Every Day Zen
Knowing the interdependence of all things, the compassionate heart arises naturally. Honshin “Interdependence of all things” is not a phrase that comes quickly to mind these days. The idea of mutual reliance--equanimity in relationship--seems far-fetched, a compassionate heart more a sunset than a dawn. Like any line in the sand, a new tide washes away... Continue Reading →
In order to really be, you have to be free from the thinking, free from the anxieties, free from the fear, free from the longing. Thich Nhat Hanh To me, this is meditation--the voyage in--the meditative state. Every morning I sit in meditation, which is not to say every morning I make the trip. Even... Continue Reading →
Every time I consider mindfulness I wonder about time. How long it takes for a minute, an hour, a nanosecond to pass, knowing that has nothing to do with life and everything to do with measuring moments. Still, no construct confines life. Strangely, or maybe not so, that gives me a sense of well-being, if... Continue Reading →
This week’s #LongerView looks at failure. I’m still “sitting” through the experience so I may be here on the swinging bench for a few days this week. Maybe not. I am no longer on deadline. When things fall apart--as Pema Chödrön teaches me repeatedly--is yet another opportunity to define the indestructible. As I say in... Continue Reading →
When life is hard, as it is at this moment, I would rather escape, but I have learned what I miss when I do that--a lifetime. Sounds dramatic, maybe because it is. Fear presents dramatically, doesn’t it? Having a daily Zen practice opens my eyes to moments of escape, not wanting to be in the... Continue Reading →
Daily, I focus on meeting the energy within each day. It means not stepping over a line. It means making use of the energy I have--all of it--or so I thought. Perhaps, focus misplaced. It seemed enough not to step over the line, sometimes even watching the line fade. Turns out, I did not know... Continue Reading →
I think of aging as amorphous, an ongoing exploration of impermanence, an acceptance of its inevitability. Aging is opening up to change--becoming it; trying it on--accepting aging’s amorphous aspects without attaching to the energy of the experience. I have a lifetime behind me, as my last life dawns. I value routine less, in favor of... Continue Reading →
The best way to capture moments is to pay attention. This is how we cultivate mindfulness. Mindfulness means being awake. It means knowing what you are doing. Jon Kabat-Zinn In my Zen life--so far--being in the moment usually means returning from some past or future scenario I am spinning. Focus is on-again, off-again but to... Continue Reading →
I knew it would happen. This morning, I walked away from my car and into my apartment, leaving my walker in the backseat. It was not a mindful thing to do. I was deciding whether or not to wash the car. It needed it. The top of the car receives rain residue from the apartment... Continue Reading →
