Traveling Well

"It is better to travel well than to arrive." 

(attributed to The Buddha)

I've been thinking a lot about journeys lately, having just returned from a very transformative one earlier this month.  But I've also been thinking of the other journeys that we find ourselves traveling throughout the course of our lives, the ones that don't necessarily require cars, trains, or planes. The journey of our soul/spirit.  The journey that we take step-by-step, breath-by-breath, moment-to-moment.

John and I have delightful neighbors, a 90 year old couple named Mr. and Mrs. C.  Last Tuesday, Mrs. C. fell while getting up after a nap and she broke her hip.  She was fine in all respects except for the pain in her hip.  Before the EMT's wheeled her out of her house, she calmly reminded her son to "please make sure you finish the stew", and off she went.  The next day, as doctors were preparing her for surgery to repair the bones, she passed away.  Although Mrs. C. was 90 years old and had led a very long life, the news still came as a shock.  It was so unexpected and sad.

Mrs. C. and her husband had been married for 70 years (yep-70!).  They have five grown children and many grand and great-grandchildren.  Mr. C. is a World War II veteran and a life-long military man.  They've had many, many years of exciting travels, and experiences.  One of the most poignant aspects of this story is how well regarded Mrs. C. was by the many people who knew her.  At her funeral services the words sweet, loving, loyal, calm, and caring, kept coming up again and again by those who stood up to speak about her.  She had a very long and fruitful journey in this life, and by all accounts she traveled well.  She left a lasting legacy of calm abiding to her family and friends.

We get on our mat or meditation cushion so that we can open our eyes, hearts and minds to all of the conditions of happiness available to us in any given moment.  What we begin to awaken to is that our journey through life is what we make it.  We can choose to see the beauty of the scenery around us, or we can create a desolate vision of what's around us.  Ultimately the question is: When the journey ends, will you be able to say that you traveled well? 

Our dedicated practice teaches us how to travel well.  The twists, turns, and straight highways, back roads and trails of our life teach us that no matter what lies in our path, we have the capacity to find and deeply touch peace.  The journey is not always easy, in fact it is sure to be arduous at times, but peace is available with each step, breath and moment.

Take the time to enrich your travels.  

Until next time...

.

Walking Meditation

by Thich Nhat Hanh

Take my hand.

We will walk.

We will only walk.

We will enjoy our walk

without thinking of arriving anywhere.

Walk peacefully.

Walk happily.

Our walk is a peace walk.

Our walk is a happiness walk.

Then we learn 

that there is no peace walk;

that peace is the walk;

that there is no happiness walk;

that happiness is the walk.

We walk for ourselves.

We walk for everyone

always hand in hand.

Walk and touch peace every moment.

Walk and ouch happiness every moment.

Each step brings a fresh breeze.

Each step makes a flower bloom under our feet.

Kiss the earth with your feet.

Print on Earth your love and happiness.

Earth will be safe

when we feel in us enough safety.

No Distinctions (Monastery Visit-Part Two)

“The Sangha is invited to come back to their breathing. Let the whole Sangha breathe as one body, chant as one body, listen as one body and transcend the boundaries of the delusive self, liberating from the superiority complex, the inferiority complex, and the equality complex.”
(Thich Nhat Hanh)

One of the most profound moments of realization from our recent trip to Magnolia Grove Monastery came when, during a question and answer session, a young girl named Quin asked Thay:  "I wanted to ask how I can relate to another person and love the person with my whole heart and not feel superior, or inferior or equal to the person.  It's a very hard concept for me to grasp because sometimes I feel jealous or inferior than another person and it makes me suffer a lot."  Thay answered gently: "When we see the other person, we should recognize that in him or her there is suffering also.  There is suffering in us for sure, but there is suffering in him and in her too, so you have something in common - both of you suffer. Based upon that it is possible to help each other to suffer less. And you forget about that you are equal to him or better than him or are worth less than him.  To suffer is not a bad thing.  Suffering is an ingredient with which we can make happiness  The practice consists of learning how to make good use of the suffering in order to create happiness.  We know that comparing and these other complexes create suffering, so we give priority to the practice of recognizing the suffering in us and in the other person.  The first thing we do is to help them to suffer less, because that person may look like she does not suffer, but that's not true... that is not true.  That person may look very fancy, but there is one thing that is certain; there is suffering in him or in her, and if you can touch that compassion in you it will arise and it will protect you from afflictions such as jealously, superiority, and inferiority."

When we meet or see others, there is often a tendency to compare.  There always seems to be a part of us that is summing up whether we are superior, inferior or equal to the person we see or meet.  Our practice helps us to free ourselves from all distinctions, to understand that I am in you and you are in me.  No distinctions.  No separation.  Just inter-being as Thay calls it.  This has helped me immensely in the few days it's been since Thay talked about it.  When a situation arises that causes either of these complexes to surface, I come back to my breath and remind myself that there are no distinctions between myself and the person in front of me.  

When we look deeply and touch the heart of our suffering, we recognize and connect with each person we come into contact with on a profound level.  This is how we open the door to our heart.

Next time you find yourself confronted with feelings of superiority, inferiority or even equality, look deeply at the person in front of you and with your whole heart, recognize their suffering, remember you suffer too and know that you both share the capacity to create happiness out of this shared suffering.

Until next time...

 

(photo by John Cotterman, one of our work family members on the retreat)

Please Call Me By My True Names

Portion of a poem by Thich Nhat Hanh

My joy is like a spring, so warm

it makes flowers bloom all over the Earth.

My pain is like a river of tears,

so vast it fills the four oceans.

Please call me by my true names,

so I can hear all my cries and laughter at once,

so I can see that my joy and pain are one.

Please call me by my true names,

so I can wake up

and the door of my heart

could be left open,

the door of compassion.