Saturday, September 17, 2011

Zen and Meditation on the End of Suffering

The practice of mindfulness is particularly helpful for the highly sensitive.

Today I begin my day in thankfulness, peace and gratitude. Today I meditate to the sound of the bell and the beautiful words of the beloved Buddhist monk and Zen teacher Thich Nhat Hahn on The End of Suffering:




"May the sound of this bell penetrate deep into the cosmos
Even in the darkest spots living beings are able to hear it clearly
So that all suffering in them ceases, understanding comes to their heart
And they transcend the path of sorrow and death.

The universal dharma door is already open
The sound of the rising tide is heard clearly
The miracle happens
A beautiful child appears in the heart of the lotus flower
One single drop of this compassionate water is enough to bring back the refreshing spring to our mountains and rivers.

Listening to the bell I feel the afflictions in me begin to dissolve
My mind calm, my body relaxed
A smile is born on my lips
Following the sound of the bell, my breath brings me back to the safe island of mindfulness
In the garden of my heart, the flowers of peace bloom beautifully." ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

Thich Nhat Hanh



“We always have a choice,” the Tibetan Buddhist nun Pema Chödrön teaches, “we can let the circumstances of our lives harden us and make us increasingly resentful and afraid, or we can let them soften us and make us kinder.” 

Thanks to Denise for this quote:
“A further sign of health is that we don't become undone by fear and trembling, but we take it as a message that it's time to stop struggling and look directly at what's threatening us.”― Pema Chödrön, The Places that Scare You, A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times 


I'd add to that: what we THINK is threatening us.  Most of the time, our scary thoughts are about the future, or something in the present triggers a reminder of our past and we want to prevent a yucky like that from ever happening again.  So as the honored teacher Pema Chödrön suggests above, let's look directly, and let ourselves feel what we feel. As we do, notice what's happening in and around us in the present time, and we'll find that most (95% and higher)  moments are safe. --Ayleyaell

from http://pemachodronfoundation.org/



Video made by Adèla Stefanov: ‪
http://visionaryartgallery.weebly.com/adela-stefanov.html‬


Meditation and Music from Graceful Passages, written and produced by Michael Stillwater and Gary Malkin, with music by Gary Malkin.

Graceful Passages is a spoken word/music recording and gift book, designed to help open the conversation around mortality for anyone, but particularly for those facing it directly.with messages from 12 of the world's most profound wisdom keepers including Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, Thich Nhat Hanh,  Elisabeth Kubler- Ross, and Ram Dass.


From Michael's website: "Graceful Passages, proven effective in reducing anxiety of major transitions, and supporting family members, patients, and health care providers with a spiritual sanctuary around the dying process." 

Jack Canfield, co-creator of the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" series, says:

"If you are going through challenges, or helping others going through transitions of any kind, I highly recommend Graceful Passages. The music is extraordinary, the spoken wisdom is timeless, and the gift book is exquisite. Let this masterpiece of healing music and inspiring words be an audio sanctuary for your soul and a priceless gift to share with someone you love."


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