prose

maintain sanity…

~ jaysen ~ 2 Comments

I began meditating nearly a decade ago.  Similar to now, my meditation practice was mindfulness of breath as taught by the Vietnamese Zen Buddhist Master Thich Nhat Hanh.  Soon after I had started my meditation practice, I had a very valuable friendship fall apart.  At the time, it was quite devastating.  Looking back, it was a pivotal growth moment in my practice.  I didn’t know a lot about meditation or Buddhism at the time, but I did know that the only way I was going to get through that period of time, those moments, was to find a way to BE with what was happening in a balanced way – to not run away from it, but to also not live out the storyline of what was happening over and over again, replaying it in my mind. To hold that person and friendship in love with no ill feelings, but also to completely let them go.

Just sitting with my breathing at times was too painful and overwhelming, so taking the lead from Thich Nhat Hanh who uses “gathas” or verses, I wrote one for myself to use with my breathing.
The verse was:

(breathing in – saying silently in my mind)
May I have the capacity of heart to hold the entire world and all of life
(breathing out – saying silently in my mind)
And the wisdom of mind to let go

I would sit with this verse and for quite some time it was my only practice.  I would sit for 10 mins, 20 mins or a half hour, breathing in and out, repeating this verse.  I would picture the friend, as I thought the first part while breathing in, and then picture them fading off into the horizon as I thought the second half while breathing out.  I wasn’t immediately relieved, but within time, I grew more and more at ease, the burden was lifted and I felt some peace.

Though the anchor of my practice is still simply sitting and breathing, at times when life feels overwhelming, I will come back to this verse and use it.  I have in recent years changed the “I” to “we” understanding that we are all in this together, sharing in suffering, sharing in joy, interdependent as a community.

We seem to be living in a time that is quite chaotic and can feel overwhelming.  I would like to offer this verse to you for practice.  If it’s too wordy, a simple version could be:

(breathing in – saying silently in your mind)
May I hold all of life in love
(breathing out – saying silently in your mind)
And in love, let it go

My gut says we are in for a long haul, my friends.  We need sane people doing good work to counter that which is harmful.  We need bearers of light and healers in love.  We need bodhisattvas. Even as the world spins around you, hold to center, maintain your balance, maintain your sanity.

Breathe.

May all be at ease and free from suffering.

~j
11.30.17

#NetNeutrality

~ jaysen ~ Leave a comment

NetNeutrality

 

at its most benign the repeal of #NetNeutrality is a greedy hand grab by network providers to limit speed, bandwidth, and content for the purpose of charging consumers more money for better, higher quality access.

at its most harmful, its repeal is a way to manipulate and control access to communication, shared knowledge, and community connection – squashing grassroot movements, and further creating a class system in regards to connection and knowledge.

whether your focus is on the consumer or on the principle of equality, the repeal of Net Neutrality is harmful.

access to the internet should be equal and should be considered a common use form of communication.

fight the repeal of Net Neutrality. make your voice heard loud and clear.

~j

practice gratitude…

~ jaysen ~ Leave a comment
Compassion Meme
aware that the history behind “Thanksgiving” is really not something to be thankful for, especially for the indigenous American community, I instead like to call this day “Gratitude Day”…which is worthy of celebration, and available everyday.

there is so much to be grateful for.
I am grateful for family and friends both near and far.
…
I am grateful for my practice, the stillness within the chaos.

I am grateful for nature, so humble and present just by Being, pointing us to the inherent beauty of all things.

I am grateful for empathy and compassion, which break down walls and borders, both from the outside and from within our own making.

I am even grateful for the darkness, which provokes and challenges our light from within to come forth.

may it come forth.

may the gift of gratitude, the practice of gratitude, expand our ever opening hearts to a world in need. may we journey forward in that love, together.

grateful for you all. may you be happy, may you have peace, may you be free from suffering.

~j
11.23.17

 

fall from grace?

~ jaysen ~ 1 Comment


many in the world politic have been dumbstruck by Aung San Suu Kyi’s seemingly tone deaf lack of response over what is generally considered now to be a genocide of the Rohingya Muslim population in Burma renamed Myanmar by the military junta. Buddhist publications have been writing about this very non-Buddhist movement, led by violent Buddhist monks. Buddhist by name only, certainly not in the moral or ethical philosophy. Buddhist leaders have been speaking out, though it has seemed off the radar. i posted over a year or so ago an essay by well knownBuddhist teacher Jack Kornfield about this tragedy. Rohingya have not had any officially recognized citizenship in Burma even though they have had a presence there for generations.the stakes though have been raised by the increase in horrific violence against the Rohingya by this rogue Buddhist order and military actors,  and their mass fleeing (hundreds of thousands of refugees) from harm along with Suu Kyi’s now vocal denial that this atrocity is even happening. she has now skipped a UN appearance due to increasing criticism, further isolating herself.

i had read a while back that the Dalai Lama, a fellow Nobel Peace Laureate, had contacted her regarding this issue to no avail. he has now also issued a letter.

what has caused this fall from grace for Suu Kyi who her self underwent oppression and decades of house arrest, receiving the Nobel Peace Prize for her steadfast nonviolent protest and moral authority against violent oppression by the military junta, to upon release and rise to power, only ignore horrific violence against the Rohingya? i heard a news story on the radio that her father, in fact, was quite dismissive of the Rohingya when he was in power and believed they shouldn’t be considered citizens or have the rights that come with that recognition.

has the apple not fallen far from the tree? are we seeing a different side to Suu Kyi? only time will tell, but meanwhile the Rohingya are suffering from targeted violence at an increasing rate and Suu Kyi has betrayed both the Nobel Peace Prize given to her and her image as a Buddhist leader.

may there be peace and an end to this suffering. 🙏🏻📿

9/11 16th Anniversary…

~ jaysen ~ Leave a comment


this is a #repost from last year. these thoughts seem even more pressing a year later and with our current political situation. the only thought i’d revise is in regards to calling out untruth. i’d say emphatically that we MUST call it out AND then not just stay there, but be the vehicles of change and healing we need.~j

09.11.17
“15 years ago the soul of this country received a shocking wound. the sky faded dark under ash, confusion and fear. the rug pulled out from under us. and in such a horrific moment we rose. the best of people rose to the surface wading through tears and differences.

it was a shift and an opportunity to stay with the rawness, the tenderness we felt, the feelings that inspired and motivated a sense of connection and community.
but we have forgotten, as we often do, save for special anniversaries set aside to remember. each of those, a chance to start fresh yet again…only to forget again. “never forget, never again” is fine and well, but let’s really mean it and make it so through our own hearts, words and actions. that’s where the work is that needs to be done, that’s where the real change will begin.
there seems to be more fear and anxiety today and it is stoked by those who would seek gain from this suffering. this has only led to further division.

as we have seen, just naming it or calling it untruth and getting into a battle of words simply leads to more suffering and seems to evoke little or no change. 

it is time for a shift. we, each of us, needs to answer the call to heal. using our words, our actions, our very lives to bring benefit to a world thirsty for an end to such suffering. we need to be healers, to be bodhisattvas, shining a light on the alternatives to fear and anxiety, to anger and hate, to division, cynicism, conspiracy and demagoguery, aggression and violence.
this is a journey of heart and mind, so these are what we need to work with.
let’s get to work. ~j

09.11.16″
#Sept11th #September11th #16thAnniversary #shift #healers #bodhisattvas #community #sangha #interdependence #light #life #MedicineBuddha #meditation #JMWart

act…

~ jaysen ~ Leave a comment


we sit, we practice. we practice with our breath, with our thoughts, with all that is in our hearts. allowing all of it to rise and fall, to arrive and pass away. in doing so, we open our hearts, we develop compassion for our own self and our own situation.but what good would it do, to end the journey there? compassion, once developed, naturally extends if we remain open. 

the cushion is a great place to start, but not to stay. 

go out into the world and offer your compassion through your words and actions.
~j

what are we waiting for?

~ jaysen ~ Leave a comment


in case you are wondering, now is the time to engage this life, to stand up and speak out for justice, equality and peace.we do so with empathy, compassion and courage. we do so with open hearts and steady minds rooted in meditation and contemplative practice.

we are interdependent and each of us has a role to play, a job to do, working to retain sanity and peace and to heal suffering for the benefit of all people.

~j

09.04.17
#Bodhisattvas #MeditateAndResist #TheLongArc #PlantingSeeds #TheMettaGarden

there is hope…

~ jaysen ~ Leave a comment


[photo credit: Hu Yuanjia]
i keep these photographs in my phone to look at every once in a while. 
briefly, the story around them, goes as so: the photographer heard someone yelling and then people gathering around an elderly man sitting on a bench in a train station. he had apparently fallen asleep and then passed away. out of the crowd, a Buddhist monk walked over and began chants and prayers over the deceased man, holding his hand. after completing the ritual, the monk bowed to the deceased man and then disappeared into the crowd.
i find this story and these images so moving. there’s so much beauty in seeing such empathy and compassion in action. the monk, treating the deceased man with an incredible depth of dignity and compassion.
keep images and stories like this close to your hearts during this time, friends. where we don’t see it, we can be it.
we are currently seeing a grave lacking of empathy, of treating others with dignity, of compassion from the highest offices. it is worrisome. however, these values, these ways of being still exist, and where they exist there is hope.
~j

the scene is not desolate…

~ jaysen ~ Leave a comment

 

take heart and take heed.
there is hope – it is found in you, it is found in me.
it is found in hearts open to empathy, in open minds, in beings tireless in their compassion and love for life.

where there is chaos, be the calm steadiness that is needed.
where there is destruction and devastation, be the healing that is needed.
where there is darkness, shine your light, in your unique and gifted way.
remember the forgotten.
stand with and for those who cannot stand on their own.
raise your voice for those without words spoken.

love those around you, stay focused, smile, and breathe.

~j