"Continuation of your Ancestors - Day 3

See first post from 3-28-06 for introduction to this subject. The following is day 3 from Thich Naht Hanh, July 12, 2005:

Topic: Continuation of your ancestors
Look deep into your hand and you will see and find your mother. Your hand is the continuation of your mother and your father. And you touch your hand to your forehead and it is your mother touching your forehead. Sometimes your mother is too far away or has passed away so it is impossible. Remember when you were 3-4 years old and you had a fever and your mother or father would touch your forehead to help you cool down and you would then feel better. With every cell we have, it came from our mother. We are a continuation of your mother and father. A plant of corn comes from the seed of corn. If you hate your parents then you hate yourself. If the plant of corn hate the seed, he hates himself. You must look deep - very deeply. If you are angry at your father, you are angry at yourself. You are the continuation of me and the Buddha by obtaining love, widom, and understanding.

If you have are mindful and practice the teachings, you can look deep in your hand and find mother, father, but also the Buddha.