Tag: life

Our Bridge to Peace.

There’s an old covered bridge in the town where I live. It’s arches are formed with delicate balance, a local pine for its shelter and cedar bracing the floor.

In walking through, one cannot help but to be transformed through its presence – as If Heaven and Earth conspired for our peace. They say we wake within these gentle moments in which our communion connects us with the Divine: the Divine in earth, the Divine in tree and the Divine whose path carried us here.

Chaos breaks with the light at the tunnel’s edge diffused by a centries-old knowing – we don’t get what we want, we get what we free.

As the spider housemaid spins her tale, we see the blessing of her humbled spirit reflected warmly to heart. And just as the sun begins to set – when the rest of the world feels bitterness and sorrow…We feel, for the first time, finally ‘at home’. With nature becoming both the source and subject of our inner peace.

Much love to you, my sweet friends. .

Namaste ❣

What We Give to Each Moment.

My darlings, this morning a powerful sentiment: Neither happiness nor unhappiness is contained within the event itself.

Though we might feel invested in a particular stance or outcome, the truth is that our thoughts are merely guideposts encouraging a path to thoughtful discovery. What we do, and more importantly, how we react within it – this is where our spiritual work begins.

We are, at best, in mortal hands. And, just like fingertips to clay – we mold, we shift, we find our way. The event, never defining – rather, lending it’s softened warmth of light to the manner in which we see.

“Neither happiness nor unhappiness is contained within the event itself.”

Indeed. And when we finally allow ourselves to experience the full depth of each moment, that’s when we realize – that we are always the better part of it.

In peace, my friends …

Namaste ❣

As Witness to Awakening.

There is an aspect of spirituality that is often overlooked; one so fundamentally paramount that it must be engaged before the heart’s silence can ever be secured. That is, truthfulness and integrity in our observations – particularly as it pertains to inward reflection.

We are, by our nature, curious truthseekers. Whether gazing thoughtfully towards the heavens, or, rather more simply, enjoying the ‘warmth’ of tea between friends – we want so desperately to know. To embrace our truth and gain from the experience.

And yet, so often our engagement is limited. The legacy of our moments offers its wisdom freely – though, to what end? Do we carry the lesson or cling to our story?

Life continuously seeks to invite our presence – to engage the sensory experience without reaction. Whether through sight, sound or touch – our breath serves as a function of truth. If only, at first, in fleeting glimpses – finally, we begin to see. We begin to see through the illusion and prejudice of ego.

We become ‘as one’ – as witness to our own awakening.

In peace, my sweet friends…

Namaste ❣️

An Ode to Joy.

No matter what we have faced in our lives, my loves… joy is always there, waiting for our arrival.

From where we can, we must return – and this is our return to home,  effected through the sense of wonderment and courage.

Whether the sound of rustling leaves, or the scent of fresh biscuits rising for dinner – we are continuously reminded of this invitation to be made whole.

“Live in joy,” the Buddha teaches. And with this, we must learn to step away from our fear – however briefly – to honor the prospect of our own renewal.

Yes, we need to navigate with grace and dignity; to the self within, and the self that is world. This temple surrounds no matter our worry.

In the end, only our mantra – ‘we are, we are’.

In peace, my sweet friends – Happy Christmas and blessings to all.

Namaste ❣️

How Beautiful This World.

“How beautiful the world,” writes Herman Hesse, “when one looked without searching.” To see that of its own simplicity, without the lure or advancements of need; that is what it means to see.

It is only when the heart is open that the eyes may begin to appreciate the subtlety of a lasting peace, made whole through the verity of all. We see it all when we turn nothing away.

Can we turn away from the politics long enough to savor a single drop of rain? In the distance, a car door slams never knowing it’s hurry.

They say the space between is where the soul must chance to further its endeavor… in this, the now and for the sake of ever.

In peace, my sweet friends…I pray this day lends clarity to circumstance.

Namaste ❣️

The Lesson of Leaf.

“Wrapped within young leaves,” Soseki writes, “is the sound of water.”

This delicate observation reminds us of our inherent nature; one comprised of hope, trust and boundless resilience. Infused throughout each aspect of our unfolding.

Like the tender leaf, we bend and reach – “if only”, we plead. Struggling for that narrowed patch of sun hoping soon to break free.

It’s a mistake to assume we exist just as one. From seed to sapling to towering Birch, we embody the essence of all encouraged.

Even the far off sound of a trickling stream shares its imprint – one of life, of longing, and infinite courage.

In peace, my sweet friends…I love you all.

Namaste ❣️

Our Secret Teacher.

There’s a train that passes our house every morning at just about half past six. Though the sound of its passing is certainly jarring, at times causing the house to rattle and shake – still, there is a sense of calm that arises knowing the world is open to our exploration.

“When you open yourself, you get it all.” author Jack Kornfield writes. “That is part of what it means to be a loving human being. To grow your capacity to be present for this incarnation and its mystery in an openhearted way.”

Even the roar of the train, as startling as it may initially seem, serves as an invitation – an invitation to engage our sense of wonderment.

As we quiet the mind and open the heart, we are able to experience the depth and fullness of this life; the beauty, the bliss, the horror, the pain. Though, if we allow our gratitude to slip – the heart becomes measured in its ability to receive.

Some mistakingly refer to this as becoming ‘numb’ – though the heart that beats, shall always feel. Instead, isn’t it a matter of being perpetually overwhelmed? In taking it all in, we turn nothing away.   As we slowly uncover these circumstances of life – poverty, war, and even greater humanitarian issues – we begin to fear the habit of our own complacency.

As a result, our perspective begins to shift – until the sound of a train carries us home again.

Invisible threads, or so they are called – a reminder that our will shall never subside. A ‘secret teacher hiding in plain site.’

In peace, my sweet friends…

Namaste ❣️

Our Spiritual Continuity.

Rabbi Jonathan Omer-Man writes that integrity is the ability to listen to a place inside that doesn’t change, even when the life that carries it may.

I don’t know why his words came to mind on such a beautiful Autumn morning. Perhaps, in response to the weathered leaves, a reminder of our Divine renewal. Even in the midst of an imminent storm, the integrity of our spirit remains unchanged.

Though our hearts may ache as we pine over the facets of our former self, there is still a constancy – a connection to our greatness. In time, we may soon realize that the same winds which threaten our path subsequently reveal.

We are changed, yes – but, we are likewise the same; a gentle newness offering its wisdom. In spite of the challenge, we hold this truth as home. The pace of our learning, set by whispered breath.

In peace, my sweet friends..

Namaste ❣️

The Habit of Our Fear.

This past week I found myself uncustomarily distressed. I’d been caring for a loved one, now critically ill – my mind, body and heart frayed from the undercurrent of cascading emotion. Though the room was carefully appointed, it was not enough to keep the spirit’s rest.

The dimmed lights were intended to obscure the droning whir of medical machinery, though for me it only served to amplify that which was already there – a fear.

Was it a fear of loss or a fear of losing control?

So much of our suffering, both individually and as a society, is caused by fear. Our mind spins as we desperately attempt to fill the gap; the boundary between often too blurred to bear.

When I first began my practice, I thought the ‘goal’ was to reduce and ultimately eliminate my pain. Though as I stand here alone now with the benefit of my years, I realize – we fear only what we don’t understand.

Fear is a very tricky thing, it steals our awareness as it attempts to engage. And lurking within it’s shadows, the habit of our panic.

We want what is needed, but when finally shared? Our inclination is to flee. Why do we permit such a spinning of mind? When a simple change of narrative might vastly improve our capacity to ‘tend the wound’.

There are so many phases in our spiritual journey, but knowing where to begin – where fear begins – is not only the goal, but also the bounty.

In peace, my sweet friends…

Namaste ❣️

Where Do We Choose to Take Our Rest?

There was a story recently in our local newspaper. A man who had lost his son was asked to speak at the trial of the man accused of killing him.

Everyone following had expected to hear words of condemnation and hate. They assumed the grief far too great for any one man to bear.

And yet, when the time came for the man to address the court he looked directly into the eyes of the accused and said, “I forgive so that someday you may forgive yourself.” He then hugged him and whispered, ‘Do good things.’

Imagine the strength of this beautiful soul honoring the love of a child through his own debilitating pain. Through the blurred veil of tears, he recognized the wounds of another. In this moment, he wished only to console.

Could you or I effect the same?

Just as the wave crashes, it also recedes. And, asking nothing in return – it washes away all traces of impact. As we stand at its edges, we find peace in its roar.

Forgiveness is, I believe, within the nature of all living creatures. It binds itself to a continuity of peace, opening our wounds to the furthest reaches of a newfound hope. Is it faith? Is it belief?

In the end, we must ask ourselves – where do we wish to take our rest?

In the company and service of others? Or locked within the calcifications of pain?

It is not only our choice, my friends – it is our humanity.

Namaste ❤️