Memories of Teachers (Nov 16, 2018)

Recently, as I ride the waves of ‘job searching’… little moments of my past re-appear in my memory, and images of folks who have been present in my life along the way come into my heart, and I get to reflect on something special…. Someone special. MANY someone’s.

There are people, close sisters, or folks that I shared vulnerabilities with, in different times and places in the world…. I remember them, I remember, almost vividly-on my body- WHAT they taught me.

I think of this crew of monks, from Myanmar, that I hung out with in India, for a period of a couple of months I think.  They were my first teachers of Buddhism, really the first insight I received of this nature.  And still to this day, one of the most simple teachings- that they taught me with their ACTIONS, comes back to me almost daily.

I YEARN to actually practice it completely, but I ALWAYS have it to come back to, re-appearing for me to keep me in the RIGHT place.

DO GOOD, DO NOT DO BAD, KEEP YOUR MIND CLEAN.

Try/practice non-harmful thinking, and actions, and feelings.

Then seeing Thich Nhat Hanh, doing morning walking meditations, and listening to his speeches…. Those added to the lessons years later…

Through and through, Thich Nhat Hanh LIVES his beliefs.  In a place and time of war and injustice, he not only WAS peaceful, he ‘PREACHED’ peace. And he still does, to this day. Probably Millions of folks have followed in his footsteps, because of his TRUE practice in peace.

Why do we do things in-authentically?

I have so many possible answers to that question ;)

I know one of the answers, is that humyns are influencable creatures.  We are largely socialized. Our CORES are US. They/We are unique at our ROOTS, in our CORE FOUNDATIONS, we are our own special selves.

But we are very quickly influenced, and susceptible to what we are taught/socialized/influenced by/immersed in. 

At his core, I believe Thich Nhat Hanh, so firmly has been rooted in Peace.  Many amazing folks are amazingly rooted in beautiful peaceful caring principles- across religions/philosophies/countries. You can always find amazing people.

ALSO, many of us get swayed and influenced (myself included!), and there have always people who CAPITALIZE on this special vulnerability of Humyn-nature- that we are influence-able.

 

And it’s hard to sort through, ‘how to be’ when there are all these factors that influence us.

I KNOW, I need to ‘do good, do not do bad, keep my mind clean’….yet I have to survive, do what feels ethical, within the confines of my LIFE, with twin children, family and partner … and I will just say the biggest most massive is society/culture/capitalism/the social environment in which I am SO enmeshed in.

So these friends, these memories of really wonderful humyns in my life. Moreso these folks in recent years, who have been these supportive positive sparkly presences, reminding me of these beliefs I worked so hard to SHIFT and integrate into myself, about how to live good… these really important ethics I know exist in me, when I am able to tap back into them, and live them a little bit more fully.

I find it comes in waves it’s true (like a sweet sister recently spoke of)… the waves of being able to really be present with all my knowledge and strengths and positive GOOD ways of living, in my steps and interactions with fellow humyns in all my areas of life. 

SOMETIMES, I do good, I do not do bad, and I keep my mind clean.

THIS is certainly the goal these days.

And THIS is the goal as I look for work, and imagine days in the future.

Imagine in my mind, as I remember in my mind too…. All these great folks I crossed paths with, who were truly kind… or at least PRACTICED trying to be.

I give thanks for all them, as these days, they really keep me going...

And I give thanks for Universe/Creation/Pachamama too. For these experiences I've lived, and these insights to remember.