Theme/Mantra: “I am filled with love and goodness”
Reading:
The Three Goals by David Budbill
The first goal is to see the thing itself
in and for itself, to see it simply and clearly
for what it is.
No symbolism, please.
The second goal is to see each individual thing
as unified, as one, with all the other
ten thousand things.
In this regard, a little wine helps a lot.
The third goal is to grasp the first and the second goals,
to see the universal and the particular,
simultaneously.
Regarding this one, call me when you get it.
Meditation & Physical Movement
Sounding Breath and Corpse pose
Lie in corpse pose.
Flat on your back, legs about a foot apart. The small of your back flat on the floor (place a bolster or rolled blanket under your knees if that helps).
Keep your arms by your sides, with your palms up.
Close your eyes.
Breathe deeply.
Relax.
Now move into Sounding Breath
Exhale completely. Draw your breath in slowly through your nose.
As you inhale, slowly fill your abdomen and your lungs, contracting your throat slightly.
Make a soft hissing sound as you exhale, emptying your lungs completely.
Let your breath be long and slow.
Repeat in your mind, “I am at peace. All is well in my world.”
Reflection:
What I love about the poem above is that the author sets very clear goals, with the assumption that the listener will and can work towards them with intention. He even gives advice- (that wine helps a lot). At the same time, he clearly allows that he hasn’t been able to succeed at all three goals.
I guess what inspires me in this- is the practice- the intentionality- the falling short- the resolve to keep working at it. And perhaps the point is just that. To be in progress. To be working at it. To be filled with love and goodness, while also simultaneously falling short.
I was introduced to the music of the Avett Brothers years ago at my niece’s wedding, which took place outside in the mountains of Ashville, NC. Their lyrics are raw, emotional, real- even insightful and challenging. The words in this song that get me are “Got a whole lotta reasons to be mad, let’s not pick one.” I can have a self-righteous anger (I want it to be righteous, and yet…). I don’t like injustices. But what does anger do? There are so many injustices. Why pick one to be angry about? Why not work to change the injustice. Any injustice. So, not to deny our anger, but to not allow our actions to hurt others because of our anger. This Buddhist practice to work to be filled with love and goodness is good for everyone! What we work on nurturing and cultivating in our hearts and minds is what comes out of us in our words and actions. Let us be filled with love and goodness, as much as possible.
Song: Ain’t No Man by the Avett Brothers
Lyrics:
There ain't no man can save me
There ain't no man can enslave me
Ain't no man or men that can change the shape my soul is in
There ain't nobody here who can cause me pain or raise my fear
Cause I got only love to share
If you're looking for truth I'm proof you'll find it there
You got to serve something, ain't that right?
I know it gets dark, but there's always a light
You don't have to buy in to get into the club
Trade your worries
You gotta show up if you wanna be seen
If it matters to you ma, it matters to me
I'm going to fall hard, yeah I know I am
When the crowds crack up, I laugh with them
There ain't no man can save me
There ain't no man can enslave me
Ain't no man or men that can change the shape my soul is in
There ain't nobody here who can cause me pain or raise my fear
Cause I got only love to share
If you're looking for truth I'm proof you'll find it there
You say you look funny, I say you're a star
I say you're whatever you think you are
Watch the naysayers fall right in line
If we believe that they'll say, "She is so pretty, he is so fine"
There ain't no man can save me
There ain't no man can enslave me
There ain't no man or men that can change the shape my soul is in
There ain't nobody here who can cause me pain or raise my fear
Cause I got only love to share
If you're looking for truth I'm proof you'll find it there
You got to go somewhere, ain't that true?
Not a whole lotta time for me or you
Got a whole lotta reasons to be mad, let's not pick one
I live in a room at the top of the stairs
I got my windows wide open and nobody cares
And I got no choice but to get right up when the song comes through
There ain't no man can save me
There ain't no man can enslave me
There ain't no man or men that can change the shape my soul is in
(That can change the shape my soul is in)
There ain't nobody here who can cause me pain or raise my fear
Cause I got only love to share
If you're looking for truth I'm proof you'll find it there
If you're looking for truth I'm proof you'll find it there
If you're looking for truth I'm proof you'll find it
Until Tomorrow- Peace