Organ Mountain Zen



Sunday, April 2, 2006

In Motion

With palms together,
Good Morning Sangha,

This morning is overcast and drizzling. The rain is wonderful. The air is cool and heavy, unlike the desert. Green is unfolding all around. I saw beautiful flowers in bloom this morning. Lots of early birds getting their worms, as well. Life is a good thing when kept in perspective.

I urge each of us to get outside today. Enjoy the weather, whatever it is. It is always a good idea to go outside. It gives us perspective. Sitting on grass. A park bench. Or just walking along and listening, smelling, feeling, that life around us. After a short time, whatever heaviness that we might be bearing, lifts.

We breathe in, knowing we are breathing in, we breathe out, knowing we are breathing out. Short step, long step, jog, walk, run, skip: no matter, we are Zen in motion.

Be well.



6 comments:

  1. Good day to all.Thank you for this message; often I wondered about the combination Of Zen and athletics. When cycling or surfing I've often noticed the absolute lack of anything but the present while engaging in these things. Certainly, anything done with intensity can produce the same effect, but these are my hobbies. Kinda icing on the cake. And there's little better than a long ride in a thunderstorm with the rain, wind, and cold challenging you to strive harder to get home. In gassho, Guy

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  2. Hello Guy. I think it is the cadence that does it. Steady, repetitive movement, like breathing or knitting or spinning with a spinning wheel, seems to organize and integrate mind and body. I wrote a piece once on the Zen of Running. Sometime soon I'll repost it. Be well.

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  3. The rain and the sun are thawing out the ground here. I see that tiny spray of green begin its whisper across the landscape. My shoes suction, sink or splash with each step.

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  4. roshi, looking forward to reading your piece on running. :)

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  5. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  6. I have been reading your blog for almost 2 weeks, and I find it very insightful, since I don’t have direct contact with a Zen monk --all my learning and practice has been trough books-- I find your site very interesting and helpful... thank you for the inspiring words
    Bruno

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