Zen Master Sosan's Hsin Hsin Ming

Watch this video with an open mind. No judgment. The practice of non-duality.

The path is clear and it is not. Taking a deep breath and listening to this poem again. "Cease attachment from talking and thinking is to be awaken." "To have a narrow mind and to be attached to getting enlightened is to lose ones center..."

I listen to this first with a thinking mind and was further from the center. I listen to this again with a non thinking, non judgmental mind and just was.

Practicing non-duality - takes practice - and no practice

#1 use for my ipod

"Oh, I see you have been listening to your ipod. What are you listening to? " asks my husband.

"Nothing" I reply.

huh?

"Yes. I am literally listening to silence." I added.

He looked surprised, so I continued "I am listening to a podcast from Treeleaf which has a 20 minute, 30 minutes, and one hour silent meditation segments."

"You're the only person I know who has over a thousand songs and uses their ipod to listen to silence." He says shaking his head.

How To Meditate III - Walking Meditation

I have been asked about walking meditation, but found this video which explains it beautifully. If you find this helpful and want to know more about yuttadhammo .

Enjoy the earth as you walk, and remember to watch your breath and smile.

To be a Spiritual Leader

Do you

1. Think of how your actions will impact others before doing (Right thought/Right speech / Right action)
   
2. Catch yourself when judging others, including yourself (non-judgmental/ compassion/ love)
   
3. Release your attachment to be right (open mindedness)
   
4. Smile and look into the eyes of the person you're with (Being Present)
   
5. Walk your talk (lead by example)
   

Manifesting Feelings

I woke up this morning with a smile and feeling of joy emanating from within. As I meditated, the warm feeling radiated like embers.
Love
Contempt
Anger
Jealously
Happiness
Sadness
Fearfulness
Guilt
Peacefulness
Interestingly, the more one tries to control their feelings the less successful they are in controlling them. Therefore, after years of practice, I learned not to control my emotions and allow the feelings to occur spontaneously. It made sense that not being attached to my feelings is a healthy stress-free way of being. I found there are no positive reasons to hang on to an emotion especially if the emotion is anger, angst, worry, hate, fear, etc.

Feelings will come and go. Ebb and flow. I acknowledge my current emotion and accept that happy or sad, it too will pass. I found that to be nonjudgmental helps me release any attachment I may hold. No excuses and no justifications the emotion cover me like a blanket. Sometimes it is light, fuzzy and other times it is warm, cozy and comforting. I snuggle in it's warmth.

Recognizing my feelings connects me with the moment and crystallizes my present state. In other words, my emotions exist to connect me with my present.

Thich Nhat Hanh: What Is Engaged Buddhism?

Being engaged is living fully in each and every moment. What is it about Thich Nhat Hanh's image that makes me smile?

Thank you Wil for your comment and link to further resources on Thich Nhat Hanh.

Does Natural law without Christianity Exist?

Dene elder, Isidore Deranger 1909-1993
Fort Chipewyan, Alberta

I recently traveled to Alberta to participated in a “Natural Law" workshop lead by Canadian First Nation elders from the Treaty 6 area.  But what actually occurred was confusing to me.

 My understanding of “natural law” is based on what I perceive as Indigenous Peoples' integral relationship with nature. Indigenous ways of knowing in my opinion is not religions; rather it is ways of life centered upon the complex relationships between Indigenous societies with nature (Mother Earth). Each Indigenous culture had its own holistic and sophisticated structure based on the laws of nature which existed prior to European contact and, more specifically, prior to contact with church missionaries.
My opinion is that christianity was transferred at initial contact to Indigenous peoples as a means to control and conquer them. Some people argue that the colonizers were “saving the souls” of the Indigenous peoples from a certain peril of hell, but in fact what resulted was a genocidal erasing of Indigenous peoples' beliefs that had served their societies for a long time. And I am not to mention the residential schools scattered across Canada who did so much harm it will take many generations to heal the inter-generational harm.

Christianity is centered on a hierarchy religion reflecting a European paradigm, where Indigenous beliefs on the other hand are non-hierarchical and egalitarian.
What I was hoping to learn from the teachings of the elders was 'natural law' without the Christian bits, but sadly, I left disappointed and confused.  The elder began his speech with letting  story of Adam and Eve and how we are all sinners. Are some of today's Indigenous elders   confused as a result of being indoctrinated by Christianity, and are seeking to explore their spirituality by collapsing Christianity teachings with anything that is organic and fluid, meaning spirit or energy? Unfortunately, the indoctrination of Christianity is so well embedded and woven into the fabric of these Indigenous elders' teachings and is passed off as "natural law". What sadden me the most is that they seemed unaware that their teaching was in fact based on Christianity. This is what colonization looks like.

I am not judging Christianity as something that is bad. I was raised Catholic I know a little something about indoctrination. My mom is devote and many family members as well.   All I am saying is that I was interested in learning the true teachings of 'natural law' in the form of a decolonized (or better yet pre-colonized) and pure teaching, which I am positive continues to exist in First Nations country somewhere. 

 The photo above is a picture of a spiritual Dene man, my Dad, who had knowledge of 'natural law' as understood by the Dene people.  But I was too young and maybe too stupid (or at least too willing to believe in the lessons of priests and nuns) to accept his teachings had merit, until sadly it was too late.