Focus on the good

Michaelmas – the Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. A big day in medieval times, with celebrations marking the end of the harvest and the last gathering in. What have we harvested in this year?

Strangely enough, it seems so much easier to remember the hurts, the failures and the rejections. It is much more common to gather our life energy around a hurt than a joy, for some sad reason. Remember the good things even more strongly than the bad, but learn from both. And most of all, as the prophet Baruch said, “rejoice that you are remembered by God” which is the Big Memory that can hold and receive all of the smaller ones.

Richard Rohr, Radical Grace: Daily Meditations

Slow growing fruition

For autumn and its slow growing fruition
For that season of ultimate rise and fall
We give thanks.
May we gracefully rise to the occasion of our own falling,
Giving ourselves just enough time to go beyond time
To the great Now
At the quiet center of the turning wheels.

David Steindl-Rast, osb, Thanksgiving Song

A transformation of view

In summary,

healing is a transformation of view, rather than a cure

It involves recognizing your intrinsic wholeness

and simultaneously your interconnectedness with everything else

Jon Kabat-Zinn

Don’t separate yourself

Simply be with what’s here.

Shinzan Roshi, my teacher constantly uses the Japanese term “nari kiru” to express what we do here. “Nari” means literally “become” and “kiru” means “totally” or “completely”. So once you find tension or stress, don’t separate yourself from it; quite the opposite, be with it, become it. In that moment there is no gap between you and the sensation.

Julian Daizan Skinner and Sarah Bladen, Practical Zen for Health, Wealth and Mindfulness

New

This is a wonderful day.

I’ve never seen this one before

Maya Angelou

Sunday Quote: Peace

You can manage your mind in three primary ways:

Let be

Let go

Let in

Rick Hanson