Chelsea Meditation

The Path Forward

Sun, 22 Mar 2026 18:29:43 GMT

Do you really know whether it's going where you hope to go?

Moving Forward

Scenario One:

You’re outside, bundled appropriately. The sky is gray at noon; it’s raining and a wind just picked up. It is unpleasant. You’re in the woods and as you look around for shelter, you see a path you’ve never noticed before. Then you perceive a break in the clouds – maybe even sun – far away in the direction the path takes. Before you know it, you are plowing through the woods, seeking the sun and protection from the wind that you imagine will be just over the next hill.

Scenario Two:

Same conditions as above. You notice the path and the potential break in weather. You’re curious about the path you’ve never seen before. And you stop to remember what a gift rain is for so many on the planet. You move carefully forward noticing a small snow crocus poking thru the leaves. There are signs of a rabbit who has been out and about. You hear the quiet rustling of life emerging in the woods as you move forward, enjoying where you are. And you know the weather is unpleasant and you remind yourself, “After all, this is Michigan.”

In Scenario one, you don’t like where you are and you are overcome by the desire to reach something you imagine will be better. In holding on to the idea that over there will be better, you become narrowly focused on the goal and miss the life in front of you. And – who knows what really is in front of you? Buddhists call this grasping – fixating on desirable objects and moving away from undesirable objects rather than experiencing them as they are. Grasping and craving is the cause of suffering.

In Scenario two, there is an acceptance of what is here “NOW” and gratitude for the experience. Curiosity is the motivator, not desire, which results in seeing every moment and being open to whatever is ahead and to whatever possible remedy to the unpleasant that may arise – if it does. There is no running away or towards. This is wisdom – sometimes called skillful view. This is the beginning of the end of suffering.

What are you striving for? What will that bring you? Are you sure? Are you aware that there are more solutions out there than you will ever uncover? Are you appreciating each moment and letting its truth help set the course? The path forward is unknown.

Meditation practice is a tool that helps us to recognize grasping and to relax into the moment.

The Paradox of Yes and No

Sun, 08 Feb 2026 20:37:38 GMT

Sitting in the center, we serenely watch Yes and No chasing each other endlessly.

"The Master is not trapped in opposites. He sees that life becomes death and death becomes life, that right has a kernel of wrong within it and wrong a kernel of right, that the true turns into the false and the false into the true. He understands that nothing is absolute, that since every point of view depends on the viewer, affirmation and denial are equally beside the point.

STOP!

Please consider that paragraph. This is defining the paradoxes of life. A paradox challenges common sense by presenting two opposite ideas that might both be valid or reveals a complex reality. When we truly realize that no statement, thought, or idea is absolute, there can be a softening of holding onto one idea of a paradox. Maybe an openness to hear a potentially different or opposite view may arise. Maybe we can listen with less judgments and filters.

The Tao teaching continues:

The place where opposites are not in opposition to each other is called "the pivot of the Tao." When we find this pivot, we find ourselves at the center of the circle, and here we sit, serene, while Yes and No keep chasing each other around the circumference, endlessly.* Taoist Teaching

That “pivot” is the transcendence of the two sides. (Imagine an equilateral triangle with the two bottom corners holding the two ends of the paradox and the point over them represents the pivot, wisdom.) And from that wisdom, action arises. We are not denying action; we are trying to allow that action to arise from a wider view and a more open heart.

The next time you find yourself tensing around a point of view, I hope you remember the graphic above and smile. Maybe a smile can help find the pivot.

Life is in session

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 02:24:02 GMT

This is the youngest you will ever be

“These are the best of days; to wake up each day, look up at the sky, and say, ‘Good morning, world. Here I am again, the youngest I will ever be. Let’s have a laugh today.’” Sir Anthony Hopkins

Sir Anthony went on to say, “Death is inevitable and so is life. … Keep kicking the old tin can. Life is in session.”

I’ve really been touched by his words. This moment is IT. Why not laugh? We can even work for change while laughing – or at least smiling. We can relax our incessant pursuit of an identity that is always attempting to be in control and fix and worry and fear.

When you find your mind wandering, take a breath, look at the sky, say thank you.

And I say thank you to each of you for being part of my life and part of the life energy on this planet.

May you continue to find harmony with an open heart and peace with acceptance.

Happy Holidays in whatever form you celebrate.

May your New Year be filled with equanimity.

The elephant and the blind men

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 15:58:32 GMT

I love the parable of an elephant and three blind men. I’m sure you all know it. Each man touches a different part of the elephant and describes it based on his limited perspective. One touches the leg and declares an elephant is like a tree trunk. Another grabs the tail and “knows” an elephant is like a rope. The third holds an ear and says an elephant is like a fan.

Each is “right” from their perspective. People argue and fight over what is true. They fail to acknowledge that their individual "truths" are only part of a larger reality. Their truth is not the whole truth.

To grasp the whole truth, an integration of different viewpoints, experiences and perceptions helps. When we hold on to a single, narrow view, we are unable to see reality clearly. Being curious and listening to other’s views opens our own vision.

For example, someone did something unskillful in the past and you don’t like them. One action does not make the whole person! Do you approach them as if it does? It’s not to condone behavior but perhaps to be willing to open to a different view.

Or you meet with friends from the past. Not only do you have different memories of the past – each of you having highlighted a different piece of the event in your minds – but also you hold different expectations of each other in the present. How can you see who is in front of you while holding onto a view of the past?

How often do you approach the next moment with true clarity?

In Pali, the language used to document the Buddha’s initial teaching, Vipassana means “seeing clearly”. It’s more than just mindfulness or sitting meditation. It is also investigating the true nature of all phenomenon; impermanent, unsatisfactory and not-self. It’s understanding the role that feeling, perception, memory and thought play in coloring reality. And so much more.

Ultimately, seeing clearly is often more than just Buddhism. Many other traditions offer different strategies to see the truth. The truth is multi-faceted and the integration of other paths can help deepen wisdom.

A daylong meditation retreat offers an opportunity to investigate what might be coloring your view, to name one “elephant” that might be obscuring your sight. At the same time, the retreat space offers time in nature to enjoy the woods, a lake and quiet spaciousness. It offers a time to refresh ourselves and as the mind quiets, we can see more clearly.

Yin and Yang

Wed, 28 May 2025 00:17:54 GMT

Wholeness or Perfection

Have you ever decided to watch how many judgments (both obvious and subtle) your mind has in a day? An hour? Even a few minutes? Most of us do it so often we don’t even realize it’s a judgment. And every time we do it, we are creating a tension between two perceptions.

To judge, there needs to be at least two – it’s like this because it’s dissimilar to that. And normally in a judgment, there is a preference for one and not the other, thus the tension.

Might it be possible that there is no solid delineation between them? For example, if the world were filled with only the blind, sight would not be known. Sight defines blind; blind defines sight. For the concept peace to be known, there needs to be something to compare it to – some type of war. Right defines left. North defines south. See this for yourself.

The yin/yang symbol is another example. Draw a circle representing wholeness. Now try to draw the yin without the yang. As soon as you draw the line, both are created. It is one whole.

It is possible to stop the divisiveness in our lives. Notice the line and accept both sides.

Can you start with yourself? Notice a judgment; find both sides; notice the preference. Now, can you accept both sides? Acceptance is not action nor acquiescence. It is acknowledging without resistance that “this too is who I am right now.” It’s not saying “I’ll always be….” Just now, in this moment, acknowledging what is already present without holding onto the judgment. It leads to approaching yourself less from the head and more from the heart – eventually leading to approaching others in the same way.

As Carl Jung said, “Wholeness is not achieved by cutting off a portion of one’s being, but by integration of the contraries.” Acceptance of all of you.
He also said, “Knowing your own darkness is the best method for dealing with the darknesses of other people.” (Because we also have and acknowledge them.)

It is possible to stop the divisiveness in our lives.
It starts with ourselves.

Living with watchful reverence

Thu, 27 Mar 2025 00:14:45 GMT

Rilke and O'Donohue

If your everyday life seems poor, don’t blame it; blame yourself; admit to yourself that you are not enough of a poet to call forth its riches; because for the creator there is no poverty and no poor, indifferent place.
- Rainer Maria Rilke

Do you tend to look at the moment and see what it is lacking? You don’t need to be a poet to see the riches that are present.

John O’Donohue said, “ I think it makes a huge difference when you leave your home whether you believe you are walking into a dead geographical location which is used to get to a destination, or whether you are emerging out into a landscape that is just as much, if not more, alive as you but in a totally different form. And if you go towards it with an open heart and a real watchful reverence, you will be absolutely amazed at what it will reveal to you .”

Every moment is a gift. Can you be alert and curious to truly experience this moment?

Silence

Tue, 18 Feb 2025 19:36:20 GMT

Silence is something that comes from your heart, not from outside.

Silence doesn’t mean not talking and not doing things; it means that you are not disturbed inside.

If you’re truly silent, then no matter what situation you find yourself in, you can enjoy the silence.

- Thich Nhat Hanh

“Silence is not merely negative – the pause between words, a temporary cessation of speech – but, properly understood, it is highly positive: an attitude of attentive alertness, of vigilance, and above all of listening.”

- Archimandrite Kallistos Ware

“We need silence, not to escape from ourselves but to know the foundation, the roots, the tendencies of our true nature.

There is in us a zone where noise and tumult have no place, and a zone where everything reverberates. When we try to return to the inner, vital zone, it is not to cancel the noise. We do not make use of our moments of collectedness as a retreat. Inner silence is comparable to a light that reveals what is in the shadows, reveals our mechanicality.

When we deeply relax, our attention unglues itself little by little from our preoccupations, our identifications. It moves, gropingly, toward the zone of silence…

During the experience of inner silence, if thoughts appear, they pass as if upon a screen. Our emotions are short-lived movements that do not carry us toward externals.

Our moments of inner openness are linked to the silence.”

- Alphonse Osbert

“Do not worship silence, but that to which the silence leads.”

- Tom Rothschild

“Within you, there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself.

- Herman Hesse

Be Like a Cat

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 01:14:10 GMT

When a cat lets go of a tree, it lets go of itself

The cat becomes completely relaxed, and lands lightly on the ground. But if a cat were about to fall out of a tree and suddenly makes up its mind that it didn't want to fall, it would become tense and rigid, and would be just a bag of broken bones upon landing.

In the same way, it is the philosophy of the Tao that we are all falling off a tree, at every moment of our lives. As a matter of fact, the moment we were born, we were kicked off a precipice, and we are falling, and there is nothing that can stop it.

So instead of living in a state of chronic tension, and clinging to all sorts of things that are actually falling with us because the whole world is impermanent, be like a cat. " Alan Watts

Here's an actionable item. Rather than wondering how you got into the tree, what kind of tree, how far up you are, where the tree is, how windy will it get and so forth, be like a cat.

In other words, rather than trying to figure out why there is tension or trying to change our mind's view or trying to change someone else's perspective, feel into the tension. Take a deep breath, letting the air out slowly through the nose. See if for that brief moment, the mind can stop thinking, wondering, questioning and worrying. That's relaxation. That's being in the moment. Just this moment. Just now.

To help practice relaxing, why not join a day of meditation in the quiet woods near Chelsea?
Spending a day in Noble Silence is such a gift to yourself. To be able to slow down, be present in the moment and to feel the relaxation.

Plan to join us at Michigan Friends Center in Chelsea from 9am to 4pm on March 8th. There will be sitting and walking practice and a short exploration of the Buddha's teachings.

For more information or to register, please respond to this email or email cb.meditate@gmail.com

Also, please join us for our regular Monday sittings from 7Pm to 8:30 pm on Zoom. The meeting number is on the website here.

Self-Compassion

Thu, 20 Jun 2024 20:14:24 GMT

The world just isn't the way we want it.

I was with a group discussing the general malaise we can feel when we listen to the news too much, have a body that isn’t doing what we want, have a friend who isn’t well or when the world or our life just isn’t the way we think it should be. Parts of that discussion prompted this sharing.

Someone looked up the word, perfect, and reported that one meaning is, “complete in all aspects, completely accurate.” With that definition, one might say the problems of the world are “perfect” in that they are accurate and complete (not perfect versus imperfect.)

The Buddha’s core teaching is of the Four Noble Truths, the first of which is that life is problematic. Yes, we agreed. It’s perfectly problematic!

The second Noble Truth is that we suffer because we don’t want the world/ life to be as it is. We are constantly saying “no” to what “is” happening in the present moment.

The group discussed how judgment, saying what’s happening “shouldn’t be”, “is wrong”, “is bad” and so forth creates a tension in the body and mind. We tend to see what we think. By judging, we see and emphasize the bad to the exclusion of all the good that’s here. We put energy into our judging which creates negative feelings, generating more energy and becomes a cycle of malaise.

It is possible to do what we can to improve a situation while not needing to add “it’s wrong.” That doesn’t mean we are acquiescing or condoning. We choose to put all our energy into a potential solution. We choose to be grateful for what we can.

To move from holding on to what we want towards open-heartedly accepting the present moment also requires some self-compassion. Often grieving needs to occur; grief that life isn’t what we want it to be or that it wasn’t what we wanted.

Joanna Macey said, “The heart that breaks open can hold the whole universe.” It’s not just the “good” parts of the universe. We can be the alchemy that transforms suffering. We can “break open” to our own suffering and then, slowly, the worlds. We do so by being present to the pain. If we say “no, it shouldn’t be”, that becomes an obstacle that blocks the channel of Love and Compassion which is always there beneath the surface.

On July 13 ^th , the daylong meditation retreat will focus on compassion. Join us at Michigan Friends Center in Chelsea from 9am – 4pm to explore compassion for ourselves and others.
More information here
Pre-registration required. Click here to email your request for registration .
Suggested donation: $60 - $30 although any amount (or none) is fine.

Stop Your Thoughts Now

Thu, 02 May 2024 15:14:30 GMT

Dukkha is a Pali word that is usually translated as suffering. It covers a wide range of experiences from slight irritation through boredom to extreme cases of suffering. The Buddha, in his teachings, emphasized the cause of dukkha and the release from dukkha.

One way to look at the cause of suffering is that we want this present moment to be different than it is and our thoughts about that desire become a story. Our stories of what did happen, what is happening and what we want to happen color the present moment; the stories color reality; they color our true heart. We aren’t present. If something is beautiful, we may not appreciate it fully. If something is hurtful or unpleasant, we react from emotion and memory instead of moving towards what we value in life.

We believe most of our thoughts and stories and aren’t even aware of how often we think of them. We are so addicted to thinking that we don’t even know when we are doing it. And we are causing ourselves suffering each time!

My suggestion? What worked for me was super sticky Post-It notes all through the house that say, “STOP YOUR THOUGHTS NOW”.

Trust the possibility that the thoughts will lessen. As they do, the mind isn’t so full. Our hearts can arise to see and lead us into new ways of interacting with the world.

Meditation helps, not only the formal practice but an informal practice every waking moment. Stop, breathe, continue - and notice the thoughts stopped.

The Way the World Is

Fri, 05 Apr 2024 13:32:40 GMT

This is the way that it is now.

There is a story of a crocodile and a boy. The crocodile is caught in a net and the boy kindly releases him, only to be grabbed by the crocodile who desires to eat him. The crocodile tells him, “Well, don't take it personally, son, this is the way the world is, this is the law of life.” The boy asks a number of animals if what the crocodile says is true and they all have sad stories of things that happened to them. They agree with the croc. In the end, the boy survives AND he, too, realizes the truth of the crocodile’s words. ( Read the whole story here.)

We mostly don’t want the world to be the way it is. It doesn’t seem fair; it feels unpredictable; it’s harsh at times; it’s uncertain. If it were the way “I” want, I would have more predictability, more control. Life would be pleasant.

However, if whatever is happening is “the way the world is”, then life will not always be the way we want it to be. Life will be unpleasant at times. Rather than react to it, trying to wiggle away from unpleasant, thinking about unpleasant and letting it seep into our minds and bones, meditation is one tool that can help us acknowledge the unpleasant.

Unpleasant is not the world. Unpleasant is caused by our desire to have the world other than the way it is, to have a different “law of life.” Whatever we resist is resistance to life itself.

Through meditation, the way of the world is more visible. We see more clearly. We can learn to move beyond unpleasant, responding to the law of life with wisdom and care.

Meditation practice opportunities:

An extended time of practice helps us fine-tune our perceptions of the world and its laws. On April 27th, join us at a daylong retreat in Chelsea and Michigan Friends Center. It’s an easy, quiet time in the woods. The day goes from 9am to 4pm.

For more information, Click here or send me an email.

Every Monday evening from 7pm to 8:30 pm, a group of us gather to sit via Zoom. We practice meditation and then share how the teachings have impacted our lives. Whether you have something to share or not, there is always something to see more clearly.

The Zoom link is on the website or email me.

The Buddha, The Dharma, The Sangha

Mon, 12 Feb 2024 17:14:51 GMT

The Buddha encouraged his followers to take refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha.

Refuge points to a time to rest and take a breath. It’s a time to rejuvenate and gather the strength to step back on the path, to take the next step. It’s a place to feel safe, to feel heard and to be authentic.

We take refuge in the Buddha. Not in the man but in all those who are awakened. They are everywhere and we don’t know it because they don’t act any differently. They work, eat and sleep just like regular people. The only difference is “Buddhas” realize their identity with the ultimate reality while most do not.

We take refuge because they demonstrate that this is possible for each of us. Every person can do this. They give us hope, courage and clarity. We aren’t idolizing or worshipping them. We learn from their lives, their presence, their speech, and their teachings. That learning isn’t work; it just rubs off on us as we allow ourselves to drink from the deep well of Presence that they embody.

We take refuge in the Dharma, the teachings of the Buddha and others. The teachings arise in our thoughts and behaviors and inform us how to see clearly. They help us learn to break through the many stories and illusions we hold. We see that those stories are not essential to who we truly are.

In taking refuge in the Dharma, we open ourselves to experience learning from every experience. We make our meditation practice our life. There are no boundaries between sitting on a cushion and being in the subway. Wherever there is resistance or contraction, there is learning possible. Whenever insights occur, there is learning happening.

We take refuge in the Sangha. The sangha represents a non-verbal connection. In a silent retreat, often people feel close to others even though they don’t have a clue about their stories.

Sangha gives us a practice to open our hearts and be authentic and vulnerable. We can practice letting go of any boundaries and protection that we carry with us. Within the sangha, awareness of openness and gratitude grows so that we can begin to feel the times when we close ourselves and our barrier comes up. We become attuned to the joy of living without that protection and become curious about how the Dharma can help us live without contraction. We gain more courage as we watch all the other Buddhas in the world.

We can’t separate the three. The sangha is a place of Dharma. The sangha is a place of Buddhas. All sangha members are inspiration to each other and Buddhas. The sangha is the Dharma sharing the path and its challenges with each other. They are interconnected into such an amazing gift.

Amazement, Wonder and Gratitude

Tue, 31 Oct 2023 01:51:23 GMT

Approach each day with amazement, wonder and gratitude.

After all, what have you done to earn the inconceivable gift of life?

What a gift to be able to breathe air. When one contemplates the process of air, there’s an appreciation for how oxygen is continually manufactured by natural processes through trees, plants and other forms and breathed in by other life. Carbon dioxide breathed out, activating the process again and the conversion into life-giving oxygen. A dance in nature of give and take, with each giving the other life. And you are one of the recipients of that gift.

On average over a lifetime a human will take 670 million breaths. How many are you aware of? And with each of those breaths you are sharing molecules with all the living beings that have come before… dinosaurs even!

We live on a little rock hurling through space at approximately 300 miles per second! That rock revolves around a sun that is just the right size to warm the rock without burning or freezing it. That rock has an atmosphere, water, and soil. The sun isn’t exploding or imploding as some do. We live inside one of two trillion galaxies! How amazing!

In Michigan right now, there is color everywhere. Of course, there always is - multiple shades of green, brown, blue. Right now, the added colors of yellow, red, orange and mixes of colors everywhere. And sometimes those colors are set against a blue sky or the more common platinum colored skies of Michigan.

Birds are moving this time of year. The gift of music fills the air if you listen, especially near bird feeders and trees. The antics of the chickadees and nuthatches, the bossiness of the starlings and blue jays and the multitude of juncos and sparrows can be a joy to watch.

Look to see. Do you wake up, go through your morning routines, have breakfast, plod into your daily activities and forget to be aware of the life thriving around you and in you? In the pressure of the news and all the little things that show up to irritate you, have you forgotten that you are living a gift?

Yes, sometimes life gives us what we do not want. And still there can be moments of awe, of curiosity, even of gratitude.

This moment is a gift.

How often do you stop with amazement, wonder and gratitude at this gift of life?

Gratitude and Optimism

Fri, 25 Aug 2023 00:15:53 GMT

The other day, Michael J Fox was interviewed on CBS. The interview ended with his quote, “With gratitude, optimism is sustainable. If you can find something to be grateful for, you have found something to look forward to.” It’s a quote that was quickly picked up and understandably has circulated in social media.

Gratitude is about focusing on what's good in our lives and being thankful for the things we have. Normally we think of gratitude as transactional – I get something that makes me feel pleasant, happy or comfortable and I’m grateful for it. But gratitude can be present all the time.

Gratitude is pausing to notice and appreciate the things that we often take for granted, like having a place to live, food, clean water, friends, family, air to breathe and even computer access. Rather than occasional, transactional gratitude for a feeling, would it be possible to simply live from a place of gratitude continually?

To be mindfully aware of gratitude all day requires us to change focus from “what do I want to fix, acquire or avoid” to “what is present in this moment to be thankful for”. That change of focus is what strengthens the ability to live from gratitude. Brother David Steindl-Rast said, “Happiness is not what makes us grateful. It is gratefulness that makes us happy.”

Maybe we can each start by noticing three things to be grateful for as we awake each morning. Have each be very specific – a warm bed on a chilly morning, a chill in the air when it could be 1200 , a breath, the light playing on the wall, moving your fingers. And then add three at night.

Not only will gratitude make us happy but it sustains optimism. Michael J Fox is unique in many ways and we can all learn from his outlook on life.

Personally, I’m grateful for the opportunity to meditate with a group once a quarter at Michigan Friends Center. It is a time for quiet contemplation in nature with other like-minded folks.

Each of you is perfect the way you are - and....

Tue, 07 Mar 2023 18:57:31 GMT

We start the path of meditation usually because we are suffering, a feeling of not being complete, wanting something we don't have. The desire to change, to fix, to modify the mind in order to be happier is always present. Gradually we develop an idea of the way “we should be” and “they should be”; we compare the way we or they are to it; and we/they are never quite good enough. So time to fix, control, manage life!

Thich Nhat Hanh said, “Inner peace is the acknowledgement of reality as it is.”

The quote is paradoxical. We truly believe something needs to be changed and the quote says to acknowledge what’s here in order to find inner peace. It doesn’t say anything about changing. Think of the energy we expend trying to change ourselves and the world. What would it feel like to relax and accept life as it is? If our efforts at fixing and changing were working, our present self would be happy because of all the past fixing and changing we’ve tried. It might change for a bit of time. And, as Roseann Roseannadanna used to say, “There's always something.” And that something throws us back into discomfort.

Meditation can teach us to relax and notice the desire to change and fix. As we relax and accept, our relationship to our mind changes. We see the mind thinking, worrying, planning (it will ALWAYS think) and we watch those thoughts arise and cease. It’s just a thought and probably an unreliable thought at that. Notice it. Rather than fight what is, accept it and from that place of acceptance, move towards your values in life.

Teach a Child the word Bird

Wed, 01 Feb 2023 21:44:19 GMT

The day you teach the child the name of the bird, the child will never see the bird again.

J. Krishnamurti

The word is never the thing. It’s been said by many in lots of ways. When we hear that teaching, we understand it intellectually. A cow is a word, a name, and is not the one ton animal with an udder that goes moo. The word is only a sign for the animal. However, when we rely on the word, it removes us from the actual amazing creature that can smell from 6 miles away. We see a cow, not “that” particular cow.

All of languaging has the same quality; it is representative, at least a step away from whatever it is labeling. And every word has no value or reality except as we, by mutual agreement, give it. Similar to paper money, it is only worth something by our implication.

However, in our lives, we act as if the word is reality. We give it great meaning. We develop stereotypes by thinking all cows are the same, each human of a group is the same… By reducing experience to a single word, we tend to forget the history, the features, the uniqueness. Generalizing, we lose touch with the actual experience.

Language is not reality. Words hide the moment to moment experience, our only reality. Words represent learned behavior which may or may not be accurate. Usually we react to the word without experiencing the present moment. To be present with reality, to recognize the complex present moment for whatever it holds is to be alive.

For example, the word “fear” in and of itself is often enough for us to avoid the feeling. Yet, what are the body sensations that accompany the experience of “fear.” The sensations are probably unpleasant. Can you be present with sensations? The answer is yes because you have been and you are. Yet the word can influence and control our actions before we “know” the moment. Have you really explored sensations without the overlay of the word?

When interacting with someone, do you interact with an image from the past or with what is presenting itself in this moment? So often, we carry the past into our present moment with our thoughts and words. We see our partner as the person they were 20 years ago and miss their complexity of right now. Or we see a member of a “group” and immediately assume they have all the qualities of the “group” that we believe.

Alfred H.S. Korzybski, often called the father of the science of linguistics, said “human knowledge of the world is limited by language.” Grab the opportunity to expand your knowledge by engaging sensations, sights, sounds without the overlay of a label. Perhaps you’ll discover more of the amazing beauty that’s here.

Understanding Peace

183:815007035 (Carol Blotter) — Mon, 14 Nov 2022 17:57:29 GMT

I do not want the peace that passeth understanding.

I want the understanding which bringeth peace.

-Helen Keller

We can find the peace when we meditate. When we are living our lives, we often loose the peace. It’s the “understanding” which helps us live from peace.

Our culture influences behavior in so many ways. For example, we often feel we don’t have time to slow down; we wake up and grab our phone; we measure ourselves by what we do and have done; we long for hits of dopamine by watching YouTube or getting another Like on social media.

The understanding for which Helen Keller longed arises when we wake up to our present circumstance and see through the cultural myths that surround us. To take a break from the speed and the doing. When we are able to pause – to step away from the busyness of life and find stillness for a moment or more.

While there are many self-growth practices which could help on the way to awakening, meditation has been utilized over centuries. Meditation wakes us up by enlivening our hearts and re-training our mind to simply be present with what is without trying to change it.

OPPORTUNITES TO DEEPEN YOUR PRACTICE

Day of Meditation Dec 3rd

Weekend Retreat March 3-5, 2023

Book study on the Heart Sutra 2023

Yearlong study of Vipassana Buddhism 2023

Monday night Zoom sitting and discussion – every Monday at 7pm Eastern

What the Buddha Said

183:815007035 (Carol Blotter) — Tue, 27 Sep 2022 13:59:17 GMT

The Buddha taught over 84,000 sutras. His teachings arose from his own realization that it is possible to live a life with uncaused joy regardless of what is happening in the moment. For normal humans, that seems almost impossible. We imagine to live with continual joy, one would need to be a saint or god-like. The Buddha never claimed to be a deity. He taught that this is possible for everyone. Through his own experience, he taught a path that points to understanding the cause of suffering and the way out of suffering, thus resting in joy.

There are many paths to the sense of joy or Freedom – and no path can take us all the way. A path and a teacher can point the way; we need to walk it ourselves. The Buddha encourages us to use our own experience to validate any teaching and to use our innate wisdom as our guide.

One challenge is how do we discern “experiencing” versus our thoughts about the experience. In the Dhammapada, it says “All mental phenomena have mind as their forerunner; they have mind as their chief; they are mind-made.” In other words, we interact with our perception of the world created by our mind. We see what we think. Somehow, we have to separate our thoughts from the actual experience, evaluating the experience by such criteria as is it skillful, blameless and does it lead to welfare and uncaused happiness?

This becomes a true gem of the Buddha’s teachings – discernment. Discernment leads to non-judgmentally noticing actions and thoughts; noticing leads to letting go of unskillful thoughts and intentions; and peace follows.

Trees and Forests

183:815007035 (Carol Blotter) — Fri, 29 Apr 2022 00:41:19 GMT

When we think of a forest, we think of one “thing”, one object, a "forest". We can stop for a second and explore “forest.” It expands, becoming more alive as we understand all the parts. How long would it take to think of everything a forest is? To think of the animals in it, the flowers in it, the ferns and greens, the trees? Would you remember to think of each tree and to recognize that each tree has some imperfection unnoticed in the forest view? Would you remember to think of the insects in the tree and on the ground? The many different types, sizes and colors of leaves?

Our brains like to deal with one “thing” and our language reinforces the tendency to lump parts together in "concepts." So we can think “forest” and move on to the next concept. When a forest is cut, we often fall into thinking of that one concept. In that process, we’ve simplified life. We no longer aware of the complexity of what “forest” represents – all the life forms. Maybe we even dismiss those life forms in our thoughts and discussions because "forest" doesn't bring them to mind. Yet they are there, interbeing within a package we call forest.

We use concepts so completely. We classify someone as kind, mean, stupid, evil, political and so forth. In so doing, we ignore so many complexities of humanity. We call a leaf a leaf and does that truly point to the experience of leaf?

Is it possible to bring awareness to the “communion of subjects”*? To let our heart feel into the connectedness and presence of all life resting in every concept. To see concepts as a way of speech and not the truth of reality? To experience unity rather than separation? To realize, "We are touched by what we touch; we are shaped by what we shape; we are enhanced by what we enhance. The sense of the sacred is at the heart of it all."*

Can you step out of your head and into your heart to experience the sacredness of this life?

One way is to use the forest to open awareness of our connections. Practice being in that space with gratitude.

Sawing a log

183:815007035 (Carol Blotter) — Sat, 29 Jan 2022 20:56:11 GMT

Have you ever had “one of those days” where it feels like it’s just one thing after another? A friend had started a new job in a new industry. Flying home from a trip, they discovered someone had stolen their car from the airport parking lot. When they got back to their newly purchased home which was finally almost complete with its renovation – dust and old nails everywhere – they discovered it had developed a leak from the new roof and the plaster ceiling had soaked through. AND they might have been exposed to COVID and had developed a severe head cold. Sometimes life happens like that.

Right now, maybe for you it’s just the exhaustion of the pandemic. Or a troubled relative. Or work. Or the environment. Or…

Whatever it is, that “something” gets your heart going, your mind going and you just can’t let go. You can’t find calm anywhere. When that happens, you might try thinking about the act of sawing a log.

When you are sawing a log, your attention is at the spot where the log and saw meet. You need to have focus there in order to ensure a clean cut, to maintain pressure and ensure the cut is close to what you expect. At the same time, your awareness covers the whole saw since you don't want to pull the teeth off the log and you don't want the saw stuck. In the same manner, you have awareness of the log so it doesn't roll or slip unexpectedly. (Sometimes it slips no matter what you do but awareness of the log eases the surprise.)

Both attention and awareness. Some call it narrow attention and open awareness, both held in the mind.

If an unexpected situation arises that needs our attention, we often narrow our awareness to the point where that one situation is all we are aware of. If it is unpleasant or disruptive, it can get so big we cannot see it clearly and can’t appreciate the context in which it is happening in. Besides the physical and mental reactions and the stories that proliferate, possible other solutions and alternatives don’t seem to be apparent when we are so focused. We are locked into narrow attention and sometimes it can be overwhelming.

In letting awareness expand, the importance of the situation and its detail is not minimized though the intensity may be softened. And in that softening, we potentially can create some space around the situation. Relaxing a bit, we may discover other opportunities. Or, perhaps this is the time the log slids. Sometimes we have no control over that. Yet that open awareness does present ways of reacting to the slid without losing perspective. After all, we still are here to experience it.

Try to stop, take a breath and open your awareness. Go quickly through the five senses – what are you seeing, hearing and so forth. Notice the feelings and sensations in the body. Notice the state of the mind. Take a moment to be grateful for something.

Then notice that there are always alternative ways of being. There are always things to be grateful for. Let that moment of noticing lighten your journey.

Two Mistakes

183:815007035 (Carol Blotter) — Thu, 21 Oct 2021 13:21:34 GMT

There are only two mistakes one can make along the path to Truth; not going all the way and not starting.

If you are reading this, I imagine you started – at least once – on a path seeking inner peace and a sense of freedom from the unsatisfactoriness of life.

Then life happens. At one point in my life when my children were younger, my parents were getting elderly, my job was demanding, I felt like I was juggling 20 balls. Each ball was too precious to let it fall to the ground. The tension of the juggling was intense. And none of the balls were about my well-being or being on a path – any path! And so many of us have much more difficult “happenings”.

Have you stepped off the path?

Sometimes something happens that invites us back to the path. We come back, walk along the path and realize its ability to change how we perceive life's happenings. We feel a sense of calm again, no matter how brief, that reminds us. And we may get knocked off the path again and again. Those who keep coming back may find a growing sense of inner peace.

This is an invitation to come back if you have stepped off the path and an invitation to join others if you’re still on it. Come to a day of meditation!