In our darkest night

No seed ever sees the flower.

Zen saying

 November is the beginning of Winter in the Celtic Calendar and so today signals the beginning of the “darker half” of the year. The balance between light and darkness continues to shift. In the northern hemisphere the earth becomes colder and nature more dormant. Similar processes can occur in our lives. For example, we can choose to go with the rhythm of nature and become more reflective in this period, slowing down and simplifying things. Or our lives can have parts that seem dormant and not going anywhere. Or maybe difficulties are occurring which can seem dark and we see no escape.  However, darkness does not mean that nothing is happening.  I really like this saying from the Zen tradition – things that are now hidden or buried will eventually be seen or bear fruit.  That what is now just germinating will be full of life in time. As humans we like to see immediate results. However, for now, all we can do is wait and trust. Peace comes from knowing the right way to let go. 

Sunday Quote: Kindness

Modern society prizes intelligence, achievements or efficiency…

What wisdom can you find

that is greater than kindness?

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Quelle sagesse trouverez-vous supérieure à la bonté?

Not complicated but complex

Real life is not complicated but it is rich and complex,

and always has some element of mystery and what is not known.

Sometimes problems arise when we think it should all be straightforward.

There is no paradise,

no place of true completion

that does not include within its walls the unknown.

Jane Hirshfield

Holding all in our heart

More thoughts prompted by recent weather events….

Yesterday all exterior talk was of storms and wind and damage. Interior talk was of loss and holding onto to what really has worth.

What if we allowed our hearts to keep opening, even in the face of storms and uncertainty, until our hearts were big enough to fit all experiences inside?

We could learn to stop when the sun goes down and when the sun comes up. We could learn to listen to the wind; we could learn to notice that it’s raining or snowing or hailing or calm. We could reconnect with the weather that is ourselves, and we could realize that it’s sad. The sadder it is, and the vaster it is, the more our heart opens. We can stop thinking that good practice is when it’s smooth and calm, and bad practice is when it’s rough and dark. If we can hold it all in our hearts, then we can make a proper cup of tea.

Pema Chödrön

It takes time to find the way

The storm passed over Ireland yesterday, blowing down trees, cutting power and diverting plans. How easy it is to be blown off course.

Be like the fox
who makes more tracks than necessary,
some in the wrong direction.
Practice resurrection.

Wendell Berry

What pulls on your soul?

In Ireland, a once-in-a-lifetime storm is forecast to pass over today, with extreme winds and heavy rain. Schools and workplaces are closed.

What in your life is calling you

When all the noise is silenced,

The meetings adjourned….

The lists laid aside,

and the wild iris blooms

by itself in the dark forest

What still pulls on your soul?

Rumi