Zen is in the living – your day becomes a daily process of meditation, awareness and awakening . . . when you live simply.
Before we get into how I fit meditation into my day with zen . . . let’s get real about something: we have a daily choice to search for what is good in our life.
Whenever we set out to find problems, snags and issues then you can guarantee we’ll find them. The Cosmos can seemingly be generous in that regard. Fortunately, when we make a concerted effort to see joy, hope, inspiration and comfort, they are equally as easy to manifest. These things are not hiding from us . . . but, sometimes, we simply forget how to look for them. We’re so used to over-thinking and being overly-alert to negativity that we overlook the awe and beauty around us. Search for what’s good, in your day, and you’ll find it: take time out . . .
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This is how I fit meditation into my day with zen
Morning Practice: listening to the Heartbeat of the Earth | Resonate with the Earth’s Magnetic Field.
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Afternoon Practice: destressing by taking time out for contemplation and peace . . . with zen we do this daily with our Tea Ritual . . . it’s also a time to be in harmony with and honour the equality in all beings. We accept, appreciate and revere what naturally occurs, exactly as it is – in an atmosphere of harmony, tranquillity, purity and reverence: we are all equal when we take time out for tea.
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Evening Practice: a 5 minute zazen meditation sit . . . yes, it only takes 5 or 6 minutes to learn how to meditate in the zen tradition: you sit straight, in silence and breathe.
[this is from my archives so it’s old video, but zen never grows old!]
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Meditation is Your Medication
I love what Osho the Zen Master said . . . “Meditation is your medication, once it has worked for you – you throw away the medication, throw away the Meditation and get a new one . . .” and in the tradition of the Zen Masters they never say anything to fullness, but leave much unsaid . . . for US to meditate on!
Zen Loves You
And I’m feeling right now as I share this blog, that I should also share the following with you from South American poet Pablo Neruda as I have such affinity with both himself and Rumi: I also use his term “the light of flowers” for the beautiful state of being that follows when our seeds of potential have blossomed as we follow the paths of our hearts and spirits.
I LOVE YOU BECAUSE I LOVE YOU:
I love you between shadow and soul ,
I love you as the plant that hasn’t bloomed yet,
and carries within it, the light of flowers.
I love you without knowing how,
or when, or from where . . .
because of you
the dense fragrance that rises from the earth,
lives within my body,
rioting with hunger
for the eternity of our victorious kisses.
Pablo Neruda
Namaste, Susan
[Meditation photo by Valeria Ushakova from Pexels ]
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