Living as a Witness
This blog isn’t about being in witness protection. Our student Taunia sent me a quote the other day from poet David Whyte: I want to be born again, in exactly the selfsame life, aware this time from the inside out, and to stand this time as a beautiful un-worrying witness, living beyond the need for this or that. Then Taunia wrote: I’m so often, in hindsight, dismayed by the countless hours spent in
The power of Framing
Seeing Through New Frames at Retreat At our internal retreat at Kenneth Hahn Park we practiced Tai Chi and meditated in several beautiful spots including a Japanese garden, a grass field with a stream flowing through and a tree spotted hilltop overlooking Los Angeles. Each location had a slightly different feel and created new perspectives. At the final hilltop with a beautiful view of the city I was struck by inspiration.
It’s not about you
Seeing Beyond Ourselves Well, this blog is about you. But not everything in the world is about you. We have a tendency to view the events of our life through the lens of how they affect us. Of course we do. We are human beings and our perspective is, by definition, a self-centered one. Yet in order to make the most of our lives and to function in society we must be
Asking Questions
Sometimes, at the end of class when I ask for questions, nobody raises their hand. I take this opportunity to remind everyone of the importance of asking questions and say, “There is no such thing as a dumb question, only dumb people who don’t ask enough questions.” If you hear this, please take it personally. No, I’m not calling you dumb, but you should be asking questions! Ask me, ask
Letting go and learning
One of my favorite zen stories is A Cup of Tea in Zen Flesh, Zen Bones:Nan-in, a Japanese master during the Meiji era (1868-1912), received a university professor who came to inquire about Zen. Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor's cup full, and then kept on pouring. The professor watched the overflow until he no longer could restrain himself. "It is overfull. No more will go in!" "Like this
