcock movie “The Man who know too Much”. Also later the song became the Doris Day’s signature song on her televison show, called naturally, ‘The Doris Day Show’.  This show ran from 1968 to 1973 and I think it was probably during that time (when I was around 12 or 13) that I first heard the saying and stored it away. Again, it is only now, in the last year or so that I have recognised it’s meaning, and realised why it did resonate all those years ago
7. ‘Mai ping rai’- nevermind, it doesn’t matter, it’s ok [Thai].  Discovered by Cari in the book “A Fortune-Teller Told Me” by Tiziano Terzani, and shared with me in June 08.
8. ‘She’ll be right mate’ – don’t worry, it’ll be ok [Pakeha]. I remembered this while I was in Devon in June 08. Perhaps it was the ubiquitous Devon greeting (’orright’) that triggered the memory. This saying was the one that I always loved about the Pakeha culture that I grew up in. It exemplifies the laid-back Pakeha attitude, and also has an aspect of reassurance with it.
9. ‘Trust the Process’ – Wow, thanks Heather (see Trust the Process post). Gifted to me by Heather my wonderful lover, partner and teacher for 10 odd years. I first heard her say this some 15 years ago and I was reminded of it this week when reading ‘How to Know God’ by Deepak Chopra. This is the dharma in a nutshell. Let go of everything and just trust the process. That means letting go of all fixed locations, be they a sense of self, a future objective, a relationship. Let go of all of it and just trust in what is happening.
10. ‘Ashita wa asu no gaze ga fuku’ [Japanese] ‘Tomorrow’s wind blows tomorrow’. Meaning tomorrow will be what it is, whatever it is. Let go of trying to create tomorrow, be in today. From the book Phil gave to me on my 50th birthday. A book called ‘Thank you and OK!’ by David Chadwick, a middle-aged overweight American doing being a zen monk in Japan. I’m thinking I might just go to Japan to have the tattoo…

x bhavatu sabbe mangalum x