Zen Evening Gatha
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.
This night your days are diminished by one.
Do not squander your life.
On the morning of the Buddha’s enlightenment it is said that the great tempter and deceiver Mara after many failed attempts to deceive and distract the Buddha, asked the Buddha, “What gives you the right to be enlightened? Who are you to awaken? Who bears witness to this?” Silently, calmly the Buddha took his right hand and touched the Earth and in that moment the Earth shook, bearing witness to the Buddha’s enlightenment. With this, Mara disappeared.
And so it is with every step we take, our feet touching the ground, that the Earth also bears witness to our right to be here and to awaken.
It is now our turn to bear witness for the Earth in her time of need. The Earth has given us life and sustains us. In fact, science has shown us that we have the Earth’s elements within us. Without these elements, without the delicate balance that is our Earth, life as we know it would not be – we would not be. The only appropriate response for such gratuitous love, is gratitude, a gratitude that manifests in reciprocal love.
Our relationship to the Earth, is just that, a relationship. How do we show our love? How do we show our gratitude? How do we pass this relationship on to our children and grandchildren?
Let us take some time today to touch the Earth. Feel the dirt between our fingers, feel the ground beneath our feet as we step. Are our steps, steps of love? Let us step out into nature and listen, look. Allowing in all the life that is sustained by the Earth, allowing it into our hearts, blessing it and sending it back out with love. Let us make new choices that bear witness to our love for the Earth and all of life.
~j
04.22.17
Earth Day
Only love and right thinking will bring about true revolution, the revolution within ourselves. ~ Jiddu Krishnamurti
as above, as below
as within, as without
love…
~j
it is all right here
wind dancing through sleeping trees
birds singing, “Wake up!”
~j
02.26.17
We cannot force awakening in others.
We can only practice to awaken ourselves and in our practice make ourselves available to benefit others though the benefits of our practice.
In this way, we are planting seeds of loving kindness, compassion, open heartedness, and wisdom. Then when the right conditions arise, these seeds are nourished and grow manifesting awakening in others as well.
Just shine your light. And your light, like the sun, will give life.
Wishing everyone all that is beneficial and all that brings happiness on this Tibetan New Year, Losar.
Tashi Delek!
~j
02.27.17
It’s time
to wake up and love.
~ Aaron Cohen
#WakeUp #awakening #love #wisdom #now
any movement that is not self-aware, self-conscious, that does not entertain some level of humility and openness to critical thinking and questioning is in danger of slipping into fundamentalism and extremism no matter how good the intentions motivating it.
revolutions can bring benefit, or bring harm. and very often some of both. there is always a price. one person’s gain, another person’s loss.
a true revolution of the heart and true awakening, however, opens the heart – defeating the real enemies of pride, ego, ignorance, greed, and the notion of “other.”
~j
#WakeUp #RevolutionOfTheHeart #Awakening #Humility #Heart
Zen Student:
Is there anything I can do to make myself enlightened?
Zen Master:
As little as you can do to make the sun rise in the morning.
Zen Student:
Then of what use are the spiritual exercises you prescribe?
Zen Master:
To make sure you are not asleep when the sun begins to rise.
The Metta Garden 