“The secret of Buddhism is to remove all ideas, all concepts,
in order for the truth to have a chance to penetrate, to reveal itself.”
― Thích Nhất Hạnh, Buddha Mind, Buddha Body: Walking Toward Enlightenment
“Mere philosophy will not satisfy us. We cannot reach the goal by mere words alone.
Without practice, nothing can be achieved. ”
― Swami Satchidananda, The Yoga Sutras
After
a couple of weeks in which I encountered some sadness and
angst regularly -- on and off the zafu --my internal weather shifted
dramatically.
In the past week, I have experienced many moments of bliss and wonder amidst the ever-changeable changing of the season here in Western Massachusetts. The external weather wasn't the primary cause of the shift. It's been all over the place. We cruised through getting drenched and cold, then an 80 degree day, then more rain and an overnight in the lower 40's.
As you can see, I can certainly ramble on about the Presence. Yet, in all honesty, it's beyond words.
It's not that words are "bad" or that thinking is never helpful or useful. It's an essential part of
our humanness. In fact, many Spiritual traditions, (including various
schools of Buddhism) place a high value on rigorous thought, sacred
words, scripture, teachings stories, and philosophy.
Yet, with Practice we come to see how deeply the thinking mind can distract us and distort the world we are experiencing in any one moment.
With Practice, with our commitment and effort to cultivate the clarity, kindness and compassion that resides in our Heart of Hearts, we awaken to a realm of experience beyond the thinking mind, a quality of consciousness that we generally have been programmed to ignore. With Practice, with our growing ability to accept and embrace all of our experience, the world expands to include the miraculous that exits in the midst of the ordinary moments of our lives.
How cool is that?
It just takes Practice.
Originally posted, September 5, 2014. Revised.
in order for the truth to have a chance to penetrate, to reveal itself.”
― Thích Nhất Hạnh, Buddha Mind, Buddha Body: Walking Toward Enlightenment
“Mere philosophy will not satisfy us. We cannot reach the goal by mere words alone.
Without practice, nothing can be achieved. ”
― Swami Satchidananda, The Yoga Sutras
 |
| On the Way to the Bus |
In the past week, I have experienced many moments of bliss and wonder amidst the ever-changeable changing of the season here in Western Massachusetts. The external weather wasn't the primary cause of the shift. It's been all over the place. We cruised through getting drenched and cold, then an 80 degree day, then more rain and an overnight in the lower 40's.
Yet, again and again, here it was: a sense of Boundless Amazement permeated
my experience. As I opened to the Gracious Spaciousness of Mindful Awareness
and allowed my thoughts to wander off into the infinite Space and Stillness, it was obvious to
me that you don't have to die to go the Heaven. This is the Pure
Land. It dances and sings to us, vividly, in the silent contentment of
our hearts.
As
is often the case, a walk in the country made it relatively easy.
It happened a couple of days ago as I walked to the bus. I was awestruck. The clouds and sky and hay fields and ridges made the words "white" and "blue" and "golden"and "green" woefully inadequate. As Jesus and Lao Tsu and Walt Whitman and a host of other seers and saints recognized: Mother Nature rocks!
Getting Out of Your Head
When we come to our senses beyond the constraint of the thoughts running through our minds, and really pay attention the lilies of the field, or the valley spirit, or the leaves of grass, the Ineffable Presence emerges. Although I can sometimes wax poetic about clouds and sky and hay fields and ridges (e.g. "multicolored dancing", "vividly deep crystalline", "shimmering", "muted softly into grey green by the heavy breath of summer", etc.), it is quite clear to me as I sit here at the keyboard: words can only hint at, not capture, the majestic and mysterious Essence of Life as it flows through the eternity of such moments.
Life, as it is, is nothing short of a Holy Miracle.
It happened a couple of days ago as I walked to the bus. I was awestruck. The clouds and sky and hay fields and ridges made the words "white" and "blue" and "golden"and "green" woefully inadequate. As Jesus and Lao Tsu and Walt Whitman and a host of other seers and saints recognized: Mother Nature rocks!
Getting Out of Your Head
When we come to our senses beyond the constraint of the thoughts running through our minds, and really pay attention the lilies of the field, or the valley spirit, or the leaves of grass, the Ineffable Presence emerges. Although I can sometimes wax poetic about clouds and sky and hay fields and ridges (e.g. "multicolored dancing", "vividly deep crystalline", "shimmering", "muted softly into grey green by the heavy breath of summer", etc.), it is quite clear to me as I sit here at the keyboard: words can only hint at, not capture, the majestic and mysterious Essence of Life as it flows through the eternity of such moments.
Life, as it is, is nothing short of a Holy Miracle.
Yet,
you don't have to be outdoors surrounded by the majesty of Mother
Nature to sense the inherent Sacredness of Life. With Practice, is gets
clearer that the same Presence flows through each and every
moment -- wherever you happen to be.
(READ MORE)
(READ MORE)
As we are less inclined to allow the story lines that emerge in our mind to
dominate our attention, as we get more in touch with the Boundless Heart
of Mindful Awareness, things get more and more amazing -- even without the
supportive splendor of Mother Earth's natural poetry.
It happened moments later that very same morning. I felt the Presence as I bounced along on the bus to Greenfield, engaged wholeheartedly in an insightful but lighthearted conversation with some folks from the Recovery Community.
A couple of hours later, I felt the Presence as I meditated with folks at the #OMG! Noon Vigil on the Town Commons in the midst of the hustle bustle of Greenfield's downtown intersection with truck engines roaring and ambulance sirens wailing. At that point, I engaged in Tonglen Practice, opening my heart to the tumult and pain and fear on the in-breath, radiating aspirations for peace and healing outwards on the out-breath from the Heart of Hearts that we share throughout space and time.
It happened moments later that very same morning. I felt the Presence as I bounced along on the bus to Greenfield, engaged wholeheartedly in an insightful but lighthearted conversation with some folks from the Recovery Community.
A couple of hours later, I felt the Presence as I meditated with folks at the #OMG! Noon Vigil on the Town Commons in the midst of the hustle bustle of Greenfield's downtown intersection with truck engines roaring and ambulance sirens wailing. At that point, I engaged in Tonglen Practice, opening my heart to the tumult and pain and fear on the in-breath, radiating aspirations for peace and healing outwards on the out-breath from the Heart of Hearts that we share throughout space and time.
As you can see, I can certainly ramble on about the Presence. Yet, in all honesty, it's beyond words.
It's not that words are "bad" or that thinking is never helpful or useful. It's an essential part of
our humanness. In fact, many Spiritual traditions, (including various
schools of Buddhism) place a high value on rigorous thought, sacred
words, scripture, teachings stories, and philosophy. Yet, with Practice we come to see how deeply the thinking mind can distract us and distort the world we are experiencing in any one moment.
With Practice, with our commitment and effort to cultivate the clarity, kindness and compassion that resides in our Heart of Hearts, we awaken to a realm of experience beyond the thinking mind, a quality of consciousness that we generally have been programmed to ignore. With Practice, with our growing ability to accept and embrace all of our experience, the world expands to include the miraculous that exits in the midst of the ordinary moments of our lives.
How cool is that?
It just takes Practice.
Originally posted, September 5, 2014. Revised.
2 comments:
What could be more true than the felt presence of our immediate experience?
Pure awareness is a very worthy goal, yet fleeting, and mutual arising with our intellect and our words. The founder of a philosophical system known as general semantics, whose goal is to liberate the mind from the confines of words, similar to Buddhism said we need to remember that "the map is not the territory".
Well said, Frenchy! Sorry for the belated reply. I was swept up in a Journey to California to attend the wedding of my youngest daughter! Although I might quibble with the ghost of Alfred Korzybski if I had to chance about the human capacity to perceive Reality as it is, while driving along Highway One approaching Big Sur last week it was quite obvious that "the map is not the territory." LOL
Hope you're well. Although you are quite strange, my old Buddhy -- don't be atranger! 🙏❤️
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