#19: Field Notes
on not turning away
Lamb's Ear morning dew (Stachys byzantina)
Hello again,
Today, I come to you with some questions:
How long is enough time?
What is your sincere preference?
Can you trust what arises?
Can you feel any invisible supports around you?
What happens if you open, to it all, completely?
Not as an idea, but exactly as it arises.
I’m not ready to turn my face away.
I. A read
Bodhichitta: The Excellence of Awakened Heart
“All too frequently, we relate like timid birds who don’t dare to leave the nest. Here we sit in a nest that’s getting pretty smelly and that hasn’t served its function for a very long time. No one is arriving to feed us. No one is protecting us and keeping us warm. And yet we keep hoping mother bird will arrive.”
“We could do ourselves the ultimate favor and finally get out of that nest. That this takes courage is obvious. That we could use some helpful hints is also clear. We may doubt that we’re up to being a warrior-in-training. But we can ask ourselves this question: “Do I prefer to grow up and relate to life directly or do I choose to live and die in fear?””
Bodhichitta is something I revisit again and again and again. It feels almost silly simply dropping a link to an article on this haha! As, to me, this feels like the most fundamental truth that I hope to dedicate my life to. If you’re new to the concept, Pema Chödrön’s words offer a great place to start, I love her use of direct language and simple storytelling.
There are infinite ways in which you can engage with Bodhichitta in your life. It is a foundation I try to move from, stumbling failingly and humbly, often, and yet we keep showing up and keep trying.
II. A poem
For the Living by Roesmerry Wahtola Trommer
I’m new to Rosemerry’s work and recently was gifted her book All The Honey. Her story includes the loss of her son, Finn, and her words are both beautiful and heartbreaking. and I find her poetry refreshingly natural, innocent, and honest.
III. A lecture:
Rev. angel Kyodo williams on Experience
Rev. angel Kyodo williams tells the story of the Buddha as an ascetic, back when the name of the game was all about decimation of the body. The body as obstacle to enlightenment. (Just ascend it! a notion still very much at play in contemporary spirituality)
The Buddha, realizes he’s misguided, then takes his body and sits on the earth. Through what our own direct experience reveals to us, he comes into his own awakening. Thus understanding, the body is the pathway to liberation. It is the suffering we experience that, when acknowledged, felt, not suppressed or denied, opens the doorway to transformation.
When he’s challenged on his knowing, he simply reaches down and touches the ground. The earth is my witness.
hmmm…
maybe pick just one question to live today. i will be beaming you my support in your inquiry. <3
go lightly,
Lida
go lightly & as an open-ended circuit my friend ❤️