When my husband, Jonathan, was taking a public presentation class at seminary in New York, he learned the following ditty to practice articulation:
Whether the weather be cool,
or whether the weather be hot,
we'll be together whatever the weather,
whether we like it or not!
It's a great koan for life. This is true for us as individuals, and also true for us as humanity: that no matter what befalls us, we are together, whether we like it or not!
The devastation of Haiti's two recent earthquakes begs for togetherness. When tragedy strikes with such force and magnitude, you cannot help but feel the impact. The best antidote to the overwhelming nature of such news is compassionate action.
Each of us is part of an immense web of life. Sometimes, it can seem so immense and global that we feel we may not be able to do enough. But our compassion for each other is our strength. Whether it is saying prayers for those surviving, or sending financial help or raising funds, each action is a line cast to help nurture and sustain our innate sense of connectedness to each other and to all of humanity.
The Dalai Lama suggests that true happiness stems from cultivating altruism, love and compassion. We are at our best and most buoyant when we are together, whatever the weather brings us.
...
A note:
There are so many places to donate, but just in case you are looking for a recommendation, I suggest Mennonite Central Committee. They are known for a very low operational overhead as well as highly organized disaster relief.
https://donate.mcc.org/project/haiti-earthquake
......
Friday, January 22, 2010
Monday, January 04, 2010
Don't Miss It!
It is easy to miss what is essential to the soul. While driving to a friend's house this morning to pick up an item she purchased for me, I realized with delight that I would need to drive through Mercer County Park on my way to my next destination. This is the 2500 acre park that is close to my home and is home to deer, to a lake, lofty pines, fields, and woods. But when I actually was driving through the park, my mind was off at the mall already, selecting a gift for someone on my Christmas list.
In front of me, a car slowed down to an almost stop to turn into an only slightly-plowed road. As I slowed down behind the car, I realized: I was missing it! I was missing the park, the beauty of the white snow, the slowed pace of my car, the warmth of the sun streaming through my windows. I was missing it all, because I was thinking of my list.
So I slowed down. This really is the simplest key to enjoying life and its string of moments. Slow down and notice. Even just slowing my car down, I could feel my whole body relax. What was the hurry? If I arrived five minutes earlier, would anything be gained? What if I arrived ten minutes later than planned and my body was relaxed and my mind filled with beauty? Then I have gained the world in that moment.
The rabbits and groundhogs and deer made little trails across the snow. Other than these creature paths, the snow was untouched. For a moment, I wished I were a rabbit, who could find a trail and follow it to a burrow and see what it was like down there.
The trees are magnificently weighed down by heaps of snow. In noticing them, I feel the deep weight of the snow in my body. It creates an inner calm. My mind wants to drift off to the mall, but I pull it back gently. Noticing, I feel refreshed.
At the end of the park road, I notice a deer path that comes from the woods and ends in a snow pile by the side of the road. There are clumps of snow on this side of the pile, suggesting that a deer has wandered across the street to the row of houses. I say a prayer for the deer, that it returns safely to the woods.
I turn out of the park, and head toward the traffic-heavy streets. But the park is in my mind. The deer tracks and the woods have given me the gift of life in the slow lane, just at the point when I had forgotten it.
****
A deep bow to all of you this season. Today is Winter Solstice, the return of light. A good night to light a candle, and breathe a word of gratitude for light and all the life that is possible because of it. May your season be blessed moments of clear noticing of all that is given to you, every day, every year. May your season be holy.
December 21, 2009
In front of me, a car slowed down to an almost stop to turn into an only slightly-plowed road. As I slowed down behind the car, I realized: I was missing it! I was missing the park, the beauty of the white snow, the slowed pace of my car, the warmth of the sun streaming through my windows. I was missing it all, because I was thinking of my list.
So I slowed down. This really is the simplest key to enjoying life and its string of moments. Slow down and notice. Even just slowing my car down, I could feel my whole body relax. What was the hurry? If I arrived five minutes earlier, would anything be gained? What if I arrived ten minutes later than planned and my body was relaxed and my mind filled with beauty? Then I have gained the world in that moment.
The rabbits and groundhogs and deer made little trails across the snow. Other than these creature paths, the snow was untouched. For a moment, I wished I were a rabbit, who could find a trail and follow it to a burrow and see what it was like down there.
The trees are magnificently weighed down by heaps of snow. In noticing them, I feel the deep weight of the snow in my body. It creates an inner calm. My mind wants to drift off to the mall, but I pull it back gently. Noticing, I feel refreshed.
At the end of the park road, I notice a deer path that comes from the woods and ends in a snow pile by the side of the road. There are clumps of snow on this side of the pile, suggesting that a deer has wandered across the street to the row of houses. I say a prayer for the deer, that it returns safely to the woods.
I turn out of the park, and head toward the traffic-heavy streets. But the park is in my mind. The deer tracks and the woods have given me the gift of life in the slow lane, just at the point when I had forgotten it.
****
A deep bow to all of you this season. Today is Winter Solstice, the return of light. A good night to light a candle, and breathe a word of gratitude for light and all the life that is possible because of it. May your season be blessed moments of clear noticing of all that is given to you, every day, every year. May your season be holy.
December 21, 2009
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