O-Tsukimi

O-Tsukimi, The Autumn Moon-viewing Festival. 

(28^th, 29^th, 30^th September 2012).

O-Tsukimi, or the Moon viewing festival, is the traditional Japanese festival, which honors the last full moon before the autumnal equinox, (and corresponds with our “Harvest Moon”).

The festival dates from the Heian period, (794-1185), a period when Buddhism, Taoism and the cultural influence of the Chinese Tang dynasty was at its height. The aristocrats of Japans cultural elite would gather to recite poetry, listen to music, eat specialties, and drink tea under the full moon. 

It is said that every year at the Moon-viewing festival a retired imperial prince would sit patiently on the polished bamboo floor of the veranda of the Katsura Imperial Villa, waiting for the moon’s reflection to shimmer across the pond in the garden. When the reflection of the moon appeared on the surface of the lake he would lift his sake cup to catch the reflection of the moon in the cup and this would bring him good luck in the next year.........

The Autumn Moon

The moon appears in every season, it is true,

But surely it's best in fall.

In autumn, mountains loom and water runs clear.

A brilliant disk floats across the infinite sky,

And there is no sense of light and darkness,

For everything is permeated with its presence.

The boundless sky above, the autumn chill on my face.

I take my precious staff and wander about the hills.

Not a speck of the world's dust anywhere,

Just the brilliant beams of moonlight.

I hope others, too, are gazing on this moon tonight,

And that it's illuminating all kinds of people.

Autumn after autumn, the moonlight comes and goes;

Human beings will gaze upon it for eternity.

The sermons of Buddha, the preaching of Eno,

Surely occurred under the same kind of moon.

I contemplate the moon through the night,

As the stream settles, and white dew descends.

Which wayfarer will bask in the moonlight longest?

Whose home will drink up the most moonbeams?

Ryokan (1758-1831)

Source: Stevens. J, (1993) Dewdrops on a Lotus Leaf (Zen Poems of Ryokan) Shambala Publications Inc London (page 30).

Photo by courtesy of: http://mattsko.wordpress.com/2012/05/05/the-full-moon-in-japanese-art/

Meditation has no purpose?

The writer and philosopher Alan Watts (1915 - 1973) is quoted as saying:

"We could say that meditation doesn’t have a reason or doesn’t have a purpose. In this respect it’s unlike almost all other things we do except perhaps making music and dancing. When we make music we don’t do it in order to reach a certain point, such as the end of the composition. If that were the purpose of music then obviously the fastest players would be the best. Also, when we are dancing we are not aiming to arrive at a particular place on the floor as in a journey. When we dance, the journey itself is the point, as when we play music the playing itself is the point. And exactly the same thing is true in meditation. Meditation is the discovery that the point of life is always arrived at in the immediate moment".

Meditation is the discovery that the very point of life is always arrived at in the immediate moment.... this "Present moment", the "Here and now", and the same is true of Tai Chi. When we practice Tai Chi we are not aiming to arrive at a particular place or achieve a particular goal, we practice Tai Chi in order to practice Tai Chi, the "Supreme Ultimate".

When we bring meditation and Tai Chi into our lives in this way the benefits of the practice then become a gift, a bonus not a means to an end. We learn to enjoy the practice, the practice of just sitting, just walking, just practicing Tai Chi.

Dogin Zenji taught that zazen, (sitting in meditation), is to just become present in the process of zazen itself; this is shikantaza. It is not something you acquire after you have done zazen. It is not the concept of the process; it is to focus on the process its self. (John Daido Loori (2004) The Art of Just Sitting page101).

So what is the "Gift" that is meditation? Sitting meditation is very healing. We realize we can just be with whatever is within us – our pain, anger, and irritation, or our joy, love, and peace. We are with whatever is there without being carried away by it. Let it come, let it stay, then let it go. No need to push, to oppress, or to pretend our thoughts are not there. Observe the thoughts and images of our mind with an accepting and loving eye. We are free to be still and calm despite the storms that might arise in us.

Sitting meditation is like returning home to give full attention to and care for our self. We sit upright with dignity, and return to our breathing. We bring our full attention to what is within and around us. We let our mind become spacious and our heart soft and kind. Like the peaceful image of the Buddha on the altar, we too can radiate peace and stability. The purpose of sitting meditation is to enjoy. Don’t try to attain anything!

If our legs or feet begin to hurt during the sitting, we are free to adjust our position quietly. We can maintain our concentration by following our breathing and slowly and attentively change our posture. At the end of the sitting meditation session, allow a few minutes to massage your legs and feet before standing up again.

There are numerous suggestions for guided meditations in Thich Nhat Hanh’s book “The Blooming of a Lotus”.

The Lantern Festival

The 15th day of the first lunar month is the Lantern Festival, celebrating the first full moon of the New Year. Lanterns of all sizes, colours and shapes are carried around the streets, released into the sky or floated down rivers to celebrate, and special sweet glutinous rice ball are eaten making it a special event for all the family.

Gratitude

Gratitude - the art of being thankful can seriously change our life…… for the better.

With gratitude we acknowledge and are grateful for every thing we receive, the simple pleasures in life become miracles and we recognize all that we have, without the want for more. We are Thankful for what we have received.

How many times do we take what we have been given, for granted? The little things like the smile from a check out girl, or the beauty of dew on leaf tips? The reflection of the moon on the sea, a star filled sky, the laugh of a baby. These little things are there in abundance all around us, but because so many beautiful things happen to us they do not stand out and we take them for granted. We allow the more difficult things that cause us distress to stand out and we complain about them.

When we practice mindfulness, we naturally practice the awareness of gratitude; a big smile and a thank you can brighten someone’s world and lift our own spirits. When we express our gratitude, we feel good too, our stress and anxiety lessens and our happiness increases.

So let us look for the things we can be grateful for, even the unpleasant things that happen to us, that test our patients, for that is a gift as well, the opportunity to practice patients, the opportunity to be grateful, the opportunity to practice mindfulness. And as the Master of Mindfulness said........

"Because of your smile, you make life more beautiful" -- Thich Nhat Hanh

2012 The Year of The Water Dragon

(Image by: butterflyphoenix.blogspot.com)

2012 The year of the Water Dragon

In China the Dragon, (the symbol of the Chinese people), is considered a most auspicious character being able to fly and to live in the water, the Dragon links heaven and earth. The Dragon is a creature of myth and legend. A symbol of strength, good fortune and sign of intense power, the Oriental Dragon is regarded as a divine beast.

The Dragon Years:

1904 * 1916 * 1928 * 1940 * 1952 * 1964 * 1976 * 1988 * 2000* 2012* 2024

(The characteristics of the of the Chinese zodiac occur every 12 years however this is tempered by the 5 elements of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water this means that the last Water Dragon appeared in 1952 and babies born this year will see the next Water Dragon in 2072).

The Water Dragon

Water has a calming effect on the Dragon's fearless temperament. Water allows the Dragon to re-direct its enthusiasm, and makes him more perceptive of others. Water Dragons are better equipped to take a step back to re-evaluate a situation because they understand the art of patience and do not desire the spotlight like other Dragons. Therefore, Water Dragons tend to make smart decisions and are able to see eye-to-eye with other people. However, their actions can go wrong if they do not research or if they do not finish one project before starting another.

8 Ways To Feel Grounded.

The Secret of being Grounded in the Here and Now

When we have an over active mind that will not rest, when we get easily agitated and feel our world is collapsing in on us, we need to still that energy. At other times when our mind wonders and we cannot think, then our thoughts are like drifting clouds, we need to concentrate our energy……..

The act of Grounding allows us the opportunity to "inhabit" our body and be firmly anchored in the present moment, to feel connected to the world around us. In The Stillness Project sessions, I refer to “Centering Body and Mind”, we all have the capacity to feel centered within us, to feel grounded in the here and now. The trick to being grounded is to consistently use our awareness and “Center Body and Mind”, then practice and cultivate it.

In the beginning our natural thinking habits, daydreaming, agitation, or losing our self in our thoughts is intrusive, but with practice we begin to notice when our “monkey mind” starts to take control, and when it does, gently center your mind and your body in the present moment, concentrate on your breathing and feel the earth beneath your feet. Gently bring yourself back to this present moment, there’s no need for reprimands tell the Monkey Mind “I know your there, everything is OK”.

8 WAYS TO FEEL GROUNDED

1. Practice Tai Chi, Qigong exercises in the open air and concentrate on your breathing.

2. Practice and walk barefoot, feel the ground beneath your feet.

3. Walk mindfully. Place your awareness on your steps; on the feeling and sensation of walking. When your mind wanders, bring it back to the act of walking.

4. Sit or lay on the ground. Feel the stability and substantiality of the earth. Breathe it in. Let the feeling of being grounded permeate your whole being. Practice breath awareness, feel the movement of your lower abdomen as you breathe and count your breaths.

5. Engage in a relaxation exercise like a body scan meditation or progressive muscle relaxation.

6. Scan your body and be aware of the touch, the pressure, the changes occurring in your body as your muscles release and relax.

7. Share precious moments with another person, a place, or a pet.

8. Exercise in the open air, by the sea, in a woodland or by a lake.

Remember, start with just one activity that you find easy and enjoyable and integrate that practice into your daily routine. Set an achievable goal to practice and make it fun, this is a gift to your self. Give it a go, Breathe deep and enjoy your life.

The Mindfulness of Drinking Tea 1

Bring out the jade bowl and wash it yourself, boil water from a rocky spring then observe how the pale steam brims at the lip of the bowl like the summer clouds issuing from mountain streams and peaks, and white billowing waves form as if dashing down a swollen river in spring. The sound of water boiling blows, whistling like a frosty wind through the bamboos and pines, while the fragrance of the brewed tea drifts like a ship of war, flying towards the Red Cliff.

From Korean Tea Classics, (page 41).

Two Bodhisattva's Sanzen-in, Ohara Japan

Sitting In Meditation

At night, deep in the mountains,


I sit in meditation


The affairs of men never reach here; 


Everything is quiet and empty, 


All the incense has been swallowed up


By the endless night. 


My robe has become a garment of dew. 


Unable to sleep I walk out into the woods—


Suddenly, above the highest peak, 


The full moon appears.

- Hakuin (1686-1768)