Jesus In A Flower Pot

 

Happy Spring, everyone! Although Tahoe is still locked in snow tunnels--the Robins have arrived, chipmunks are out of hibernation and the doves are cooing! Below is a Spring Tribute, please enjoy and may it benefit your practice of looking deeply....

Jesus In A Flower Pot

©2017 Karla Johnston, InnerConstellation.com

Jogging alongside Tahoe snow banks 7 feet high, 

baking in March sunshine,
I run on black warmed asphalt.

Spring run-off gurgles through gutters like a river
as Gore-Tex runners
skim through the wet,
splashing snow-melt
in sprays of liquid light.

Neighbor's house is passed for the hundredth time,
but in this moment, snow has melted and crumbled away,
exposing a beraggled flower pot--
a tiny plastic Jesus stands askew among the carnage of winter,
water jug tipped,
cradling a loaf of bread—
compassion's cup extended.

Feet stop running,
hands come together in one full breath…
bow
and receive
spring's blessing.

How Does One Experience Nirvana?

LTMC, dang, you guys, we're going deep! This week we just began our new book, "No Death, No Fear" which led to the discussion of Nirvana. One definition of Nirvana is the extinction of all notions, all ideas. We tried wrapping our heads around that possibility and how exactly to succeed in extinguishing our notions. An example of a tangerine was presented and how by pure experience we taste the yummy fruit yet are not shaken when the tangerine is no longer a yummy fruit but rather fuel digesting in our stomach! Can we have similar appreciation for beautiful moments, painful moments, knowing that the only truth is impermanence and the fact that form will undoubtedly change. How can we let go of our notions and experience Nirvana? Unanimously, we decided--it's a practice! Our community discussion settled and a little ditty was born. Please enjoy and may it benefit your practice....

How Does One Experience Nirvana?
©Karla Johnston, InnerConstellation.com

“Nirvana is the extinction of all notions…all ideas.”
~The Heart of the Buddha’s Teachings, Thich Nhat Hanh

Woke at 4:00am wide awake…
checked on sweet P, elderly cancer cat,
who sat, head up,
as she pushed affectionately into hands reaching
through moonlight for tangible reassurance.
Buried my nose behind her ear,
filled up with warm, sleepy scent—ambrosia.

Back to bed,
followed my breath,
noticed the catch between inhalation and exhalation.

At 7:00am, woke to administer medication, food preparation
and identified the clouds brewing—restlessness.
Nephews court date is tomorrow morning,
the separation of our 2,000 miles deepened the heart-chasm….

Burst of energy had me answering emails, cleaning kitchen
before I finally pulled myself from the whirlwind I had become,
sat by Sweet P and opened my journal,
“I’ve got to write this out,” I convinced myself.
First sentence, “I’m a busy bee, unable to get to the cushion...”

I pause, smile and realize—writing it out isn’t what it used to be.
A landmark sentence hits the page, “I just need to sit.”
Close journal, shut eyes, follow breathing:
body,
feelings,
mind,
objects of mind.
In doing so, calm arises,
concentration,
happiness, even joy
as perspective naturally widens.

Space. Stillness. Insight—
writing it out, talking it out, fuels the telling of a story:
Sweet P is not only cancer.
She is 2# of deceptive tough fluff found by the roadside,
rolling-on-head-in-sunshine honey girl.
Nephew is bright eyed, ripping off baby clothes to run wild through the petting zoo,
squealer-of-delight.
We are so much more than narrative,
a running commentary!

When a story is no longer told,
the characters break free.
In one breath of awareness,
all suffering ceases.
I suddenly remember our Eternity. 

Day of Jedi Training (ie Day of Mindfulness:)

Lake Tahoe Mindfulness Community is offering our first online Day of Mindfulness (DOM) this coming Saturday, March 11 from 7:00a-7:00pm and this blog article can hopefully serve as an introduction to DOM as a way of deepening our personal and community practices.

Before the days of an iwatch, lay persons and monastics who practiced mindfulness used to look to the night skies and come together according to cycles of the moon. They would sit, do walking meditation, listen to dharma talks, practice eating meditation and nourish themselves, their loved ones and their communities. In the Plum Village tradition practitioners are encouraged to take collective as well as personal days of mindfulness to set time aside for personal reflection and awakening. Thich Nhat Hanh has famously said, "One Buddha is not enough," stressing that the next Buddha will not be one person but the communities that practices the way of understanding, peace and compassion. Days of Mindfulness are opportunities to water our Buddha nature and the Buddha nature in our loved ones and communities.

So, all this being considered, March 11 is a full moon day set aside for online community to come together with two supportive anchor points--the 7:00am uberconference call and the 7:00pm uberconference call. All the juicy hours in between are for your enjoyment and reflection. Suggestions will be offered via the DOM Facebook events page for access during the day. If you are not on Facebook, please email the following contact and you will be added to an email send list with all DOM links.

Lastly, some folks may question, why online? LTMC does four seasonal retreats every year for our community to come together in person to practice. We've also met since July 2014, every Wednesday morning with between 10-15 people in attendance. Even though we're a small mountain community, our retreats have attracted as many as 25+ people--we're a destination sangha along the shores of Lake Tahoe. It's not uncommon for folks to visit for short lengths of time and then go back to wherever home base may be. We've brought our mothers, sisters, brothers, kids who have visited LTMC from all around the US. An online forum is a way for us to reconnect and practice with our long distance beloved members again and with our larger sangha community. Living in an isolated and often weather-beaten area, local LTMC folks can't always drive 4+ hours round trip to join in our closest Days of Mindfulness. Another thing we've considered in offering an online forum is our presently encased snow town wherein some populations cannot physically get out and about. We've met families in our local community with loved ones who are bound to place due to illness or circumstance. Perhaps an online Day of Mindfulness may serve to benefit these populations and encourage practice no matter where one may find themselves.

LTMC looks forward to strengthening our practice together and offering support in whatever ways serve our communities best. Please consider joining us and bringing along a few loved ones too. In the words of Master Yoda:

Luminous beings are we...not this crude matter.

Stretch and pull, shine across the ether...see you on Saturday :)

Snow Shoveling Sangha!

Four mountain gals showed up for LTMC this week but The Studio parking lot was a no-go as we had received another dumping the eve before. No problem, we've got this! The winter has prepared us well. So, LTMC squeezed into our breakfast location across the street (where we go after our Wednesday sits, yum:). Thank you Getaway Cafe for saving the day! Within moments of wading through the snowy goodness and up into our home temple, the plow guy came--our hero! Beautiful practice to sit in meditation and send Metta to that sweet savior clearing our way.

During community discussion, the theme of managing strong emotions came up and one of us shared an inspiring success of mindfully calming herself before addressing an individual who did serious damage to property and to her art. We were reminded of Thich Nhat Hanh's wisdom, which was skillfully practiced in her volatile situation:

Below was an excerpt read in our current book: The Mindfulness Survival Kit regarding applying the ethics of Mindful Living:

1. We learn how to be relaxed and release tension in ourselves.
2. We learn how to breathe and calm ourselves when we have strong emotions.
3. We learn how to keep communication open with relatives and friends and how to restore communication when it has broken down.
4. We learn ways of looking deeply in order to realize interbeing and no-self and to overcome fear.

In the wise words of one LTMC member, "It's a practice!" Heck yah, but, we've got this, our winters have prepared us well. Have a joyful week "being" snow angels and the like....

"May all beings be happy,
may we be healthy and strong,
safe and protected,
free from inner and outer harm.
May we live in the world with ease and grace."*


* LTMC dedication, inspired by the Metta Sutra and written by Karla Johnston, InnerConstellation.com

~~Readings for the week of February 26: The Mindfulness Survival Kit p. 186-203

Suchness of Loved Ones....

The theme of "Suchness," in the month of February is kicking my @$$, in regards to relationships with my loved ones. It's been awhile since I posted a poem and this morning as rain turned to snow, the muse of deep looking tapped me on the shoulder. A dear sweet member of my family has given me permission to blog this poem of insight that was the result. In doing so, may it alleviate suffering in all beings and help water seeds of hope in the enduring opportunities for transformation (IC Truth number #3).

Photographs
February 20, 2017
©Karla Johnston, InnerConstellation.com

I was leaving you
to go to the country club
and dine with the in-laws.
Wise 5-year-old heart knew I preferred to stay with you.
Arms wrapped tightly around the other
in a goodbye embrace.
We turn for a picture, catching a moment in time…
heads pressed together,
infatuated grins mirror the other as we squeeze close.
Our dark eyes sparkle against a crushed black velvet dress,
no tears--confident in the enduring presence of love.

Now, year 2017, Day after Valentine’s,
an entirely different photograph:
dark eyes askew, drool clings to trimmed beard.
DUI, fleeing arrest.
I’m on the other side of the screen,
so immediate my love for you,
breathing to calm a racing heart.
Thoughts bombard—could have killed himself,
killed another….

I carry both photographs to the altar,
prop them against a yellow flowering begonia,
sit down and get still.
All my life, I’ve pondered this mystery:
why don’t I love everyone as deeply as my kin?
Breathing in,
breathing out,
finally an answer is born--
because I’ve experienced my loved one’s goodness,
I have known their shining beauty
not just their scorn.

Gaze at the pictures, child and man,
breathe, my dear.
In every human being all possibilities exists--
the lovable child and the slobbering drunk.
Do not be moved--
be forever grounded in goodness
and the enduring presence of love.

True Love

This week's LTMC mindfulness topic naturally presented as True Love given our Valentine's week. As we sat in the lotus room soaking up a robin-egg blue morning, we noticed the transition to increased light and the square of sky breaking through the snow-encrusted skylight! After sitting together, the 3rd mindfulness training was read to anchor our discussion:

True Love

Aware of the suffering caused by sexual misconduct, I am committed to cultivating responsibility and learning ways to protect the safety and integrity of individuals, couples, families, and society. Knowing that sexual desire is not love, and that sexual activity motivated by craving always harms myself as well as others, I am determined not to engage in sexual relations without true love and a deep, long-term commitment made known to my family and friends. I will do everything in my power to protect children from sexual abuse and to prevent couples and families from being broken by sexual misconduct. Seeing that body and mind are one, I am committed to learning appropriate ways to take care of my sexual energy and cultivating loving kindness, compassion, joy and inclusiveness – which are the four basic elements of true love – for my greater happiness and the greater happiness of others. Practicing true love, we know that we will continue beautifully into the future.

As a community, we discussed the refreshing awareness that seems to be penetrating the young adult population regarding the desire for a long-term commitment before the intimacy of sex. A favorite line of the above training is..."Practicing true love, we know that we will continue beautifully into the future." Imagine actively committing to cultivating loving kindness, compassion, joy and inclusiveness and the ripple effect such actions have on all generations to come. What are ways in which you cultivate elements of true love? Lake Tahoe Mindfulness Community hopes your Valentine's week was filled with opportunities to practice.

Hold Up The Flower

This week's post begins an aspiration to write a regular mindfulness topic highlighting Lake Tahoe Mindfulness Community's time together Wednesday mornings. Hopefully these regular articles will extend the joy and inspiration we feel when we're in community and further nourish our practice.

This week, February 8, LTMC had a wonderful morning sit with a deluge of rain as our companion as it struck the skylights of the Lotus Room. The rains inspired the remembering of a favorite story about the Buddha. Over a thousand people had gathered to hear the Buddha speak but without saying a word, he simply held up a flower. Many minutes went by as the gathered crowd attempted to figure out his gesture and waited for him to speak. Buddha continued to silently hold up the flower, then suddenly, he smiled because a monk in the crowd, Mahakashyapa, had smiled to him and the flower. Buddha announced, "I have a treasure of insight, and I have transmitted it to Mahakashyapa." The monk and the Buddha experienced true happiness, enjoying the flower and each other. That remains a popular story in Zen circles and many meanings have been attributed to the teaching of the flower. Thich Nhat Hanh provides a beautiful translation here. LTMC discussed the possibility that perhaps mindfulness is truly as simple as enjoying the beauty of a flower or the pouring rain. If someone offers you a flower but you aren't present, you miss the flower, what a pity. Another thing discussed was our ability to simply be a beautiful flower in the midst of a questioning and suffering world. LTMC then pondered the lesson of the flower when managing a difficult person, perhaps someone who seems to find themselves in the same habitual patterns. Our impetus to try to fix another person's dilemma is so strong. Maybe we don't have to "do" anything, perhaps we need not convince, enlighten, or give advice. What if we sat peacefully, followed our breathing and simply held up the beautiful flower?

A LTMC community member then shared a beautiful tradition among African peoples--when someone has offended the community or is out of line, the tribe calls a meeting with that person, surrounds him or her and sings to the wrong-doer, reminding the person of their goodness--they hold up the flower.

We are beautiful creations, of this LTMC is sure--goodness, peace and well-being grace the many petals of our creation. If you ever need reminded, come visit us on Wednesday mornings, 7:30a, upstairs in the Lotus Room. LTMC hopes you have a wonderful practice week holding up the flower....

"May all being be happy,
may we be healthy and strong,
safe and protected,
free from inner and outer harm,
may we live in the world with ease and grace." *

* LTMC dedication, inspired by the Metta Sutra and written by Karla Johnston, InnerConstellation.com