In the struggle
between the stone and water,
in time,
the water wins.
~
Japanese Proverb
interdependence
Metta…
~ Metta Prayer ~
May all beings be peaceful.
May all beings be happy.
May all beings be safe.
May all beings awaken to
the light of their true nature.
May all beings be free.
(photo-Gregory Colbert)
speak up…
Michael Stone – teacher, thinker, activist…
Hello friends –
Buddhist teacher, thinker, and activist Michael Stone transitioned from this life to the next last night. Although I didn’t know him personally, I have valued his teachings both through his YouTube vlogs and his writings. Very real, very accessible, and always with a sense of tenderness and genuine curiosity. His presence will be missed. The openness and generosity of his partner and wife, Carina along with other members of his family and loved ones during the past 24 or so hours has been an incredible act of grace as they practiced openly and invited all those touched by Michael’s teachings to join them in practice.
Although I have many favorite Michael dharma talks, I have some particular favorites below for you to view. Michael had this thing he did “5 Minute Dharma Talks” which I have loved to go back to from time to time. They were like a clarifying anchor in my practice.
May they bring benefit to your practice as well:
The heart of non-attachment – Michael Stone
Redefining the present moment – Michael Stone
The gift of our wounds – Michael Stone
a longer talk/conversation with Zoketsu Norman Fischer:
Nobody’s Life Is Just Their Life
Mindfulness & Concentration: Practice Tips with Michael Stone
Michael was also at the forefront of practice and social engagement, which you get a glimpse of in his videos I’ve posted above. We are certainly in a time when this is not only beneficial, but necessary.
May Michael’s teachings continue to be of benefit as the generosity of the dharma ripples out from heart to heart, into the world.
bows of gratitude
~j
vow…
may we be free of aggression and violence…
goodness, the violence. i don’t know the details, but may all be safe.
we must stand firm in our resolve to not succumb to aggression and violence as a resolution to even our most passionate disagreements. and we must avoid the temptation to quickly politicize and use aggression, violence, or any tragedy to advantage an agenda.
may we remember who we are, our interdependence. my we listen and try to get to the root of anger that it may be transformed and healed rather than transmitted, giving birth to more anger, aggression, and violence.
may we all be remedies to suffering, not causes.
~j
#interdependence #nonaggression #nonviolence #LoveWins #PlantingSeeds #TheLongArc #peace #TheResistance #MeditateAndResist #TheMettaGarden
no separation…
War, economic injustice, racism, and environmental destruction
stem from the illusion of separateness.
~
Jack Kornfield
reality check…
no separation…
the world is burning…
no doubt humankind has contributed to climate change. to deny this is to deny the very nature of life, of existence, which is to say that all things are interconnected and interdependent. another way to say this is that our actions affect our environment and our environment in turn affects us. this is the law of karma, of cause and effect. the seeds we plant, will grow.
but nevertheless, if a house is burning, we don’t stand around arguing that neither we nor anyone we know has started the fire as the house burns around us. it would be insanity to do so. instead, we get to work on putting the fire out.
the world is burning.
can we break our addiction to consumption?
can we find the lasting joy and peace in contentment?
can we reconnect with a sense of reverence for all life including the planet herself?
we need to. we are being called to.
will we answer?
~j
04.29.17
The Metta Garden 