fifty one lives lost

Life itself is in mourning

the result of hate

~j

to my Muslim brothers and sisters, i hold you in my heart with love. As-salāmu ʿalaykum.

today i grieve with you. tomorrow i recommit to planting seeds of love and peace, building a world where our children need not fear.

#NewZealandMosqueAttack

#TheLongArc #PlantingSeeds #OpenHeart #EngagedBuddhist #Zen #JMWart #haiku

“And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.”

~

Nelson Mandela

#TheLongArc #PlantingSeeds #BeFree #BeYou #OhNoblyBorn #ShineYourLight #EngagedBuddhist #Zen #enso #JMWart

“So you need to consider, in the deepest part of yourself, what really counts in this life and use the time left to you to live in the most fruitful way possible – for your own sake and for others.”

~

Matthieu Ricard

“Let me respectfully remind you,

Life and death are of supreme importance.

Time swiftly passes by and opportunity is lost.

Each of us should strive to awaken. . .

. . . awaken,

Take heed. Do not squander your life.”

~

Zen Evening Gatha

there is an urgency to our practice – to wake up to our life in this moment and be beneficial for ourselves and others before we depart. knowing life is short and we have this immense opportunity, this gift of cherished life and time to shine light, to act with compassion, and offer our life in love.

~j

#TheLongArc #PlantingSeeds #life #offering #practice #awakening #love #bodhisattvas #EngagedBuddhist #Zen #enso #JMWart

“…I will not dishonor

my soul with hatred,

but offer myself humbly

as a guardian of nature,

as a healer of misery,

as a messenger of wonder,

as an architect of peace.”

~

Diane Ackerman

there is a lot of harm and destruction at the hands of greed and abuse of power. it’s important to call it out – to name it, to shine light on it.

but it is also important, perhaps even more important to offer the antidote, to be the salve that brings healing and warmth during this winter. we can embody this warmth, this healing. we should take a long look into the mirror and ask ourselves, “if not you, who?”

~j

#TheLongArc #PlantingSeeds #healing #light #warmth #antidote #bodhisattvas #EngagedBuddhist #Zen #enso #JMWart

Kuan Yin, also known by the names Guan Yin or Kannon is the feminine personification of Avalokitesvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion who hears and answers the cries of the world.

inspired by a well known statue, in this image she sits calm and steady, ready to unleash her fierce compassion. she’s saying, “I got this.”

may we all be so inspired on this International Women’s Day and everyday to join in fierce compassion, stating with steady resolve, “We got this.”

indeed! my life has been filled to the brim with strong, wise women leading by example. bows of #gratitude for all of them 😌❤️🙏🏻

~j

#InternationalWomensDay #internationalwomensday2019 #MeditateAndResist #resist #FierceCompassion #TheLongArc #PlantingSeeds #LoveWins #Bodhisattva #Avalokitesvara #KuanYin #compassion #Buddhism #JMWart

strong back

soft front

breathing in

letting go

opening

opening

into this moment

with all of this

all that is

the joy

and yes,

the pain

handing it over

offering it all

all of it

into Love

with each breath

beyond memory

and time

this life

and the next

held

loved

I sit.

~j

#samsara #awakening #life #love #OpenHeart #FreeMind #JustThis #JustSit #sit #practice #meditation #TheLongArc #PlantingSeeds #EngagedBuddhist #Zen #enso #JMWart

Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you.

~

Frank Lloyd Wright

in loving nature, we are also offering love to ourselves, to each other. we are inextricably connected to all that happens in nature. where nature benefits, we benefit. when nature suffers, we suffer. our awareness of our interdependence with nature and all life, is an opening of the heart as well as the mind. it is an act of love, an offering of love, to care, to heal, to cherish nature. we protect what we love.

~j

#nature #life #earth #love #OpenHeart #AwakenedMind #ClimateChange #interdependence #TheLongArc #PlantingSeeds #TreeHugger #EngagedBuddhist #Zen #enso #JMWart

“i am because we are.”

when we recognize this truth, we will truly have an awakening of the heart, an all inclusive revolution of love.

~j

#Ubuntu #interdependence #interbeing #we #awakening #OpenHeart #love #TheLongArc #PlantingSeeds #EngagedBuddhist #Zen #enso #JMWart

it’s important to rest 😌

after the storm,

resting Buddha

#Buddha #JMWphotography #BWphotography #photography

let’s talk about national emergencies 😑

i was honestly shocked by these numbers so i looked them up to verify. they are largely correct, if not varied slightly depending on source:

1. 1 in 7 Americans can’t afford to fill a prescription in 2018 (could have been revised this year)

2. spot on

3. 12 years is what i saw stated (still should greatly alarm us and send us into action…but…)

4. 70% is the percentage i saw quoted (still astounding)

5. it’s actually been nearly 5 years (5 years!!! and children are still drinking water with lead in it!!!) the crisis began April 25th 2014.

yet, the southern border? crime is lower in border cities. higher crime rate committed by US citizens as opposed to undocumented immigrants. drugs are mainly brought through ports of entry. high majority of undocumented immigrants are fleeing danger and poverty, seeking asylum (legal to do at any point on the border). i’ve listened to various Sheriffs along southern border throughout the last two weeks on NPR state that there is no crisis or emergency. the Administration’s own Intelligence Chiefs when testifying before Congress outlining our biggest threats, DID NOT mention that immigration at the southern border.

…but this President has declared this non-emergency, this non-crisis as a National Emergency and wants to take money from disaster relief from California (dedicated to fire and flooding) and Puerto Rico along with others.

this is what we are dealing with.