Searching for spring all day,
I never saw it,
Straw sandals treading everywhere
Among the clouds, along the bank.
Coming home, I laughed,
Catching the plum blossom’s scent:
Spring at each branch tip, already perfect.
– Sung Dynasty Nun
I loved reading Diane’s last blog. Taking the time and developing a practice of compassion and Right View will help your life and this world.
A professor I know in the Midwest is very involved in the administration of a large, research oriented university. Her decision making process is subject to a lot of pressures from many different constituencies. Because she knows she will be affecting the lives of many people working at her university, she keeps a little altar on a corner of her office. It is barely visible, and I only noticed that special place after my third visit to her office. It is a very simple table with a picture of a lotus flower. I asked her: “how do you use it?” She smiled: “When I feel overwhelmed and my mind is racing, I take a few minutes to just simply breathe. This is especially important before meetings. I feel more clear after doing that. I do that for myself but also for others. ”
Zen master Bon Soeng states that “the first of the Buddha’s Eightfold Path is clear view, or right view. Right view means clarity. Right view means letting go of “my” view to be able to perceive the moment.” I believe that my friend is a successful mother and professional, a great leader, because of her practice and her ability to perceive the moment, act with compassion, and help this world.
You might try this practice:
- Sit with your back straight and focus on your breathing.
- As you are breathing in and out, allow yourself to simply BE for a few minutes.
- Try to remember the different moments of your day. Notice the moments when pressure and stress failed to give you clarity or to know how to respond to a situation. Watch those moments without judgment. Just notice how sometimes lack of clarity results in lack of compassion for others.
- When you finish, write down your insights. Write about the power of clarity and right view in order to act with compassion. Notice the way it affects your actions in life.
Peace,
Juan