Stillness

"The heart of the path is so simple. No need for long explanations. Give up clinging to love and hate, just rest with things as they are. That is all I do in my own practice."  Achaan Chah (from the book A Still Forest Pool by Jack Kornfield & Paul Breiter)

It's all Sacred

Namo

To the lovely holy Goddess

Prajnaparamita

Gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha

Welcome Full Moon



Full Moon rising over the desert



In beauty

She rises over the desert

In silence

She guides me home

First Day of Summer 2013

"Peace is every step. It turns the endless path to joy."

Thich Nhat Hanh. Peace is Every Step

Summer Solstice 2013



Buddhas' Treasure artist Joyce Seelig



Thich Nhat Hanh tells a famous Zen story about The Buddha who held up a flower in front of an audience of 1,250 monks and nuns. Everyone was thinking what did his gesture mean? One monk, Mahakashyapa, smiled at the Buddha and the flower. The Buddha smiled in return. The Buddha then said: "I have a treasure of insight, and I have transmitted it to Mahakashyapa."  For generations this story has been pondered and people continue to look deeply for its' meaning.

If you look deeply, open to the present moment, you too may find the treasure of insight, and smile.

Happy Summer Solstice, friends.

Jeweled Lizard Dreaming

 

Lizard dreams the future

and asks

Are you the dreamer?

or

 The one being dreamed?

Open tender heart

"There is something about modern societies that teaches us to cover up our frailties, teaches that vulnerability is a fault and a sign of weakness instead of a mirror of our own pathway towards enlightenment. Lynn Andrews. Coming Full Circle

The Beauty of Imperfection

"People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within." Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

from the book the Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown



The Universe has a sense of humor.  I had inspiration for this post today with a picture I took of a lovely stained glass window (above). No matter how hard I tried I couldn't manage to get the picture to be upright - I struggled with my computer, my stored pictures and the internet. Finally I decided to let go...let the picture lie on its' side and live with the beauty of imperfection.



Tiffany Window at the Met



New Moon Dream

I was gifted with a dream on the New Moon.  7 days before I was reflecting on my creative work in the world (this blog, writing a book about QEY, and advocacy for the dying).  Asking:  Am I on the right path?  I think it's good to check in with yourself and see where you are - where you started - did you get side tracked from your original vision?  I meditated and received some good advice from the Inner Guru.  I asked the Goddess for a symbol to help me in my work in the world; a symbol that would help clarify my vision and intention.

I received the symbol in a dream on the New Moon.  I dreamt of beautiful Honey Bees. Medicine Bees.  The voice said: "Let them guide you in your work for the Whole of Life".  The sacred bees are a powerful symbol to meditate on. Reminding us of the Interconnectedness of all life here on our Earth.

Walk in Balance

New Moon

Tonight the sun sets and the New Moon rises, but She is shrouded in shadow.  Rumi says "the new moon teaches gradualness and deliberation and how one gives birth to oneself slowly."
New Moon brings dreams and visions from the depths of the unconscious.  Women knew this and gathered in the Sacred Moon Lodge to vision for the Earth, the people and all Her relatives.  The intent was to continue to walk in balance with this unfolding Creation.
Now these dreams and their dreamers are truly needed to heal and transform our world. To make it Sacred again.

The Way of the Boddhisattva



Friendship Garden

 And now as long as space endures
and as long as there are beings to be found
May I continue likewise to remain
to drive away the sorrows of the world

Shntideva

Committ to sit
at least 10 minutes a day

follow The Way

to the happy country

Peace is a fact of life

The Tao

The Tao
pours out everything into life
It is a cornucopia that never runs dry.
It is the deep source of eveything -
it is nothing, and yet everything
It smooths round sharpness and untangles the knots.
It glows like the lamp
that draws the moth...
Tao exists. Tao is
but where It came from I do not know.
It has been shaping things
from before the First Being
from before the Beginning of Time

It gives without holding on to what it has made
It  gives everything essence without reward
It is serene, beyond desiring.

It is a Mother of All Creation

A new day

A simple but powerful intention: "I light this candle for anyone who needs to know that you can always begin again." from Waking Up to this Day:Seeing the Beauty Right Before Us, by Paula D'Arcy




Grand Canyon Sunrise

It's All Good