This Monday August 28, we will meet in person.
Go to calendar for our schedule
Address for the OHMC meditation space:
3812 Northampton St. NW
Washington DC 20015
Please arrive a few minutes early so we can invite the bell on time. You may also arrive 15 minutes early to practice working meditation by helping us set up cushions.
Dear Friends, this week we will meet on Monday evening in person 7-8:30PM at our meditation space (3812 Northampton Street NW), Wednesday morning from 7-8AM online, and Friday 12-1PM online.
On Monday, Susie will facilitate. We will be reading and referencing the final pages in Thich Nhat Hahn’s book, Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet, pages 297-end. He writes: “Be alive – Be the miracle”
If you are looking for a way to connect with others while growing your awareness, please join us.
On the last pages in the Afterword, Sister Chan Khong writes:
You are the Future
I have been young like many of you, and full of determination to change the situation of suffering in myself, my family, and the world. And yet, often when I achieved what I thought was "right," it was at great cost to myself and my close relationships. It was only when I met Thay that I learned how to handle those difficult moments when I felt lost and overwhelmed by anger, fear, and despair. Thay taught me to always remember to come back to my breathing, and dwell only with the breathing, from within. In this way we can be our best: we can be stillness and give rise to a clear mind. Then, deep awakening and compassion can manifest, right in that moment, in our own hearts, and it becomes possible to see it and touch it even in the heart of our so-called "enemy."
In that very moment when you are lost in anger, fear, or despair, please remember that awakening and compassion are always there in you, right in that moment. It is possible to get in touch with what is sacred in you whether you call it God, Allah, Brahma, or buddha-nature. You get in touch with this energy by coming back right away to your mindful in-breath and out-breath, and remaining silent, without doing anything, or saying anything even without thinking. Be only with your in-breath and out-breath for a few moments, and you will be able to touch that reality of peace, compassion, and clarity of mind that is already there deep inside you.
This seed of awakening and love is there in you and in all people and all species on Earth. Sometimes we forget. That seed may be lost deep in our consciousness. But the longer you can stay peacefully with your in-breath and out-breath, a safe haven of peace and compassion will grow in you. As you breathe in, you touch deeply that seed of compassion and loving kindness in you; and as you breathe out, you radiate that energy of compassion and loving kindness to those around you, and to the world. This is the energy of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara manifesting in you.
Whenever you receive devastating news, or witness injustice, or feel helpless and full of despair, please remember first of all to come back to your mindful in-breath and out-breath. Don't do anything or say anything until you have touched that calm, that peace, that love.
Mother Earth needs you right now. She is calling out for your help. You are her beloved children, and she needs you to be love, to be light, to be peace. You have light in you. You have the energy of the bodhisattvas in you. With a spiritual dimension in your life, you will be able to keep balance and live deeply in every moment, cherishing this life you have to live. And with that energy, you can take action to protect the planet and protect each other. Together, you can do it. Do not be a lone warrior. Find your allies and build community wherever you are. Mother Earth and our spiritual ancestors and land ancestors are counting on you. They are transmitting to you their energy of love and trust, and will accompany you every step of the way.
When I am more awake and aware of what is happening in my mind and heart, it brings me back to my center. The last two weeks have been challenging for me. The news, the storms, people. This is really unlike me. I’m usually happy and see all the beauty in the world. I so appreciate that most of my days are really good and I live in a boatload of gratitude. When I get to a hard place, I brace myself, as I know it will soon be over. While I am in it, I find I have more empathy for those who suffer everyday. I have more perspective.
I read that we breathe around 20,000 times a day. Take a breath while closing your eyes and count how many times you breathe in a minute, or just enjoy each in-breath and out-breath. You have time.
What’s your perspective today?
Are you struggling now more than other times?
Do you know you are a miracle?
Life is so precious,
yet in our daily lives, we are usually carried away
by our forgetfulness, anger and worries,
lost in the past,
unable to touch life in the present moment.
When we are truly alive,
everything we do or touch is a miracle.
To practice mindfulness
is to return to life in the present moment.
The practice of the first precept
is a celebration of reverence for life.
When we appreciate and honor
the beauty of life,
we will do everything
in our power to protect all life.
– Thich Nhat Hanh