Be fully present – Page 391

Sunday Quote: Like children

March 4, 2018March 3, 2018 Karl Duffy3 Comments

In time we are present only
by forgetting time.

Wendell Berry, 2007.IV

Attachment and impermanence

March 2, 2018February 28, 2018 Karl Duffy1 Comment

We are wired for attachment
in a world of impermanence.

How we negotiate that tension
shapes who we become.

Robert Neimeyer.

Our futile attempts to resist change

February 28, 2018March 1, 2018 Karl Duffy1 Comment

A severe weather system is passing over Ireland, with heavy snow forecast, causing a lot of concern and even, panic buying of bread in the supermarkets. A change in the normal circumstances causes uncertainty and reveals that, deep down, we think things should always remain the same. Instinctively, we seem to try to make some moments last forever. Nature teaches us that no matter how much we wish or try to control things, tomorrow may not look the same as today. Changes in circumstances in life, like the weather, are a given; happiness – or unhappiness – comes from our response to that given.

High winds do not last all morning

Heavy rain does not last all day

Why is this? Such is Heaven and Earth!

If heaven and earth cannot make things eternal

Why do we think it happens for us?

Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching

Every moment is profound

February 27, 2018February 26, 2018 Karl Duffy2 Comments

Human life itself, the mystery of being thrust into the world by birth and swept out of it by death, is an imponderable puzzle, one that we can try to ignore but cannot escape. So much of what passes for ‘ordinary’ life is, when seen through different eyes, not ordinary at all, but full of potential for spiritual learning. To practice the koan of everyday life means to confront every situation as though it were a profound spiritual question.

Lewis Richmond: Work as a Spiritual Practice. A Practical Buddhist Approach to Inner Growth and Satisfaction on the Job.

Noticing

February 26, 2018February 26, 2018 Karl Duffy4 Comments

It is heaven itself to take what is given,
to see what is plain

Mary Oliver, Daisies

Sunday quote: Joy

February 25, 2018February 19, 2018 Karl DuffyLeave a comment

The Joy that isn’t shared,

I’ve heard

dies young.

Anne Sexton, from Welcome Morning

About this Blog

Mindfulbalance supports the slow, patient practice of mindfulness meditation, as a way to find balance and meaning in life, reduce stress and develop health and wellbeing. It contains reflections to encourage the practice of meditation as well as occasional posts from psychology, spirituality and the wisdom traditions. The daily posts are prompted by Rilke's advice: "Write about what your everyday life offers you, your sorrows and desires, the thoughts that pass through your mind, and your belief in some kind of beauty". Written in County Laois, Ireland