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Be A Lake
An aging master grew tired of his apprentice complaining, and so, one morning, sent him for some salt.
When the apprentice returned, the master instructed the unhappy young man to put a handful of salt in a
glass of water and then to drink it. "How does it taste?" the master asked. "Bitter," spit the apprentice. The
master chuckled and then asked the young man to take the same handful of salt and put it in the lake. The
two walked in silence to the nearby lake, and once the apprentice swirled his handful of salt in the water,
the old man said, "Now drink from the lake." As the water dripped down the young man's chin, the master
asked, "How does it taste?" "Fresh," remarked the apprentice. "Do you taste the salt?" asked the master.
"No," said the young man. At this, the master sat beside the young man and said, "The pain of life is pure
salt; no more, no less. The amount of pain in life remains the same, exactly the same. But the amount of
bitterness we taste depends on the container we put the pain in. So when you are in pain, the only thing
you can do is to enlarge your sense of things...stop being a glass. Become a lake.
-a Hindu story
Be Present
Two monks on a pilgrimage came to the ford of a river. There they saw a girl dressed in all her finery,
obviously now knowing what to do since the river was high and she did not want to spoil her clothes.
Without more ado, one of the monks took her on his back, carried her across, and put her down on dry
ground on the other side. Then the monks continued on their way. However, the other monk, after an hour
or so, started complaining, “Surely it is not right to touch a woman; it is against our vows to have close
contact with women. How could you go against the rules?” The monk who had carried the girl remarked, “I
set her down by the river an hour ago, why are you still carrying her?”
-Zen story
The Call
I have heard it all my life,
A voice calling a name I recognized as my own.
Sometimes it comes as a soft-bellied whisper.
Sometimes it holds an edge of urgency.
But always it says: Wake up my love. You are walking asleep.
There's no safety in that!
Remember what you are and let this knowing
take you home to the Beloved with every breath.
Hold tenderly who you are and let a deeper knowing
colour the shape of your humanness.
There is no where to go. What you are looking for is right here.
Open the fist clenched in wanting and see what you already hold
in your hand.
There is no waiting for something to happen,
no point in the future to get to.
All you have ever longed for is here in this moment, right now.
You are wearing yourself out with all this searching.
Come home and rest.
How much longer can you live like this?
Your hungry spirit is gaunt, your heart stumbles. All this trying.
Give it up!
Let yourself be one of the God-mad,
faithful only to the Beauty you are.
Let the Lover pull you to your feet and hold you close,
dancing even when fear urges you to sit this one out.
Remember - there is one word you are here to say
with your whole being.
When it finds you, give your life to it.
Don't be tight-lipped and stingy.
Spend yourself completely on the saying.
Be one word in this great love poem we are writing together.
-Oriah Mountain Dreamer
The Cracked Pot
A water bearer in China had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which he carried across his
neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of
water. At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For
two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his house.
Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of
its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to
do. After 2 years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the
stream. "I am ashamed of myself because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back
to your house." The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the
path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known of your flaw, and I planted
flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you've watered them. For two
years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way
you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house." Moral: Each of us is unique. We're all cracked
pots. But it's the cracks and flaws that make our lives together interesting and rewarding.
Daodejing, Verse 10
Can you coax your mind from its wandering
and keep to the original oneness?
Can you let your body become
supple as a newborn child's?
Can you cleanse your inner vision
until you see nothing but the light?
Can you love people and lead them
without imposing your will?
Can you deal with the most vital matters
by letting events take their course?
Can you step back from your own mind
and thus understand all things?
Giving birth and nourishing,
having without possessing,
acting with no expectations,
leading and not trying to control:
this is the supreme virtue.
-Stephen Mitchell translation
Desiderata
Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as
possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly, and
listen to others, even to the dull and ignorant; they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for
always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your
plans. Keep interested in your own career however humble; it is a real possession in the changing
fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not
blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love, for in the face of all aridity
and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass. Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully
surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not
distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a
wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and
the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is
unfolding as it should. Therefore, be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever
your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham,
drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.
-Max Ehrmann, ©1927
The Empty Cup
Nan-in, a Japanese Zen master, was visited by a university professor who came to inquire about Zen.
When Nan-in served tea to the professor, he poured the tea into the professor's cup and kept on pouring.
When the cup overflowed, the professor said, "The cup is overflowing. No more will go in!" Nan-in said,
"Like this cup, you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you
first empty your cup?"
-a Zen koan
The Essence of Water
Water is simple and clear. It abides in the moment. Water is transparent, empty of itself. Water always
yields. Water always accepts. Water always finds its own level. It can be tossed about, yet always return
to harmony. Water is neither hard nor soft. It simply reflects the way one comes to it. Water is both
movement and stillness. It resonates, echoing the silent depths. Water gives without effort. It has
supreme power over all living things, yet makes no claim on what it creates. Water creates the wave, the
breath, life. Water is the source of life itself. Drink it in.
-Lori Furbush
Five Simple Rules for Living
Free your heart from hatred.
Free your mind from worries.
Live simply.
Give more.
Expect less.
Flight from the Shadow
Once there was a man who was so troubled by the sight of his own shadow and so disturbed by his
footsteps that he decided to get rid of both. His method of escape was to run away from them, so he got
up and ran. But each time he put his foot down, there was another step, and his shadow had no difficulty
at all in keeping up. He blamed his failure on not running away fast enough. So he ran quicker and
quicker until he finally dropped dead. The man did not realize that if only he found some shade, his
shadow would vanish, and that if he sat down quietly, there would be no footsteps.
-Zhuangzi
Froglessness
The first fruition of the practice is the attainment of froglessness. When a frog is put on the center of a
plate, she will jump out of the plate after just a few seconds. If you put the frog back again on the center of
the plate, she will again jump out. You have so many plans. There is something you want to become.
Therefore you always want to make a leap, a leap forward. It is difficult to keep the frog still on the center of
the plate. You and I both have Buddha Nature in us. This is encouraging, but you and I both have Frog
Nature in us. That is why the first attainment of the practice - froglessness is its name.
-Thich Nhat Hanh
Go With the Flow: Enjoying the Ride
The flow of the universe moves through everything. It’s in the rocks that form, get pounded into dust, and
are blown away, the sprouting of a summer flower born from a seed planted in the spring, the growth cycle
that every human being goes through, and the current that takes us down our life’s paths. When we move
with the flow, rather than resisting it, we are riding on the universal current that allows us to flow with life.
Many people live their lives struggling against this current. They try to use force or resistance to will their
lives into happening the way they think it should. Others move with this flow like a sailor using the wind,
trusting that the universe is taking them exactly where they need to be at all times. This flow is accessible
to everyone because it moves through and around us. We are always riding this flow. It’s just a matter of
whether we are willing to go with it or resist it. Tapping into the flow is often a matter of letting go of the
notion that we need to be in control at all times. The flow is always taking you where you need to go. It’s
just a matter of deciding whether you plan on taking the ride or dragging your feet. Learning to step into
the flow can help you feel a connection to a force that is greater than you and is always there to support
you. The decision to go with the flow can take courage because you are surrendering the notion that you
need to do everything by yourself. Riding the flow of the universe can be effortless, exhilarating, and not like
anything that you ever expected. When you are open to being in this flow, you open yourself to possibilities
that exist beyond the grasp of your control. As a child, you were naturally swept by the flow. Tears of
sadness falling down your face could just as quickly turn to tears of laughter. Just the tiniest wave carrying
you forward off the shores of the ocean could carry you into peals of delight. Our souls feel good when we
go with the flow of the universe. All we have to do is make the choice to ride its currents.
- Excerpt from Daily OM
I Will Not Die An Unlived Life
I will not die an unlived life. I will not live in fear Of falling or catching fire. I choose to inhabit my days, to
allow my living to open me, to make me less afraid, more accessible, to loosen my heart until it becomes
a wing, a torch, a promise. I choose to risk my significance, to live so that which came to me as seed goes
to the next as blossom and that which came to me as blossom goes on as fruit.
–Dawna Markova
Interrelationship
You are me, and I am you. Isn't it obvious that we "inter-are"? You cultivate the flower in yourself, so that I
will be beautiful. I transform the garbage in myself, so that you will not have to suffer. I support you; you
support me. I am in this world to offer you peace; you are in this world to bring me joy.
–Thich Nhat Hanh
The Invitation
It doesn't interest me what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for,
and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.
It doesn't interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool
for love,
for your dream,
for the adventure of being alive.
It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon.
I want to know if you have touched the center of your sorrow,
if you have been opened by life's betrayals
or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain!
I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own,
without moving to hide it,
or fade it,
or fix it.
I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own,
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us to be careful,
to be realistic,
to remember the limitations of being human.
It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me is true.
I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself;
if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul;
if you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy.
I want to know if you can see beauty even when it's not pretty,
every day,
and if you can source your own life from its presence.
I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine,
and still stand on the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon, "Yes!"
I doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up, after the night of grief and despair,
weary and bruised to the bone,
and do what needs to be done to feed the children.
It doesn't interest me who you know or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me
and not shrink back.
It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you, from the inside,
when all else falls away.
I want to know if you can be alone with yourself
and if you truly like the company you keep
in the empty moments.
-Oriah Mountain Dreamer
Just Two Words
There once was a monastery that was very strict. Following a vow of silence, no one was allowed to speak
at all. But there was one exception to this rule. Every ten years, the monks were permitted to speak just
two words. After spending his first ten years at the monastery, one monk went to the head monk. "It has
been ten years," said the head monk. "What are the two words you would like to speak?" "Bed...hard,"
said the monk. "I see," replied the head monk. Ten years later, the monk returned to the head monk's
office. "It has been ten more years," said the head monk. "What are the two words you would like to
speak?" "Food...stinks," said the monk. "I see," replied the head monk. Yet another ten years passed and
the monk once again met up with the head monk, who asked,"What are your two words now, after these
ten years?" "I...quit," said the monk. "Well, I can see why," replied the head monk. "All you ever do is
complain."
-a Zen koan
Kindness
Before you know what kindness really is,
you must lose things,
feel the future dissolve in a moment
like salt in a weakened broth.
What you held in your hand,
what you counted and carefully saved,
all this must go so you know
how desolate the landscape can be
between the regions of kindness.
How you ride and ride thinking the bus will never stop,
the passengers eating maize and chicken
will stare out the window forever.
Before you learn the tender gravity of kindness,
you must travel where the Indian in a white poncho
lies dead by the side of the road.
You must see how this could be you,
how he too was someone who journeyed through the night
with plans and the simple breath that kept him alive.
Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside,
you must know sorrow as the other deepest thing.
You must wake up with sorrow.
You must speak to it till your voice catches
the thread of all sorrows
and you see the size of the cloth.
Then it is only kindness that makes sense anymore,
only kindness that ties your shoes
and sends you out into the day to mail letters and purchase bread,
only kindness that raises its head from the crowd of the world
to say it is I you have been looking for,
and then goes with you everywhere like a shadow or a friend.
-Naomi Shihab Nye
Monkey Mind
The ego is a monkey catapulting through the jungle: totally fascinated by the realm of the senses, it swings
from one desire to the next, one conflict to the next, one self-centered idea to the next. If you threaten it, it
actually fears for its life. Let this monkey go. Let the senses go. Let desires go. Let conflicts go. Let
ideas go. Let the fiction of life and death go. Just remain in the center, watching. And forget that you are
there.
-Laozi
More is Not Enough
There once was a stone cutter who was dissatisfied with himself and with his position in life. One day, he
passed a wealthy merchant's house. Inside, he saw many fine possessions and important visitors. "How
powerful that merchant must be!" he thought, feeling very envious and wishing he could be like the
merchant. To his great surprise, he suddenly became the merchant, enjoying more luxuries and power
than he had ever imagined, and was envied by many. Soon a high official passed by, escorted by
attendants and soldiers beating gongs. Everyone, no matter how wealthy, had to bow low before the
procession. "How powerful that official is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be a high official!" Then he
became the high official, carried everywhere in his embroidered chair, feared and hated by many. Then on
a hot summer day, he looked up at the sun shining proudly in the sky, unaffected by his presence. "How
powerful the sun is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be the sun!" Then he became the sun, shining fiercely
down on everyone, scorching the field, cursed by the farmers and laborers. But when a huge black cloud
moved between him and the earth, his light could no longer shine on everything below. "How powerful that
storm cloud is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be a cloud!" Then he became the cloud, flooding the fields
and villages, shouted at by everyone. But soon he was being pushed aside by a great wind. "How
powerful that wind is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be the wind!" Then he became the wind, blowing
tiles off the roofs of houses, uprooting trees, feared and hated by all below him. But soon he encountered
a huge towering rock that would not move, no matter how forcefully he blew against it. "How powerful that
rock is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be a rock!" Then he became the tall rock, strong and mighty. But
soon he heard the sound of a hammer pounding a chisel into his hard surface, and felt himself being
changed. "What could be more powerful than I, the rock?" he thought. He looked down and saw below
him the figure of a stone cutter.
-a Zen koan
Morning Poem
Every morning
the world
is created.
Under the orange
sticks of the sun
the heaped
ashes of the night
turn into leaves again
and fasten themselves to the high branches --
and the ponds appear
like black cloth
on which are painted islands
of summer lilies.
If it is your nature
to be happy
you will swim away along the soft trails
for hours, your imagination
alighting everywhere.
And if your spirit
carries within it
the thorn
that is heavier than lead --
if it's all you can do
to keep on trudging --
there is still
somewhere deep within you
a beast shouting that the earth
is exactly what it wanted --
each pond with its blazing lilies
is a prayer heard and answered
lavishly,
every morning,
whether or not
you have ever dared to be happy,
whether or not
you have ever dared to pray.
-Mary Oliver
The Mystery
I dwell in the
Mystery of the
Great unknown
Fluid, beautiful and free.
I dance with the wind
And relish each breath
Ecstatic each day
Just to be.
I sing with the joy
Of the planets and stars,
I laugh with the waves
And the sea.
For I am the spirit
Forever unfolding
Unbounded, eternal
And free.
-Donna Miesbach
Nature's Beauty
A priest was in charge of the garden within a famous temple. He had been given the job because he loved
flowers, shrubs, and trees. Next to the temple, there was another, smaller temple where there lived a very
old Zen master. One day, when the priest was expecting some special guests, he took extra care in
tending to the garden. He pulled the weeds, trimmed the shrubs, combed the moss, and spent a long
time meticulously raking and carefully arranging all the dry autumn leaves. As he worked, the old master
watched him with interest from across the wall that separated the temples. When he had finished, the
priest stood back to admire his work. "Isn't it beautiful?" he called out to the old Zen master. "Yes," replied
the old man, "but there is something missing. Help me over this wall and I'll put it right for you." After
hesitating, the priest lifted the old fellow over and set him down. Slowly, the master walked to the tree near
the center of the garden, grabbed it by the trunk, and shook it. Leaves showered down all over the garden.
"There, said the old man. "You can put me back now."
-a Zen koan
O Sweet Irrational Worship
Wind and a bobwhite
And the afternoon sun.
By ceasing to question the sun
I have become light,
Bird and wind.
My leaves sing.
I am earth, earth
All these lighted things
Grow from my heart.
A tall, spare pine
Stands like the initial of my first
Name when I had one.
When I had a spirit,
When I was on fire
When this valley was
Made out of fresh air
You spoke my name
In naming Your silence:
O sweet, irrational worship!
I am earth, earth
My heart's love
Bursts with hay and flowers.
I am a lake of blue air
In which my own appointed place
Field and valley
Stand reflected
I am earth, earth
Out of my grass heart
Rises the bobwhite.
Out of my nameless weeds
His foolish worship.
-Thomas Merton
Peace
Peace is a natural mind-state in every one of us. Peace has been there since the day we were born, and it
is going to be there until the day we die. It is our greatest gift, so why do we think we have no peace of
mind? Experiencing peace is like looking at our hands. Usually we see only the fingers - not the spaces
in between. In a similar manner, when we look at the mind, we are aware of the active states, such as our
running thoughts, and the one-thousand-and-one feelings that are associated with them, but we tend to
overlook the intervals of peace between them.
-Thynn Thynn
Peace Is Every Step
Every morning, when we wake up, we have twenty-four brand-new hours to live. What a precious gift! We
have the capacity to live in a way that these twenty-four hours will bring peace, joy, and happiness to
ourselves and others. Peace is present right here and now, in ourselves and in everything we do and see.
The question is whether or not we are in touch with it. We don't have to travel far away to enjoy the blue
sky. We don't have to leave our city or even our neighborhood to enjoy the eyes of a beautiful child. Even
the air we breathe can be a source of joy. We can smile, breathe, walk, and eat our meals in a way that
allows us to be in touch with the abundance of happiness that is available. We are very good at preparing
to live, but not very good at living. We know how to sacrifice ten years for a diploma, and we are willing to
work very hard to get a job, a car, a house, and so on. But we have difficulty remembering that we are alive
in the present moment, the only moment there is for us to be alive. Every breath we take, every step we
make, can be filled with peace, joy, and serenity. We need only to be awake, alive in the present moment.
-Thich Nhat Hanh, excerpt from his book Peace Is Every Step
Peeling Away the Layers: Trees Shedding Their Bark
Trees grow up through their branches and down through their roots into the earth. They also grow wider
with each passing year. As they do, they shed the bark that served to protect them but now is no longer big
enough to contain them. In the same way, we create boundaries and develop defenses to protect
ourselves and then, at a certain point, we outgrow them. If we don’t allow ourselves to shed our protective
layer, we can’t expand to our full potential. Trees need their protective bark to enable the delicate process
of growth and renewal to unfold without threat. Likewise, we need our boundaries and defenses so that
the more vulnerable parts of ourselves can safely heal and unfold. But our growth also depends upon our
ability to soften, loosen, and shed boundaries and defenses we no longer need. It is often the case in life
that structures we put in place to help us grow eventually become constricting. Unlike a tree, we must
consciously decide when it’s time to shed our bark and expand our boundaries, so we can move into our
next ring of growth. Many spiritual teachers have suggested that our egos don’t disappear so much as they
become large enough to hold more than just our small sense of self—the boundary of self widens to
contain people and beings other than just "me." Each time we shed a layer of defensiveness or ease up
on a boundary that we no longer need, we metaphorically become bigger people. With this in mind, it is
important that we take time to question our boundaries and defenses. While it is essential to set and
honor the protective barriers we have put in place, it is equally important that we soften and release them
when the time comes. In doing so, we create the space for our next phase of growth.
-excerpt from Daily OM
A Prayer for the World
Let the rain come and wash away
the ancient grudges and the bitter hatreds
held and nurtured over generations.
Let the rain wash away the memory
of the hurt and the neglect.
Then let the sun come out
and fill the sky with rainbows.
Let the warmth of the sun
heal us wherever we are broken.
Let it burn away the fog
so that we can see each other clearly;
so that we can see beyond labels,
beyond accents, gender or skin color.
Let the warmth and brightness of the sun
melt our selfishness so that we can share the joys
and feel the sorrows of our neighbors and,
let the light of the sun be so strong
that we will see all people as our neighbors.
Let the earth, nourished by rain, bring forth flowers
to surround us with beauty.
And let the mountains teach our hearts
to reach upward to heaven.
-Rabbi Harold S. Kushner
Return to Stillness
Your body, heavy with life's clutter,
Soaks into the earth.
Surrender, like a wave that rolls across the beach
And drains into the sand.
Sense the energy of the body loosen,
Pulsing with life.
The whisper of a fire in your heart
Begins to shimmer and dance.
Let it burst open,
Unprotected,
And flow out in a rainbow of colors,
Mingling with the web of life around you.
Let your voice breathe;
Release its Joy,
And weep with Truth.
Come home to the stillness from which you were born,
The void that vibrates with all that is.
-Lori Furbush
The River Metaphor
Levels of Meditation (from Patanjali's Yoga Sutras):
Pratyahara = Withdrawal of the senses
Dharana = Focused attention
Dhyana = Meditation
Samadhi = Self-realization
"Pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, and samadhi can be compared to a boat journey on a river. When you set
out on the boat, you leave behind the land, the trees, the bustle of community. Your senses begin to
merge with the experience of the river. This is pratyahara. As the journey progresses, you become more
and more detached from what you left behind. And more and more immersed in the rhythm of the water.
You are floating, melting, gurgling - you feel the river in your veins, your flesh, in the taste on your tongue.
This is dharana - mental absorption. Dhyana, a state of meditation, naturally follows. In this state you and
the river are one. The boat disappears. You are the river - dancing through light, over reeds, across land.
Then, when the river finally flows into the sea, your I-ness completely disappears. This is samadhi. The
dissolution of dichotomies. The boat, your Self, the river, the sea. All are one."
-excerpted from The Spirit of Yoga by Cat de Rham and Michele Gill
She Let Go
She let go.
Without a thought or a word, she let go.
She let go of fear. She let go of judgments.
She let go of the confluence of opinions swarming around her head.
She let go of the committee of indecision within her. She let go of all the ‘right’ reasons.
Wholly and completely, without hesitation or worry, she just let go.
She didn’t ask anyone for advice. She didn’t read a book on how to let go.
She didn’t search the scriptures.
She just let go.
She let go of all the memories that held her back.
She let go of all of the anxiety that kept her from moving forward.
She let go of the planning and all of the calculations about how to do it just right.
She didn’t promise to let go. She didn’t journal about it.
She didn’t write the projected date in her Day-Timer.
She made no public announcement and put no ad in the paper.
She didn’t check the weather report or read her daily horoscope.
She just let go.
She didn’t analyze whether she should let go.
She didn’t call her friends to discuss the matter. She didn’t utter one word.
She just let go.
No one was around when it happened. There was no applause or congratulations.
No one thanked her or praised her. No one noticed a thing.
Like a leaf falling from a tree, she just let go.
There was no effort. There was no struggle. It wasn’t good. It wasn’t bad.
It was what it was, and it is just that.
In the space of letting go, she let it all be. A small smile came over her face.
A light breeze blew through her.
And the sun and the moon shone forevermore.
–Rev. Safire Rose, Agape International Spiritual Center
Sleeping in the Forest
I thought the earth remembered me, she took me back so tenderly, arranging her dark skirts, her pockets
full of lichens and seeds. I slept as never before, a stone on the riverbed, nothing between me and the
white fire of the stars but my thoughts, and they floated light as moths among the branches of the perfect
trees. All night I heard the small kingdoms breathing around me, the insects, and the birds who do their
work in the darkness. All night I rose and fell, as if in water, grappling with a luminous doom. By morning I
had vanished at least a dozen times into something better.
–Mary Oliver
The Story of a River
Born on the top of mountain, the little spring dances her way down. The stream of water sings as she
travels. She wants to go fast. She is unable to go slowly. Running, rushing, is the only way, maybe even
flying. She wants to arrive. Arrive where? Arrive at the ocean. She has heard of the deep, blue, beautiful
ocean. To become one with the ocean, that is what she wants. Coming down to the plains, she grows into
a young river. Winding her way through the beautiful meadows, she has to slow down. "Why can't I run the
way I could when I was a creek? I want to reach the deep, blue ocean. If I continue this slowly, how will I
ever arrive there at all?" As a creek, she was not happy at all with what she was. She really wanted to grow
into a river. But, as a river, she does not feel happy either. She cannot bear to slow down. Then, as she
slows down, the young river begins to notice the beautiful clouds reflected in her water. They are of
different colors and shapes floating in the sky, and they seem to be free to go anywhere they please.
Wanting to be like a cloud, she begins to chase after the clouds, one after another. "I am not happy as a
river. I want to be like you, or I shall suffer. Life is really not worth living." So the river begins to play a kind of
game, chasing after clouds. She learns to laugh and cry. But the clouds do not stay in one place for very
long. "They reflect themselves in my water, but then they leave. No cloud seems to be faithful. Every cloud I
know has left me. No cloud has ever brought me satisfaction or happiness. I hate their betrayal." The
excitement of chasing after clouds is not worth the suffering and despair. One afternoon, a strong wind
carried all the clouds away. The sky became desperately empty. There were no more clouds to chase
after. Life became empty for the river. She was so lonely she didn't want to live anymore. But how could a
river die? From something you become nothing? From someone, you become no one? Is it possible?
During the night, the river went back to herself. She could not sleep. She listened to her own cries, the
lapping of her water against the shore. This was the first time she had ever listened deeply to her own
nature, and in doing so, she discovered something very important: her water was made of clouds. She
has been chasing after clouds and she did not know that clouds were her own nature. The river realized
that the object of her search was within her. She touched peace. Suddenly, she could stop. She no longer
felt the need to run after something outside herself. She was already what she wanted to become. The
peace she experienced was truly gratifying and brought her a deep rest, a deep sleep. When the river
woke up the next morning, she discovered something new and wonderful reflected in her water-- the blue
sky. "How deep it is, how calm. The sky is immense, stable, welcoming and utterly free." It seemed
impossible to believe that this was the first time the river ever reflected the sky in her water. But that is true,
because in the past, she was interested only in the clouds, and she never paid attention to the sky. No
cloud could ever leave the sky. She knew that the clouds were there, hidden somewhere in the blue sky.
The sky must contain within itself all the clouds and all the waters. Clouds seem impermanent, but the sky
is always there as the faithful home of all the clouds. Touching the sky, the river touched stability. She
touched the ultimate. In the past. she had only touched the coming, going, being, and nonbeing of the
clouds. Now she was able to touch the home of all coming, going, being, and nonbeing. No one could
take the sky out of her water anymore. How wonderful it was to stop and touch! The stopping and touching
brought her true stability and peace. She had arrived home. That afternoon, the wind ceased to blow. The
clouds came back one by one. The river had become wise. She was able to welcome each cloud with a
smile. The clouds of many colors and shapes seemed to be same, but then again they were no longer the
same for the river. She did not feel the need to possess or chase after any particular cloud. She smiled to
each cloud with joy and loving kindness. She enjoyed their reflections in her water. But when they drifted
away, the river did not feel deserted. She waved to them, saying "Good-bye. Have a nice journey." She was
no longer bound to any of the clouds. The day was a happy one. That night, when the river calmly opened
up her heart to the sky, she received the most wonderful image ever reflected in her water - a beautiful full
moon, a moon so bright, refreshing, smiling.
The full moon of the Buddha travels
in the sky of utmost emptiness.
If the rivers of living beings are calm,
the refreshing moon will reflect
beautifully in their water.
All space seemed to be there for enjoyment of the moon, and she looked utterly free. The river reflected the
moon in her water and enjoyed the same freedom and happiness. What a wonderful, festive night for
everyone - the sky, clouds, moon, stars, and water. In the boundless space, sky, clouds, moon, stars, and
water enjoyed walking in meditation together. They walked with no need to arrive anywhere, not even the
ocean. They could just be happy in the present moment. The river did not need to arrive at the ocean to
become water. She knew she was water by nature and at the same time a cloud, the moon, the sky, the
stars, and the snow. Why should she run away from herself? Who speaks of a river as not flowing? A river
does flow, yes. But she does not need to rush.
-Thich Nhat Hanh
Symptoms of Inner Peace
Be on the lookout for symptoms of inner peace. The hearts of a great many have already been exposed to
inner peace and it is possible that people everywhere could come down with it in epidemic proportions.
This could pose a serious threat to what has, up to now, been a fairly stable condition of conflict in the
world. Some signs and symptoms of inner peace:
...A tendency to think and act spontaneously, rather than from fears based on past experiences.
...An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment.
...A loss of interest in judging self.
...A loss of interest in judging others.
...A loss of interest in conflict.
...A loss of interest in interpreting the actions of others.
...A loss of the ability to worry. (This is a very serious symptom!)
...Frequent, overwhelming episodes of appreciation.
...Contented feelings of connectedness with others and with nature.
...Frequent attacks of smiling through the eyes of the heart.
...Increasing susceptibility to love extended by others, as well as the uncontrollable urge to extend it.
...An increasing tendency to let things happen, rather than make them happen.
WARNING: If you have some or all of the above symptoms, please be advised that your condition of inner
peace may be so far advanced as to not be curable. If you are exposed to anyone exhibiting any of these
symptoms, remain exposed only at your own risk.
-Reprinted with permission of the author, Saskia Davis
Water Prayer
A disciple asked his guru, "How am I to attain peace when there is so much noise around this village?
Every time I try to meditate, there's a rooster crowing or a child crying or a dog barking. I can't concentrate
on my prayers." The guru said nothing, but took the man by the hand and led him to the forest. They
walked for some time until they came across a small pool. It was a windy day, and the surface of the pond
had become choppy. "What do you see in the pool?" the guru asked. "It is troubled," replied the disciple.
His master then bid him dive into the pool, to the bottom. When he emerged from the water, his master
asked him again what he saw in the pool. "It is still and deep," the man answered. "So then," said the
master, "you must learn how to pray from the water."
-a Zen koan
When Death Comes
When death comes
like the hungry bear in autumn
when death comes and takes all the bright coins from his purse
to buy me, and snaps his purse shut;
when death comes
like the measle-pox;
when death comes
like an iceberg between the shoulder blades,
I want to step through the door full of curiosity, wondering;
what is it going to be like, that cottage of darkness?
And therefore I look upon everything
as a brotherhood and a sisterhood,
and I look upon time as no more than an idea,
and I consider eternity as another possibility,
and I think of each life as a flower, as common
as a field daisy, and as singular,
and each name a comfortable music in the mouth
tending as all music does, toward silence,
and each body a lion of courage, and something
precious to the earth.
When it's over, I want to say: all my life
I was a bride married to amazement.
I was a bridegroom, taking the world into my arms.
When it's over, I don't want to wonder
if I have made of my life something particular, and real.
I don't want to find myself sighing and frightened
or full of argument.
I don't want to end up simply having visited this world.
-Mary Oliver
Wild Geese
You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees, the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting -
over and over announcing your place in the family of things.
-Mary Oliver
An aging master grew tired of his apprentice complaining, and so, one morning, sent him for some salt.
When the apprentice returned, the master instructed the unhappy young man to put a handful of salt in a
glass of water and then to drink it. "How does it taste?" the master asked. "Bitter," spit the apprentice. The
master chuckled and then asked the young man to take the same handful of salt and put it in the lake. The
two walked in silence to the nearby lake, and once the apprentice swirled his handful of salt in the water,
the old man said, "Now drink from the lake." As the water dripped down the young man's chin, the master
asked, "How does it taste?" "Fresh," remarked the apprentice. "Do you taste the salt?" asked the master.
"No," said the young man. At this, the master sat beside the young man and said, "The pain of life is pure
salt; no more, no less. The amount of pain in life remains the same, exactly the same. But the amount of
bitterness we taste depends on the container we put the pain in. So when you are in pain, the only thing
you can do is to enlarge your sense of things...stop being a glass. Become a lake.
-a Hindu story
Be Present
Two monks on a pilgrimage came to the ford of a river. There they saw a girl dressed in all her finery,
obviously now knowing what to do since the river was high and she did not want to spoil her clothes.
Without more ado, one of the monks took her on his back, carried her across, and put her down on dry
ground on the other side. Then the monks continued on their way. However, the other monk, after an hour
or so, started complaining, “Surely it is not right to touch a woman; it is against our vows to have close
contact with women. How could you go against the rules?” The monk who had carried the girl remarked, “I
set her down by the river an hour ago, why are you still carrying her?”
-Zen story
The Call
I have heard it all my life,
A voice calling a name I recognized as my own.
Sometimes it comes as a soft-bellied whisper.
Sometimes it holds an edge of urgency.
But always it says: Wake up my love. You are walking asleep.
There's no safety in that!
Remember what you are and let this knowing
take you home to the Beloved with every breath.
Hold tenderly who you are and let a deeper knowing
colour the shape of your humanness.
There is no where to go. What you are looking for is right here.
Open the fist clenched in wanting and see what you already hold
in your hand.
There is no waiting for something to happen,
no point in the future to get to.
All you have ever longed for is here in this moment, right now.
You are wearing yourself out with all this searching.
Come home and rest.
How much longer can you live like this?
Your hungry spirit is gaunt, your heart stumbles. All this trying.
Give it up!
Let yourself be one of the God-mad,
faithful only to the Beauty you are.
Let the Lover pull you to your feet and hold you close,
dancing even when fear urges you to sit this one out.
Remember - there is one word you are here to say
with your whole being.
When it finds you, give your life to it.
Don't be tight-lipped and stingy.
Spend yourself completely on the saying.
Be one word in this great love poem we are writing together.
-Oriah Mountain Dreamer
The Cracked Pot
A water bearer in China had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which he carried across his
neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of
water. At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For
two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his house.
Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of
its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to
do. After 2 years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the
stream. "I am ashamed of myself because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back
to your house." The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the
path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known of your flaw, and I planted
flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you've watered them. For two
years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way
you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house." Moral: Each of us is unique. We're all cracked
pots. But it's the cracks and flaws that make our lives together interesting and rewarding.
Daodejing, Verse 10
Can you coax your mind from its wandering
and keep to the original oneness?
Can you let your body become
supple as a newborn child's?
Can you cleanse your inner vision
until you see nothing but the light?
Can you love people and lead them
without imposing your will?
Can you deal with the most vital matters
by letting events take their course?
Can you step back from your own mind
and thus understand all things?
Giving birth and nourishing,
having without possessing,
acting with no expectations,
leading and not trying to control:
this is the supreme virtue.
-Stephen Mitchell translation
Desiderata
Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as
possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly, and
listen to others, even to the dull and ignorant; they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for
always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your
plans. Keep interested in your own career however humble; it is a real possession in the changing
fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not
blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love, for in the face of all aridity
and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass. Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully
surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not
distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a
wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and
the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is
unfolding as it should. Therefore, be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever
your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham,
drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.
-Max Ehrmann, ©1927
The Empty Cup
Nan-in, a Japanese Zen master, was visited by a university professor who came to inquire about Zen.
When Nan-in served tea to the professor, he poured the tea into the professor's cup and kept on pouring.
When the cup overflowed, the professor said, "The cup is overflowing. No more will go in!" Nan-in said,
"Like this cup, you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you
first empty your cup?"
-a Zen koan
The Essence of Water
Water is simple and clear. It abides in the moment. Water is transparent, empty of itself. Water always
yields. Water always accepts. Water always finds its own level. It can be tossed about, yet always return
to harmony. Water is neither hard nor soft. It simply reflects the way one comes to it. Water is both
movement and stillness. It resonates, echoing the silent depths. Water gives without effort. It has
supreme power over all living things, yet makes no claim on what it creates. Water creates the wave, the
breath, life. Water is the source of life itself. Drink it in.
-Lori Furbush
Five Simple Rules for Living
Free your heart from hatred.
Free your mind from worries.
Live simply.
Give more.
Expect less.
Flight from the Shadow
Once there was a man who was so troubled by the sight of his own shadow and so disturbed by his
footsteps that he decided to get rid of both. His method of escape was to run away from them, so he got
up and ran. But each time he put his foot down, there was another step, and his shadow had no difficulty
at all in keeping up. He blamed his failure on not running away fast enough. So he ran quicker and
quicker until he finally dropped dead. The man did not realize that if only he found some shade, his
shadow would vanish, and that if he sat down quietly, there would be no footsteps.
-Zhuangzi
Froglessness
The first fruition of the practice is the attainment of froglessness. When a frog is put on the center of a
plate, she will jump out of the plate after just a few seconds. If you put the frog back again on the center of
the plate, she will again jump out. You have so many plans. There is something you want to become.
Therefore you always want to make a leap, a leap forward. It is difficult to keep the frog still on the center of
the plate. You and I both have Buddha Nature in us. This is encouraging, but you and I both have Frog
Nature in us. That is why the first attainment of the practice - froglessness is its name.
-Thich Nhat Hanh
Go With the Flow: Enjoying the Ride
The flow of the universe moves through everything. It’s in the rocks that form, get pounded into dust, and
are blown away, the sprouting of a summer flower born from a seed planted in the spring, the growth cycle
that every human being goes through, and the current that takes us down our life’s paths. When we move
with the flow, rather than resisting it, we are riding on the universal current that allows us to flow with life.
Many people live their lives struggling against this current. They try to use force or resistance to will their
lives into happening the way they think it should. Others move with this flow like a sailor using the wind,
trusting that the universe is taking them exactly where they need to be at all times. This flow is accessible
to everyone because it moves through and around us. We are always riding this flow. It’s just a matter of
whether we are willing to go with it or resist it. Tapping into the flow is often a matter of letting go of the
notion that we need to be in control at all times. The flow is always taking you where you need to go. It’s
just a matter of deciding whether you plan on taking the ride or dragging your feet. Learning to step into
the flow can help you feel a connection to a force that is greater than you and is always there to support
you. The decision to go with the flow can take courage because you are surrendering the notion that you
need to do everything by yourself. Riding the flow of the universe can be effortless, exhilarating, and not like
anything that you ever expected. When you are open to being in this flow, you open yourself to possibilities
that exist beyond the grasp of your control. As a child, you were naturally swept by the flow. Tears of
sadness falling down your face could just as quickly turn to tears of laughter. Just the tiniest wave carrying
you forward off the shores of the ocean could carry you into peals of delight. Our souls feel good when we
go with the flow of the universe. All we have to do is make the choice to ride its currents.
- Excerpt from Daily OM
I Will Not Die An Unlived Life
I will not die an unlived life. I will not live in fear Of falling or catching fire. I choose to inhabit my days, to
allow my living to open me, to make me less afraid, more accessible, to loosen my heart until it becomes
a wing, a torch, a promise. I choose to risk my significance, to live so that which came to me as seed goes
to the next as blossom and that which came to me as blossom goes on as fruit.
–Dawna Markova
Interrelationship
You are me, and I am you. Isn't it obvious that we "inter-are"? You cultivate the flower in yourself, so that I
will be beautiful. I transform the garbage in myself, so that you will not have to suffer. I support you; you
support me. I am in this world to offer you peace; you are in this world to bring me joy.
–Thich Nhat Hanh
The Invitation
It doesn't interest me what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for,
and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.
It doesn't interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool
for love,
for your dream,
for the adventure of being alive.
It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon.
I want to know if you have touched the center of your sorrow,
if you have been opened by life's betrayals
or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain!
I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own,
without moving to hide it,
or fade it,
or fix it.
I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own,
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us to be careful,
to be realistic,
to remember the limitations of being human.
It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me is true.
I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself;
if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul;
if you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy.
I want to know if you can see beauty even when it's not pretty,
every day,
and if you can source your own life from its presence.
I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine,
and still stand on the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon, "Yes!"
I doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up, after the night of grief and despair,
weary and bruised to the bone,
and do what needs to be done to feed the children.
It doesn't interest me who you know or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me
and not shrink back.
It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you, from the inside,
when all else falls away.
I want to know if you can be alone with yourself
and if you truly like the company you keep
in the empty moments.
-Oriah Mountain Dreamer
Just Two Words
There once was a monastery that was very strict. Following a vow of silence, no one was allowed to speak
at all. But there was one exception to this rule. Every ten years, the monks were permitted to speak just
two words. After spending his first ten years at the monastery, one monk went to the head monk. "It has
been ten years," said the head monk. "What are the two words you would like to speak?" "Bed...hard,"
said the monk. "I see," replied the head monk. Ten years later, the monk returned to the head monk's
office. "It has been ten more years," said the head monk. "What are the two words you would like to
speak?" "Food...stinks," said the monk. "I see," replied the head monk. Yet another ten years passed and
the monk once again met up with the head monk, who asked,"What are your two words now, after these
ten years?" "I...quit," said the monk. "Well, I can see why," replied the head monk. "All you ever do is
complain."
-a Zen koan
Kindness
Before you know what kindness really is,
you must lose things,
feel the future dissolve in a moment
like salt in a weakened broth.
What you held in your hand,
what you counted and carefully saved,
all this must go so you know
how desolate the landscape can be
between the regions of kindness.
How you ride and ride thinking the bus will never stop,
the passengers eating maize and chicken
will stare out the window forever.
Before you learn the tender gravity of kindness,
you must travel where the Indian in a white poncho
lies dead by the side of the road.
You must see how this could be you,
how he too was someone who journeyed through the night
with plans and the simple breath that kept him alive.
Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside,
you must know sorrow as the other deepest thing.
You must wake up with sorrow.
You must speak to it till your voice catches
the thread of all sorrows
and you see the size of the cloth.
Then it is only kindness that makes sense anymore,
only kindness that ties your shoes
and sends you out into the day to mail letters and purchase bread,
only kindness that raises its head from the crowd of the world
to say it is I you have been looking for,
and then goes with you everywhere like a shadow or a friend.
-Naomi Shihab Nye
Monkey Mind
The ego is a monkey catapulting through the jungle: totally fascinated by the realm of the senses, it swings
from one desire to the next, one conflict to the next, one self-centered idea to the next. If you threaten it, it
actually fears for its life. Let this monkey go. Let the senses go. Let desires go. Let conflicts go. Let
ideas go. Let the fiction of life and death go. Just remain in the center, watching. And forget that you are
there.
-Laozi
More is Not Enough
There once was a stone cutter who was dissatisfied with himself and with his position in life. One day, he
passed a wealthy merchant's house. Inside, he saw many fine possessions and important visitors. "How
powerful that merchant must be!" he thought, feeling very envious and wishing he could be like the
merchant. To his great surprise, he suddenly became the merchant, enjoying more luxuries and power
than he had ever imagined, and was envied by many. Soon a high official passed by, escorted by
attendants and soldiers beating gongs. Everyone, no matter how wealthy, had to bow low before the
procession. "How powerful that official is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be a high official!" Then he
became the high official, carried everywhere in his embroidered chair, feared and hated by many. Then on
a hot summer day, he looked up at the sun shining proudly in the sky, unaffected by his presence. "How
powerful the sun is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be the sun!" Then he became the sun, shining fiercely
down on everyone, scorching the field, cursed by the farmers and laborers. But when a huge black cloud
moved between him and the earth, his light could no longer shine on everything below. "How powerful that
storm cloud is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be a cloud!" Then he became the cloud, flooding the fields
and villages, shouted at by everyone. But soon he was being pushed aside by a great wind. "How
powerful that wind is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be the wind!" Then he became the wind, blowing
tiles off the roofs of houses, uprooting trees, feared and hated by all below him. But soon he encountered
a huge towering rock that would not move, no matter how forcefully he blew against it. "How powerful that
rock is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be a rock!" Then he became the tall rock, strong and mighty. But
soon he heard the sound of a hammer pounding a chisel into his hard surface, and felt himself being
changed. "What could be more powerful than I, the rock?" he thought. He looked down and saw below
him the figure of a stone cutter.
-a Zen koan
Morning Poem
Every morning
the world
is created.
Under the orange
sticks of the sun
the heaped
ashes of the night
turn into leaves again
and fasten themselves to the high branches --
and the ponds appear
like black cloth
on which are painted islands
of summer lilies.
If it is your nature
to be happy
you will swim away along the soft trails
for hours, your imagination
alighting everywhere.
And if your spirit
carries within it
the thorn
that is heavier than lead --
if it's all you can do
to keep on trudging --
there is still
somewhere deep within you
a beast shouting that the earth
is exactly what it wanted --
each pond with its blazing lilies
is a prayer heard and answered
lavishly,
every morning,
whether or not
you have ever dared to be happy,
whether or not
you have ever dared to pray.
-Mary Oliver
The Mystery
I dwell in the
Mystery of the
Great unknown
Fluid, beautiful and free.
I dance with the wind
And relish each breath
Ecstatic each day
Just to be.
I sing with the joy
Of the planets and stars,
I laugh with the waves
And the sea.
For I am the spirit
Forever unfolding
Unbounded, eternal
And free.
-Donna Miesbach
Nature's Beauty
A priest was in charge of the garden within a famous temple. He had been given the job because he loved
flowers, shrubs, and trees. Next to the temple, there was another, smaller temple where there lived a very
old Zen master. One day, when the priest was expecting some special guests, he took extra care in
tending to the garden. He pulled the weeds, trimmed the shrubs, combed the moss, and spent a long
time meticulously raking and carefully arranging all the dry autumn leaves. As he worked, the old master
watched him with interest from across the wall that separated the temples. When he had finished, the
priest stood back to admire his work. "Isn't it beautiful?" he called out to the old Zen master. "Yes," replied
the old man, "but there is something missing. Help me over this wall and I'll put it right for you." After
hesitating, the priest lifted the old fellow over and set him down. Slowly, the master walked to the tree near
the center of the garden, grabbed it by the trunk, and shook it. Leaves showered down all over the garden.
"There, said the old man. "You can put me back now."
-a Zen koan
O Sweet Irrational Worship
Wind and a bobwhite
And the afternoon sun.
By ceasing to question the sun
I have become light,
Bird and wind.
My leaves sing.
I am earth, earth
All these lighted things
Grow from my heart.
A tall, spare pine
Stands like the initial of my first
Name when I had one.
When I had a spirit,
When I was on fire
When this valley was
Made out of fresh air
You spoke my name
In naming Your silence:
O sweet, irrational worship!
I am earth, earth
My heart's love
Bursts with hay and flowers.
I am a lake of blue air
In which my own appointed place
Field and valley
Stand reflected
I am earth, earth
Out of my grass heart
Rises the bobwhite.
Out of my nameless weeds
His foolish worship.
-Thomas Merton
Peace
Peace is a natural mind-state in every one of us. Peace has been there since the day we were born, and it
is going to be there until the day we die. It is our greatest gift, so why do we think we have no peace of
mind? Experiencing peace is like looking at our hands. Usually we see only the fingers - not the spaces
in between. In a similar manner, when we look at the mind, we are aware of the active states, such as our
running thoughts, and the one-thousand-and-one feelings that are associated with them, but we tend to
overlook the intervals of peace between them.
-Thynn Thynn
Peace Is Every Step
Every morning, when we wake up, we have twenty-four brand-new hours to live. What a precious gift! We
have the capacity to live in a way that these twenty-four hours will bring peace, joy, and happiness to
ourselves and others. Peace is present right here and now, in ourselves and in everything we do and see.
The question is whether or not we are in touch with it. We don't have to travel far away to enjoy the blue
sky. We don't have to leave our city or even our neighborhood to enjoy the eyes of a beautiful child. Even
the air we breathe can be a source of joy. We can smile, breathe, walk, and eat our meals in a way that
allows us to be in touch with the abundance of happiness that is available. We are very good at preparing
to live, but not very good at living. We know how to sacrifice ten years for a diploma, and we are willing to
work very hard to get a job, a car, a house, and so on. But we have difficulty remembering that we are alive
in the present moment, the only moment there is for us to be alive. Every breath we take, every step we
make, can be filled with peace, joy, and serenity. We need only to be awake, alive in the present moment.
-Thich Nhat Hanh, excerpt from his book Peace Is Every Step
Peeling Away the Layers: Trees Shedding Their Bark
Trees grow up through their branches and down through their roots into the earth. They also grow wider
with each passing year. As they do, they shed the bark that served to protect them but now is no longer big
enough to contain them. In the same way, we create boundaries and develop defenses to protect
ourselves and then, at a certain point, we outgrow them. If we don’t allow ourselves to shed our protective
layer, we can’t expand to our full potential. Trees need their protective bark to enable the delicate process
of growth and renewal to unfold without threat. Likewise, we need our boundaries and defenses so that
the more vulnerable parts of ourselves can safely heal and unfold. But our growth also depends upon our
ability to soften, loosen, and shed boundaries and defenses we no longer need. It is often the case in life
that structures we put in place to help us grow eventually become constricting. Unlike a tree, we must
consciously decide when it’s time to shed our bark and expand our boundaries, so we can move into our
next ring of growth. Many spiritual teachers have suggested that our egos don’t disappear so much as they
become large enough to hold more than just our small sense of self—the boundary of self widens to
contain people and beings other than just "me." Each time we shed a layer of defensiveness or ease up
on a boundary that we no longer need, we metaphorically become bigger people. With this in mind, it is
important that we take time to question our boundaries and defenses. While it is essential to set and
honor the protective barriers we have put in place, it is equally important that we soften and release them
when the time comes. In doing so, we create the space for our next phase of growth.
-excerpt from Daily OM
A Prayer for the World
Let the rain come and wash away
the ancient grudges and the bitter hatreds
held and nurtured over generations.
Let the rain wash away the memory
of the hurt and the neglect.
Then let the sun come out
and fill the sky with rainbows.
Let the warmth of the sun
heal us wherever we are broken.
Let it burn away the fog
so that we can see each other clearly;
so that we can see beyond labels,
beyond accents, gender or skin color.
Let the warmth and brightness of the sun
melt our selfishness so that we can share the joys
and feel the sorrows of our neighbors and,
let the light of the sun be so strong
that we will see all people as our neighbors.
Let the earth, nourished by rain, bring forth flowers
to surround us with beauty.
And let the mountains teach our hearts
to reach upward to heaven.
-Rabbi Harold S. Kushner
Return to Stillness
Your body, heavy with life's clutter,
Soaks into the earth.
Surrender, like a wave that rolls across the beach
And drains into the sand.
Sense the energy of the body loosen,
Pulsing with life.
The whisper of a fire in your heart
Begins to shimmer and dance.
Let it burst open,
Unprotected,
And flow out in a rainbow of colors,
Mingling with the web of life around you.
Let your voice breathe;
Release its Joy,
And weep with Truth.
Come home to the stillness from which you were born,
The void that vibrates with all that is.
-Lori Furbush
The River Metaphor
Levels of Meditation (from Patanjali's Yoga Sutras):
Pratyahara = Withdrawal of the senses
Dharana = Focused attention
Dhyana = Meditation
Samadhi = Self-realization
"Pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, and samadhi can be compared to a boat journey on a river. When you set
out on the boat, you leave behind the land, the trees, the bustle of community. Your senses begin to
merge with the experience of the river. This is pratyahara. As the journey progresses, you become more
and more detached from what you left behind. And more and more immersed in the rhythm of the water.
You are floating, melting, gurgling - you feel the river in your veins, your flesh, in the taste on your tongue.
This is dharana - mental absorption. Dhyana, a state of meditation, naturally follows. In this state you and
the river are one. The boat disappears. You are the river - dancing through light, over reeds, across land.
Then, when the river finally flows into the sea, your I-ness completely disappears. This is samadhi. The
dissolution of dichotomies. The boat, your Self, the river, the sea. All are one."
-excerpted from The Spirit of Yoga by Cat de Rham and Michele Gill
She Let Go
She let go.
Without a thought or a word, she let go.
She let go of fear. She let go of judgments.
She let go of the confluence of opinions swarming around her head.
She let go of the committee of indecision within her. She let go of all the ‘right’ reasons.
Wholly and completely, without hesitation or worry, she just let go.
She didn’t ask anyone for advice. She didn’t read a book on how to let go.
She didn’t search the scriptures.
She just let go.
She let go of all the memories that held her back.
She let go of all of the anxiety that kept her from moving forward.
She let go of the planning and all of the calculations about how to do it just right.
She didn’t promise to let go. She didn’t journal about it.
She didn’t write the projected date in her Day-Timer.
She made no public announcement and put no ad in the paper.
She didn’t check the weather report or read her daily horoscope.
She just let go.
She didn’t analyze whether she should let go.
She didn’t call her friends to discuss the matter. She didn’t utter one word.
She just let go.
No one was around when it happened. There was no applause or congratulations.
No one thanked her or praised her. No one noticed a thing.
Like a leaf falling from a tree, she just let go.
There was no effort. There was no struggle. It wasn’t good. It wasn’t bad.
It was what it was, and it is just that.
In the space of letting go, she let it all be. A small smile came over her face.
A light breeze blew through her.
And the sun and the moon shone forevermore.
–Rev. Safire Rose, Agape International Spiritual Center
Sleeping in the Forest
I thought the earth remembered me, she took me back so tenderly, arranging her dark skirts, her pockets
full of lichens and seeds. I slept as never before, a stone on the riverbed, nothing between me and the
white fire of the stars but my thoughts, and they floated light as moths among the branches of the perfect
trees. All night I heard the small kingdoms breathing around me, the insects, and the birds who do their
work in the darkness. All night I rose and fell, as if in water, grappling with a luminous doom. By morning I
had vanished at least a dozen times into something better.
–Mary Oliver
The Story of a River
Born on the top of mountain, the little spring dances her way down. The stream of water sings as she
travels. She wants to go fast. She is unable to go slowly. Running, rushing, is the only way, maybe even
flying. She wants to arrive. Arrive where? Arrive at the ocean. She has heard of the deep, blue, beautiful
ocean. To become one with the ocean, that is what she wants. Coming down to the plains, she grows into
a young river. Winding her way through the beautiful meadows, she has to slow down. "Why can't I run the
way I could when I was a creek? I want to reach the deep, blue ocean. If I continue this slowly, how will I
ever arrive there at all?" As a creek, she was not happy at all with what she was. She really wanted to grow
into a river. But, as a river, she does not feel happy either. She cannot bear to slow down. Then, as she
slows down, the young river begins to notice the beautiful clouds reflected in her water. They are of
different colors and shapes floating in the sky, and they seem to be free to go anywhere they please.
Wanting to be like a cloud, she begins to chase after the clouds, one after another. "I am not happy as a
river. I want to be like you, or I shall suffer. Life is really not worth living." So the river begins to play a kind of
game, chasing after clouds. She learns to laugh and cry. But the clouds do not stay in one place for very
long. "They reflect themselves in my water, but then they leave. No cloud seems to be faithful. Every cloud I
know has left me. No cloud has ever brought me satisfaction or happiness. I hate their betrayal." The
excitement of chasing after clouds is not worth the suffering and despair. One afternoon, a strong wind
carried all the clouds away. The sky became desperately empty. There were no more clouds to chase
after. Life became empty for the river. She was so lonely she didn't want to live anymore. But how could a
river die? From something you become nothing? From someone, you become no one? Is it possible?
During the night, the river went back to herself. She could not sleep. She listened to her own cries, the
lapping of her water against the shore. This was the first time she had ever listened deeply to her own
nature, and in doing so, she discovered something very important: her water was made of clouds. She
has been chasing after clouds and she did not know that clouds were her own nature. The river realized
that the object of her search was within her. She touched peace. Suddenly, she could stop. She no longer
felt the need to run after something outside herself. She was already what she wanted to become. The
peace she experienced was truly gratifying and brought her a deep rest, a deep sleep. When the river
woke up the next morning, she discovered something new and wonderful reflected in her water-- the blue
sky. "How deep it is, how calm. The sky is immense, stable, welcoming and utterly free." It seemed
impossible to believe that this was the first time the river ever reflected the sky in her water. But that is true,
because in the past, she was interested only in the clouds, and she never paid attention to the sky. No
cloud could ever leave the sky. She knew that the clouds were there, hidden somewhere in the blue sky.
The sky must contain within itself all the clouds and all the waters. Clouds seem impermanent, but the sky
is always there as the faithful home of all the clouds. Touching the sky, the river touched stability. She
touched the ultimate. In the past. she had only touched the coming, going, being, and nonbeing of the
clouds. Now she was able to touch the home of all coming, going, being, and nonbeing. No one could
take the sky out of her water anymore. How wonderful it was to stop and touch! The stopping and touching
brought her true stability and peace. She had arrived home. That afternoon, the wind ceased to blow. The
clouds came back one by one. The river had become wise. She was able to welcome each cloud with a
smile. The clouds of many colors and shapes seemed to be same, but then again they were no longer the
same for the river. She did not feel the need to possess or chase after any particular cloud. She smiled to
each cloud with joy and loving kindness. She enjoyed their reflections in her water. But when they drifted
away, the river did not feel deserted. She waved to them, saying "Good-bye. Have a nice journey." She was
no longer bound to any of the clouds. The day was a happy one. That night, when the river calmly opened
up her heart to the sky, she received the most wonderful image ever reflected in her water - a beautiful full
moon, a moon so bright, refreshing, smiling.
The full moon of the Buddha travels
in the sky of utmost emptiness.
If the rivers of living beings are calm,
the refreshing moon will reflect
beautifully in their water.
All space seemed to be there for enjoyment of the moon, and she looked utterly free. The river reflected the
moon in her water and enjoyed the same freedom and happiness. What a wonderful, festive night for
everyone - the sky, clouds, moon, stars, and water. In the boundless space, sky, clouds, moon, stars, and
water enjoyed walking in meditation together. They walked with no need to arrive anywhere, not even the
ocean. They could just be happy in the present moment. The river did not need to arrive at the ocean to
become water. She knew she was water by nature and at the same time a cloud, the moon, the sky, the
stars, and the snow. Why should she run away from herself? Who speaks of a river as not flowing? A river
does flow, yes. But she does not need to rush.
-Thich Nhat Hanh
Symptoms of Inner Peace
Be on the lookout for symptoms of inner peace. The hearts of a great many have already been exposed to
inner peace and it is possible that people everywhere could come down with it in epidemic proportions.
This could pose a serious threat to what has, up to now, been a fairly stable condition of conflict in the
world. Some signs and symptoms of inner peace:
...A tendency to think and act spontaneously, rather than from fears based on past experiences.
...An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment.
...A loss of interest in judging self.
...A loss of interest in judging others.
...A loss of interest in conflict.
...A loss of interest in interpreting the actions of others.
...A loss of the ability to worry. (This is a very serious symptom!)
...Frequent, overwhelming episodes of appreciation.
...Contented feelings of connectedness with others and with nature.
...Frequent attacks of smiling through the eyes of the heart.
...Increasing susceptibility to love extended by others, as well as the uncontrollable urge to extend it.
...An increasing tendency to let things happen, rather than make them happen.
WARNING: If you have some or all of the above symptoms, please be advised that your condition of inner
peace may be so far advanced as to not be curable. If you are exposed to anyone exhibiting any of these
symptoms, remain exposed only at your own risk.
-Reprinted with permission of the author, Saskia Davis
Water Prayer
A disciple asked his guru, "How am I to attain peace when there is so much noise around this village?
Every time I try to meditate, there's a rooster crowing or a child crying or a dog barking. I can't concentrate
on my prayers." The guru said nothing, but took the man by the hand and led him to the forest. They
walked for some time until they came across a small pool. It was a windy day, and the surface of the pond
had become choppy. "What do you see in the pool?" the guru asked. "It is troubled," replied the disciple.
His master then bid him dive into the pool, to the bottom. When he emerged from the water, his master
asked him again what he saw in the pool. "It is still and deep," the man answered. "So then," said the
master, "you must learn how to pray from the water."
-a Zen koan
When Death Comes
When death comes
like the hungry bear in autumn
when death comes and takes all the bright coins from his purse
to buy me, and snaps his purse shut;
when death comes
like the measle-pox;
when death comes
like an iceberg between the shoulder blades,
I want to step through the door full of curiosity, wondering;
what is it going to be like, that cottage of darkness?
And therefore I look upon everything
as a brotherhood and a sisterhood,
and I look upon time as no more than an idea,
and I consider eternity as another possibility,
and I think of each life as a flower, as common
as a field daisy, and as singular,
and each name a comfortable music in the mouth
tending as all music does, toward silence,
and each body a lion of courage, and something
precious to the earth.
When it's over, I want to say: all my life
I was a bride married to amazement.
I was a bridegroom, taking the world into my arms.
When it's over, I don't want to wonder
if I have made of my life something particular, and real.
I don't want to find myself sighing and frightened
or full of argument.
I don't want to end up simply having visited this world.
-Mary Oliver
Wild Geese
You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees, the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting -
over and over announcing your place in the family of things.
-Mary Oliver
| Smile, breathe, and go slowly. ~Thich Nhat Hanh |
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| Inspiration |
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