artwork

luminous beings…

~ jaysen ~ Leave a comment

 

a little late, but…
May The Fourth Be With You!

much needed after today, here are some favorite Force and wisdom quotes from Star Wars:

“It’s an energy field created by all living things.  It surrounds us and penetrates us; it binds the galaxy together.” ~ Obi-Wan Kenobi

“Luminous beings are we. Not this crude matter.” ~ Yoda

“Close your eyes.  Feel it.  The light…it’s always been there.  It will guide you.” ~ Maz Kanata

“I’m one with the Force.  The Force is with me.” ~ Chirrut Imwe

“Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose.” ~ Yoda

“Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.” ~ Yoda

“To answer power with power, the Jedi way this is not.  In this war, a danger there is, of losing who we are.” ~ Yoda

the world is burning…

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no doubt humankind has contributed to climate change. to deny this is to deny the very nature of life, of existence, which is to say that all things are interconnected and interdependent.  another way to say this is that our actions affect our environment and our environment in turn affects us.  this is the law of karma, of cause and effect.  the seeds we plant, will grow.

but nevertheless, if a house is burning, we don’t stand around arguing that neither we nor anyone we know has started the fire as the house burns around us. it would be insanity to do so. instead, we get to work on putting the fire out.
the world is burning.

can we break our addiction to consumption?
can we find the lasting joy and peace in contentment?
can we reconnect with a sense of reverence for all life including the planet herself?

we need to. we are being called to.

will we answer?

~j
04.29.17

bearing witness for the Earth…

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On the morning of the Buddha’s enlightenment it is said that the great tempter and deceiver Mara after many failed attempts to deceive and distract the Buddha, asked the Buddha, “What gives you the right to be enlightened?  Who are you to awaken?  Who bears witness to this?”  Silently, calmly the Buddha took his right hand and touched the Earth and in that moment the Earth shook, bearing witness to the Buddha’s enlightenment.  With this, Mara disappeared.

And so it is with every step we take, our feet touching the ground, that the Earth also bears witness to our right to be here and to awaken.

It is now our turn to bear witness for the Earth in her time of need.  The Earth has given us life and sustains us.  In fact, science has shown us that we have the Earth’s elements within us.  Without these elements, without the delicate balance that is our Earth, life as we know it would not be – we would not be.  The only appropriate response for such gratuitous love, is gratitude, a gratitude that manifests in reciprocal love.

Our relationship to the Earth, is just that, a relationship.  How do we show our love?  How do we show our gratitude?  How do we pass this relationship on to our children and grandchildren?

Let us take some time today to touch the Earth.  Feel the dirt between our fingers, feel the ground beneath our feet as we step.  Are our steps, steps of love?  Let us step out into nature and listen, look.  Allowing in all the life that is sustained by the Earth, allowing it into our hearts, blessing it and sending it back out with love.  Let us make new choices that bear witness to our love for the Earth and all of life.

~j
04.22.17
Earth Day

 

let the mind stay…

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The world is swirling around, a sound over here, a sight over there.
Confusion is an easy companion of distraction.
Where is balance and harmony, when the mind wants to run?
Let the mind stay…

~j

Song of Paldarbom
by Shepa Dorje, the yogi Mila Milarepa

I can contemplate the sky,
But clouds make me uneasy.
Milarepa, tell me how
To meditate on clouds.

“If the sky’s as easy as you say,
Clouds are just the sky’s play.
Let your mind stay
Within the sky.”

I can contemplate the sea,
But waves make me uneasy.
Milarepa, tell me how
To meditate on waves.

“If the sea’s as easy as you say,
Waves are just the sea’s play.
Let your mind stay
Within the sea.”

I can contemplate my mind,
But thoughts make me uneasy.
Milarepa, tell me how
To meditate on thoughts.

“If your mind’s as easy as you say,
Thoughts are just the mind’s play.
Let your mind stay
Within your mind.”

 

 

simply exist, exist simply…

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The secret of the mountain is that the mountains simply exist, as I do myself: the mountains exist simply, which I do not.  The mountains have no “meaning,” they are meaning; the mountains are.  The sun is round.  I ring with life, and the mountains ring, and when I can hear it, there is a ringing that we share.  I understand all this, not in my mind but in my heart, knowing how meaningless it is to try to capture what cannot be expressed, knowing that mere words will remain when I read it all again, another day.

~
Peter Matthiessen