today in my remembrance of Thay (Thich Nhat Hanh), i contemplated his ensō art and calligraphy. i painted an ensō in the style of Thay to honor and remember him. in ensō painting and practice, not only is the moment captured just as it is, but the spirit, style and practice of the artist/teacher is also revealed. Thay had such a distinct style in his ensō painting. his strong practice of mindfulness, his calm, focused and steady energy is so apparent. holding Thay with gratitude and reverence in my practice and heart. ~j ⭕️♥️🙏🏻
*see second pic for a wonderful little book available filled with Thay’s calligraphy
my heart. i’ve been attempting to string together words to express what my heart feels and wants to say. all words will fall short. in this moment, there is grief, there is gratitude, there is love. as i breathe in, i come home to this moment, to my grief, to my gratitude, to my love for Thay. breathing out, i smile with sadness, with gratitude, with love for Thay. this moment, this heart, this practice, this path, has the capacity to hold all. dear, Thich Nhat Hanh has transitioned into the Great Beyond this day. he will be remembered for many things. He was many things – Zen Master, renowned mindfulness teacher, celebrated peace and climate change activist, founder of Engaged Buddhism, and prolific author. beyond all of this, or perhaps due to all of this, he was my gateway to this path and practice, my root teacher. in Buddhism, a root teacher takes up residence in our hearts. it’s difficult to put into words the reverence and love i have for him. i can only say that when i first read his words, it felt like i had arrived at something fresh yet familiar, some truth that i had perhaps forgotten but remembered with the swell of my heart and clarity of mind. it felt like i had arrived home. a feeling that continues to touch each moment of my life. my alter space, my walls are filled with his presence. but mostly, his teachings on mindfulness, on tenderness, on open-heartedness, continue to be a companion on this path. for me, he is the embodiment of bodhisattva. i’m sure i’ll post much in coming days, but for now i’ll turn to his translation and commentary of The Heart Sutra for some words (see below and also photos).
Gate Gate Pāragate Pārasamgate Bodhi Svāhā(Gone, gone, gone all the way over, everyone gone to the other shore, enlightenment, svaha!) ~j
there will be many inspirational quotes posted today from Dr. King, i’ve posted quite a few of them in my time. reminders that light will overcome dark, that love is the foundation & answer. all true, but we often fail to go the layer deeper where Dr. King clearly compels us to see that light doesn’t overcome darkness on its own – it only does so through our words, our actions, our work, that love is work. there are communities, this very moment beginning to ban his work, because of their shadowy ignorance of Critical Race Theory, when this time we are living is the very time we most need his work. Dr. King’s prophetic words on society’s ills, the original sin of racism, the disgrace of poverty, the horrific tragedy of war profiteering, are words we still have yet to really take in, learn, grow, transform to reflect the love we are called to be. Letter From Birmingham Jail should be required reading, not banned. his words on the silence of the White Moderate, the comfortable, the status quo, what he called “negative peace”, a complacency to not stir the pot (while those at the bottom are getting burned!) is just as relevant today as it was when he spoke/wrote them. Dr. King got it. he understood that we are deeply, intrinsically interconnected, interdependent. what we do & don’t do affects those around us, especially the most vulnerable who are not protected by a veil of wealth & power, or by the color of their skin. unjust systems/structures, war, climate change – all of these have a weighted impact on marginalized communities. this harm, continuing generational harm, is the result of colonialism which is aggression. our silence, our lack of engagement makes us complicit in the harm. the path of love calls us to speak & act to end aggression, to end such harm. today, i share Dr. King’s words, to wake up our minds, to call on our hearts to open. may it be so.
affection is a feeling we may have for others or ourselves at times. it’s a feeling. it comes and goes. we won’t always feel warm and fuzzy towards others or ourselves, or situations. love, though, compassion though – which i’d describe as embodied love in action – is a choice we make, it is an action we choose to engage in. ~j ⭕️❤️🙏🏻
Posted @withregram • @kwanumzen “Even compassion is not anything to aim for if it’s a feeling.” Quote by Zen Master Bon Hae. #zen #compassion #feelings #action #direction #purpose #kwanumzen
our temporary time here on this earth is in the headlines. some of our favorite celebrities are gone. Betty White at 99, Sidney Poitier at 94, Bob Saget at 65. and tragically 17 in a Bronx fire, 7 of which were children. and so many, nearly 840,000, gone from the pandemic. some ages may feel more appropriate than others, long lives compared to short ones, but for loved ones it is always too soon.
we don’t like to think about death or talk about it. this is a shame, because if we haven’t already, we will have to face death with loved ones and eventually ourselves. appropriate awareness, perspective, and contemplation of death can fill us with life. we see life as sacred, an opportunity to be shared and cherished.
we don’t know how long we have and so much time is wasted. this fleeting life here is at times resilient and at times fragile, at times sad and at times filled with joy. in all cases it is temporary. we are reminded to cherish! to live in every breath, soaking up both sun and rain. to love deeply and without reservation.
the Zen Evening Gatha is an extraordinary verse striking at the heart of this experience. i remember when i first read it, it struck me still and awake. i have a copy hanging on my wall that i read before bed each night as a reminder, a call back to this moment and the gift that it is, to practice awareness, open-heartedness, and union with all. ~j
⭕️❤️🙏🏻
*if you like this art, you can have it as a print or on various products found at JMWart, my online Redbubble store. you can visit directly at JMWart.redbubble.com or via my website (www.jaysenwaller.com) 👍🏻🙏🏻
if love is the answer for our long ignored wounds, our current harm and trauma (and i believe it is) then we need to understand that Love = Work. it calls for the vulnerability and courage of an open heart. it calls for our awakening to our interdependence. it calls for our touching in on the tenderness of our empathy. it calls for embodiment, our compassion in action. it calls for a dedication to our aspiration to love, discipline in our practice, and a sense of living by our vow to love. love is not sentimental. it is a courageous, humble, connective, joyful, fierce, powerful, in the trenches with dirt beneath our nails, healing force. i believe it is what the world needs and it isn’t something we can do on the sidelines. we must love into the depths of our lives, touching every cell. love leaves nothing out. love is the energy we need to defeat movements of hate and aggression. love is the energy we need to dispel fear, to bring clarity, and coherence. ~j
⭕️❤️🙏🏻
*if you like this art, you can have it as a print or on various products found at JMWart, my online Redbubble store. you can visit directly at JMWart.redbubble.com or via my website (www.jaysenwaller.com) 👍🏻🙏🏻
a post of mine from this day a year ago, followed by a quote i posted that day, some art, and some recommended reading for this time in the U.S. there are those who dismiss what happened, who are attempting to lessen the death and harm of that day, shift blame, and cover up the attempted coup, all while still taking decisive actions on local and state levels to undermine our election laws, our right to vote, our ability to vote, the validity of our vote – the very foundation of our democracy. the fascistic attempt to grasp power, to move from democracy to authoritarianism is ongoing. our children and future generations will ask us how we stood in this time, what we said, what actions we engaged in to stand up to the dark, destructive force of fascism we are facing. we think of what will happen to us in this country if this democracy falls. this is understandable, because our lives will be changed, especially the lives of the most vulnerable, marginalized, and those targeted by an authoritarian regime. but I would like to pose another question. what will happen to the rest of the world if this country, the world’s most militarized, richest, and powerful country turns to authoritarianism? there’s a lot more at stake here than our comfort. what would love do? i’m not talking Hallmark cards. i’m talking about fierce love, the love that moves mountains. the love that parts seas. the love that descends into the depths of hell to end suffering. that’s the energy we need. breathe. steady your mind. center yourself. keep your heart open. be rested.drink water.stay vigilant. ~j
The Metta Garden 