Out breath
and in breath-
know that they are
proof that the world
is inexhaustible.
…..Ryokan
being sensitive to the energies surrounding us really finds us in the center of a mystique that disquiets hunger and begins a quest for a new alchemy of initiation…..we are completely unaware until we find ourselves craving the wild and innocent sweetness of our deep hearts…..
When we closely attend to the sensations and reactions of the body, we come to see in the body, solidified mind- a kind of perpetual reference to the past. A catalog of old imprints and deep conditioning, a reference library of the illusion of separateness held solid in the once flesh. In this exploration one discovers the states of mind and holdings which reinforce the idea, ‘I am this body, I am this mind.’ But when we allow the mind to sink into the heart, we enter life at a level where healing is appreciated in whatever form it takes. To see for ourselves with clear attention what is ‘real,’ never settling for a single answer, but always continuing deeper through levels and levels of understanding so that the healing can penetrate to the very marrow of existence. When we get up in the morning and don’t take anything for granted that day, when we want to see whether life is real or just a dream, then that day becomes very precious, unforgettable in these tens of thousands of forgotten days. Days where we have brought so little attention, so little tenderness to ourselves, so little of that joyous bewilderment of not knowing, of being willing to participate directly, of taking nothing for granted. Seeing that even the word ‘real’ changes meaning from moment to moment as awareness enters deeper, as mercy melts resistance and our edges dissolve into the unknown……Stephen Levine
In order to make positive changes, we must be able to catch ourselves in the act, which is a recognition born of awareness. Often we behave according to the dictates of our personality. When we are able to notice things like what we are doing now, how we are feeling now, what we like and dislike now, who we are now, and how all of if it is serving us in the big picture of things in a state of honesty, without judgment, our old patterns will fall away, and we can live a life of our own choosing. If you are able to not give in to the negative urge to shut down, you will begin to feel the you which is beyond your identity in this life. This essence is who you really are. The real you is a feeling place instead of a thing that is quantifiable, so it can only ever be experienced instead of intellectualized……Teal Scott
The kingdom of fools
Two hemispheres of knowing
Wisdom of the heart
blessings endure loss
puddles and rainbows the same
awake in spring rain