“the wheel”
today i pause to witness
the Great Wheel of Change
as it moves
ever onwards
transforming all
in its path
more
potent than
any of my wishes
thought experiment
“imagine, imagine, imagine”
a thought experiment
i imagine
the views that have congregated inside of me,
the firm stances i have on juicy topics such as:
animal rights, freedom of speech, pollution, violence in the media, abortion, weapons proliferation, capital punishment . . . the list and my views on them is long, very long
now i imagine
holding the opposite view
moving from pro to anti, or anti to pro
with equal acumen of reason and depth of feeling,
with equal surety of being right
the question is: will my old mindsets
even allow these temporary thought experiments?
then i try to imagine
holding no fixed views at all,
living without instant likes and dislikes
free from preexisting conditions
is it possible to experience
such childlike freedom again?
playgrounds
“the fields of discovery”
there are four playgrounds
each of them holding special connections
to the Path of Joy
one trains us
to maintain positive mind states
another helps to develop skills and stamina
to recover from negative states of mind
the third playground instructs us in focus
and keeps the mind from wandering
and in the fourth we learn to be generous
be it as a giver, receiver or witness of generosity
learn to play in these
welcoming fields of discovery
passing through
“ . . . living fire”
i am a visitor
to this time and place
in this body
just passing through
here to observe
to grow, to learn, to love
and then return
home
The Great Enduring
“even now”
within each of us
there is a quality
that sees us
through all times
everpresent
even right now
with an astounding strength
it endures
and in its healing ways
it causes lift - the ability to go on
stay close to,
even if not understood,
this faithful ribbon
called the Great Enduring
first thought
“how to greet the moment”
what is my first thought
upon waking?
when after hours
of living in vivid dream-worlds
i wake up and recognize
myself for myself
marveling to find myself
in this familiar body
with the same set of ideals
and bothersome habits
so i ponder how to greet the moment,
when consciousness and awareness returns
may my first thought be
Thank You!
gratitude for the gift of another day
of living in this Great Mystery.
make of yourself a light
“. . . seems to be the answer”
Yes, there is suffering
and pain
in the world and within
( . . . and, are they not both the same?)
often have i pondered
alone and with others
what my response should be
to these tidal waves of suffering
to fall into the bog of despair,
hide in the cave of avoidance and forgetting,
or succumb to the blindness of
self-righteous know-it-better attitudes
is easy
make of yourself a light
seems to be the answer
no blame, no shame
no excuses
just the path
to take the light of peace
and kindheartedness,
of wisdom and patience,
of neutral witnessing wherever i go
to tend this light
of joy and gratitude
for this wondrous gift
we call human life
ageless
“compass of compassion”
there are stories that need to be told
to every generation anew
ageless stories
of wisdom and heart
told for thousands of years
under the sun and stars
stories that hold the seeds
to guide us home
“orienting home”
slivers
“senses sensing”
imagine
all the humans and their senses
perceiving life right now
all the ears listening, all the eyes witnessing
all the tasting, all the touching
all the senses
cast like a vast net over planet Earth
observing life
each a uniquely colored lens
filtering experiences in their own way
each a fractal, a gem, a sliver of the whole
then,
imagine more senses sensing
all the birds perceiving life
all the elephants and the Lilies of the Valley . . .
and how about grains of sand?
do they sense life in their crystalline way?
where does it all begin and end, this living net of awareness?
“a sliver of the whole”
FEARLESS QUESTIONING
“timeless ”
there are these fertile unanswered questions
like:
where did i come from before i was born
what happens when we die?
what is the meaning of life?
children still ask these questions without fear,
startling adults back into instant humility
so what then about these rich, timeless questions?
what are our current best views on them,
our own working theories?
can we live with not knowing,
yet still caring deeply
for these questions
in our own way and style
with honesty and tenderness
which may be
the very antidote
to our loneliness
. . . let’s reconnect
to the fearless questioning of childhood
and warm our soul in contemplation,
keeping company
with these abiding questions
“let’s reconnect”
natural mystic
“ever present … ”
gradually
night gives way to day
and brings the first muted colors
this morning warm rain
and soft breezes stir the air
all-around me
signs of emergence and new tender growth
a natural mystic
ever present
speaking the language of companionship
“ . . . and enduring”
when all still is possible
“in the gap”
it is within the smallest moments that our lives are shaped
in the gap between stimuli and response
when all still is possible
a lifetime of habits overshadow
the brilliance of this moment
and its unlimited possibilities
so i ask myself to resist
then the instant urge to do
to hold the state of “all is possible”
to pause in the quiet now
listening to the whispers of a freer state of being
until clarity of intent chimes
“until clarity chimes”
keeping the date
“intended”
intentions come and go
appearing like flocks of birds
on the sky canvas of my mind
how many have there been - just today?
and which will stand the test of time?
“keeping the date”
an invitation to remember
“jewels of instant quiet”
there are these rare moments in life
maybe a handful over decades
touching the deepest core
pure and strong they speak to us
in the wordless language of the Friend
jewels of instant quiet
and belonging
remember then these moments
that sustain
the thread of love
between the Friend and you
“remember often”
entrusted
“gentle now”
gentle now
with this one life
you have been entrusted with
“blooming in moments of gentleness”
this body of mine
“this body of mine”
i love this body of mine
just look at what it can do
even the gray hairs sprouting from my chin
how can i not be in wondrous amazement, in awe
this body can
walk, listen and see
heal itself and breathe for me
it is a most marvelous machine
my home and temple while here on Earth
observation and reason tells me
that this journey of living
within condensed stardust will end
that this sweet body of mine
will wear out and dissolve
and when that time comes
may my heart be grateful and full of thanks
to this steadfast friend of mine
all the adventures we have had,
of growing together through love and pain,
wisdom and persisting folly
- now, to all the purveyors of views
that tell me: my body is too short, too fat, too old,
too this, too that - i smile,
and without wishing ill to anyone,
twirl and continue to love this body dearly
“when the time comes”
gratitude rising
“in the wonderland of human life”
so here we are
you and me
finding ourselves
in this marvel of a galaxy
finding ourselves
in this marvel of a planet
finding ourselves
in this marvel of a human life
anywhere and everywhere
we aim our attention
wonders upon wonders
to be appreciated
celebrated
and marveled at
“gratitude rising”
the kindness of now
“unencumbered by past or future”
open spaces
unwritten pages
new beginnings
every breath is such
uncharted potential
a story not yet told
there is great kindness in the now
unencumbered by past or future
lies our chance to try again
clean, free, boundless
“the kindness of now”
kindness
“kindness now”
tonight i saw kindness travel
on beams of brightness
reaching out
building bridges
offering encouragement and ease
pure and free
“gifts of kindness”
sparks of sound
“infusing our moods”
right now music is being made
all over the world
notes of orchestras playing
in the acoustics of high ceilinged halls
melodies of lone instruments
floating through wide open spaces
impromptu tunes of bands
in village squares
rhythms that move our souls
transporting us, infusing our moods
to sing along, toe tapping, hip swaying, ecstatic dance
or quiet contemplation - we like a good buzz, a fizzy intoxication
what power they hold
these sparks of sound
“a good buzz”
