Tag: present moment

The Lesson of the Garden Lily.

I remember one planting bulbs in the garden. A little one had been watching from afar; though, with courage, soon ventured nearer.

“What are those?” she asked, scrinching her nose. It was clear she couldn’t yet see the potential within.

“They’re Stargazer lilies – my favorite,” I said. “And, when they ‘grow up’ they’ll be as big as your head.”

The very next day, I saw her perched by the garden. “I didn’t want to miss it when it happened,” she explained.

It’s so hard to wait, when we know the reward…

When we speak of awareness, we often identify through an aspect of ego – our mind and senses exploring the tangibility of this realization. For this little one sitting alone on the chair, she had already visualized the scent of the bloom. So much so, that she was fearful to miss its ‘becoming’.

In an instant I understood the basis of my practice – that whispers of my truth could be found in these everyday moments.

“This is the real secret of life,” Alan Watts once shared. “To be completely engaged with what you are doing in the here and now. And instead of calling it work, realize it is play.”

And with that spark of realization I did the only thing I knew I should – I pulled up a chair and sat with her as she waited.

In peace, my loves…

Namaste ❤️

This Unconquerable Soul.

This morning, I am reminded of a passage from Roshi Joan Halifax; one which speaks directly to the urgency of this moment now.

“Life and death are of supreme importance. Time passes swiftly, and the opportunity is lost. Let us awaken, awaken. Do not squander your life.”

So often we allow the gift of this moment to pass largely unnoticed. In our quest for more, we end up with less.

Time passes swiftly. In the blink of an eye, little ones slip into their graduation robes – and, we are left to wonder…

Where did our time together go?

These season’s wait for no one, my loves. As the once lush leaves, curl to fiery red – we are reminded of the boundlessness in their transition. In nature, we discover the roots of our practice – coexisting within the force of external change.

And, in their passing we note these markings of time are merely illusion; that life exists solely as a blessing of now.

Time passes quickly, my loves. Do not squander your life.

Rather, may you learn to “thank whatever gods may be” for this one true, and “unconquerable soul.”

In peace…

Namaste ❤️

Quote from “Invictus”, by William Ernest Henley.

Of What Might Be.

Today’s inspiration, my loves ~ ‘be grateful for what you have in this moment now, and ever-mindful of what may become.’

For time slips by without much consideration for the hopes and dreams kept tucked inside.

While heart presents need for thoughtful engagement of the world and this glory which surrounds.

Be grateful for what you have, my loves – for within this bounty life’s purpose abounds.

And always the greater question of now is an acknowledgement of what might become.

In peace…

Namaste ❤️

A Lesson From a Princess.

A little one sidled up to me at the airport yesterday evening. Her hair hung softly like sweet spun gold, shifting beneath the weight of an oversized cowboy hat. A perfect compliment, I might add, to her embroidered leather boots and pink tulle princess tutu.

“You wanna watch cartoons?” she asked, with toothless grin.

“Sure, why not…” I smiled in return.

And, just like that – our friendship was formed.

We sat for nearly an hour, she and I – talking over the finer points of ‘best princesses ever’ and why ‘dragons aren’t so scary after all.’

It brought to mind one of my favorite teachings; when we realize our capacity to be happy anywhere, we realize that happiness is inseparable from this this present moment.

It’s our willingness to see the rose through the brambles, so to speak. To understand that conditions for our happiness are always here, simply waiting for a moment to be realized.

Even when our flight is delayed by an imminent storm, still – there is this moment, right here…

Watching cartoons and spinning tales with a cowgirl princess in a tutu.

In peace, my loves…

Namaste ❤️

Blessings to All.

There’s a woman who stands at the corner of 11th and G, Northwest DC. She’s been there for years; her clothes tattered and worn through the many seasons of a system incapable of care.

She offers her smile, asking nothing in return. “Blessings for all,” she chimes to all those passerby. In spite of her ‘circumstance’ she’s become a continued source of joy.

She’s been there since she lost her only child, a son – off fighting a war over capital versus human gains.

I remember passing her one morning many years ago. “What’s wrong, love?” her face warmed with the light of an inner peace. I explained the ‘troubles’ of my life; the displacement of home, of family, of work.

“Sometimes I wish it could be just as it always was,” I said. Graciously, she permitted my rambling; my heart purging the details of ‘all that was wrong now.’

And, when I paused to take a breath – she asked, “Are you done?” Then pointed to a scene transpiring just beyond. A young woman and her toddler son, taking in the joy of a newly autumn day.

“You get one shot,” she smiled. “And then it’s gone.”

She didn’t have to say another word, because, it was then that I knew – these blessings of day, are a blessing to all.

A little something to consider, my friends…

“Blessings to all…”

Namaste ❤️

Letting This Moment Be Our Teacher.

Shunryu Suzuki once shared, “Nothing we see or hear is perfect. But – right there in the imperfection is perfect reality.”

My darlings, when we lay down expectation – when we open ourselves to the possibility of uncertainty and risk – then, and only then, can we finally be free.

We are free to experience the vitality of this present moment.

In my own practice, I try to remain as faithful to the energy of renewal. With each breath, and every step – I continue to search through the intricate patterns of present. I take note of the little things – the pebbled brook, the mottled leafs, the way in which the wind moves through the trees. It’s all right there – nature’s masterpiece; a glorious affirmation of our capacity to see.

Sometimes, I’ll ask myself – am I really here? Meaning, as Brother Phap Tri so eloquently reminds,

“How alive is my practice?”

Indeed, how alive *is* your practice? Are you simply performing the actions of mind, without fully stepping into it with heart?

“That is our way,”  Suzuki writes. “to live fully in each moment of time.”

And, allowing our practice to permeate all aspects of our being.

The practice is life, my darlings – and, this moment is our greatest teacher.

Namaste…

A Legacy of Living.

I read the most beautiful article earlier this morning – written by Oliver Sacks, and entitled “My Own Life.”

It was written to share his blessings to this point, as well as, to provide guidance on living the richest, deepest, most productive life imaginable.

“It is up to me now to choose how to live out the months that remain to me,” he shares. “I feel a sudden clear focus and perspective. There is no time for anything inessential. I must focus on myself, my work and my friends. I shall no longer look at “NewsHour” every night. I shall no longer pay any attention to politics or arguments about global warming.”

You see, with just a few weeks left to live, Oliver found the means to live fully in the warmth of gratitude.

I’m always compelled by these stories of another’s spiritual journey  – which offer the grace of insight in a moment where fear might otherwise prevail. I feel honored to have shared in their realization of presence, to have gained insight into their celebration of this life.

“I have loved and been loved,” he writes. “I have been given much and I have given something in return; I have read and traveled and thought and written…Above all, I have been a sentient being, a thinking animal, on this beautiful planet, and that in itself has been an enormous privilege and adventure.”

In the end, our life is summarized by moments – and our legacy, a testimony to the choices we’ve made.

In my life, I’ve learned to let go of ‘somedays’ – honoring this space with the richness of life, instead.

So, dance…giggle…love…laugh. Dive headfirst into the seemingly impossible endeavors, and marvel at the resilience gained just on the other side. Take risks, dream big, and live a messy, fulfilling life.

But, above all – enjoy every single moment of this journey.

In the end, leaving the legacy of trust, hope, love, wish, and believe.

A Little Something About This Moment Now.

“Many people are alive but don’t touch the miracle of being alive,” writes the venerable Thích Nhất Hạnh.

My goodness, such beautiful insight – don’t you think? That we, so often, in the midst of unsettledness – relinquish our one true connection to the sacred.

Out of fear of the unknown, we cling to our pain. We lose touch with those much simpler things.

Like the muffled thump of mittened hands, and the creaking groan of snow covered limbs.

In our distraction, we sometimes fail to appreciate – that this moment holds so much more than any of our present worries.

As author Jack Kornfield once so eloquently shared, ““Let go of the battle. Breathe quietly and let it be.”

Indeed, that we might one day learn to make now our primary focus.

In the Ultimate, We Dwell.

“The mind can go in a thousand directions, but on this path I walk in peace.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

I love this passage written by the venerable Thich Nhat Hanh – as, it serves as an important reminder of the freedom which exists within this moment right here.

“Only a free person can be a happy person,” he continues. “Whether your home is in Washington, D.C. or New Delhi, you have to come home to this moment…The present moment is a teacher that will always be with you, a teacher that will never fail you.”

And, that freedom is born, my darlings, within this moment – right here.

It is within each blade of grass, and every shifting wind. It’s right here even within the curled edges of the dying maple leaf.

Can you just imagine that, if you will? To walk in the spirit of always being free?

And, no matter if you’re caught in a flurry of worry – this peace-filled refuge is never more than a single thought away.

Waiting simply for your heart’s sweet embrace.

“I have arrived. I am home.
In the here, in the now.”

Namaste, my darlings – and remember, it is right here, always, within the ultimate that we dwell.

To Dance in the Light of This Once-Only Journey.

“Dance. Smile. Giggle. Marvel. TRUST. HOPE. LOVE. WISH. BELIEVE. Most of all, enjoy every moment of the journey, and appreciate where you are at this moment instead of always focusing on how far you have to go.” ― Mandy Hale

What a beautiful message from author, Mandy Hale. A reminder to cherish these precious fleeting moments, before time has stolen them away.

To take notice of those little things.

To live, to love, to dance, to breathe.

To share in each wonder that this Universe brings.

To understand, with every single piece of our heart – that a moment, once passed, can never be ‘returned.’

So, smile…giggle…laugh, and enjoy; do what makes your heart smile BIG.

Life is too short, not to follow your dreams. Open your mind to the wonder of new things.

That we may learn to live BRILLIANTLY in this magic of NOW;

And, bask in the light of this once-only journey.

Namaste, my dearest darlings – and, on this day I wish you this moment of peace.