Spring and all its flowers now
joyously break their vow of silence.
It is time for
celebration, not for
lying low.
Hafiz
Tag: Joy
The Elephant already at home
Happiness cannot be found through great effort and willpower,
But is already present
In relaxation and letting go.
Don’t strain yourself, there is nothing to do.
As soon as you relax this grasping,
there is space – open, inviting and comfortable.
So make use of it. Everything is already yours.
Search no more.
Don’t go into the inextricable jungle
looking for the elephant who is already quietly at home.
Lama Gendun Rinpoche, Happiness
In the midst of life, just wash the bowl
Once a monk made a request of Joshu.
“I have just entered the monastery,” he said. “Please give me instructions, Master.”
Joshu said, “Have you had your breakfast?”
“Yes, I have,” replied the monk.
“Then,” said Joshu, “wash your bowls.”
The monk had an insight.
I love this koan. I am the student in the midst of my life, waiting for life to happen. How do we enter our life fully? It is right here. How do we want to live? Can we allow all the joys and sorrows to enliven us? Or do we just go along with all our patterns and habits? People who are dying always remind me: ‘I can’t believe I wasn’t here for most of my life.’ That’s one of the most common things I hear, and the biggest regrets. Many people have not inhabited their life because they’re just waiting for other moments. Are we waiting for life to happen in the midst of life? How can we give ourselves fully to our lives, moment to moment? Don’t wait. Life is always right here.
Koshin Paley Ellison, Huffington Post
Unique experiences
To the attentive eye,
each moment of the year
has its own beauty,
and in the same field,
it beholds,
every hour,
a picture which was never seen before,
and which shall never be seen again.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Sunday Quote: Within
Find a place inside where there’s joy,
and the joy will burn out the pain.
Joseph Campbell
Familiar moments
Beautiful summer mornings here these last few days…
But this morning, a kind day has descended, from nowhere,
and making coffee in the usual way, measuring grounds
with the wooden spoon, I remembered,
this is how things happen, cup by cup, familiar gesture
after gesture, what else can we know of safety
or of fruitfulness?
Marie Howe, From Nowhere
Mindfulbalance 