Living for This Day

     The Navajo have always taught their children that when the sun comes up in the morning, it’s a brand-new sun.  The sun is born each morning and lives only for the duration of the day, then passes on in the evening twilight never to return again.  As soon as the children are old enough to understand, the adults take them out at dawn and say, “The sun has only one day.  You must live this day in a good way, so that the sun would not have wasted its precious time.”

     Life unfolds in the present.  But so often we let the present slip away as we worry about the future or ruminate about the past.  Acknowledging the preciousness of each day is a good way to live and a good way to reconnect with our basic joy in life.  We don’t have to go anywhere to find our inner joy. That sense of wonder and delight is always present in every moment, every breath, and every step of our lives as we live for this day. 

“How we spend our days is, of course,

how we spend our lives.”

                                                    Annie Dillard       

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Being Bored

      One of the reasons we fill up our time with so many activities is because we are afraid of being bored.  Boredom whittles away desires, devours awareness, and drains energy.  Yet, boredom is not the result of a certain event or situation; it’s a choice we make in reaction to a situation.

      If we ask a group of kids to demonstrate what boredom looks like, their heads would instantly lower, their shoulders and backs would slouch, and their expressions would change to a spacey look.  When asked to demonstrate how they are when alert, the kids would immediately stand taller with their heads lifted and eyes focused and bright.  The amazing part is that they can easily choose to be bored or centered just as they had demonstrated.  The choice always exists for us to create an energized, challenged state of awareness at any time, regardless of the circumstances. 

“I am never bored anywhere,

being bored is an insult to oneself.”

                        Jules Renard  

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The “Eyes” Have It

     It was commonly known that if a samurai warrior had sharp, “hard eyes,” he was trying to intimidate or oppress his opponent.  Yet, a hard, narrow stare only puts tension in the small muscles around the eyes making the rest of the body tense and rigid.  A true samurai was known to have “soft eyes,” which were always calm, unwavering, and had a wider field of vision.  Real strength comes from relaxation and a composed manner that provides the greatest stability and power.

     When dealing with people who intimidate, keep your eyes relaxed and you’ll retain the initiative.  If you become tense and upset, others can easily take the initiative from you.  When someone stares at you, just look calmly at the area around the person’s nose and be sure your eyes are totally relaxed.  It’s far more powerful to have kind eyes and a calm voice than to be hard and manipulative. “The eyes are the windows of the soul” it is said because the spirit is most clearly reflected there. 

“Nothing is so strong as gentleness.

Nothing is so gentle as real strength.”

                        Frances de Sales  

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A Shift in Attitude

      In Japanese, the word crisis (kiki) is written with two characters that mean “dangerous opportunity,” a concept that depends upon one’s response to circumstances.  It is our reaction to a crisis situation that makes the difference between everything turning out well or turning out badly.  Whatever the crisis, what matters is not the situation, but the way we perceive it and the action we take.         

     The way we think really does create our reality.  The images we carry in our mind and the words we use (whether positive or negative) create the life we live.  Life constantly evolves through cycles of change.  Though people often fear crisis and change, we must realize that it’s through change that life offers many options.  When we are creative and resourceful, we can flow with the changes in life and turn problems into solutions.  Through a simple shift in attitude, we can experience a greater sense of peace and harmony in our lives.        

“Experience is not what happens to a man.

It is what a man does with what happens to him.”

                    Aldous Huxley

The Universe

      According to the classic Greeks in Ionia, the universe has interconnectedness and it’s these principles that allow us to discover her secrets.  This order of the universe was called cosmos (the opposite of chaos).  In fact, the word “universe” comes from the Latin word universus, which means “whole, entire, turned into one.” 

    Though we are naturally part of the universe, it’s when we become aware of the unity of all things that we can go beyond the notion of an isolated, individual self and perceive things as they really are.  In Japanese, this is called “reisei shin,” the mind that sees the spirit of life in all things.  When we expand our minds to our greater selves, we have an abundance of energy to circulate in our lives and to share with others.  This universal energy is the spirit of love and is the life force that exists in all things.  We are all part of the whole; we are all part of the universe.   

"The earth is everlasting because it does not

live for self alone, but exists as one with life.”

                                                            Tao Te Ching

Calm Breathing

In feudal Japan, samurai often dueled with swords to settle arguments or conflicts.  Keen observers were said to predict the outcome of a match by watching the breathing of each contestant before the duel began.  The one whose mind was unsettled showed it by audible breathing, which was obvious by the rise and fall of their chest and shoulders.  It was commonly known that anyone who fought in anger or fear was at a terrible disadvantage against an opponent whose mind was calm and clear.  

     The act of breathing has long been recognized as the link between mind and body.  When our breathing is calm, so is our mind.  When we are angry or feeling upset, it immediately affects our breathing which becomes hard and uneven.  By drawing deep, even breaths, we can calm the body naturally and increase the flow of inner energy.  When our breathing is calm, we can release the stress, anger, or fear, and allow our mind to become calm and aware in any situation.

“The quality of our breathing reflects

 the quality of our lives.”

The Tea Story

     During the time of the ancient samurai, a learned warrior visited a Zen monk asking to teach him what every samurai warrior wanted to possess – a “beginner’s mind.”  This was a mind so free it was like being a beginner, but with the skill of a master.    

     The monk said, “I will be happy to do this, but first, perhaps you would like a cup of tea.”  Since it had been a long journey, the warrior agreed.  The monk went off to the kitchen and prepared the tea.  He soon returned and gave a cup of tea to the seated warrior.  The monk then picked up the teapot and began pouring hot tea into the warrior’s full cup.  The boiling tea instantly overflowed onto the warrior’s lap.  

     The warrior jumped up and cried, “What are you doing?  The cup was already full.”  

     The monk smiled. “That cup is a symbol of your mind.  You came here with a full cup.  There was no place for anything new.  The mind of the samurai is never full.  It is always empty, always ready to receive something new.”

“If you open your hand,

you can take hold of anything.

If you close your hand,

Nothing can enter it.”

                                     Taisen Dewshimaru

Simplifying Our Possessions

"The state of our lives is nothing more
than a reflection of our state of mind."

                                         Wayne Dyer

No Worries

     In feudal Japan, samurai warriors were bound in service to their emperor which required them to lay down their life at a moment's notice.  As a consequence, the samurai learned not to worry about the past, or particularly, the future.  By resolving to live each day as if it were their last, the samurai discovered how to experience life completely, without indecisiveness or regret.  That's why the samurai's life was associated with the cherry blossom, whose vibrant color and beauty was admired and appreciated before being scattered by the wind.

     People tend to worry about events that happened in the past, or ones that may take place in the future.  Yet, the past is forever unalterable and fretting about the future is futile because situations always change.  Worrying about the past and future only weakens one's ability to fully grasp the present moment, a state of mind that remains peaceful and forever in balance.

"I don't think of the past.
The only thing that matters
is the everlasting present."

                                         W. Somerset Maugham  

Living in the Now

      In the Japanese art of ink painting, artists use quick, simple strokes that are brushed directly onto a blank sheet of paper.  Due to the variable character of the paper, brush, and ink, it's impossible to know exactly how the bristles will twist or turn when it comes into contact with the paper or how much ink the paper will absorb.  Depending upon these variables, the ink brush may glide quickly over the paper or sometimes drag.  As conditions change, the artist adjusts to the movement at hand.  There's no going backwards or stopping the flow of events.  The resulting artwork is a one-of-a-kind painting that can never be exactly reproduced or duplicated.

     The Japanese call this principle ichi-go, ichi-e, which means "one encounter, one opportunity."  This awareness emphasizes that one experiences and creates life only in the present moment.  Once an event is gone, it can never be relived.  The true richness of life is experienced and fully appreciated only when we are living in the now.  

"To live is so startling
it leaves little time for anything else."
                                      Emily Dickinson

The Optimist’s View

     There's an old story of a New England shoe manufacturer who, in an effort to expand his business, sent one of his sons to Africa and the other to India.  He soon received a telegram from each son.  One read, "No one in Africa wears shoes.  Returning immediately."  The other telegram read, "No one in India wears shoes.  Send stock immediately."

     Everything in life depends on one's outlook.  It's a matter of personal choice whether we choose to view our lives as a cup half-full, or a cup half-empty.  It's still the same cup.  If we want to live a happy, vigorous, and healthy life, we should look on the light side.  If we want to experience gloom and misery, we only have to look at the dark side.  So, the next time things don't seem to be going right, we simply need to look at circumstances from an optimistic perspective and create a positive outcome from what we thought was our misfortune.  

"Your living is determined not so much
by what life brings to you,
as by the attitude you bring to life."

                                                John Homer Miller

Meditation
Quieting the Busy Mind

"Nothing can bring you peace,
but yourself."

                             Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Way of Love and Harmony

      Everything in the universe has energy and is in constant motion.  From the rotation of the earth, the cycles of the seasons, to subatomic particles, everything in life is constantly changing and renewing.  By recognizing and blending with the rhythms of life, we are in harmony with its cycles and motion.

"You must be the change you wish
to see in the world."

                             Mahatma Gandhi

Positive Thoughts and Speech

     When we use positive words to express ourselves, our minds reflect our speech because words have power. When words and phrases are repeated often, they become reality. The same is true if we want to avoid negative circumstances, stop using negative speech.

     For example: If someone asks, "How are you doing?" most people reply, "Not bad" or "I can't complain." When language is based upon "don't" and "not," it encourages negativity. Instead when someone asks, "How are you doing?" reply, "Great," and it'll be true.

     The way we respond to people has an effect on our behavior. If we want to remind someone about their keys and say, "Don't forget your keys," already we led the person's thoughts to forgetting their keys. Instead, remind the person to "remember their keys" and they will. If someone asks us to do a task with them and we respond, "Why not?" literally we are asking for reasons not to do it. A positive response would be "Sure, let's do it," which encourages a better feeling and evokes a more efficient, energetic way of doing the project. When we focus upon the positive qualities, we will feel better, have more energy, and develop more balance and harmony in our lives.

"The worlds of thought and action overlap.
What you think does have
a way of becoming true."

The Seven Samurai

     Samurai warriors have always strived to possess an "intuitive" awareness or sensitivity, a perception that cannot be seen with the eyes.  In the classic Japanese film, The Seven Samurai, unemployed samurai are given a trial of swordsmanship.  To test their abilities, a young man is instructed to hide with a long stick inside the doorway of a house.  When a samurai steps over the threshold, the young man is to strike him hard with the stick to see how the warrior responds.

     The first samurai passing by the house is summoned to come inside.  As he walks through the doorway, the samurai receives the stick with full force and fails the test.  The second samurai who enters the doorway dodges the blow, but in return strikes the young man.  This samurai is disqualified for reacting in anger.  The third samurai who approaches the house senses the presence of an enemy.  Without entering, he smiles and warns the young man hiding inside the doorway not to play any tricks.  This samurai passes the test because he proved to have the instinctive awareness of a true warrior.  

"The intuitive mind is a sacred gift
and the rational mind is a faithful servant.
We have created a society that honors the servant
and has forgotten the gift." 

                                                Albert Einstein

The Relativity of Time

     Most people view the world and experience things within a three-dimensional space and linear time as described by Sir Isaac Newton in the late 17th century.  As a result, we rush around in an effort to be "on time."

"Time is an invisible web on which
everything may be embroidered."

                                      Joaquin Maria Machado  

The Rhythm of Life

     There is a natural rhythm in all that we do and being in its harmony is called the "rhythm of life."  The famous Jazz pianist and vocalist, Thomas "Fats" Waller, was once asked by a woman what rhythm was.  He replied, "Lady, if you got to ask, you ain't got it."  Rhythm, like in music, is something that is perceived with more than just the ears, it's the perfect blending of intuition and timing.

     Understanding the intuitiveness of rhythm and timing can be found with an artist and his medium.  In painting, it's the harmony of positive and negative spaces that create a vital flow of energy throughout the picture.  In calligraphy, it's the ability to naturally place a character in just the right spot.  In Japanese "Haiku" poetry, the phrases are short so that the reader can enter into the space between each phrase and realize its deeper meaning.

     Success lies in the rhythm and flow of life and its many changes.  To ignore or oppose rhythm is to risk imbalance.  To be truly successful in any endeavor, we must be in harmony with the rhythm of the moment and develop a good sense of timing in all that we do.  

"The notes I handle no better than many pianists.

But the pauses between the notes -- 

Ah, that is where the art resides!"

                 Arthur Schnabel

Being One with Nature

     The ancient Chinese symbol for “heaven” is the same symbol for “nature” because in Chinese thought, heaven and nature are the same.  The character for heaven is created by using the symbol for a person  and then adding two parallel lines on the top  to represent the sky over our heads and the earth below our feet, making us one with the greatness of heaven and earth.     

“The heart of a human being
is no different from the soul
of heaven and earth.”

                                      Morihei Ueshiba