There was a very clear super moon last night.
In Chinese philosophy, the “10, 000 things” is a shorthand way of talking about all the experiences – good and bad – which arise and pass away in our day.
This poem reminds us not to give too much substance to all the things which arise today:
Sitting alone in peace before these cliffs
the full moon is heaven’s beacon
the ten thousand things are all reflections
the moon originally has no light
Han-shan, 9th Century legendary Chinese figure.
The world is vast
and the body and breath are spacious
when we are at ease with ourselves and others
Michael Stone, from his lovely book, Awake in the World
photo of early morning sun in Glendalough, on a beautiful Saturday in October which reminded me of Rilke :
I would like to step out of my heart
and go walking beneath the enormous sky.
When things in work start to overwhelm me and cause a struggle, or when someone does something that causes fear, I notice that two things tend to happen – I get a type of tightening or contraction in the body and a feeling of speeding up in the mind. So this poet’s petition is a nice one to echo on this Saturday morning: Let the day begin gently, and let space enter in, expand and slow me down. Let the leaves fall one by one, and may their letting go permeate into my bones.
We do not have to learn how to contract; we find it easy to turn away, to freeze and to blame…
We do have to practice letting go and holding the heart open, to learn how to soften:
O hushed October morning mild,
Begin the hours of this day slow.
Make the day seem to us less brief.
Hearts not averse to being beguiled,
Beguile us in the way you know.
Release one leaf at break of day;
At noon release another leaf;
One from our trees, one far away.
Retard the sun with gentle mist;
Enchant the land with amethyst.
Slow, slow!
Robert Frost, from October.
photo david mastin
In our daily activities we often get caught up in a rush from one thing to the next. The morning is a good time to develop slow habits where we can pause and reflect, before the activities of the day begin. In the cup of tea we take time for ourselves. We can pause, and as Tuesday’s post said, hear the song and remember the lake:
In my own hands I hold a bowl of tea;
I see all of nature represented in its green color.
Closing my eyes I find green mountains and pure water within my own heart.
Silently sitting alone and drinking tea, I feel these become part of me
Soshitsu Sen XIV, 1893-1964, Japanese Tea Master
photo hyougushi
Draw alongside the silence of stone
Until its calmness can claim you.
Be excessively gentle with yourself.
Stay clear of those vexed in spirit.
Learn to linger around someone of ease
Who feels they have all the time in the world.
Gradually, you will return to yourself,
Having learned a new respect for your heart
And the joy that dwells far within slow time.
John O Donohue, A Blessing for One who is Exhausted
The Chinese character for “mindfulness” is nian. It is a combination of two separate characters, each with its own meaning.
The top part of the character means “now” and the bottom part of the character means “heart” or “mind”.
Literally, the combined character means the act of experiencing the present moment with your heart. So mindfulness is the moment-to-moment awareness of what is occurring in and around us. By being present and mindful of the present moment, we can accept what is at that moment as it is, allowing change to happen naturally, without struggle, without the usual resistance and judgment that cause us to suffer more.
Thich Nhat Hahn and Dr Lilian Cheung, Savor
