Yes, there is tremendous suffering all over the world, but knowing that need not paralyze us. If we practice mindful breathing, mindful walking, mindful sitting, and working in mindfulness, we try our best to help, and we can have peace in our heart.

~

Thich Nhat Hanh

we are not helpless in this stormy sea. we can be lifeboats, lighthouses, and stars. we can help carry above the waves, shine light and give direction for the course ahead. the practice begins with us, coming home to the present moment, our body and breath, our mind and heart. creating space and a capacity for life within ourselves, empowers us to do so for those around us, our loved ones and the stranger, those close and those far. what we come to realize is that there are no strangers and no one is too far.

to an open heart there is no “other” or distance between us.

~j

#StormySeas #challenges #meditation #practice #mindfulness #zen #buddhism #compassion #peace #JMWart

Zen practice is about appreciating your life in this moment.

~

Peter Matthiessen

Breathe, you are alive.

~

Thich Nhat Hanh

#JustThis #ThisMoment #presence #impermanence #life #meditation #mindfulness #Zazen #Zen #Buddhism #JMWart

we need a revolution of love, an opening of our hearts to sustain an energy grounded in compassion for the journey before us. it’s all too easy to get overwhelmed and lost. this pain and suffering, if not cared for, can harm ourselves and others.

i wrote this verse a while back for myself based on the Bodhisattva Vow and Metta (lovingkindness) practice to help me cultivate an open heart, to stay in touch with the goodness and the light of Being that is always present in life.

i share it with hope that it may be of benefit to you on your path as well. 😌🙏🏻📿

~j

#openheart #compassion #bodhisattva #metta #meditation #practice #buddhism #revolution

There is much beauty here because there is much beauty everywhere.”

~

Rainer Maria Rilke

#beauty #nature #life #OpenYourEyes #contemplation #meditation #Zen #Buddhism #JMWphotography #BWphotography #photography

meditation is a practice

coming back to reality ~

here i am.

this is my breath coming in

and going out.

this is my body aching or at rest.

hearing the sounds of this moment.

taking care of oneself in this reality ~

i feel my body. i feel any tension or pain.

i hold it with tenderness and breathe into it

and breathe out of it.

i hear the confusion in my mind.

thoughts racing nowhere.

i hold this feeling with understanding

and compassion.

letting go and coming back to my breath.

i hear the lovely sounds of life around me.

i am grateful and smile.

staying open to reality ~

my heart has the capacity to hold

the entire world and all of life.

my mind, the wisdom to let go.

i stay open to the present,

trusting life and my true nature,

trusting the capacity of my heart to

stay open and grow.

and in this space of understanding

and compassion

– in this openness –

i am able to be of benefit

to others’ well being

and their end to suffering

as well as my own.

~j

#meditation #MeditationPractice #contemplation #mindfulness #zen #compassion #understanding #life #peace #breathing #service #presence #pain #tension #WellBeing #health

open up

bring forth your light

shine it bright

into this present

night

strip it all away

piece by piece

renew your sight

with heart open

we take flight

there is no need

to fight

~j

sunlight

#light #enso #Zen #Buddhism #JMWart

hope. there’s always hope. life always finds a way. just be still and open.

~j

#life #hope #OpenEyes #OpenHeart #OpenMind #nature #beauty #meditation #contemplation #practice #Zen #Buddhism #JMWphotography #BWphotography #photography

“You cannot find peace by avoiding life.” ~ Virginia Woolf

lean in.

#LeanIn #engage #JustBe #presence #HereAndNow #YourLife #ThisLife #life #practice #meditation #Zen #Buddhism #enso #JMWart

Om mani padme hum

#OmManiPadmeHum #compassion #mantra #TibetanBuddhism #Buddhism #Avalokiteshvara #photography #BWphotography #JMWphotography

Awake in the world

What is this meditation?

Dirt beneath these nails

~j

“A long time ago in China, a Zen student asked if any of the sages had ever fallen into hell. His teacher answered that they are the first to go there! The shocked student asked, ‘But if they are enlightened, why would they fall into hell?’ The teacher looked at the student and with a smile said, ‘If I didn’t fall into hell, how could I help you?’ Do you see what he is doing here? He completely reverses the student’s problem, saying this is not about the student’s idea of purity, but about helping and caring. That is what’s important. He’s saying that you have to get your hands dirty; you have to dig right in. Just as you are, without some special robe or degree or twenty years of meditation practice. Just as you are, you can help.”

~ Roshi Pat Enkyo O’Hara (@enkyoo)

from “Most Intimate: A Zen Approach to Life’s Challenges”

#bodhisattva #service #generosity #compassion #wisdom #PlantingSeeds #TheLongArc #Zen #Buddhism #haiku #art #JM