Deliberation: Reflecting on Wisdom

It’s time again now for me to take a break until the New Year.

In the meantime, I will leave you with this thought:

I think that one way to look at wisdom could be to say that it is like the ability to discern when it is most skillful to see a coin as a unified whole, when it is most skillful to see it as having two different sides; or even both or neither, or none of the above!


Much metta to all!

Thanks for reading!

Lee

Deliberate: Folding life into Practice

A frosty grocery-shopping trip,
Loaded up packages and tins,
Bags and boxes
Toted through the chilly air,
Cart flying down the street,

Happily arriving home and unpacking,
Enjoying a piping hot cup of tea
And drinking it mindfully,
Settling in for a quiet evening
Of listening to audio talks and reflecting;

Supper’s ready in the fridge,
Cold left-overs from
Last night’s cooking frenzy,
Macaroni and cheese
With lots of vegetables;

These simple activities
Are my practice these days,
No fancy projects,
Nor life changing goals,
Just everyday tasks;

This is where the real practice lives,
The place where the mundane rubber
Meets the ordinary dirt road,
Rain or shine, mud or dust,
ruts and all,

Over a simple track
The cart rolls,
And though the wheels
Are frequently squeaky,
And the joints of the puller often creaky,

Somehow the groceries always get home,
The tea gets made,
The supper prepared,
Then onto the plate or into the bowl.

Deflection: Immersion in the Moment

Pain in the toe joints again,
Had a hot bath
And let go into it,
Noticing what transpired:

Many memories of other baths
And other times
Emerged and danced
And played about merrily;

Wiggled the toes,
Rotated the ankles,
Stretched the legs
And appreciated the results;

Felt like I’d been here
For an eternity,
Seen and done all this before
Though not from the same perspective;

Not sure what this meant,
But was intriguing
And entertaining
To so reflect;

Perhaps twas only
The soothing hot water
Or the sheer pleasure
Of weightless motion;

Either way,
A pleasant
And simple method
Of enjoying the moment;

Just the agreeable feel
Of the warmth of the water
And the gentle easy
Movement through it
Of the limbs of the body.