The start of Holy Week in the Christian Tradition. It is good to practice, but also to be aware that every week, every moment is “holy”
The Emperor Wu asked Bodhidharma, “What is the first principle of holy teachings?
Bodhidharma replied: “That there is nothing holy about it”
I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere
and don’t notice it.
Alice Walker, The Color Purple
Post prompted by these little purple flowers seen on a walk in Emo yesterday morning.
We tend to think that life will occur sometime later. However, this moment – exactly as it is – is the full disclosure of reality.
When you find your place right where you are,
the Way itself is being lived out,
and we realize the entire universe in the present moment.
Dōgen, Genjōkōan,
Life is completely still.
It is without excitement.
It is always still, indifferent to
whether or not your life is dramatic
Joko Dave Haselwood, 1931 – 2014, Zen teacher
Maggie and I are doing our best. Our parents did their best. Everyone is doing their best.
What if we assumed that about each other?
What a gentle world it would be.
Elizabeth Lesser, Marrow: A Love Story
The second in three posts from the Thai Forest Tradition, this one from their most influential teacher who has had a significant impact on Western mindfulness practice, through the many Western monks who trained under him.
Try to be mindful, and let things take their course.
Then your mind will become quieter and quieter in any surroundings
It will become still like a clear forest pool.
All kinds of wonderful and rare animals will come to drink at the pool,
and you will clearly see the nature of all things. You will see many strange and wonderful things come and go,
But you will be still. Problems will arise and you will see through them immediately. This is the happiness of the Awakened One.
Ajahn Chah A Still Forest Pool
Today, give yourself permission to be supported by something larger than personal strength. Suffering decreases when phenomena are allowed to move through rather than be contained.
Your body is holding all of this.
Give it to a bigger body.
Give it to the sky.
Jaiya John, author, poet, speaker
Mindfulbalance 