Slogan #5
Rest in the openness of mind
Mary Oliver’s words invite me to rest in “alaya,” which translates as “essence” or our basic goodness or Buddha nature.
WHEN I AM AMONG TREES
I would almost say that they save me, and daily.
I am so distant from the hope of myself,
in which I have goodness, and discernment,
and never hurry through the world
but walk slowly, and bow often.
Around me the trees stir in their leaves
and call out, “Stay awhile.” The light flows from their branches.
And they call again, “It’s simple,”
they say, “and you, too, have come
into the world to do this, to go easy,
to be filled with light, and to shine.”
Here is how Pema Chodron describes it: “We already have everything we need. There is no need for self-improvement. All these trips that we lay on ourselves—the heavy-duty fearing that we’re bad and hoping that we’re good, the identities that we so dearly cling to the rage, the jealousy and the addictions of all kinds—never touch our basic wealth. They are like clouds that temporarily block the sun. But all the time our warmth and brilliance are right here. This is who we really are. We are one blink of an eye away from being fully awake.”
Slogan #5 focuses on the perspectives of space and silence. Space is open, vast, still, unrestricted, sacred, and safe. Become aware of the space around you; imagine a kinesphere of radiant energy surrounding your body. Become aware of the space inside you; open, vast, still, unrestricted, sacred, and safe. And consider the space within you and the space within the universe as one: this is the mantra “So hum.” This is the space that allows things to move, take form, and come into being. This is space as possibility, as uncharted territory, as vibration and creation. Space allows everything to exist—emotional space, conceptual space, and creative space. Practice is creating space for practice, to allow things to resolve themselves. As you create space between breaths and thoughts, can you also create space between actions and reactions? Nothing is fixed, everything is interconnected, and everything is possible. Space is an open mind, heart, and body. Meditation is an act of faith to dive into space, into the depths of experience, and a doorway to something bigger than ourselves.
Ask yourself: “What’s happening right now?” How is this slogan relevant to the particular conditions of my life? How can I apply this intentional practice in order to awaken compassion in myself and others? These slogans are a call to action to walk our talk and to cultivate a loving connected presence to self and others when things are not okay. Which is now. You don’t have to wait for things in the world to improve before you practice. Everything is grist for the mill—and everything holds the potential for transformation.
I’ll end today’s commentary with an excerpt from a piece that Laurie Anderson, widow of Lou Reed, wrote after his passing. Here she describes his last morning, outside and looking at the trees: "As meditators, we had prepared for this – how to move the energy up from the belly and into the heart and out through the head. I have never seen an expression as full of wonder as Lou's as he died. His hands were doing the water-flowing 21-form of tai chi. His eyes were wide open. I was holding in my arms the person I loved the most in the world, and talking to him as he died. His heart stopped. He wasn't afraid. I had gotten to walk with him to the end of the world. Life – so beautiful, painful and dazzling – does not get better than that. And death? I believe that the purpose of death is the release of love."
“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.”
Rumi
Journaling Prompt
Reflect on difficult or uncomfortable emotions such as pride, shame, guilt, anger, and fear and how they show up in your life. Make this compassionate and judgment-free. How might these emotions that you’re experiencing help to make you a better friend, student, teacher, or person? How do these emotions serve you in helping you to move towards wholeness?