The Quest for the Golden Apple, Fleece, and Grail

The quest is a myth-theme as old as human story-telling. Herakles. Jason and the Argonauts.  Arthur. All of these heroes faced insuperable odds in their searches for answers to the enduring problems of the human condition.

But, as a dear colleague reminded me today (thank you, Julie Hansen), the answers are never to be found outside of one’s self. No matter how far into exotic landscapes one travels to attain what seems to be an object external to one’s self, it is when inner  awakening occurs that the object comes to the hero.

Happiness comes from within and expands with Mindfulness of the Present.  The answers are already there, inside one,  in the strength, courage, and inner light that grows from mindful awareness of this Place, this Moment, this Experience.

Gratitude for the Commentator Award

Paul of the inimitable Resting in Awareness has generously awarded Zen Being the Commentator Award, which is apparently an award of appreciation for bloggers who offer thoughtful and/or frequent reflections in the form of comments on one’s blog.  His wonderful blog explores the true nature of Enlightenment and offers tremendously useful reflections on resting in the breath and pure awareness.  I’m sure many who have read his blog will agree that it is a pleasure to respond to his thoughtful posts.  Congratulations, Paul, on the award, and thank you for the nomination.

Apparently, the guidelines stipulate that the awardee post the image of the award on her blog, acknowledge and provide a link to the blog of the person who nominated her, and pay the award forward to other bloggers by providing links to their blogs and notifying them of their nomination.

I wish to echo Paul, though, in saying that I am so grateful to the whole community of bloggers that have visited Zen Being so that I may become aware of what you are writing and thinking about and experience inspiration daily from your wisdom and light.  Whether you make your presence known or not, I appreciate you. Whether you comment or not, I appreciate you.  Below are just a few of the many bloggers who have kindly contributed thoughtful comments on Zen Being:

A Leaf in Springtime

I Stop for Suffering

Pocket Perspectives

Ben Naga

Gems of Delight

Dream, Pray, Act

Recovery Through My Lens

Be at Peace

Rev Dani Lynn

Zen and the Art of Borderline Maintenance

Lastly, although she is not a blogger, I would like to thank my amazing sister, Victoria Pitts, who is an extraordinary writer and who offers generous commentary here often.

Love, light, and blessings to you, your family, your community, and all beings in all directions on our magnificent planet.

The Question is, “How May I Serve?”

“Thought-forms that are emerging from a sense of connection are so much more powerful than thought-forms which are emerging from a sense of separation”– Rev. Michael Bernard Beckwith

Life  sometimes seems demanding, and we often have a tendency to live out long patches of it in response-mode as we react to the circumstances and stimuli that we encounter, trying to keep up with the hectic pace of this technological, economy-centered, career-oriented age.  We often find meaning in the living as we go rather than embrace and enlist our greatest powers of deliberate creation.

The simple question, “How may I serve the highest good?” can be a powerful internalizing tool to awaken the deliberate creator within.  Asked at the beginning or close of a meditation, when one is contemplating a course of action, or even when feeling anxious or fearful, subtle shifts happen.  Fears seem more flimsy.  Priorities seem to shift of their own accord and assemble in a way that lights a path of pure intentional being.   One walks with greater clarity of purpose, caring less about other people’s judgements.  Life seems full of possibility and potential.

Inevitably, the question, “How May I Serve?” will help to enlighten and make visible the divine guidance within one, which always seeks connection, which always knows the truth, which is always sure of itself, and which always expresses itself as loving gratitude.

Thank You for the Sunshine Award x2

  I just returned this morning from a technology-free vacation to discover that Zen Being has been generously nominated by Paul of Resting in Awareness and Lisa of Gems of Delight for the Sunshine Award.  Their wonderful blogs inspire me every day, and I am grateful for all the wisdom that they share with the world.  If you haven’t come across their blogs yet, please don’t deny yourself the opportunity to follow the posts of two outstanding writers.

According to Paul, whose instructions I have copied and pasted below (thanks, Paul!):

The requirements for accepting the award are:

1. Include the award logo somewhere in your blog.
2. Answer these 10 questions, below, for fun if you want to.
3. Nominate 10 to 12 blogs you enjoy. Or you pick the number.
4. Pay the love forward: Provide your nominee’s link in your post and comment on their blog to let them know they’ve been included and invited to participate.
5. Pay the love back with gratitude and a link to the blogger(s) who nominated you.

I nominate the following inspiring Blogs for the Sunshine Award (in no particular order):

1. The Wondrous Dharma

2. Known is a Drop, Unknown is an Ocean

3. The Sacred Cave

4. My Beautiful Things

5. Dilipnaidu’s Blog

6. Speaking From the Heart

7. Blood Ink Diary

8. Seventh Voice

9. Julie Hansen Intuitive

10. Soul-in-Progress

What is your favorite color?  In this moment, it’s Yellow
What is your favorite animal?  Wolf
What is your favorite non-alcoholic drink?  Beet, Carrot, Ginger Juice
Do you prefer Facebook or Twitter?   Neither, really
What’s your passion?  Living fully in the Moment
What’s your favorite pattern?  Fibonacci Sequence
you prefer giving or getting presents? I believe they are the same and have equal value
What’s your favorite number?  Infinity
Favorite day of the week?  Saturday
Favorite flower?  Sunflower

Living Beautifully

Yes, you must live beautifully and not allow the spirit of the world that makes gods out of power, riches and pleasure make you to forget that you have been created for greater things– to love and to be loved.  —Mother Teresa

As a child, I knew deeply that I was created for greater things, and Mother Teresa’s example was all I required as proof.  The gods of this world often confused me, and I did not understand their allure. Children usually do understand their true purpose far more fully than their parents do, until, out of habituation, they grow into servants of the gods of their parents (and I would include among these gods fear, worry, and self-doubt).  Jesus understood this:  he counseled his followers to be like children to enter Heaven (which I believe is a state of Consciousness).  Suzuki Roshi understood this, when he counseled his followers to nurture a “Beginner’s Mind” if they wished to have a “Zen Mind”.

It is never too late to reclaim one’s true purpose.   Living beautifully is a moment-by-moment affair, and that affair is the great love-affair of a lifetime.

Brilliant post by The Truth Warrior. Re-blogging with gratitude.

The Truth Warrior

Most people, myself included, want to create a loving and fulfilling relationship in our lives. A relationship that is healthy, authentic, with mutual love and respect for each other. A loving healthy relationship can be one of the most beautiful experiences in the world. I have had the wonderful experience of being in love on four different occasions. I feel blessed to have experienced this.

I am currently single and I was reflecting the other day on what is the best way to attract another loving relationship into my life. The answer that I came up with was, to have a loving and authentic relationship with myself. I feel that is so true. It is impossible to have a loving honest relationship with somebody else unless we first choose to have one with ourselves. This really is the first step in creating that loving relationship in our lives.

We…

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Everyday life is muddy

Mindfulbalance

The essence of the practice life involves cultivating awareness. This process has two basic aspects. The first is clarifying the mental process. The second is experiencing — entering into awareness of the physical reality of the present moment. When we’re standing in the muddy water of everyday life, practice is often not simple and clear. But part of our challenge is to bring a certain precision and impeccability to our efforts. That’s why it’s important to keep returning to these two basic aspects of practice: first, seeing through the mental process, with all its noise; and second, entering the non-conceptual silence of reality as-it-is. As practitioners we learn to honestly and relentlessly observe the mental or conceptual process — thoughts, emotional reactions, strategies and fears — and then bring ourselves back again and again to the physical reality of the present moment.

Ezra Bayda, How to Live a Genuine Life

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Liebster Blog Award

  Dominic of Standing in an Open Field (and Vanishing Narrative) generously nominated Zen Being for the Liebster Blog award, for which those blogs with less than 200 followers are eligible.  Thank you to Dominic, who is always reminding his readers to remove the “I” from from their perspectives.

Those nominated have the opportunity to nominate five other inspiring blogs with less than 200 followers to receive the award.  In the hopes that others will enjoy these lovely blogs as much as I do…

A Leaf in Springtime

Bowl of Miso

One Breath Meditation

Dangerous Linda

Auburn Meadow Farm

Blessings Prayer

May I remember my true purpose, to forgive, to love, and to bless, in this and every moment.

May I be a clear conduit for blessings  for myself and others

May I be blessed in this moment with Mindfulness and Gratitude

May the spaces I enter and leave be more blessed than when I found them

May I bless instead of judge others

May I bless myself whenever I begin to think a negative thought about myself

May I remember my purpose–to forgive, to love, and to bless

(**By “to bless” I mean something like,  “to see, acknowledge, celebrate, and reflect back the divine nature of a being”)

lijiun

According to the news release from China’s People’s News (16 Apr, 2011), whether people believe it or not, this incident actually happened in Hong Kong. The Weekly World News reported that a group of workers were bringing a water buffalo into a packaging factory, ready to slaughter it to make steak and beef stew.

When they approached the front door of the slaughterhouse, the sorrowful buffalo suddenly stood still, refusing to move forward, kneeling on its two front knees, and with tears streaming from its eyes.

How could the buffalo have already been aware that it was going to be slaughtered, before entering the slaughterhouse? This shows that it was even more alert than many a person. “When I saw what is believed to be a stupid animal actually crying, and when I noticed that its eyes were full of fear and sadness, I could not help but shiver

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