Tag: impermanence

An underlying reality

Karl DuffyLeave a comment

It is good to examine the reasons why we find fault with others or gossip or blame them for things that have happened. Often we will see, if we look deeply enough, that these behaviours are rooted in fear. Fear and anxiety evolved to keep us from physical danger. Our brains use the same mechanisms when it comes to emotional danger also, and depending on the upbringing we have, we can find that we expend a lot of energy each day dealing with fear. This underlying fear is not easy to work with; however, acknowledging it and becoming aware of our instinct to run away  or cover it up with distractions, relationships and busyness,  is a necessary starting point. We practice looking at what scares us and opening to all that life offers. We develop a greater compassion towards ourselves and our confidence can grow.

If we are honest with ourselves,

most of us will have to admit that we live out our lives in an ocean of fear.

Jon Kabat Zinn

Be still……

Karl DuffyLeave a comment

 

Everything inside and everything around us wants to reflect itself in us.

We don’t have to go anywhere to obtain the truth.

We only need to be still and things will reveal themselves in the still water of the heart

Thich Nhat Hahn

Instead of trying to figure things out….

Karl DuffyLeave a comment

The practice of “letting go” is very effective for minds obsessed by compulsive thinking. You simplify your meditation practice down to just two words – letting go – rather than try to develop this practice and then develop that, and achieve this and go into that…. I did nothing but this for about two years – every time I tried to understand or figure things out, I’d say “let go, let go” until the desire would fade out. So I am making it very simple for you, to save you from getting caught in suffering.

Ajahn Sumedho

And letting go of good and bad

Karl DuffyLeave a comment

 

When we train in letting go of thinking that anything — including ourselves — is either good or bad, we open our minds to practice with forgiveness and humor. And we practice opening to a compassionate space in which good/bad judgments can dissolve. We practice letting go of our idea of a “goal” and letting go of our concept of “progress,” because right there, in that process of letting go, is where our hearts open and soften — over and over again.

Pema Chodron

Seasons

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Today is the first day of Spring. The weather is beautiful here at the moment and it is easy to feel the “joys of spring”. The cherry blossom and magnolia trees are in bloom. Time passes quickly. I can remember taking photographs of the same magnolia tree last year.  Short  term joys come easily; Long term happiness develops when we see into their true nature:

In Spring, hundreds of flowers.
In Summer, refreshing breeze.
In Autumn, a harvest moon.
In Winter, snowflakes accompany you.

If you do not have
the upside-down views
every season is
a good season for you.

Buddhist classic texts (translated by Eido Shimano Roshi)

Reflections

Karl DuffyLeave a comment

Remembered this poem on Saturday night when we had a clear night and a very bright “Supermoon”, and even an epic victory over the English in rugby is part of the 10,000 things.

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