Kindness. Many years ago, a friend looked me in the eye and said, "If you want humility, and you really need it, do something good for someone else and don't get caught". My immediate thought was to punch him in the mouth; fortunately, I chose to just shut up and be angry.
Do something good for someone else, and don't get caught. This phrase haunted me. I could not understand why you would want to do something good for somebody else and not get credit any for it. What was the point? What would I get out of it? How would they know I did it? The little I did not understand this spiritual truth.
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One of the most significant challenges in modern American life is learning and mastering the art of not trying. We are taught as children and adults that the more we do, the better person we will become. It does not matter if it is more work, more money, more alcohol, more sex, more vacations, or more fun; we must do more. We are a culture of doing, not being. Our value and status are often directly related to how much we do. And if we think about it, doing it is usually directly connected to how hard we try. If we try harder, we will do more and, therefore, be a better person. When we scrape it all away, it is about doing and trying more and harder. The art of not trying is contrary to this cultural belief system....
Plum Village, November 12, 2014
To all Plum Village Practice Centers,
To all Practice Centers and Sanghas World Wide,
To our Dear Beloved Friends,
With a deep mindful breath we announce to the world the news that yesterday, the 11th of November 2014 Thay, Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, experienced a severe brain hemorrhage. Thay is receiving 24 hour intensive care from specialist doctors, nurses and from his monastic disciples.
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This past week I had the opportunity for a two-day spiritual retreat at Portsmouth Abbey in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. If you have never been there,
Portsmouth Abbey is on a beautiful campus next to the ocean sharing its property with
Portsmouth Abbey School....
I have to admit that when I first saw the headline, David Romanelli set out to make meditation entertaining, and I cringed. I really did. The last few years have challenged me, observing many of our Sacred and Venerable rituals and practices become watered-down and made cute or sexy by Mother Culture. My immediate thought was simple, "Oh no, not meditation; please do not do this to meditation." This phenomenon has manifested in Reiki, Hatha Yoga, Qi Gong, Acupuncture, and many other traditional healing practices. Isn't it enough that almost every image of meditation has a very thin, white female with perfect hair and skin with no pores? Please, not meditation too!...
It’s now been forty minutes in an altered brain rhythm, slipping from below ordinary consciousness, even below psychic, all the way down to spiritual healing. It is a state where the ego does not completely rule words, thoughts, and actions. The shadow has quieted enough to allow the True Self to speak and be present. The answers are usually simple: a word, a phrase, or maybe even just a syllable. In this case, very simple: “Yes”. This is my life as a Reiki Practitioner.
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Last week, I participated in a solo, two-day meditation retreat at
Portsmouth Abbey in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, just north of Newport. I was grateful for the opportunity to pray, meditate, sit, and chant with the monks at Portsmouth Abbey.
Meditation Retreat at Portsmouth Abbey - The Chapel
Suppose you have never visited a Benedictine Monastery before. In that case, they wake early in the morning, typically around 5:00 a.m., beginning the day with the first of seven "Offices", or times of communal prayer through chanting. As a guest, you are welcome to join them for as much or as little of their daily routine as you feel moved. I did not choose to take part in the early morning prayer time. Instead, I stayed in my room for silent prayer and meditation. I went there for silence and meditation....