|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Today's thought
"When you understand one thing through and through, you understand everything. When you try to understand everything, you will not understand anything."
--Shunryu Suzuki Roshi
|
|
Identifying the flapping wind
ONE WINDY day two monks were arguing about a flapping banner. The first said, "I say the banner is moving, not the wind."
The second said, "I say the wind is moving, not the banner.'
A third monk passing by disagreed. "The wind is not moving. The banner is not moving. It is your minds that are moving."
|
|
Zen Zoom is in the air
How are you coping in this day of a pandemic? We're wishing you peace, calmness, serenity and quiet but it's not easy. In fact, it seems to be getting harder as the days go by and the cadavers pile up in the morgues. Our whole world seems to have been turned upside down, doesn't it?
Yet, we all seem strangely detached from the carnage (except for being under a kind of house arrest). Recently, I realized I don't anyone who's contracted the dreaded coronavirus, so I asked a group of friends and they agreed-- fortunately, none of their friends, families or neighbors got the virus.
Paul Lewis recommends the archived teleconferences sponsored by Tricycle magazine. You can access a series of online dharma talks on the link below. He especially likes the one with Roshi Joan Halifax.
Have you done any Zooms lately, the video conferencing tool that's sweeping the country? I'm interested in your opinion as to whether you'd like to participate in a "Zen Zoom" together with a few other members of our Sunday night zazen. Please email us at zen@uusarasota.org and let us know whether you'd be interested in setting up a group session online. Include your email address in case we need to contact you and we'll try to do something Zen together online.
Be well, stay safe, live long
--Don DeMaio, co-leader
|
|
Staying sane in challenging times
Thich Nhat Hanh’s teaches us the art of living each day well:
1. Guard the morning (and start it gently). Train yourself to begin the day with a few gentle breaths and a smile, *before* even getting out of bed (or checking the phone). Make the vow to live every hour of the day deeply, with compassion.
2. Savor your tea or coffee, slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the earth revolves. Follow your breathing, relax the body, look out the window, listen to your heartbeat (this is nothing less than meditation).
3. Enjoy every step of breakfast-making. Life is made of small moments. There is nowhere to hurry to, nothing to get done. This is it! Enjoy the presence of your loved ones, and the wonder of having enough to eat.
4. When you’re ready to work, work. Free yourself from distractions, and cultivate one-pointed mind. But don’t forget to take care of your body while at the computer! Set a bell to sound so you can stretch every 30 minutes or so.
5. Take time to walk in mindfulness. If you can go outside and get in touch with nature, wonderful. If you’re indoors, no problem: you can practice slow walking meditation, a powerful way to release tension and anxiety.
6. Take a nap after lunch for 20 minutes, or practice deep relaxation (body scan) while lying down. Even just 10 or 15 minutes of releasing tension can set you free and refresh you before you keep working.
7. Nourish yourself. Nothing can survive without food. Fear, anxiety and despair may be “fed” by what we read, see and hear. Likewise, our compassion, trust and gratitude can be fed by choosing inspiring books, music, audio & conversations.
8. Sweat every day. In our practice centers the monastics do physical exercise or sport every day. It’s essential to circulate our energy, stay healthy, and release tension and feelings that are stored in every cell of our body.
9. Reach out to loved ones. Let them know you are there for them. Ask what their deepest hopes and fears are. Write them a love letter. Forgive those who need forgiving. Do not miss this stark opportunity to heal wounded relationships.
|
|
|
And finally ...
May the blessings of these practices awaken your own inner wisdom and inspire your compassion. .... And through the blessing of your heart may the world find peace.
The Sarasota Zen Group meets every Sunday night at 7 pm for Zen and zazen (meditation). We start with readings and discussion, then transition into zazen and chanting.
Come find the rest and inner peace that keeps us all in balance.
Our zendo is in the James Reeb Room on the campus of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Sarasota, 3975 Fruitville Road, Sarasota (map here). Contact us at zen@uusarasota.org or, if you wish to remain anonymous, you can use the Contact form on our website.
https://us1.forward-to-friend.com/forward?u=d2e90fc8b644370ee568e2081&id=8a0297eafe&e=[UNIQID]
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
