Treat every moment as your last.
It is not a preparation for something else.
Shunryu Suzuki, Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind
Tag: Awareness
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
Wide enough
The peace that we are looking for is not peace that crumbles as soon as there is difficulty or chaos. Whether we’re seeking inner peace or global peace or a combination of the two, the way to experience it is to build on the foundation of unconditional openness to all that arises.
Peace isn’t an experience free of challenges, free of rough and smooth, it’s an experience that’s expansive enough to include all that arises without feeling threatened.
Pema Chodron
Sunday Quote: Everything
Only one thing made him happy
and now that it was gone
everything made him happy.
Leonard Cohen
