may i have eyes that see

and ears that hear.

a heart that is open

and a mind that is clear.

~j

#path #practice #presence #mindfulawareness #EngagedBuddhism #JinpaLhaga

i saw this quote yesterday on Twitter and it resonates.

such a beautiful way to honor loved ones who have passed on.

also a deeply meaningful way to live and love one’s own life and reflect on our own legacy of words and actions and how they too may live on in others when we have passed.

such a direct and profound teaching. 🙏🏻

~j

#life #death #love #karma #cycles #legacy #EngagedBuddhism #JinpaLhaga

I don’t believe that this is a call to complacency. This doesn’t mean that there isn’t work to be done or that we shouldn’t do it.

We should bring our attention to life in this moment. And in this moment where we see harm, we can work to bring healing.

This quote reminds us that we also don’t have to be overwhelmed. In this work and in this moment we can remember that there’s always change. There are seasons and cycles in this life.

That’s a very hopeful message, because that means there’s opportunity for healing, opportunity for love, opportunity to bring benefit. And this can give us peace.

~j

#life #seasons #cycles #impermanence #change #EngagedBuddhism #Zen #Taoism #TaoDeChing #JinpaLhaga

Life always gives us exactly the teacher we need at every moment.

This includes every mosquito, every misfortune, every red light, every traffic jam, every obnoxious supervisor (or employee), every illness, every loss, every moment of joy or depression, every addiction, every piece of garbage, every breath.

Every moment is the guru.

~

Charlotte Joko Beck

when we allow our mind to settle and our heart to open, all of life and every moment, and every little and big thing becomes our teacher. meditation practice helps us to allow such spaciousness to arise.

~j

#life #teacher #guru #buddha #meditation #path #practice #EngagedBuddhism #JinpaLhaga #JMWart #photography

you are valuable. you are essential.

…and so is everyone else.

the music plays through our lives.

when we allow that to flow, there is a beauty, a wholeness.

interdependence.

~j

#interdependence #StayOpen #OpenHeart #flow #Tao #path #practice #EngagedBuddhism #JinpaLhaga

…and in the words of Yoda – “Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.”

are you aware that “Fear not!” is the most repeated command/phrase in the Bible? and then there’s one of my favorite sections in 1 John where it is said (and i paraphrase) that God is love and that there is no fear in love.

when we live in fear, there is a tightening that occurs, a narrowing of thought and vision. possibility diminishes and life is oppressed. fear in a very real way, brings death.

the answer to fear is love and love in action is compassion. in Buddhism, we practice loving-kindness and compassion as a way to address our fear and the fears of others. a closed heart and mind can become reactive, paranoid, and aggressive. an open heart and spacious mind are expansive and generous, allowing for possibility and life. so, we practice with our heart and we practice with our mind.

~j

#fear #NoFear #love #lovingkindness #compassion #path #practice #EngagedBuddhism #JinpaLhaga

light.

why not?

it’s always here.

always available.

~j

#light #life #path #practice #EngagedBuddhism #JinpaLhaga #JMWart #photography

it is incredible and inspiring how far things have come. when i was in high school there was not a single LGBTQ+ person out of the closet. we had no gay-straight alliances in school and no positive images in media.

i felt alone, save for the feeling that two of my drama classmates just might be going through the same thing. it wasn’t until college that i connected with a group of friends and the space to allow, to expose my authenticity.

things are quite different now, things are better, a lot better for many of us….but not all. it’s important to realize there are still people who don’t recognize our humanity, our right to exist and love.

and there are many, so many, too many young LGBTQ+ persons who live in an environment of fear, or within a home without love, who worship within a claustrophobic religion, or find they are in a workplace that is hostile. they feel alone and unsafe.

to these persons in our community, young and aged, i say:

Oh Nobly Born,

You who shine light in a myriad of colors,

You who are an expression of beauty,

a manifestation of life,

You who are buddhanature,

awakened and luminous,

You who are teaching the world:

to love better,

to open their hearts,

to see clearly the beauty in diversity,

You are not alone.

You are among the finest.

You are a thread in a lineage of ancestors,

who came before,

and created this space for you

to be loved.

You are loved.

~j

#PrideMonth2021 #PrideMonth #Pride #LGBTQIA #LGBTQ+ #PrideBuddha #Buddha #OpenHeart #EngagedBuddhism #poetry #art #JinpaLhaga #JMWart

although summer is fast approaching, i’ve titled this piece Spring Enso 2021. i’m sharing it today, June 1st, on my two year anniversary of taking Refuge Vows and receiving my Dharma name, Jinpa Lhaga (Tibetan for Generosity Divine Joy).

taking Refuge Vows in Buddhism is in many ways just the beginning, the start of a path and journey, a vow to take responsibility for and engage in one’s life. this reminds me of Spring, full of life, freshness, newness, and possibility, and of planting new seeds for more Springs to come.

always filled with gratitude for my Preceptor of my Refuge Vows, Susan Piver. a truly beneficial teacher to so many. she teaches with lived wisdom, warmth, and an open heart.

i am immensely grateful for this path and practice. may i be of benefit to others.

⭕️❤️🙏🏻

~j

#RefugeVows #Buddhism #path #practice #EngagedBuddhism #enso #spring #JinpaLhaga #JMWart #art

today is Memorial Day in the USA. for my fellow citizens and readers:

take time today, beyond the BBQs and gathering, to remember those who have sacrificed their lives in service. some joined with purpose and others forced through draft. all valuable, all precious, all sacrificed.

having BBQs is not bad, having social media posts is good, but let’s pressure our leaders to do the hard work of making such sacrifice less needed. we will likely always need those who are willing to sacrifice and we owe them our deep gratitude.

defending lives and freedom is necessary and can be motivated by a fierce compassion to end harm, but admittedly not all wars and conflict are this. we must ask ourselves why we are sending those willing to sacrifice into battle and are we truly honoring their willingness to sacrifice and serve.

we can best honor such sacrifice and the lives of those who serve by ending unnecessary war and conflict and making war and conflict overall less necessary.

~j

#MemorialDay2021 #MemorialDay #service #sacrifice #war #conflict