5 Contemplations before Eating – from Plum Village

 

Plum Village is a global community of mindfulness practice centres offering retreats and teachings on engaged Buddhism and the art of mindful living, founded by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. We share these contemplations with you, on this day before Thanksgiving:

This food is a gift of the earth, the sky, numerous living beings, and much hard and loving work.

May we eat with mindfulness and gratitude so as to be worthy to receive this food.

May we recognise and transform unwholesome mental formations, especially our greed and learn to eat with moderation

May we keep our compassion alive by eating in such a way that reduces the suffering of living beings, stops contributing to climate change, and heals and preserves our precious planet.

We accept this food so that we may nurture our brotherhood and sisterhood, build our Sangha, and realise our ideal of serving all living beings.

Yoga for Fall, the Pandemic, and Letting Go

Autumn is my favorite color.

“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower” ~Albert Camus

Nature is once again awash in the colors of autumn. I watched the sun peep out of the clouds after yesterday’s storm. It was shining magic light on the orange, scarlet, gold and plum tree branches. The hills glowed magenta at dusk.  

The Greek philosopher, Heraclitus. said,”The only constant is change”.  Continue reading “Yoga for Fall, the Pandemic, and Letting Go”

Let the Light Shine In

Happy summer solstice!
Please enjoy a favorite poem that was posted by a fellow Yoga teacher:
I thank You God for most this amazing day
For the leaping greenly spirits of trees
And a blue true dream of sky
And for everything which is natural, which is infinite, which is yes
I who have died am alive again today
And this is the sun’s birthday
This is the birth day of life and of love and wings
And of the gay great happening illimitably earth
How should tasting, touching, hearing, seeing, breathing any
Lifted from the no of all nothing
Human merely being doubt unimaginable You?
Now the ears of my ears awake
And now the eyes of my eyes are opened
– e.e. cummings

THE SPIRITUAL MEANING OF DAFFODILS (and The Pandemic)

“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.”~Audrey Hepburn

“An optimist is a human personification of Spring.”~Susan J. Bissonette

Last October,  my partner and I planted one hundred and twenty bulbs of Daffodils in our garden. We wondered, “what would next Spring bring?”. Winter was tough. We were faced with the tragic loss of lives coupled with economic, social and political unrest.

Continue reading “THE SPIRITUAL MEANING OF DAFFODILS (and The Pandemic)”

THE AMARYLLIS FLOWER

“ Love is the flower,  you’ve got to let grow”.

~John Lennon

This amaryllis flower is a symbol of love and determination. It is a message of renewal. It symbolizes the success won after a struggle.

It is a hopeful sign for our time.

So perhaps…

“ If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly our whole life would change”.

~Jack Kornfeld, Buddha’s Little Instruction Book

New Year, New Intentions

Why should you set intentions ( vs resolutions ) for the New Year?

An intention ( in Yoga, called a Sankalpa) ,  is a vow or heart felt desire.

Please enjoy the following readings from Three Teachings:

Whether or not you plan to set New Year’s resolutions for 2021, the beginning of the year is a natural time to reflect on your goals, habits, and the changes you’d like to make in your life.

One powerful way to bring our lives into alignment with our deeper aspirations is to work with intention. An intention is the motivating force behind a particular action. Unlike a goal, which has to do with achieving a desired future outcome, an intention is something that we practice in the present moment. When we set an intention—like cultivating compassion or reducing stress—we continuously align and realign ourselves and our actions with that which we wish to create. Continue reading “New Year, New Intentions”

Winter Solstice: December 21

It is almost time to celebrate the heat and light of the returning sun. Many cultures celebrate the solstice as a day of rebirth and renewal. Its origins can be traced back to the yin and yang philosophy of balance and harmony. It is a time of positive energy.
Please enjoy this beautiful passage about letting the Light in, courtesy of The Center for Spiritual Judaism. The light will always lead us through the darkness. During this solstice Jupiter and Saturn will form a rare “Christmas Star”. They will appear closer on Earth’s night sky than they have since 1226 A.D.

Continue reading “Winter Solstice: December 21”

Season’s Greetings From Peace Mountain

Celebrate 

by Danna Faulds (with a bow to Dr. Suess)

Celebrate harmony, celebrate cheer,
celebrate courage, and celebrate fear.
Celebrate easy, celebrate stuck,
celebrate nervousness, celebrate pluck.

I think you are getting the simple idea
that to celebrate everything
is why you are here.

So celebrate silence and celebrate noise,
celebrate matter flowing in
from the void.

Wherever you are in your life
as you read, celebrate freedom,
abundance, and need –

Because all of it’s holy,
the whole thing divine,
so get on with enjoying –
don’t waste any time!

HOW TO CULTIVATE A SPIRITUAL PRACTICE IN DIFFICULT TIMES

Spiritual life should include a great measure of common sense.

Our sorrows and wounds are healed only when we touch them with compassion. ~Jack Kornfield

The year 2020 has taught us all the lesson of impermanence. “The plans we thought we were making, the lives we thought we were living – 2020 has taught us just how illusory they were.”~Dan Zigmond, Lions Roar

We faced the unthinkable daily – a global pandemic coupled with racial injustice, political instability, economic hardships, and social isolation. We are familiar with, directly or indirectly, the pain, suffering and losses of our loved ones. The ongoing emotional toll on healthcare professionals and essential workers has been heart breaking.

The New Year will be another lesson in impermanence. The late Leonard Cohen reminds us: “Ring the bell that still can ring. Forget your perfect offering. There is a crack in everything – that’s how the light gets in.”
Continue reading “HOW TO CULTIVATE A SPIRITUAL PRACTICE IN DIFFICULT TIMES”