Be here now.
Be someplace else later.
Is that so complicated?”
David M. Bader, Zen Judaism
Tag: Awareness
Clinging and pushing away
There’s an exercise that can help us reflect on the knee-jerk tendency to cling to what makes us feel good and push away what makes us feel bad:
Sit quietly for a few minutes and become mindful of your breath as it goes in and out. Then contemplate what you do when you’re unhappy or dissatisfied and want to feel better. Even make a list if you want to. Then ask yourself: Does it work? Has it ever worked? Does it soothe the pain? Does it escalate the pain? If you’re really honest, you’ll come up with some pretty interesting observations.
Pema Chödrön, Living Beautifully: with Uncertainty and Change
Sunday Quote: Not a dress rehearsal
Treat every moment as your last.
It is not a preparation for something else.
Shunryu Suzuki, Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind
Being captivated by a song
We hear the birds sing,
and THAT
is the source of all
we see and
touch.
Hafiz
Not hardening the heart
Anytime I go to the West of Ireland I am always struck by the vastness of the horizons and the wildness of the ocean. This photo comes from Valentia Island, a beautiful, enchanted, place off the South West coast, with peaceful walks and windy beaches, seals, puffins and seabirds. But it is from the movement of the ocean that we can learn most, how to remain spacious and keep the heart soft, open and fluid.
May there come across the waters
A path of yellow moonlight
To bring you safely home.
May the nourishment of the earth be yours,
May the clarity of light be yours,
May the fluency of the ocean be yours,
May the protection of the ancestors be yours.
And so may a slow
Wind work these words
Of love around you,
An invisible cloak
To mind your life.
John O’Donoghue, Beannacht
(If you are ever tempted to visit this beautiful place, I would highly recommend this airbnb, run by Tom, a deeply thoughtful man and the perfect host. He runs a lovely house with well-stocked bookshelves, ideal for a reflective break.)
His house can be found at https://www.airbnb.ie/rooms/32330925
The sun always rises
The sun shines day after day without fail, yet if clouds appear to make the sky overcast, it can’t be seen. It still comes up in the east every morning and goes down in the west. The only difference is that you can’t see it because it’s hidden behind the clouds. The sun is your original mind, the clouds are your illusions. You are unaware of this mind because it’s covered by illusions and can’t be seen. But you never lose it, not even when you go to sleep.
The unborn mind that your mothers have given you is thus always there, wonderfully clear and bright and illuminating.
Bankei Yōtaku (1622-1693), Rinzai Zen master,
who emphasized our original nature or inner aliveness, which he terms the Unborn
Mindfulbalance 