Leah gifted me a book to read on my trip called, The Book of Joy. It recounts a weeklong conversation between the Dalai lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, two revered spiritual and political figures, as transcribed and retold by Douglas Abrams. i'm not too far into the book, 54 pages. What i'm getting most out of it is the reiteration, in different forms and contexts, that joy is ever present. Additionally, joy comes from the sincere caring of others.
i have found so much joy here at Usha Village. i have found joy in deeply desiring the full healing of all beings. i have noticed the physical, mental, and emotional inflictions upon our state in all, most definitely including myself. We all need healing. Many of us want the capacity to care for others. The Dalai Lama says, "if you develop a strong sense of concern for the well being of all sentient beings, and in particular all human beings, this will make you happy in the morning, even before coffee."
And once again, that sense of concern starts with us. It does not work any other way. i am learning to deeply care for myself and develop intimacy with self in order to show up for others, in a pure and powerful way. This looks like practicing yoga before interacting with others, eating nutritious food, breathing, and being in water. After self care, i am completely present with others, my energy is pure, at the very least. With a loving intention and a pure presence, there's nothing to do. Being-ness becomes the state. There is so much joy in knowing this! The pressure feels relieved. We are not doing anything to help. We are simply loving and paying attention. The movement then comes naturally and is guided by the heart.
May we all find joy in relieving our own suffering so we can extend that joy in benevolence to others whom suffer.
Below are a series of photos that contrast joy and suffering. It all lives together.
The unbelievably lush backyard of Usha Village.
The beautiful masterpiece of a spider.
The legs of an amazing man named Roger.
The pain that is always there, which often restrains James from speaking.
A decaying flower reaching the end of its time.
James praying with drums in the dining hall before his morning smoothie and herbs.
The comfort of his wife.
No comments:
Post a Comment