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as i understand it, the explosive death of a star is what propels out into space oxygen, carbon, iron, and other elements that make life possible. a star in its death, makes new life possible. it is said that the elements within our bodies began in stars billions of years ago. so, in a very real way, we are indeed made of “star-stuff” as Carl Sagan once said, which later came to be popularized as stardust.

how incredible and miraculous is that? without the events of billions of years prior to us, we wouldn’t be here. if ever we feel like we don’t belong, that we don’t fit in, we can remember the incredible truth that we are an expression of this universe, it quite literally continues within us.

whether we believe this life is it, or there’s a hereafter, or whether we believe in rebirth or reincarnation, this life now that we are living is unique for us, billions of years in the making and that is a precious, sacred gift worth cherishing and honoring with our love. 

~j

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#cosmos #universe #stars #starstuff #stardust #life #OpenHeart #path #practice #ThichNhatHanh #JinpaLhaga

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“Correcting oneself is correcting the whole world. The Sun is simply bright. It does not correct anyone. Because it shines, the whole world is full of light. Transforming yourself is a means of giving light to the whole world.”

~ Ramana Maharshi 

we don’t just practice meditation or ethics, steadying our mind or opening our heart, for ourselves. 

we practice for ourselves and for the benefit of the world and all life in it. 

open-hearted caring people, kind people, gentle people, thoughtful, mindful, compassionate, wise, resilient, balanced people make the world a better place to live.

so we work with ourselves, with our own mind, and our own heart to engage life and our world in a healthy way. then we and others see it is possible to live in this world with love, as love embodied, rather than fear, aggression, and hate.

we are authentically available and able to assist others in a healthy way, a way that is truly beneficial, a way that doesn’t repeat patterns of suffering, because we have begun to unravel the patterns of suffering within ourselves.

~j

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#BeLight #shine #selfcare #selfwork #transformation #healing #meditation #ethics #bodhisattvas #life #love #OpenHeart #path #practice #RamanaMaharshi #JinpaLhaga #JMWart #art #sun

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“Love and Justice are not two. Without inner change, 

there can be no outer change. Without collective change, 

no change matters.”

~ 

Rev. angel Kyodo williams

path & practice.

all in this together. 

who can we exclude from our love & still call it love?

a love that excludes is not love.

a love that does not uproot, heal, plant anew, nourish & nurture is incomplete.

may our practice of self-healing be a source for collective healing.

may our practice of heart opening, open us to the sacredness & suffering of all.

may our practice of steadying mind lead to awareness, clarity & wisdom, & may such awareness, clarity & wisdom be a benefit to all. 

~j

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#interdependence #love #justice #healing #OpenHeart #path #practice #EngagedBuddhism #angelKyodowilliams #wisdom #JinpaLhaga #JMWart #BWphotography #photography 

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“The whole idea of compassion is based on a keen awareness of the interdependence of all these living beings, which are all part of one another, and all involved in one another.”

~ Thomas Merton

all of this life, from the micro to the macro (even inside this very body!) is relationship.there’s no escaping this truth. we cannot say, “oh, that’s just happening over there” or “not my problem”. the ripple set forth will reach our shore, the seeds planted will bear fruit served to our table.
all we have before us is our decision whether to relate in a way that is closed, tight, fearful, and aggressive, or to relate in a way that is open-hearted, steady, wise and kind, tender and compassionate.
our mutual future and wellbeing depends on how we choose to live this sacred life.

~j

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#interdependence #life #relationship #OpenHeart #path #practice #ThomasMerton #JinpaLhaga #JMWart #TibetanKnot #EndlessKnot #art 

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this is love.

path and practice.

~j

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#love #freedom #OpenHeart #path #practice #JinpaLhaga #JMWart #art #enso

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“Only love is big enough to hold all the pain of this world.” 

~ Sharon Salzberg

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#love #pain #suffering #OpenHeart #path #practice #SharonSalzbergQuote #SharonSalzberg #JinpaLhaga #JMWart #art

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“Ours is not a caravan of despair. Even if you have broken your vows a thousand times, it doesn’t matter. Come, come yet again, come.” 

~ Rumi

every breath is a new opportunity to engage life in an open-hearted way, with empathy, with tenderness, kindness, wisdom and compassion.

~j

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#BeginAnew #BeginAgain #OpenHeart #empathy #tenderness #kindness #wisdom #compassion #path #practice #RumiQuote #Rumi #JinpaLhaga #JMWart #calligraphy

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who are we leaving out of our love & compassion?

who are we allowing to suffer without a response from our love & compassion?

is our love & our compassion free to all because of their inherent sacredness, or only to those we feel aligned or close to, or approve of, or understand, or have a natural arising affection or tenderness towards?

these questions are not about shame or guilt. they are foundational work. they are an exploration of accountability & responsibility to each other. we belong to each other. this is the law of life, of interdependence, of interbeing. so, when we build borders of exclusion within our hearts & world, when we “other” & marginalize, & oppress, & colonize, & annihilate, we are living in opposition to life itself, to love itself.

asking the tough questions is practice.

cultivating love, tenderness, compassion for all without bias or exclusion is practice.

responding to the pain & suffering of our world is practice.

building peace by being peace is practice.

one of the first things we learn with practice is how to “stop”. to simply stop & allow a gap of space where our minds & hearts have the chance to open a little bit more, where awareness and wisdom have the opportunity to arise.

without stopping, there is little chance of our participation in a change that is beneficial to bringing about a lessening or ending to suffering, to building a world of safety & peace. 

~j

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#CeasefireNow #love #compassion #empathy #peace #practice #path #SaintFrancisOfAssisi #EngagedBuddhism #enso #JinpaLhaga #JMWart #art

we lost our dear Goofy this past Saturday night. frankly, it’s been devastating. he was – IS – so beloved in this house and is so missed. we all love our fur family members and i’ve loved all of them throughout my life, but Goofy really was special. he was a bit neurotic and sensitive, yes, but also the gentlest, sweetest dog. mostly unexcitable unless you sang happy birthday to him OR anyone else in earshot! he would dance around and go person to person while we sang. he always seemed to think it was HIS birthday. he had such a gentle heart and deep soulful eyes. 

in general, Great Danes don’t have very long lives, but we expected a few more years, so it has been a shocking loss, an unprepared loss. we never know how long any of us have, in truth, so what else is there than to love. and Goofy was deeply loved and he had a depth of love he gave back. what a gift! sometimes letting go is the greatest act of love we can offer. another’s freedom is the greatest wish we can send to the heavens on their behalf.

years ago, i wrote a little verse i recite daily, but it bears repeating on such occasions as well:

may we hold all of life with love,

and with love, may we let go.

~j

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#loss #death #FurFamily #dog #pet #life #love #JinpaLhaga

“The world you see is just a movie in your mind. Rocks don’t see it. Bless and sit down. Forgive and forget. Practice kindness all day to everybody and you will realize you’re already in heaven now.

That’s the story.”

~ Jack Kerouac

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#HereAndNow #OpenHeart #path #practice #JackKerouac #JinpaLhaga #JMWart #Zen #enso