quotes

a teaching ~ an act of conscience…

~ jaysen ~ Leave a comment

PrayingHands

 

“It is not an untrammeled market economy that is going to redeem our world. It is not strategies of aggression, domination, and repression that are going to make us safe. The secret to transforming the world, the key to security and safety, lies in cooperation and collaboration. It lies in compassion for all beings in the wider web of life, and in generosity and love channeled into selfless action on behalf of people we will never know or see.”

~ Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi, “An Act of Conscience”

to be a warrior…

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ONEenso

“…the practice, for me, is about creating the kind of resilience or buoyancy where you can be present to bear witness to the truth of suffering.”
~ Roshi Joan Halifax
 
i read this in an interview today. it struck me, stopped me really. … woke me up a bit to this call of warriorship. to be a warrior. and it seems very real to me that to truly be compassionate – which to be true, must include all – takes the heart of a warrior. the courage to BE with pain, to BE with suffering. to BE with it as a witness. the only way to get there is to train, to practice – to just do it.

it is, it seems to me, the courage to recognize that whether in our joy or suffering, we are One. there is no division, no duality. just One.

it is why i practice Buddhism, it is why i still love the teachings of Jesus who aligned himself with the poor and those who were outcasts. it is why i find the words of the current Pope encouraging.

and when it seems impossible to live this Compassion, to live as One, we can take comfort and encouragement in each other as we practice together.

 
~ j

begin with silence…

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 Silent Buddha

 

Saturday, July 13th 2013

 

in contemplation. in meditation.
within this sea of emotion where confusion and frustration ebbs and flows so easily
into suffering,
where institutions may fail and people may fall,
i will ride this wave with calm awareness that begins with…
 
silence
 
if i want to see Justice, i must first find it here
– within this heart.
a heart that decided a long time ago to commit itself
to integrity, to openness, to awareness, to kindness, to understanding, to faith, to compassion,
to love, to Life.
 
it is from this heart, our hearts
– hearts committed to forming a nonviolent world with our Love –
that we will tranform hearts and minds, institutions, nations, and the
 
world
 
~ j
 
 
“Perhaps the most important thing we bring to another person is the silence in us, not the sort of silence that is filled with unspoken criticism or hard withdrawal. The sort of silence that is a place of refuge, of rest, of acceptance of s…omeone as they are. We are all hungry for this other silence. It is hard to find. In its presence we can remember something beyond the moment, a strength on which to build a life. Silence is a place of great power and healing.”
~ Rachel Naomi Remen ~

Still Life…

~ jaysen ~ 2 Comments

Still Life

 

“Life is precious and fleeting. Pay attention.”
~ Seido Ray Ronei

 

“Still Life”

this moment to breathe
when all soon will fade away
feel the sun and wind

this moment to love
when all soon will fade away
keep open, in haste

this moment to live
when all soon will fade away
death, there is no end

moment by moment
this moment is all there is
do not, do not waste!

 ~ j

choose to cherish…

~ jaysen ~ Leave a comment
“Letting go is a central theme in spiritual practice, As we see that preciousness and brevity of life.”
~ Jack Kornfield
 
with the passing of time and with age i have come to understand that this movement within us to not let go, to hold on, is simply our mind misunderstanding the emotion of our heart. the truth resides in our heart. our heart knows that all things pass. and our hearts know that the answer to this uncomfortable truth is not to hold on, but to “cherish”.
 
we cannot avoid illness, age, or death forever. this may be the last day at our job. this may be the last conversation with a friend or the last kiss with our love. but we can choose with wisdom and with courage to trust, to let go, and to cherish. when we cherish, by being fully present with a grateful heart, we honor our heart, our love, this earth, our friends and partners, and in doing so we honor Life.
 
namaste
~ j

great souls…

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always remember, dear friends…
 
“Nothing baffles the schemes of evil people so much as the calm composure of great souls.”
~ Gabriel Mirabeau
“Real love and truth are stronger in the end than any evil or misfortune in the world.”
~ Charles Dickens
 
…i would revise the first quote from “evil people” to “people who do evil”…knowing that people, though at times broken and perhaps so horribly wounded and lost as to cause harm, are not inherently evil.

The ends do not justify the means…

~ jaysen ~ 1 Comment

…this quote from, dear Jack Kornfield, seems as beneficial and present as ever.

“The ends do not justify the means. If our actions will bring harm to others, even in the service of some ‘good,’ they are almost certainly deluded. If our actions do not come from a kind heart, from loving courage and compassion, they are deluded. If they are based on a distinction between ‘us’ and ‘them,’ they stem from delusion. Only to the extent that we act from the wisdom of no separation, understanding how we are woven together, will our intention bring benefit.”

~ Jack Kornfield
(The Wise Heart)

the monk and the warlord…

~ jaysen ~ 4 Comments

dear ones ~

i recently read that gun sales were up triple in 2011 of what they were in 2010. what does this say?

who are we arming ourselves against?

what are we arming ourselves against?

i am reminded of one of my favorite Zen stories…it is as follows:

A village was warned that a vicious warlord and his soldiers were coming to destroy the town, so they all fled. All except one old monk, that is, who stayed meditating in the temple. When the warlord came in and saw him, he drew his sword, pointed it at his heart and said angrily, “Don’t you know I can run you through without batting an eye?!” The old monk looked up at him and calmly replied, “And don’t you know that I can be run through without batting an eye?” The warlord bowed before the presence of this old monk and left. Such courage, composure, and non-attachment can be ours.

namaste, dear friends.

peace to you as we wake up to this spacious and available place of nonviolence and no fear – as we wake up to who we are!

~ j

August 28, 2012

a response to Chick-fil-A…the only truth is Love…or become a vegetarian ;)

~ jaysen ~ 1 Comment

“It is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.” ~ Chinese proverb

there are many running around shouting, “Truth, Truth!” let them shout.

the only truth is Love, dear ones.

you are beautiful, your love is beautiful. it may take a while for the world to catch up to such beauty. you’re doing your part, the Sacred work of just by being Present and continuing to live in Love. let the rest falter in their folly. Love will open their hearts in time. who can contend with Love?

take heart, have peace…or become a vegetarian 😉

namaste ~ j

letting go…

~ jaysen ~ 2 Comments

“Letting go does not mean not caring about things. It means caring about them in a flexible and wise way.”
~ Jack Kornfield

…far from indifference, letting go is about being spacious and at ease, even as we are actively engaged with Life. i think it speaks to a trust of Life and Love as something vast. something that is the very ground upon which we stand. a place where we don’t have to be defensive or reactive, rather we can be in a state of mind where we can choose the way we want to act…hopefully without harming or adding to the suffering of this world.

namaste
~ j