first ENSO of 2014…
~j
meditation
a mantra for 2014…
dearest friends,
as we begin our walk into 2014,
carry this mantra with you in your heart ~
you are
the
Sound of Life
the
Song of Love…
repeat to yourself
i am
the
Sound of Life
the
Song of Love…
~j
awake in the world…
awake in the world
what is this meditation?
dirt beneath these nails
~j
December 31, 2013
commentary:
solitary enlightenment is darkness
and being awake when others are asleep is a nightmare for the Heart of Love
meditation, contemplation, and prayer are all good
but to Love is to get one’s hands dirty
working for the benefit of all beings
off the mat and into the world, as it is said
this is the path of the Bodhisattva, this is the journey of a Warrior for Love
~j
just This…
is it possible for us to find happiness with just this?
with just this moment as it is?
with its frailty, its delicate and persistent heartache?
with its sadness and weight?
can i see also resilient beauty hiding in forms masked?
can i hear music that speaks of Love as no word can?
can i see life in death and wholeness in what otherwise feels broken and sick?
is it possible for me to find happiness with just this?
this is the beginning of our practice
this is our path
~j
you are Love, OM…
“you are Love, OM”
by JMW
Ink on Paper, Digital Capture 12.02.2013
this shared Life…
“Destiny itself is like a wonderful wide tapestry in which every thread is guided by an unspeakably tender hand, placed beside another thread, and held and carried by a hundred others.”
~ Rainer Maria Rilke
~ Rainer Maria Rilke
what have i done that i should wake with
breath filling my lungs?
what have i done that i should feel the
warm sun kiss my back,
the cool breeze tease across
my face?
what have i done that i my feet should
walk upon this earth and
feel its strong embrace,
holding each step?
what have i done to hear the
songs of birds or
see the dedicated work of
bees and ants?
to find comfort in
music?
to dream in
art?
what have i done to know friendship and
love
LOVE
in the deepest places of my heart, that
it has no choice but
to sing its song to every cell in
this body
THIS BODY
that too has been
given,
this body
THIS BODY
made of so many other little bodies in
this shared Life?
YES
this shared Life.
nothing.
it is all Gift.
~j
November 28, 2013
Thanksgiving & Hanukkah
all shall be well…
November 14, 2013
i look outside and see beautiful yellowed green trees gently dancing with the breeze
i see rugged brown mountains dotted with rock, standing still, standing strong
i see a vast blue sky almost glowing vibrant with possibility
nature, once again, stands hand in hand reminding us what is always
HERE
nature doesn’t hold, it let’s go and just flows
if that is not grace, i don’t know what is
“all shall be well…”
~ j
*“all shall be well…” is a celebrated phrase of the 14th Century Christian Mystic, Julian of Norwich, from her collection of “Showings”
winter falls…
leaves turn their color
winter falls upon this heart
again, i let go…
~j
a teaching ~ an act of conscience…
“It is not an untrammeled market economy that is going to redeem our world. It is not strategies of aggression, domination, and repression that are going to make us safe. The secret to transforming the world, the key to security and safety, lies in cooperation and collaboration. It lies in compassion for all beings in the wider web of life, and in generosity and love channeled into selfless action on behalf of people we will never know or see.”
~ Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi, “An Act of Conscience”
the choice…
there is always a choice to choose the positive, to work within the great artistry of hope. there is also the choice to focus on the negative, to undermine and work for the purpose of failure, to lie in bed with cynicism.
…before making that choice, it helps to remember that everything – EVERY THING you have is a Gift. yes, it is good if you have worked hard and achieved. but remind the ego that you wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the stars, the minerals, the elements, if it weren’t for the biology, the chemistry, or your ancestors. all of these have given the right circumstances, the perfect combination of Gift that has afforded the opportunity for you to manifest in this life, in this world at this time.
now, take a deep breath and go do some good. work for good. work for peace. work for community. work for kindness and compassion. be a servant to Love. and then see, yes see, all the beauty you bring to Life.
~ j
The Metta Garden 