Mindfulness With The Monk

Last Saturday on the farm, a Buddhist monk visited to offer teachings on mindfulness with a group of friends and visitors.

What?? Yes...yes...this happened!

I was so excited. I'm not any kind of expert on Buddhism, but for many years I studied Buddhist philosophy and thought. I am a big fan of Thich Nhat Hanh's writings. So, when a friend asked if I might host the monk for a casual day of discussion and teaching, I was thrilled. It was like the sky opened and the music played and the light beamed down onto the grass of the farm and I said "Yes!" and God smiled, winking at the angels in a "See I told you" kind of way. I immediately told the horses. I thought they would be excited, too.

The day flowed with the peaceful beauty of expansive, listening human hearts, along with horses, dogs, cats, and chickens. The monk talked about energy. (Wow. Once again, this amazing world we live in shows its synchronistic amazingness) We are energy. We are all connected. We can expand our positive energy out to touch others. I thought about the work with the horses and people that's been happening at the farm this year...how energy work coming together with the herd of horses has offered hope and healing. He also talked about really asking ourselves who we are apart from the different roles we play...mother, sister, father, brother, data analyst, sibling, teacher, counselor...He talked about how we give up so much of our "power" to the past and to the future. Being right here in the present is where power is.

I thought of another spiritual teacher/author I love reading, Richard Rohr. I would enjoy hearing him and the monk discussing life. Wouldn't that be nice? Hey, they could even get together here at the farm. With the horses, dogs, cats, and chickens.

“God is always bigger than the boxes we build for God, so we should not waste too much time protecting the boxes.”
-- Richard Rohr