Faith and Courage

In "the courage to be" paul tillich (a christian philosopher and theologian) says that "joy is the emotional expression of the courageous Yes to one's own true being."

Buddhist philosopher shin yatomi expands on this in his book "buddhism in a new light", saying that this "courageous acceptance of the self also marks the beginning of the essential transformation of our lives AND the world around us." (caps are mine.)

So this is where we start to transform our world. Saying YES. To what is true. I started to learn that from progressive christian scholars, followed the "yes" through tantra (kashmiri shivaism), and now know and experience that nichiren buddhism is the practice that develops in me the ability to see what is true and to have the courage to say yes.

Sometimes I forget. Sometimes I can't find the "yes".

As I live my practice I remember - awaken - and my heart grows more compassionate and strong.

And my world (OUR world) begins to awaken from its powerful delusions and negativity too.

See what is.

Say YES with your whole self.

The future of our world is at stake.



"Today I set my heart upon enlightenment. May these blessings save all beings everywhere."
sarah

see what is

Ignorance is bliss. Or is it?

I believe that true seeing, "see what is", also includes the joyful side that we sometimes fail to see clearly.
Our lives include the entire spectrum, and are not weighted toward the sad side.
When we see what is, we see our strength and tenacity. We see our compassion. We see that we can have a high life condition whatever our circumstances. Our hearts dance with joy when we truly see.

Don't forget that.

Ignorance is a kind of bliss.
True seeing is also bliss.

In my experience.
Though I need to be reminded regularly.


sarah

Anxiety, or Anticipation

New beginnings bring a fluttery feeling of anxiety, or even nausea when the change is a big one. At least for me.
I have to remind myself to change my viewpoint. Being excited about something brings fluttery feelings or even upset stomach too.
Why not choose to frame those feelings as positive ones. Move ahead boldly. Take the next step into my vision of myself.
Do all the things that help me be strong and well - rest, exercise, eat healthily, enlist my community to support me, and so on.
Ground and center myself. Remember my goals. Know I am just where I should be, the right woman for this particular job, and I will know what I need to know when I need to know it, and that I have strengths I am bringing to this particular situation.
So let the exhilaration remind me that I am taking my very own next step, and I am ready! Bring it on!


sarah

The gift of brokenness

Is it possible that sometimes that something has to be broken in order for mending to occur?

Perhaps we get stuck in a certain form, and can only stretch and grow and become more by cracking the form we have taken on.

The breaking hurts. And the one who takes the action to split things asunder carries the pain of that in her bones.

The possibility is there that she can also own gratitude for the strength to take the action that freed herself and also others to create new shapes that serve them well at this new time in their lives. Happiness out of the ashes, so to speak.

That is my hope.

The pain and the joy together make us who we are. Together we move forward, still holding the energy of who we were as we become who we are.


sarah

Heal the land

Today, listening to the news of raging wildfires in lands I love out west, I knew that what I have been told is true.
To heal the land, we must heal the people. One by one, we can bring peace to the people, and healing to the land.
And our hearts will dance with joy.

sarah

Leadership

Recently heard a wonderful idea about being a leader.

A friend was seeking guidance about why the group she leads wasn't pitching in, following her lead, doing what needs to be done.

A suggestion she received: Sound like a divide between "you" and "them". Maybe if your group develops unity of heart, and you move together with the group you will reach your joint objectives. As one.

How do we develop unity of heart? Chant together. Study together. Dialogue - really hear each other and speak truth together. Appreciate each other's special qualities. Develop goals together.

What do YOU find works in the groups you are a part of?


sarah

power and wisdom

Not sure about this post, but here is what it felt like happened today.

I got pissed off. Righteous indignation. I don't acknowledge often that I am angry, but I was kinda seething about some folks not carrying out their responsibility, from my perspective. And in that flashpoint of anger, a full glass of cherry juice jumped off the bedside table (ok I knocked it off with my elbow) and shattered glass and sticky juice went flying.

So, it felt like I made it happen with my power. Like I threw a lightening bolt. And created chaos.

I'm thinking it is a good thing that we awaken to our capacity and power gradually, as we develop wisdom in tandem with it. I don't want to be throwing lightening bolts willy nilly. Someone or something might get hurt. I want to be sure to use my potential and power in a way that brings happiness to my family, friends, neighborhood, country, world, cosmos. Not to create chaos and destruction.

So I will continue to use all the tools at my disposal to develop compassionate wisdom.

And I will carefully do what I can to clean up the messes I make while I am learning.


sarah

Hang me out on the line to dry

Today I feel like I was wrung through a wringer last night. And I have a strong visual image to go with that, having watched grandma's hand get caught in the old wringer washer.

At least she was able to stop it before it went any further. I also have a sort of cartoon image in my mind of a whole body going through and coming out flat and wrinkled, like the big bed sheets we fed through the wringer.

It is very hard to change old patterns of behavior, to overcome karmic tendencies. To not keep doing things the same old ways while expecting different outcomes.

It is hard to do what feels like the "right" thing while knowing that to someone for whom you care deeply it feels like you are being heedless of their needs and their discomfort.

Morning always comes. And fences get mended. And connections get repaired. And the sheet that got pressed flat by the wringer billows out on the clothes line in the sunshine.

Our hearts are strong. Our foundations are deep. We can rebuild. We can avoid the fault lines, sister the joists, erect a tent even in the midst of a storm.
We can learn and grow. We can keep on keeping on. We can make new choices. Communicate in different ways.

We can keep our loving arms open wide. We can look into each other's eyes and see our most true selves. We can take turns carrying each other when we are tired. We can smile and laugh - really.

I'm gonna smile and laugh and love today.

Thanks for listening.

sarah

Those pesky pear trees

We have blossoms here everywhere now. I will try to photograph the bradford pear trees blossoming all along our street. Those trees are pesky as they drop branches a lot, but in spring they really shine.
Maybe some of our lives are like that. Sort of prickly a lot of the time but then really alight with fire in our season.

Today I want to weave a web that ripples with dancing light, celebrating all the connections I felt yesterday. And to find ways to REALLY connect with those shining lives.

sarah

O happy day!

Ever noticed how we tend to share our angst more than our joy?

Today is my birthday, and my buddhist birthday too.

My heart is happy. And dancing.

Life is full. Life is good. My community of friends and family surrounds me with loving arms, come what may.

I never really learned to dance, but my heart dances with the rhythm of the universe, even when my body is out of step.

Join me in the dance.
sarah

Awake Again

Here's where I finally am today, after a few months of wondering if I would feel lightness again:

I just woke up. Again.

I have spent the last few months slogging through. Doing my practice. Chanting. Going to buddhist activities. Taking care of members, friends, and family. Reading and studying. Sharing the mystic law of life.

Trusting that the fog will clear. That the joy will return. That, as shakyamuni buddha's disciples said, I too will be able to say: "Now I have something I didn't have before. My heart is dancing with joy!" That I CAN see what is. True seeing. And that what I see will be full of hope and life energy, not despair and deadness.

Today I am awake again. I KNOW that nam myoho renge kyo is the key. That there is power beyond our imagining in life in resonance with the essential vibration. Why am I so unwilling to KNOW that the "magic", the power, is focused in nam myoho renge kyo, the name of the heart of all being.

Today I know. Today I am awake.

It sure feels good to come out of the darkness. I wrote this so I can remind myself that the light is always there.


sarah