Everything that slows us down
and forces patience,
everything that sets us back
into the slow circles of nature,
is a help.
Gardening is an instrument of grace.
May Sarton
photo m tullottes
Month: March 2014
Making every moment count
Mindfulness meditation is a wonderful tool for making each day, each moment of our life count. Paradoxically this is achieved by not doing more, but by doing less. We may feel that we need to do the things have to be done faster so that we have time for doing more things. Mindfulness practice goes the other way. I may need to go to the store to get a carton of milk. The way to make the experience more satisfying is not doing it as fast as possible while thinking of other things, but to enjoy the walk to the store by paying attention. This way, we make every moment count. We are not sacrificing the means for the goal. Otherwise, our day becomes a series of dry chores.
Joseph Emet, Buddha’s Book of Sleep
No place to land
When the heart is released from clinging,
then consciousness does not land anywhere.
That state, I tell you, is without sorrow, affliction or despair.
The Buddha, Samyutta Nikaya 12.64
photo alex valavanis
Where we learn
A nice reminder from Charlotte Joko Beck that we do not have to look far for things to practice with. Might be pleased to have a mosquito considering the cold rain showers we are having in Ireland.
Life always gives us exactly the teacher we need
at every moment.
This includes every mosquito,
every misfortune,
every red light,
every traffic jam,
every obnoxious supervisor (or employee),
every illness, every loss,
every moment of joy or depression,
every addiction,
every piece of garbage,
every breath.
Every moment is the guru.
Charlotte Joko Beck
photo abenteurer morane
Not looking for right or wrong
Instead of making others right or wrong, or bottling up right and wrong in ourselves, there’s a middle way, a very powerful middle way. This middle way involves not hanging on to our version so tightly. It involves keeping our hearts and minds open long enough to entertain the idea that when we make things wrong, we do it out of a desire to obtain some kind of ground or security. Equally, when we make things right, we are still trying to obtain some kind of ground or security. Could our minds and our hearts be big enough just to hang out in that space where we’re not entirely certain about who’s right and who’s wrong? Could we have no agenda when we walk into a room with another person, not know what to say, not make that person wrong or right? Could we see, hear, feel other people as they really are? It is powerful to practice this way, because we’ll find ourselves continually rushing around to try to feel secure again – to make ourselves or them either right or wrong.
Pema Chodron, When Things Fall Apart – Heart Advice for Difficult Times
Two aspects
Meditation is like a mirror or coin with two sides.
Facing out is letting go
and facing in is compassion.
Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje
photo of old Irish Three penny coin.
Mindfulbalance 