it’s #InternationalWomensDay & i’m offering bows of gratitude for & celebration of all the incredible women in my life! 💫
today especially i celebrate these phenomenal Buddhist teachers who have had indelible impact on my path & practice as a Buddhist & meditation practitioner, either directly through their teaching, or through their books, talks & social media – with gratitude i celebrate you Susan Piver, Roshi Joan Halifax, Roshi Pat Enkyo O’Hara, Pema Chödrön, Sharon Salzberg, & Robina Courtin.
this image is inspired from a quick ink drawing i did for Inktober a few years ago. i recreated digitally, to add color and place on products.
i’ve been wrestling with how Love can be a/the short-term solution to our problem of war and violence (and how do we deal with authoritarianism, dictators, and madmen??), while also deeply believing that Love is the long-term answer. there are perhaps no easy or quick answers when dealing with the poisons of ignorance, attachment, and aggression, and the fear, greed, and destruction they birth. so much suffering.
however, this image reminds me that it is the goal and that big hearts have the ability in the long run of making big weapons obsolete. maybe one day. this image also reminds me that the change needed, begins within me. that is where i first have the ability to practice sanity and open-heartedness, to embody love, not being indifferent to suffering or being sedentary. these all begin within my own heart and how i relate to the world.
may each of us be a seed of transformation, a light illuminating darkness, a fierce compassionate force, and a healing balm for the harm and suffering in our world.
~j
⭕️❤️🙏🏻
this image is available on various prints and products at my Redbubble store – link: jmwart.redbubble.com
a high quality digital print download was gifted to all my Patreon subscribers for free! become a Patreon supporter today and receive this image and others. support levels begin at $3/month. see link: http://www.patreon.com/jaysenwaller
my heart grieves the war in Ukraine. like so many, i don’t have the answers for how this should be handled or what the endgame may be. it feels ominous & dark. i grieve the loss of life & harm, the destruction, the millions of refugees added to the already 84 million refugees worldwide from other catastrophes & wars not getting the same attention.
i feel like the world is failing the Ukrainians, as the world has failed & is failing so many other people. yes, much is being done & there has been extraordinary unity. yet here we are watching what may be the decimation of a country at the hands of a madman who doesn’t care about the cost.
what to do? engage directly & chance World War III, nuclear war? the world is being bullied by a madman dangling these threats & Ukrainians are left feeling abandoned. it feels like failure, a loss for the world. it very well may be. an energy of authoritarianism is on the rise. authoritarianism must lose in Ukraine, in the US & around the world. existence may be on a precipice. there’s such great need for creative problem solving, resilience, sanity & yes – love.
so what to do? i’m leaning in on meditation, opening my heart, sharing these practices w/ others, creating & sharing art. looking to the helpers as Mr. Rogers would say, the courageous & resilient Ukrainians, Russian soldiers abandoning their posts, Russian citizens bravely protesting under oppression & danger, people around the world saying, “NO, this isn’t acceptable.” asking myself what it looks like to be a helper in this situation.
i’m thinking of the three poisons – ignorance, attachment & aggression. how these are the root cause of the suffering we see. how to end them? i begin w/ myself. my mind & heart. may i have a mind of sanity & balance, an heart open & brave that gives rise to fierce compassion, love embodied, in action, not indifferent or sedentary.
there’s still love, light, beauty & joy. may this be our path, may the destruction & harm end, may sanity arise, may hearts open, may transformation & healing of suffering be our journey’s end.
the qualities we practice in meditation – qualities of mindfulness, of awareness, of lovingkindness – are qualities we can bring to our entire life, not just when we sit on our cushions.
in this way, it isn’t just a practice, it is also a path. it is how we approach and relate to our lives. 💫
~j
⭕️❤️🙏🏻
join me this weekend on Saturday or Sunday at 9am for Self-Care Saturdays & Sundays.
this is the beautiful card the International Campaign for Tibet sent out to supporters (2nd pic is the one i received). i love the artwork!
this Tibetan New Year marks the Year of the Water Tiger, a year of courage and power, a time for transformation and a renewal. 🌊🐅
i have immense gratitude for Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism which has greatly influenced my Buddhist journey and practice with its emphasis on embodiment, along with the influence Zen has had on me. both my teacher trainings were in Tibetan Buddhist lineages, with one certification being from Tibet House US. my Refuge Vows were within Tibetan Buddhist lineage as well, my Dharma name being Jinpa Lhaga (Tibetan for Generosity Divine Joy).✨
may this new year be a blessed one for Tibet, the Tibetan people, and all people around the world. may our courage and strength be renewed, may we find resilience from our practices and our communities and open our hearts to transformation and healing.💫
a meditation practice can be a refuge we return to each day, and throughout the day, even for a minute. a practice that becomes a path for how we relate to ourselves, others, and the world. what a gift! 💫🧘🏼♂️
join me this weekend on Saturday or Sunday at 9am for Self-Care Saturdays & Sundays. free / pay-what-you-can / suggested donation: $10 link: https://linktr.ee/jaysenwaller
~j ⭕️❤️🙏🏻
if you’d like to support my teaching and art, consider my Patreon. support levels start at $3/month – link: http://www.patreon.com/jaysenwaller
when we slow down, when we settle, when we become quiet and listen, we allow space for life to speak to us, or rather for our awareness to open to what life is saying.
in every case, it is love. we are being asked to love. once we awaken to this, there is only one question and that is how to love best, how to love in a way that brings most benefit, that ends harm, and that heals wounds.
sending out lovingkindness to all life in all directions, and especially to the people of Ukraine who are embodying incredible courage and resilience in the face of such destructive aggression, and to the Russian protestors who even knowing the potential cost of their bravery, are standing up and speaking out against their government’s catastrophic actions. they are moved by love for family, for neighbor, for community, for humanity, for life.
may love prevail.
may this invasion, this war of provocation, of aggression and violence end. may the loss of life, the harm and suffering emotional and physical end. may the power held by dictators and authoritarian forces in all corners of the earth come to an end.
may sanity prevail.
may clarity, resilience, balance, open-heartedness, and fierce compassion arise in every heart and mind out of the ashes of harm and suffering, that we may aspire and commit to the needed work, to bring healing and a new day of light, love, and harmony for all life.
every step of the practice is one of attention and care. our aspiration and ability to place our attention, to be mindful, to allow space for our awareness to arise, to befriend our mind and open our heart is an act of caring. a path and a practice. it is the foundation we need to care for ourselves, others and this world. the foundation we need to end harm, bring justice, transform suffering into healing.
The Metta Garden 