“Nonviolence is NOT sterile passivity, but a powerful moral force which makes for social transformation.”

~

Martin Luther King, Jr.

so much of violent speech and action comes from a place of fear and desperation. some of it also comes from greed and an obsession with power and often a fear of not staying in power. in both scenarios there is a basic ignorance of who we are and how we are interconnected and interdependent with the rest of life. in many ways violence is the lowest path and unevolved. 

we are called to and capable of something better, something beneficial and in line with our humanity and the sacredness of life – we are called to and capable of  love. 

love is the most powerful and transformative force, bringing forth, propelling, and sustaining life. yet love chooses non-violence. love transforms hearts and minds. there is an opening, a flowering. this is something violence can never achieve. violence brings a tightening, a hardening. violence brings harm, destruction, and death.

may we choose wisely.

may our choices come from a place of sanity and open heartedness.

~j

⭕️♥️🙏🏻

#ChooseNonViolence 

#nonaggression #nonviolence #RightAction #RightSpeech #TheLongArc #PlantingSeeds #LoveWins #OpenHeart #path #practice #JinpaLhaga #MLK #MLKquotes

JUNETEENTH, also known as Freedom Day, originated in Galveston, Texas, when Union Army General Gordon Granger proclaimed by order the freedom of enslaved people in Texas. this was a 2 1/2 half years after President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863.

ironically and sadly, here in 2022, some states including Texas are making it difficult if not illegal to teach this history due to racism based in ignorance and fear, in an effort to control a narrative fiction regarding US History. 

in the spirit of JUNETEENTH and the divine truth that a free life devoid of oppression and subjugation is an inherent right for all, we must continue to inform with the truth of our history (all parts – bad and good) through political engagement, education, and art.

of note – the US Congress with President Biden signing into law on June 17, 2021, made JUNETEENTH a Federal Holiday.

~j

♥️🖤💚

#Juneteenth #FreedomDay #EmancipationProclamation #GeneralOrderNo3 #freedom #history #education #art #engagement #EngagedBuddhism #JinpaLhaga #JMWart

interested in original zen ensos and calligraphy contemplative art? 
let’s collaborate – great for gifts and home decor. please see example of commissioned and gifted art attached. DM for pricing if interested.

~j

⭕️♥️🙏🏻

#art #OriginalArt #CommissionedArt #ZenArt #ZenEnsos #ensos #calligraphy #BuddhistArt #ContemplativeArt #MeditativeArt #contemplation #meditation #GiftIdeas #HomeDecor #JinpaLhaga #JMWart

#ChooseLove

~j

⭕️♥️🙏🏻

There are two basic motivating forces: fear and love. When we are afraid, we pull back from life. When we are in love, we open to all that life has to offer… Evolution and all hopes for a better world rest in the fearlessness and open-hearted vision of people who embrace life.

You’re all geniuses, and you’re all beautiful. You don’t need anyone to tell you who you are. You are what you are. Get out there and get peace, think peace, and live peace and breathe peace, and you’ll get it as soon as you like.

~ 

John Lennon

#JohnLennon #JohnLennonQuotes

#peace #path #practice

grateful to see some friends joined the #MarchForOurLives event today! 

i was planning to attend as well, as i had 4 years ago in 2018, but was thrown a curveball this week when after two years, Covid finally visited the Waller house. all are doing well, most have gratefully evaded it so far. grateful for a weaker variant, vaccines and boosters, and therapeutics! feeling quite fortunate.
have loved seeing some of the signs from the march. in a spirit of solidarity with March For Our Lives, the desperate need for sensible #GunReform, and with all those who participated today, i’m sharing some pics from my experience with the 2018 march.

may open hearts and sanity prevail.

may we rise above this crisis to choose life over guns of war.
~j

⭕️♥️🙏🏻

#OpenHeart #sanity #path #practice #EngagedBuddhism #JinpaLhaga #JMWart

pretty much.

clever is impressive for a moment.kindness is impressive for a lifetime.

cleverness seems more about ego, whereas kindness seems more the blossoming of love.

may kindness be our practice and path.

~j

⭕️♥️🙏🏻

#kindness #lovingkindness #OpenHeart #path #practice 

#AbrahamJoshuaHeschelQuotes

#JinpaLhaga

“I am one with the Force and the Force is with me.”

we first hear this mantra when Chirrut Îmwe says it in repetition in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. although not a Jedi, Chirrut is a member of the Guardians of the Whills, an order of spiritual warrior monks devoted to the Force and beliefs of the Jedi. we also hear this mantra spoken by Ahsoka Tano in The Clone Wars.

i love it. it’s a great mantra. it reminds us that we are not alone in our efforts or in our lives. we are part of something vast, that is within us, and around us. this can be a beneficial reminder in times of struggle and challenge. you can just as easily replace “the Force” with another word to your liking that resonates for you and your practice: Life, Love, Tao, God, etc.

sometimes when we have a lot of energy moving around in our body and/or our mind is racing and unfocused, we can use a mantra. this gives us a focus for our attention and something to do with our body and mind together. Buddhism and Hinduism use mantras and some contemplative forms of Christianity, including Catholicism use prayers similar to mantras. i’m sure there are others in other traditions as well. if you don’t have a mantra in your tradition or perhaps you don’t have a spiritual tradition, maybe give this one a try and substitute with a word that supports you in your life, or simply use “the Force” however it resonates for you.

~j

⭕️♥️🙏🏻

#TheForce #Tao #God #Life #Love #mantra #meditation #contemplative #path #practice #StarWars #spirituality #Jedi #EngagedBuddhism #JinpaLhaga

this most recent debate (can we call it that when one group won’t even budge or be moved by such loss of life???) on gun accessibility and gun violence, reminded me of this quote by Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg that i shared originally during the middle of the pandemic when the simple steps of masking and social distancing were major conflict points even as loss of life mounted. now over 1 million lives lost. how many could have been averted, saved, still living?

it’s one thing to not know what to do in a crisis, when surprised by life events. it’s another thing all together to know what to do and refuse to do something about it, or when not knowing to refuse to try to do something about it.

as the pandemic continues and we just move ahead, as children’s lives and other innocent life stacks up due to gun violence, bodies unrecognizable from the gaping damage caused by weapons and ammunition of war in the hands of 18-year-olds, we should remember and repeat to ourselves and others:

“Mass death is not inevitable.

Preventable death is not inevitable.”

we have the capacity to be present with this, although it is difficult. within our hearts we have the capacity to be empathetic, we have the capacity to be kind and compassionate within us. are we willing to bear witness, to see the harm and suffering? are we willing to be moved by love into compassionate action?

~j

⭕️♥️🙏🏻

#GunReform #GunViolence #responsibility #empathy #compassion #participation #RabbiDanyaRuttenbergQuotes #EngagedBuddhism #JinpaLhaga

seven states have primaries tomorrow Tues June 7th, including my state California. 

VOTE.

our right to vote and our participation in voting are how we keep democracy alive. it’s the bare minimum, but democracy is nonexistent without it.

please be engaged. please participate. educate yourself on the resources available in your state and reach out for assistance if needed. the primary way we overcome attacks on democracy is by participating in our democracy.

~j

⭕️♥️🙏🏻

#elections #primaries #vote #democracy #participation #engagement #EngagedBuddhist #enso #JinpaLhaga #JMWart #art

Happy LGBTQ+ Pride Month!

🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

to authentically be who we are in this life, to be able to authentically express our embodiment of life and love in this life, is our greatest gift to the world. living fully our embodiment of the beautiful diversity of life is a gift to the world. beautiful Buddhas awakening. it helps the world to learn to open its heart, to love better, to love fuller without exceptions without discrimination.

and where there is discrimination, where there is bigotry, fear, anger, hate – this is where our work is. the narrow road of hate and discrimination arises out of ignorance and fear, which gives rise to anger and eventually to hate, all of which adds the the suffering in this world – even for the one who hates.

may life and love continue to flower in all of its beautiful diverse ways for a world in need of learning love. 

this call to embodied life and love, this wish for opening and loving without discrimination, perhaps is even more important than it has been in many years. let us ground ourselves in love and move from love, even as others move from fear and hate.

~j

⭕️♥️🙏🏻

*IF you like this art, i have prints and products available at my Redbubble store.

ALSO – become a Patreon supporter today at any level ($3 and up) and you’ll receive a digital print of this art, along with other art, and benefits. Patreon subscribers are often gifted digital prints of my art in addition to listed benefits, as a thank you. grateful for all support. 

ALL links at: https://linktr.ee/jaysenwaller

#LGBTQIA #LGBTQ #PrideMonth #Pride #Queer #Gay #BeYou #life #love #embodiment #path #practice #EngagedBuddhism #art #PrideArt #BuddhistArt #GayArt #GayArtist #QueerArt #QueerArtist #LGBTQartist #BuddhistArtist #JinpaLhaga #JMWart