Ah, the fall feast has been had, the temperature has dropped, the sparkly decorations and tiny lights have been retrieved from the dusty corners of the loft above the garage. This is my time of year. Perhaps because I was born in the middle of winter, just slipping in in the waning days of 1972, the season always calls to me. Whatever the origin of the feeling, it is undeniable that this time of year is special to me. It's introverted like me. The short days turn our focus inward. We live in the dark, wrapped in wool and microfleece, scarves buffeting the wind, hats pulled low over our ears. Our bodies are wrapped against the elements, our houses closed up tight to retain heat and conserve energy. We gather together seeking warmth and companionship around fires and hot coca.When the snow comes, the very earth and air become quiet. When the snow really comes, we are all slowed down--trips postponed, don't drive, stay inside...rest.
It is a somewhat sad irony that this contemplative, quiet, introverted, dark, cold, insular season is also one of our busiest--full of parties, travel, celebrations, shopping, and gift exchanges. Even with all this kinetic energy, however, the nature of the season is slow, restful, restorative. We try so hard with our electric lights, alarm clocks, and high-tech clothes to pretend that the earth around us doesn't dictate the cycle of our lives, but a layer of microfiber and a 25w CFL do not 20,000 years of evolution erase. If you pay any attention to what your body is telling you, you will probably notice that your body thinks it it time to rest and restore, no matter what the alarms, smartphones, electric lights and flashing screens of our lives may say.
I also find that as the calendar year comes to a close, I naturally become more reflective--looking back over the current year, assessing what I have done and not done and considering where I would like the next year to take me and what I will need to get there. Restore. Nourish. Recharge. Lay dormant under the snow. Feel your brain sink into the back of your skull. Rest in the expansive, dimly lit winter sky. Feel the chill sink down into your bones. Know that you are a living being. Breathe the earth down into your lungs. Lay in waiting for the return of the sun to warm your nourished mind and body. Be ready to reemerge and grow bright and bold, vivid and alive--skyward.
But don't forget the lessons of the trees and perennials--ultimately the lessons that run in the marrow of our bones, etched into our DNA. To reach the sky, the mighty oak sheds its leaves, turns all its systems to 'low' and rests...quietly renewing, recharging, restoring--laying in wait, under the snow.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Thursday, November 24, 2011
The Bodhisattva's Way
I give thanks to all the holy lamas who have carried the unbroken dharma lineage through the aeons. I prostrate in gratitude that my life has been touched by these kind teachers and dedicate any merit that I may accumulate in this life to the liberation of all beings from suffering.
May you have happiness and its causes.
May you be free from suffering and its causes.
May you never be separated from the joy that is without sorrow.
May you abide in equanimity, free from bias, anger, aversion, and attachment.
May I take up the path of the warriors and become a Victor so that I too may hold the lamp on the path to lead all beings out of the darkness.
Dedication
from Guide to a Bodhisattva's Way of Life
by Master Shantideva
May all beings everywhere
Plagued by sufferings of body and
mind
Obtain an ocean of happiness and
joy
By virtue of my merits.
May no living creature suffer,
Commit evil or ever fall ill.
May no one be afraid or belittled,
With a mind weighed down by
depression.
May the blind see forms,
And the deaf hear sounds.
May those whose bodies are worn
with toil
Be restored on finding repose.
May the naked find clothing,
The hungry find food.
May the thirsty find water
And delicious drinks.
May the poor find wealth,
Those weak with sorrow find joy.
May the forlorn find hope,
Constant happiness and prosperity.
May all who are ill or injured
Quickly be freed from their
ailments.
Whatever diseases there are in the
world,
May these never occur again.
May the frightened cease to be
afraid
And those bound be freed.
May the powerless find power
And may people think of benefiting
each other.
For as long as space endures
And as long as living beings
remain,
Until then may I too abide
To dispel the misery of the world.
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