WILDLY FREE ELDER
The Artistry of Aging
Elder Muse/Day 28: The Miracle of Mindfulness
| In a world of noise, confusion and conflict, it is necessary that there is a place of inner silence and peace; not the peace of mere relaxation but the peace of inner clarity and love. |
| ~Thomas Merton |
A quiet Sunday morning sitting outside with a cup of tea, birdsong all around. Noticing how free of contraction and stress I am feeling in this moment as I breathe in and inhabit my body. An awareness of aliveness and joy flowing through.
Simple? Yes, and I am fortunate to live where I do with nature abundant all around, not bombs exploding. It is a miracle that we have lived as long and have come to this precious day to hold in the palm of our hand as sacred.
Mindfulness in the breadth of its practice could be one of the most important tools we have for the art of being peace in a chaotic world. Attention to the present moment as a way of life – attentive living – shows us our own ungrounded perceptions and old patterns of being that harm self and others. Then there is the opportunity to change them.
The Vietnamese monk, Thich Nhat Hahn says in this On Being interview below with Krista Tippett;
“My practice is centered in the present moment. Practice looking at people with the eyes of compassion. See their suffering and compassion naturally flows from your heart.”
When you have compassion in your heart you suffer less and can support and assist others. Understanding brings compassion.”
It is time to find peace within, restore communication with self and others, and practice living with conflict and anger and transforming it by learning from our mistakes.
Offering your light and elder wisdom into the community, into the world. There are many faces of love…
This episode aired on January 27, 2022, one week after Thich Nhat Hanh’s passing at the age of 95.
Thich Nhat Hanh first came to the world’s attention in the 1960s during the war in his native Vietnam, as he forsook monastic isolation to care for the victims of that war and to work for reconciliation among all the warring parties. Martin Luther King Jr. nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize, and he led the Buddhist delegation to the Paris Peace Talks in 1969. Books among his many beloved include Being Peace and The Long Road Turns to Joy: A Guide to Walking Meditation.
31 days of Daily Elder Muse blog posts accessed from the unfolding of the day – not planned or scheduled. Yes, the Muse is back again during this powerful and challenging shift time on our planet. May these words, stories and images assist you to remember who you are….and where to place your attention. ~Gaye Abbott
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Gaye Abbott, Wildly Free Elder, 08/11/24
WILDLY FREE ELDER 