Walking meditation 2

Mindful walking in the morning is fascinating. One gets to experience many wonders. Let these wonders come without any seeking.

A rainbow greets you and me this morning.

A spider spins new web after the storm.

 Numerous communities of ants move themselves across the paths of humans.

A family of three squirrels dart around the branches of a large tree.

Swallows and song birds fill the air with movement and music.

Clean cool air fills us up and refreshes from within.

Dew drops shimmer from the tips of leaves.

Bare feet touch the stony path that lay untrodden over night.

The sun rays break through the foliage.

Walking meditation 1

“Waking up this morning, I smile. Twenty-four brand new hours are before me. I vow to live fully in each moment and to look at all beings with eyes of compassion.”

-- Thich Nhat Hanh

Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who has touched my clothes?” But his disciples said to him, “You see how the crowd is pressing upon you, and yet you ask, ‘Who touched me?’" And he looked around to see who had done it. 
-- Mark 5:30-32

Walking around the garden this morning, I saw ripples in a stagnant fountain. The ripples called out for my attention and I found a winged insect struggling.

One would have missed you easily, furthermore this was not my usual path for the past week. Little winged being, it is amazing to think what brought us to meet this cool clear Sunday morning.

Looking about, a palm branch had fallen nearby. The leaves are long and slender, and would make a nice big life raft for you. 

You climbed aboard and breathed. Sufficiently dry, you regained freedom in flight.

Love

For those who are in love with another, fell out of love, seeking love, or in a different state of love.

Notions of love and experiences of love are so fluid.
Some think love is like a flower but it can be a thorny bush.
Some think love is like a rainbow but it can be thundery storm.

So what exactly is love?

Holding on to the past is not love, doubting about the future is not love. Perhaps love is simply to live life fully.

I am of the nature to grow old.
There is no way to escape growing old.
I am of the nature to have ill health.
There is no way to escape ill health.
I am of the nature to die.
There is no way to escape death.
All that is dear to me and everyone I love are of the nature to change.
There is no way to escape being separated from them.
My actions are my only true belongings. 
I cannot escape the consequences of my actions. 
My actions are the ground upon which I stand.
-- The Buddha's Five Remembrances, by Thich Nhat Hanh
 

A matter of justice?

I was preparing to drive off after the lights turned green at a major road junction. As usual some drivers from the opposite direction sped past to make sure they could skip waiting for the next green light

A cyclist came after these cars, attempting to do the same. The car on my left moved forward and I heard a bang. Fortunately the cyclist escaped injury.

If there was injury or death, one could say it was mainly the cyclist's fault because he rashly ran the red light. This seemed obvious, or is it?

There is much to be said with many social constructs guiding my cognitive process. For example:

• The cyclist broke the law and thus was in the wrong, endangering others and himself in the process. 
• The cyclist was rash and did not consider how vulnerable he is against a moving car.
• This is a law abiding country which makes life efficient and safe for all.
• The driver should have given way since he was at no risk from danger to himself.
• The driver should have been more compassionate knowing the cyclist is at higher risk of injury and death.
• Laws make life easier for all but laws can be flexible to accomodate human mistakes.

How easily I ended up analysing and evaluating what happened and comparing the cyclist with the driver, and even with myself and society.

We should practice so that we can see, Muslims as Hindus and Hindus as Muslims. We should practice so that we can see Israelis as Palestinians and Palestinians as Israelis. We should practice until we can see that each person is us, that we are not separate from others. This will greatly reduce our suffering.

 -- Thich Nhat Hanh
 

To keep ourselves and others safe, here are two gathas for driving:

Before starting the car

I know where I am going.

The car and I are one,

if the car goes fast, I go fast.

This car is my legs.
It goes where I choose.
When I drive with awareness,
Everyone lives in safety.

Communion - A reflection on All Souls' and All Saints' Day

In most Christian versions of the Apostles' Creed, the "communion of saints" refers to the relationship between those present here, those who have died, and those yet to come. How does this relationship become real between the living, the dead, and the unborn? Is this something that requires a leap of faith?

Walking slowly in the moonlight through the rows of tea plants, I noticed my mother was still with me. She was the moonlight caressing me as she had done so often, very tenderly, very sweet... wonderful! 

Each time my feet touched the earth I knew my mother was there with me. I knew this body was not mine alone but a living continuation of my mother and father and my grandparents and great-grandparents. Of all my ancestors. These feet that I saw as "my" feet were actually "our" feet. Together my mother and I were leaving footprints in the damp soil.

-- Thich Nhat Hanh 

Perhaps what is needed is deep insight gained through experiencing our world as it is. 

不生不灭，无来无去，无同无异，无存在无不存在。 

-- 一行禅师 

Walking meditation

As I was walking yesterday, some spontaneous thoughts came to mind.

Still waters ...

Vapours rising ...

Clouds moving ...

Rain falling ...

It was a fusion of two sets of ideas:

1) Four element walking meditation
Earth - Feet feeling the ground. Soft, hard, rough, smooth
Fire - Lifting the feet. Lightness, ascent.
Air/wind - Movement
Water - Descent, heaviness, trickling down

2) Thay's (Thich Nhat Hanh) teachings

You are afraid that after we die we become Nothing. From Someone we become No one. From Being we pass into Non-being…

Now let us look deeply into the nature of a cloud.

In the morning when we look up in the sky, we see a cloud, and in the afternoon we look up and see that the sky is desperately empty.

And we conclude that the cloud has died. But it’s not possible for a cloud to die. A cloud can become rain or snow, or ice, but a cloud can never become Nothing. It is impossible for a cloud to die.

The cloud is just no longer in the form that you used to see, but it doesn’t mean that the cloud has disappeared. It is in another form now.

A cloud may manifest itself in the form of a cloud, but it may also like to manifest as rain or snow. And if you look deeply into your tea, you will see that your Cloud is in the cup!

Yesterday your Cloud was in a form of a cloud, but today it is in a form of Tea! Then when you drink your Tea mindfully and with wisdom, you will know that you are drinking your Cloud…

One form succeeds into another form.

So when you can’t see your Beloved Cloud in the sky anymore don’t cry…

Your Cloud has become the Rain falling into the ground joyfully and it is calling you: Darling… Darling… Can’t you see, I am here!.. Darling… Don’t cry, I am always here for you!…

Dazzlement and Mindfulness

A visit to the grand Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) and Universal Studios Singapore (USS) brought about a mix of thoughts and feelings. I wondered what I appreciated about these places and what brought discomfort.

They are beautiful places, showcasing the artistry and talent of many people across many cultures. There is much laughter, joy, and excitement in the air. It is a place to be dazzled.

And the discomfort sits on this point of dazzlement. Coincidentally, the origin of the word "dazzle" comes from "daze", which means to be stunned or overwhelmed. It is a place seemingly void of suffering with the senses overwhelmed with beautiful sights, wonderful scents, exotic foods, fancy goods, and exciting play. It is a place where mindfulness can be forgotten.

Leaving the place, it can bring lingering feelings of wanting more: another dish to taste, another ride to try, another photo to take, and so on. Fortunately, reality awakens us most of the time and brings us home to the present.

Fifth Mindfulness Training - Nourishment and Healing 

Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful consumption, I am committed to cultivating good health, both physical and mental, for myself, my family, and my society by practicing mindful eating, drinking, and consuming. I will practice looking deeply into my consumption of the Four Kinds of Nutriments, namely edible foods, sense impressions, volition, and consciousness.  I am determined not to gamble, or to use alcohol, drugs, or any other products which contain toxins, such as certain websites, electronic games, TV programs, films, magazines, books, and conversations.  I will practice coming back to the present moment to be in touch with the refreshing, healing and nourishing elements in me and around me, not letting regrets and sorrow drag me back into the past nor letting anxieties, fear or craving pull me out of the present moment.  I am determined not to try to cover up loneliness, anxiety or other suffering by losing myself in consumption.  I will contemplate interbeing and consume in a way that preserves peace, joy, and well-being in my body and consciousness and in the collective body and consciousness of my family, my society and the Earth.