With beauty may I walk. With beauty before me, may I walk. With beauty behind me, may I walk. With beauty above me, may I walk. With beauty below me, may I walk. With beauty all around me, may I walk.
With beauty may I walk. With beauty before me, may I walk. With beauty behind me, may I walk. With beauty above me, may I walk. With beauty below me, may I walk. With beauty all around me, may I walk.
Walking In Beauty Song (The Diné)
With Beauty May I Walk
Topic: The Natural World
In beauty may I walk.
All day long may I walk.
Through the returning seasons may I walk.
On the trail marked with pollen may I walk.
With grasshoppers about my feet may I walk.
With dew about my feet may I walk.
With beauty may I walk.
With beauty before me, may I walk.
With beauty behind me, may I walk.
With beauty above me, may I walk.
With beauty below me, may I walk.
With beauty all around me, may I walk.
In old age wandering on a trail of beauty, lively, may I walk.
In old age wandering on a trail of beauty, living again, may I walk.
It is finished in beauty.
It is finished in beauty.
Hózhó náhásdlíí
Inspiring Journey of a Great Soul: Early Life, Teachings, and Death
Early Life
Niels Bohr was born on October 7, 1885, in Copenhagen, Denmark, into a family that fostered a strong academic environment. His father, Christian Bohr, was a respected physiology professor, while his mother, Ellen Adler Bohr, came from a well-educated Jewish family. This nurturing atmosphere ignited young Niels’s passion for learning, particularly in the fields of physics and mathematics. He excelled in his studies, earning his doctorate in 1911 from the University of Copenhagen, where he began to lay the groundwork for his groundbreaking contributions to quantum theory. Bohr’s early experiences and the intellectual climate of his upbringing would profoundly influence his revolutionary ideas about atomic structure and the behavior of electrons.
Teachings
Niels Bohr is best remembered for his pioneering work in quantum mechanics, particularly the Bohr model of the atom, which introduced the revolutionary concept that electrons orbit the nucleus at specific distances, or energy levels. His teaching extended beyond formal education; he was a mentor to many young physicists and championed the idea of open dialogue in scientific inquiry, famously coining the phrase “A physicist is just as good as his ability to ask the right questions.” Bohr’s philosophical insights into the interplay between classical and quantum physics have inspired countless scholars to explore the mysteries of the universe. His belief in the importance of cooperation among scientists, particularly evident in the establishment of the Niels Bohr Institute, fostered a collaborative spirit that continues to resonate in scientific communities worldwide.
Death
Niels Bohr passed away on November 18, 1962, leaving behind a remarkable legacy that continues to inspire generations of scientists. His contributions to the understanding of atomic theory and quantum mechanics not only transformed the field of physics but also had profound implications across various disciplines, including chemistry and philosophy. Bohr’s commitment to peace and democracy during turbulent times, particularly in the wake of World War II, underscored his belief that science should serve humanity. As we reflect on his life, we are reminded of the power of curiosity and collaboration in the pursuit of knowledge and the profound impact that one dedicated individual can have on the world. Niels Bohr’s journey serves as a beacon of inspiration, inviting us all to explore the depths of our own intellectual potential.
Walking In Beauty Song (The Diné)
Wilson, Andrew, editor. World Scripture II. Universal Peace Federation, 2011, p. 159 [Walking In Beauty Song, The Navajo People (The Diné)].
Theme: Natural World
About This Walking In Beauty Song From The Diné [Navajo] People [Commentary]
The Diné (Navajo) people begin this prayer simply: “In beauty may I walk. / All day long may I walk. / Through the returning seasons may I walk.” Walking here is more than movement; it is a way of living inside Hózhó, the Diné reality of balance, harmony, goodness, and beauty. The prayer continues, “On the trail marked with pollen may I walk. / With grasshoppers about my feet may I walk. / With dew about my feet may I walk.” These lines keep the focus on the earth itself: pollen, insects, and dew are not background images but signs that the path is blessed and that ordinary ground is already sacred. Every person—of any age or gender—is invited to take part in this way of walking “all day long” and “through the returning seasons.”
The central lines turn to direction and orientation: “With beauty before me, may I walk. / With beauty behind me, may I walk. / With beauty above me, may I walk. / With beauty below me, may I walk. / With beauty all around me, may I walk.” In a few short phrases, the Diné (Navajo) people hold together past and future, height and depth, inner and outer surroundings. Nothing is left outside this circle. In their healing ways, illness or trouble comes when a person is “out of harmony, out of the Creator’s plan of beauty for the world.” To repeat “with beauty…may I walk” in every direction is to ask that the Creator’s order be restored in body and spirit, in relationship with the Holy People, the land, and the community. Memory, hope, Father Sky, and Mother Earth are all quietly gathered into this one movement of walking.
The prayer then stretches this same path across a whole life: “In old age wandering on a trail of beauty, lively, may I walk. / In old age wandering on a trail of beauty, living again, may I walk.” Here, elders are not pushed aside; in old age they are still “lively” and “living again” on the “trail of beauty.” The closing lines—“It is finished in beauty. / It is finished in beauty. / Hózhó náhásdlíí”—do more than end the chant. They affirm that what has been prayed for has already begun: it has become beauty again. Hózhó náhásdlíí, often used like “Amen,” seals the prayer in trust that, even after hardship or conflict, the world can be brought back into right relationship. From morning through the “returning seasons,” and from youth into old age, the Diné (Navajo) people keep returning to this simple, steady promise: “With beauty may I walk.”
Walking In Beauty Song, The Diné [Navajo] People
Leon Podles
Another Variant of the Walking In Beauty Song
O’siyo: The following traditional prayer is from the Navajo People [the Dine’] and can be found in many places. The original author of this beautiful blessing is unknown. Some say that reading the words bring peace and calm. We have found this to be true…
Walking in Beauty: Closing Prayer from the Navajo Way Blessing Ceremony:
Linguistic Note
Hózhóogo naasháa doo Shitsijí’ hózhóogo naasháa doo Shikéédéé hózhóogo naasháa doo Shideigi hózhóogo naasháa doo T’áá altso shinaagóó hózhóogo naasháa doo Hózhó náhásdlíí’ Hózhó náhásdlíí’ Hózhó náhásdlíí’ Hózhó náhásdlíí’
Linguistic Note: The word “Hozho” in Dine’ (roughly translated) Concept of Balance and Beauty. Consideration of the nature of the universe, the world, and man, and the nature of time and space, creation, growth, motion, order, control, and the life cycle includes all these other Navajo concepts expressed in terms quite impossible to translate into English. Some Navajos might prefer the term: “Nizhoni” meaning ‘just beauty.”
—Robert S. Drake, for Tom Holm, Ph.D. [University of Arizona American Indian Graduate Studies Program, Native American Religions and Spirituality].
Resources
Related Quotes
Copyright © 2017 – 2025 LuminaryQuotes.com About Us