(Pala period circa 8th-12th century)
More than a decade ago I shared a list of a dozen observations, which I titled “The Zen of Seeing.”
I recently stumbled upon it again.
I dropped a few, reframed a few.
And I share them because I think they may be useful to my sisters and brothers on this long winding road.
Some come whole cloth from somewhere in the depths of my heart. Others I heard some or all of. Eventually they became my own. Take what you think is helpful. Leave the rest for someone else…
***
1. Look at your checkbook and you will know what your religion is.
2. Nothing sells like egoism wrapped in idealism.
3. Each of us is precious, all of us are connected. There are no exceptions.
4. The spiritual journey is one continuous mistake.
5. Sit down, shut up, pay attention. See the connections. Then get up and do something.
6. You do understand you’re not actually in charge, right?
7. We are in very true ways woven out of three demons, grasping, aversion, and endless certainties. (They can become generosity, clarity, and endless curiosity) It is wise to notice which is your leading demon.
8. The project is attending to the shape of our hearts, noticing how we encounter the world, and living into our real lives.
9. The world follows patterns. And yes, the very small and the very large parts of the universe are seriously weird. But the part we live in follows pretty consistent patterns. Pay attention to them, particularly how they play out as you.
10. God is a hole in the language into which we throw all our hopes and fears. And its corollary, God is a whole in the language into which we throw all our hopes and fears.
11. The kingdom of God is within. The kingdom of God is among.
12. We, each of us, just as we are, in our temporariness, in our momentariness, are one hundred percent it.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In