In her last entry, Diane mentioned how “today I often find myself wrestling with shadows, rushing off to meetings, dealing with endless barrages of e-mail, spending more time on mundane chores than the ideals that once inspired me.” I can identify with that feeling. Bombarded with excessive trivial demands, the aspects of our life that once were so inspiring are pushed aside, and our journey is not our own anymore.
Touching the Buddha Within
Lately, I found myself, once more, inspired by the poet and Vietnamese Zen teacher Thich Nhat Hanh. In his writing he emphasizes that “the heart of the Buddha is in each of us. When we are mindful, the Buddha is there. I know a four-year-old boy who, whenever he is upset, stops what he is doing, breathes mindfully, and tells his mommy and daddy, ‘I am touching the Buddha within.’”
Pema Chodron explains that as you work with that kind of awareness in the world, you can “just open your heart in an inconceivably big way, in that limitless way that benefits everyone you encounter (…) the intention is vast: may everyone’s physical pain be relieved and, even more to the point, may everyone attain enlightenment.” We are encourage, in that way, to take a position of mindful active engagement as we face the suffering of the world and find the terms of ultimate liberation for all beings. In other words, every moment in our life (if we do it mindfully) is an opportunity toward liberation, clarity and compassion for all beings (including us).
El Salvador
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed, stress or disappointed by work, too many demands, by verbal aggression and a violent world? Writing, just keeping a journal, helps me to stop, breathe, and pay attention to what’s happening within. Writing is a powerful spiritual practice if you can mindfully connect with the “Buddha within” everyday.
To practice touching the “Buddha within”:
- Center yourself by mindfully breathing in and out.
- Pay attention to your thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations.
- As you do so, notice those moments when you are “hooked,” distracted or overwhelmed.
- Kindly return to your breathing.
- After meditation, write in your journal for a while. Allow yourself to write without thinking. Let your more authentic self, your “voice,” emerge as you are practicing radical awareness through your writing.
Peace, Juan