I generally begin the Monday night sitting at our Mindfulness Center with a short poem from Thich Nhat Hanh, a wonderful Buddhist monk who worked so tirelessly for peace and who touched so many lives, including mine.
"Body, speech, and mind in perfect oneness.
We send our hearts along with the sound of the bell.
May the hearers awaken from forgetfulnes
And transcend all anxiety and sorrow.
Listen, listen,
this wonderful sound brings us back to our true home."
Following the meditation this past week, I took some time to unpack these words because there is so much wisdom in it.
Body, speech, and mind in perfect oneness.
Mark Nepo expresses this same sentiment so beautifully: "When courageous enough to relax our soul open, the pace at which our mind thinks slows to the pace at which our heart feels, and, amazingly, together they unfold the rhythm with which our eyes can see the miracle waiting in all that is ordinary." With ongoing mindfulness practice, we find that our hearts and minds become more aligned, which makes for more harmonious living.
With respect to speech, the Buddha taught five things to consider before speaking. Is what you’re about to say:
· True
· Helpful
· Spoken with kindness and good-will (that is, hoping for the best for all involved)
· Endearing (that is, spoken gently, in a way the other person can hear)
· Timely (is this an appropriate time to say it)
When I pause to consider these factors, what I then say is generally received much differently than if I don't take the time to pause!
We send our hearts along with the sound of the bell.
When the Buddha taught the loving-kindness/compassion meditation, he used the word radiate. That is, we allow ourselves to fill up with that universal energy of love, kindness, and compassion, and the let that energy radiate into the world. It is a powerful meditation, one that I did many times when I was in ICU after an aortic dissection almost two years ago and then while in the hospital for two follow-up surgeries.
May the hearers awaken from forgetfulness
The Buddha often used the word sati when talking about mindfulness. One of the translations of sati is "to remember." I love this because, when we pause to reflect, we realize that most of the time we know what to do when interacting with others, but we often forget largely because we are so busy.
And transcend all anxiety and sorrow.
This line is short-hand for all the afflictive emotions that people can suffer from: anger, despair, loneliness, resentment, bitterness, and so on. Carrie Newcomer, a beloved musician, sings about learning to transcend such afflictive states: "Can't get over it, can't go around it, can't get under it. I know because I tried, checking the walls on every side. And if I could pray or do this any other way, I would have done it long ago. The only way out is through, but the only way through is in, again where the soft soul waits." Over time we can come to a space where we have made peace with, let go of, accepted (whatever words work for you) those afflictive emotions and what a difference that makes!
Listen, listen,
There is so much wisdom accessible in just listening--to our inner spirits, to loved ones, to songs, to life. In an interview, Carrie told the story of how a high school English teacher really listened to her. "He changed my life by saying, 'I see you and I see something that shines in you.'"
This wonderful sound brings us back to our true home.
People throughout the ages have made bells and other instruments which make sounds that resonate through our whole being. So too with the bell at our Center. Sitting, and being, with the resounding vibration, often leads us to our center, our true home.
We find that starting with this poem and reflecting on its meaning makes a subtle but significant difference.