Haiku from Susan - Sharing my Spiritual Journey

Haiku… Sharing my Spiritual Journey

April, 2015

 

My spiritual path…

 

 

Belief:

Know the Inward Light

Practice “holding in the Light”

That of God in all

 

The Divine:

God, the Creator

Holy Spirit, all encompassing

Jesus, God revealed

 

The Quaker Path:

Encounter the Divine

Discern God’s will for our lives

Transform lives to God

 

 

Values that reflect my Spiritual Path… growth and clarity as I’ve passed through the decades…

 

Compassion (focus in my 20’s)

Who is my neighbor?

Jesus says “Love thy neighbor.”

Who IS my neighbor?

 

Education (focus in my 30’s)

Seeking, questioning

Knowledge circles round and round

Challenging answers.

 

Community  (focus in my 40’s)

Sharing, trusting, open

Communication builds

Collaboration

Philanthropy (focus in my 50’s)

Guns, drugs, slavery

Watch out for your investments!

Land trusts, health, children

 

Integrity (focus in my 60’s)

Traveling God’s path

Discerning the will of God

Living one’s values

 

Integration  (focus in my 70’s)

Where will I go next?

Where will discernment lead me?

Where am I going?

Three-minute meditation to try on your commute

Gene sent in the following link and comments:   

"The link below is where I found the 3 minute meditation I have found useful.

http://franticworld.com/free-meditations-from-mindfulness/

It’s the one titled 'Three Minute Breathing Space.' It can be played from the site, or right clicked and downloaded as an MP3.

There are others on the same page I have used once or twice."

(Note: there is a lot of additional material and resources on this Web site called "Mindfulness: Finding Peace in a Frantic World" - mes.) 

Maughn also sent in some additional information: 


"Wow, thanks Gene.  I believe this web page is connected to the book by Mark Williams, "Mindfulness: An 8-Week Practice," which is one of the clearest and most practical books I've read on mindfulness practice I've found: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13538068-mindfulness

He has a chocolate meditation on that page (the one above listed by Gene), which I adapted for use in my philosophy of education class.  For the past couple of years I've done this on the last day of class and used this PowerPoint in silence as we do the practice together.

I still have the feeling of deep peace and expanding heart with me that we shared together last week."

 

(A huge clear, cold spring gushing from the side of a mountain near Mackay, Idaho, where I hiked with two of my brothers in early spring. The run-off from this spring becomes a stream going through the gorge.- mes)

"Mindful Eating" Practice

Maughn sent this in to share:

Thích Nhất Hạnh is a Vietnamese Zen master who coined the term "Engaged Buddhism" to describe the application of Buddhist insights to situations of social, political, environmental, and economic injustice.  He convinced Martin Luther King, Jr. to speak against the war in Viet Nam and King nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize.  Nhất Hạnh was exiled from his country from 1973 to 2005.  He organized a monastery called Plum Village in France which has satellite monasteries and practice centers in New York, California, Mississippi and in other countries (http://plumvillage.org/monastic-practice-centres/).  The monks and nuns of this order (and occasionally TNH himself) lead retreats in the US every year, typically lasting 6 days, where participants practice sitting and walking meditation, mindful eating, mindful movement, and dharma sharing, and listen to one dharma talk each day. Meals are taken in silence, in each other's company, and we are invited to eat slowly, mindfully, savoring each bite, and to practice the "Five Contemplations" (http://plumvillage.org/mindfulness-practice/eating-together/):

1. This food is a gift of the earth, the sky, numerous living beings, and much hard and loving work.
2. May we eat with mindfulness and gratitude so as to be worthy to receive this food.
3. May we recognise and transform unwholesome mental formations, especially our greed and learn to eat with moderation
4. May we keep our compassion alive by eating in such a way that reduces the suffering of living beings, stops contributing to climate change, and heals and preserves our precious planet.
5. We accept this food so that we may nurture our brotherhood and sisterhood, build our Sangha, and nourish our ideal of serving all living beings.

(Note that the Web page of the "eating together" practice linked here has also a list of other mindfulness practices you can look over. Also note that Thích Nhất Hạnh, now 90 years old, is slowly recovering from a serious stroke that took place in November, 2014.)