Impermanence and harmony

(Photo from Wikimedia Commons)

I really do like the following by the great meditation teacher, Pema Chödrön:

"Impermanence is a principle of harmony. When we don't struggle against it, we are in harmony with reality." 

How very true.
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Important Announcement

This is for all Tulsa participants in the life of St. John's Center.

There will be NO Saturday morning class tomorrow. Instead all participants are urged to attend the talk given by Carter Phipps (brother-in-law of Center participant Tommi Cox-Phipps) at Fellowship Lutheran Church held at 9:30 a.m. (Fellowship Lutheran is on Sheridan between 61st and 71st beside the Valero gas station. The parking lot is in the back.)

This talk is sponsored by the Center and Carter particularly wanted to spend time with us. He is in town for a book signing at Barnes and Noble and also will be interviewed by Rich Fisher on Studio Tulsa.

Here's a bit about him:

Carter Phipps is an author, journalist, and leading voice in the emerging field of Evolutionary Spirituality. For the past decade, as executive editor of EnlightenNext magazine, he has been at the forefront of contemporary spiritual, philosophical, and cultural discourse, and his writings have played a key role in making important new thinking accessible to a wider audience. 

You can read more right here.

(Click to enlarge)

Monday Meditation Picture Blogging

This is the Atlantic on the west coast of Ireland at Donegal. I have actually swum in the sea myself very close to where this picture was taken.

(Photo from Wikimedia Commons)

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Be like the sea

I found this in an article from the Hindustan Times:

"The power to have courage to face life’s difficulties comes from positive thinking and doing good things. Meditation can boost this power. You have to be like the sea which accepts all the rivers without resistance. You ought to be dynamic and should be able to mould your attitude as demanded by any situation. That helps you stand upright in the toughest of times. Closely followed is the power to cooperate; you have to see others as your own kin." 

I really like that image of being like the sea. Wonderfully helpful.
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Meditation for its own sake

I have so very much respect for this approach:

"Meditation is the only intentional, systematic human activity which at the bottom is about not trying to improve yourself or get anywhere else, but simply to realize where you already are.

"Perhaps its value lies precisely in this. Maybe we all need to do one thing in our lives simply for its own sake."

-- Jon Kabat-Zinn

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Yes. Yes, indeed:

Our pernicious attachment to feeling good

Here is an excerpt from Finding Meaning In the Second Half of Life: How to Finally, Really Grow Up by James Hollis:

"The central paradox of our current feel-good culture is that we grow progressively more and more uncertain and less and less persuaded that our lives really mean something. Feeling good is a poor measure of a life, but living meaningfully is a good one..."

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Ah, yes: