The new edition of Shambhala Sun arrived the other day, the same day that I was prompted by one of the readers of this Blog to get at it!
Just like the Camino de Santiago everyday life has its challanges, sometimes everyday. When walking the Camino it is highly unlikely that you would get up one morning and say, I am not inspired to walk today. These days I have not been inspired to write. But this page of the Shambhala Sun is an inspiration to me and a reminder that I have work to do on many fronts.
The page I refer to is an advertisement for a conference called Freeing Ourselves fromNegative Patterns and it says
"Freeing ourselves from habitual thoughts, emotions and actions is the very purpose of Buddhist meditation. Using mindfulness and awareness practice, we see the true nature of negative patterns and liberate ourselves on the spot from their power over us."
I am not a Buddhist by practice but I am always struck by the gentle, kind messages we receive from Buddhist teaching. When I was walking the Frances, there was a young woman who was also walking who struck me as being so peaceful. I noted, each time we happend to be at the same albergue, that she meditated each morning before she even got out of her bunk. She did this in the midst of all the goings on that happen in the early morning in the albergues. I thought wow, I wish I could do that but never did.
Not moving onto something that I want to do is a negative pattern for me. Some things are easy to incorparage into my life, but others not so. Why is it that I can make time to walk for 30 days or more but not make time for meditation during each day?
AS I plan for my next Camino along the north coast, I want to remember to take some of the negative patterns in my life and turn them around, before I leave and when I am there.
I might even take along some ides of meditation and yoga and actually carry them out.
YEAHHHHH I am planning my next Camino!
Just like the Camino de Santiago everyday life has its challanges, sometimes everyday. When walking the Camino it is highly unlikely that you would get up one morning and say, I am not inspired to walk today. These days I have not been inspired to write. But this page of the Shambhala Sun is an inspiration to me and a reminder that I have work to do on many fronts.
The page I refer to is an advertisement for a conference called Freeing Ourselves fromNegative Patterns and it says
"Freeing ourselves from habitual thoughts, emotions and actions is the very purpose of Buddhist meditation. Using mindfulness and awareness practice, we see the true nature of negative patterns and liberate ourselves on the spot from their power over us."
I am not a Buddhist by practice but I am always struck by the gentle, kind messages we receive from Buddhist teaching. When I was walking the Frances, there was a young woman who was also walking who struck me as being so peaceful. I noted, each time we happend to be at the same albergue, that she meditated each morning before she even got out of her bunk. She did this in the midst of all the goings on that happen in the early morning in the albergues. I thought wow, I wish I could do that but never did.
Not moving onto something that I want to do is a negative pattern for me. Some things are easy to incorparage into my life, but others not so. Why is it that I can make time to walk for 30 days or more but not make time for meditation during each day?
AS I plan for my next Camino along the north coast, I want to remember to take some of the negative patterns in my life and turn them around, before I leave and when I am there.
I might even take along some ides of meditation and yoga and actually carry them out.
YEAHHHHH I am planning my next Camino!
Now that's the "Beverly", who's inspired so many of us to just stop whining,and DO IT!! My Friend you are the Light at the beginning and the end,your strength and inspirational writings are always there when I need to hear/read them. I Thank You from the bottom & top of My Buddhist Heart! Nancy
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