Compassion

This Selflessness of Spirit.

Growing up, my mother always kept an extra place setting open at the table. “In case someone stops by,” she’d smile.

Through her actions, my mother encouraged the selfless grace of compassion, and a sharing of heart with all human souls. To this day, I strive to reflect her generosity and warmth of spirit. I pray that I may create a space for all to feel ‘at home’. Our community is just one of her many manifestations of light.

The Buddha’s teachings embodied the principles of mutuality, tolerance and acceptance; our shedding of ‘self’ serving as a means to that end.

As the finer threads of our veiled illusion shifts, we begin to see ourselves in a different life. Not as ‘one’, but ‘belonging to’ something much greater than the eye may discern.

Humanity is served by these fundamental values; of peace, of tolerance and respect for all. Irrespective of our political ties, and separate from the chapels of resignation.

We are one human family, after all.

Today, I pray we may honor this energy of compassion – utilizing our deepest heart in the furtherance of all.

In peace, my loves…

Namaste ❤️

A Blessing of Hope Upon this Breaking of Day.

The snow fell silently to the earth last night, a blessing of evening upon this breaking of day. And lingering to branches as faith upon will.

Hope shall find us here, my loves…in these earliest of hours. Where skepticism has yet to find its ‘gripping point’, and these whispers of self find no cause to complain.

Our soul accepting this mystery of journey, if only for a moment. Transfixed by the temporary dropping of illusion.

In these moments, there is a natural shifting of boundaries. As we realize, we are not ‘as one’, we are ‘ONE’ after all.

Each, with the glorious flames of compassion within our heart; fueled by the prospect of peace unto all.

My darlings, today the news has shared a somber course as members of our one human family face unimaginable intolerance. In these hours, we must remember the greater cause – that of an equanimity and loving-kindness that knows no bounds.

I pray for all those whose hearts are in pain. Know that I am here for you, unwavering and with open arms.

In peace…

Namaste ❤️

This Path to Freedom.

“We are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied to a single garment of destiny,” the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once shared. “Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. We are made to live together because of the interrelated structure of reality.”

The year was 1967, Christmas Eve to be exact. Standing before the congregation at the Ebenezer Baptist Church – he had only one thought committed to mind:

“Peace on Earth, Good Will toward Men.”

He was an advocate for social change, one which escalated the voice of one into thoughts of many. He challenged Americans to extend their ‘view’, to see beyond the confines of ‘self’.

“Our loyalties must transcend our race, our tribe, our class, and our nation;” he said, “and this means we must develop a world perspective. No individual can live alone…”

Next week begins with a celebration of his life’s journey, a day of observation marked sadly with a hint of irony. Protestors are already beginning to line the inaugural parade route, while demonstrations are planned from a focal point of fear.

As a result, battle lines are being drawn – as most find themselves in a space of taking sides. Though, what gain does partisanship further? And, what is the impact to peaceful coexistence?

At the center point of our pain, there is a ‘need’ to be heard ~ to have mutuality embrace those much deeper wounds. It is the basis of our mindfulness practice; to approach this world with a truly open heart.

We all want the same things. We want happiness, peace and acceptance. We want to love and be loved in return. Though we may share a common goal, our paths to attain are invariably different.

Not better…

Not worse…

Just, different.

“I’ve seen too much hate to want hate myself,” he said. “I still have a dream that with this faith we will be able to adjourn the councils of despair…”

As with all things, we must engage a wider-world view; looking first to heart, for that which is needed most of all:

Peace on Earth and Good Will to all men.

Only then, may we be truly free.

In peace…

Namaste ❤️

The Mutuality of Our Experience.

A homeless man gave me a hug today. “You make my everyday special,” he said grinning. Then paused for a moment simply to say, “Some people have the gift of a worldly smile.”

We know each other just in passing. In total, less than a hundred words – but, enough to know the need. The kindness of ‘smile’, the warmth of ‘touch’ – a gesture of commonality amidst the rustling of humanity.

To some, passings are marked with a cruel hesitance – a disservice to self, as well as, to others. With implications larger than thoughts may assess; a disparity of contrast where community is needed.

And, ever always this lasting heart – which sets aside what past imparts. Knowing each has felt their ‘hour of need’, in spite of the circumstances which led us there.

In this we find our shared experience; the blessing of oneness in a world of many.

We are more than our thoughts, we are action in the end.

In peace, my darlings- thank you for being the source of my ‘everyday smile.’

Namaste ❤️

For This, We Pray.

My darlings, today a simple phrase – a reminder of what matters most of all. From poet William Wordsworth:

“The best portion of a good man’s life: his little, nameless unremembered acts of kindness and love.”

Today, I pray…

That we may each infuse kindness throughout every single deed; that love may prove worthier than the stories we keep.

That the legacy of bold may serve as balm to the weak, as empathy soothes the heart of the embittered.

Let indifference find no respite here; rather, tolerance, acceptance, equanimity and peace.

“Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendor in the grass, of glory in the flower;
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind;
In the primal sympathy
Which having been must ever be…”

My darlings, I pray that love may be our every hour.

In peace…

Namaste <3

The Responsibility of Kindness.

I’ve never understood the inherent cruelty within some human beings. More specifically the need to inflict harm upon wound, to cause pain in the wake of misunderstanding.

As a Buddhist, I try to remain open to their pain. As a human, I try to identify with their sense of brokenness. As a teacher, I try to help them to become whole.

But, often there is a ‘cost’ to be paid. Old wounds ache under the catalyst of new as a toppling of balance becomes evident.

There’s a subtlety in our offering, my loves – one which begs the light of compassion even as the heart may sense closing. And we must be ever-mindful to its cause, to effect those much greater changes.

In a sense, we must be willing to set aside the sting of our wounds -if only for this aspect of a single moment in which we may reach the heart of another.

In this space we find our greatest potential, a blessing intended for all of humanity.

This is the responsibility of all living beings.

In peace…

Namaste <3

The Forgiveness of Our Choosing.

Grief has its way, does it not? Of exposing the roots of memory’s tallest shadow – and, the seemingly irreconcilable aspects of heart.

We long for that which has passed; we plead for better days. We stand alone in the mists of our guilt-laden thoughts, fearful to allow soul’s forgiveness.

“Be thine own palace,” writes poet, John Donne. “Or the world’s thy jail.”

Yet, yielding ourselves to this expansiveness of light can often prove overwhelming. Though never, my loves – unbearable.

The truth is – we, ourselves, divine these fates. And, we alone, determine our journey.

Whether to suffer a pain tethered to past, or to encourage the wonderment of tomorrow.

Let this be our choosing.

To some, grief is an unwelcome guest. While to others, a guide to forgiveness.

In peace, my loves…

Namaste ❤️

Navigating these Floodwaters of Fear.

My darlings, we are living in a profoundly difficult time. And, day by day we are reminded through the lens of the ‘unbiased media.’

We see images of violent unrest, a convergence of political rhetoric upon yet unhealed wounds. We claims to understand the struggle of neighbor, though – have we ever known the pain of a crippling hunger?

Within, we try to reconcile, to find the middle ground. But in order for reconciliation to be properly effected, it must be absent ‘the cause.’

Because, finding peace requires a settling of heart; a joining of spirit through unimpeded love.

To experience unity, we must first be whole. To bridge the divide, we must lean forward.

My darlings, it takes great compassion to weather these storms – for both ourselves and for others. We may feel overwhelmed by the rising current of fear, though always – the floodwaters yield opportunity for new growth. Seeds seemingly stripped from the branches, inevitably become the forest of tomorrow.

Just a little something to remember, my loves ~ we become who we are through a challenging of way.

In peace…and, happy holiday to all.

Namaste ❤️

Not So Very Different, After All.

I was reminded this morning of a passage by the venerable Thich Nhat Hanh: “When you being to see that your enemy is suffering, that is the beginning of insight.”

We’ve talked before about the efficacy of pause; that moment when we are reminded of the greater implications of our actions. Though, how often are we able to disentangle from reaction?

In looking to others, it is nearly impossible to distinguish the reality from the ‘residual’.

That is to say, nothing is every really as it seems.

Our minds are so quick to judge. We see the person standing before us, not as another human heart capable – but rather, as a conglomeration of many past stories, and moments when we ourselves have been overcome by pain. We want desperately to connect, though ego begs preservation.

Sadly, it’s easier to react than to embrace what is potentially a shared suffering. Though, when we realize that we are connected by this one simple truth – that no man exists without a bit of fear in his or her heart; we begin to see others as they truly are…

That we are not so very different, after all.

“When another person makes you suffer,” he writes. “it is because he suffers deeply within himself, and his suffering is spilling over. He does not need punishment; he needs help. That’s the message he is sending.”

It is within this shared understanding, that we may begin to cultivate these bonds of love.

In peace…

Namaste ♥

What We Have, We Give.

My darlings, this morning I find inspiration through the words of poet, Alberto Rios – “When Giving Is All We Have.”

“One river gives
Its journey to the next.

We give because someone gave to us.
We give because nobody gave to us.

We give because giving has changed us.
We give because giving could have changed us.

We have been better for it,
We have been wounded by it—

Giving has many faces: It is loud and quiet,
Big, though small, diamond in wood-nails.

Its story is old, the plot worn and the pages too,
But we read this book, anyway, over and again:

Giving is, first and every time, hand to hand,
Mine to yours, yours to mine.

You gave me blue and I gave you yellow.
Together we are simple green. You gave me

What you did not have, and I gave you
What I had to give—together, we made

Something greater from the difference.”

In reading through I am reminded of the many instances when giving has made all the difference.

I think of my neighbor who after falling upon hard times, found faith again through the kindness of strangers.

I think of the little one who picked flowers from my garden – a gift for his mother in hospital.

I think of the many moments spent having coffee with friends, and the warmth of joy it left to heart.

We gain so much, when we give what we have – and that has made all the difference still.

In peace…

Namaste ❤️

For more delightful reading, see Alberto Rios at http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/when-giving-is-all-we-have/