Getting reverence into our day, or as I say it “into the life in my day” is the way we radiate out the qualities and values of living with zen to all others [including animals], plants and planet. Zen has been called “the religion without a god” which respects the divinity within all . . . it’s a unique way of living simply, with meditation, values and virtues : harmony, tranquility, purity and reverence.
But how do you get more reverence? You “grow” it, in your heartspace . . . and with diligence and a sincere heart eventually revering what occurs naturally, or nature that surrounds us, becomes a daily “song from the heart”. This is how I grow my reverence in my day:
Morning breath
For 10 minutes every morning I breathe with, resonate with and feel the Heartbeat of the Earth and connect with all the love of Mother Goddess in nature. [Read more in my blog here . . . ]
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Lunchtime walk
A 5 minute walking meditation : this version is in the yogic tradition and very simple to practice. Imagine with every step you take when you walk, you are “kissing” the earth with your feet.
Thich Nhat Hanh: “Revolution Starts With Falling In Love With the Earth … “
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Tea-time time out
The afternoon tea ritual is the zen way of taking time out on a daily basis to connect with, accept and appreciate what “naturally occurs” – we build our reverence for the whole of nature, and of course this is totally de-stressing because we’re leaving the world behind for a short while. My favourite tea is known as ” a kiss from the goddess of mercy”: Oolong china tea for our zen tea ritual – here’s my blog on the tea way
Love your zen – because zen has always loved you
“Goddess” is a cluster of virtues: such as beauty, hope, love, compassion, peace. Spirit of existence is in all things, or as she is known “Great Mother”, Nature. With zen we learn to revere the cluster of virtues within ourself . . . . as the zen monk told Saint Ramakrishna in India: this is Zen Master Osho’s story:
The zen monk Yen T’ou was visiting Sri Ramakrishna in India and at that time in the 19th century Ramakrishna had quite a large following by then, although he hadn’t become a “saint” yet. You might know him from his teaching “Jiva is Shiva” which means “each individual is divinity itself”.
Ramakrishna was devoted to the Great Mother in his meditation which the monk had seen from the expression on Ramakrishna’s face during practice. The monk surprised Ramakrishna by saying that he couldn’t possibly be teaching his followers the Truth because he was only in love with the feeling in his head . . . the monk told him: “in future if you want to make a great teaching, it must flow out point by point from within your own breast to cover heaven and earth: only then will it be the action of a man of power.”
Osho said that which flows from our own breast is our “beginning-less” present awareness, it’s not thinking or thinking you’re devoted, it’s something from before your parents were born. Once you have grown this within your “own breast” then whatever words you teach are Truth because they’re a heart-to-heart message and you share your abundance of love, compassion, blissfulness.
Better that your heart is full and your head is empty, then you don’t need to convert people – your Truth radiates out your reverence.
“Slowly by slowly, with daily practice, the life in your day becomes a prayer and your daily routine becomes ‘golden’ ” — suzen
“The boundarIes of exIstence
I call Heaven and Earth
Beyond thIs there Is no name
ExIstence on earth I call love,
Or Mother (Tao)”
Lao-tzu, the tao te ching
[ . . . if you have the option, please mark your donation “friends and family” namaste!]
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Sacred Heart painting is by Elena Ray elenaray.com
