Tsumani

A soon-to-be-published poem by our own Candie

Tsumani

By: Candace Henshaw-Osias

Dharma Name: Awareness Path of the Heart

STRONG emotions

old patterns emerge

hurtful words are spoken

old friends appear

FEAR, ANXIETY, PAIN arise

Tears, sobbing tears, racking my body

A Tsumani

I walk the long stairway

Close the door

My cushion and Buddha await me

like an old friend

embracing me, telling me all will be well

Impermanence

Sitting, breathing, crying

breath after breath after breath

relaxation appears

Tears subside,

Emotions calm

Holding my old friends

I look at the causes, the conditions, the patterns

Embracing the suffering, I smile

Insight appears

The storm has calmed

The emotions quelled

Yet they still float in the receding tide

Awaiting to return to the shore

Maybe during the next high tide

Without destruction there is no renewal

Without suffering there is no joy.

Without Tsunamis there is no calm

This is the black and white

The Ying and Yang

The balance of mother nature

My tears have transformed into clouds

My suffering into joy

Transformed, preserved and fleeting

Peace is obtained the way has been shown

Now I must choose

I arise - renewed.

Winter Retreat

Follow the winter retreat -

If you want to follow the winter retreat...see http://www.youtube.com/user/plumvillageonline?feature=watch
and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YT9Ez-Emtgg&feature=c4-overview&list=UUcv7KJIAsiddB2YRegvrF7g

 

 

 

GRATEFUL: A Love Song to the World

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sO2o98Zpzg8

Musicians Nimo Patel and Daniel Nahmod brought together dozens of people from around the world to create this beautiful, heart-opening melody. Inspired by the 21-Day Gratitude Challenge, the song is a celebration of our spirit and all that is a blessing in life. For the 21 Days, over 11,000 participants from 118 countries learned that “gratefulness” is a habit cultivated consciously and a muscle built over time. As a famous Roman, Cicero, once said, “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.” This soul-stirring music video, created within a week by a team of volunteers, shines the light on all the small things that make up the beautiful fabric of our lives.