Your Moment of Wow!

Another Kind of Cloudburst, Lanikai Beach, Lanikai, HI,
April 2020, iPhone 11 Pro, © Steven F. Crisp 2020

     What if every word you uttered, was ...                                      Just ... Wow!

     What if every sound you heard, was ...                                      Just ... Wow!

     What if every sight, smell, taste, touch,

     and most importantly, every thought, was                                Just ...  Wow!

     What a wonderful prayer, or gift, 

     or blessing, or even eulogy.                                                       Just ... Wow!

     What a motivational sermon 

     or speech or wedding toast

     or commencement address or pep talk

     or even therapy session.                                                           Just ... Wow!

     What poetry or prose or symphony

     or aria or jazz riff or jam session.                                              Just ... Wow!

     What a way to start each day or end each day 

     and to simply live each and every moment 

     in the timeless Now.                                                                 Just ... Wow!

     What if waking up to Life ...

     that eternal flux and flow ...

     was really that simple.                                                               Just ... Wow!

     What if all of our personal histories, 

     our tightly held opinions, 

     our indoctrinated beliefs, 

     our black and white thinking, 

     are nothing but concepts.  

     None of it real, nor Reality.                                                       Just ... Wow!

     Tonight the stars await your presence.  

     Tomorrow the sunrise will help you see   

     Reality as it is. 

     In all its simplicity. 

     With all its awe.                                                                        Just ... Wow!

     Like the wave that does not die upon the shore. 

     Nor is it born from the depths of the sea.  

     The world is simply waving, waving, always waving.  

     Look closely, deeply, calmly ... so is Thee, so is Thee            Just ... Wow!

              And in the spirit of Saint Jon of the Daily Show ... Here is Your Moment of Zen, er, Wow:

 

Coming To Your Senses

Coming to Your Senses, Kailua, HI, April 2020, Nikon D600 with FX 18-300mm VR lens, 300mm,
1/80 sec @ f15.6, ISO 160, -0.33 EV, no flash © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Did you stop today, and simply stare ... in Awe

Quiet those thoughts of past and future ... just Now

Hear the blood coursing, pulsing, throughout ... your Body

Reach down and pick your jaw up, off ... the Ground

Smile slowly, widely, unexpectedly ... and Radiantly

Feel your eyes welling-up, with tears ... of Joy

Muscles weaken, as you fall down, onto ...  your Knees

Remembering, Re-Member, not two, only ... One

Look more closely now and see, feel, hear ... the Flow

Arising and passing, only impermanence ... constant Change

Recognizing, Re-Cognize, there are ... no Boundaries

Seeing not, me, my, and mine, but effortless ... Inter-Being

The sun, the clouds, the rain, the ground ... cannot

The tree, the birds, the flowers, the fruit ... exist

The oceans, the mountains, one drop, one atom ... alone

Your ancestors, your mothers, your birth ... and death

In the beginning, in the end ... the Great Unknown

So today, in that profundity, what shall we do ... Now?

Slow-walking, in nature, just observe it ... All

Sitting, breathing, sensing, becoming ... Aware

... of your Sensational Life

You and Earth "Inter-Are"

"When you realize 'Heart' and 'Earth' are spelled with
 the same letters, it all starts to make sense." - Anon

What the heck does that mean?  Well it kind of means interdependent, and I know that sounds like new-age mumbo-jumbo feel-goodiness, but stay with me for a moment.

"Inter-being" is a term coined by Thich Nhat Hahn, a revered Vietnamese Buddhist monk that was once nominated by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr for the Nobel Peace Prize.

It means that because of this, there is that.  And without this, there cannot be that.  It's also referred to as "co-dependant arising".

We in the West, and especially in America, have a strong cultural ethos of Rugged Individualism and Independence.  Our story goes that we can pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps, and that we need not rely on anyone but ourself.  But this is just another myth, which is crystal clear with just a little discernment.

Without a healthy Earth, we cannot be healthy.  This is where our food comes from, where the water we drink and the air we breathe originate.  Without a healthy ecosystem, humans cannot thrive, and will not survive for long.

Similarly, our actions, individually and collectively, determine the fate of the Earth.  If we perform unsustainable activities, that by definition don't allow the Earth to recover and regenerate, then we will damage the Earth and its ability to support us.  Every action we take has consequences.  The car we drive (or choosing to walk), the food we eat (and how it is grown or raised), the source of our energy (and whether it is limited or renewable, polluting or clean, damaging to the environment when extracted or passively collected), etc.

Every action we take has an impact on the health of the Earth, which has an impact on our own health.  We are, in fact, literally interdependent.  And we each have in impact -- healthy or destructive -- on the other.  We therefore "inter-are" with the Earth.  This becomes more and more clear as we sit quietly, look closely at nature, and contemplate what gave rise to what.  In fact ... things just co-arise.  "Without this, that cannot exist."

So today, especially on the 50th celebration of Earth Day, spend some quiet time considering your impact upon, and dependance on, our fragile Earth, the varied flora and fauna that have evolved with us over the eons, and see all of the threads that interconnect us.  As John Muir noted, this "inter-being" is even bigger than that:

"When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe" -- John Muir 

Walking Along The Way

Walking Along The Way, Pill Box Trail, Kailua-to-Lanikai, HI, April 2020, Nikon D600 with FX 18-300mm VR lens, 
135mm, 1/60 sec @ f10, ISO 200, -0.67 EV, no flash © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Have you been cooped up lately, while "sheltering in place."  Do you feel like getting outside and going for a walk?  Where shall you go?  Will you pick some destination?  I vote no!

After all, it's not about the destination ... it's about the journey ... it's about The Way.

Remember to pay attention each moment along your journey.  For that is your life.  And that is Life itself.  Can you sense it?  Tune into it?  Feel it?   Be it?

Be present.  Savor this moment.  Smell the fragrance of each flower.  Hear the call of each bird. Feel the texture of the tree bark and the unfurling leaves. 

This is holy presence.  Sacred awareness.  Can you feel it in your body?  Each step along the path. Really feel it.  Become one with the rhythm of your steps ... rhythm of your breath ... with the rhythm of Life. 

Then wherever you are is your current destination.  You are always right here, right now.  Never waiting to arrive, nor wanting something different from what is.  Again, that's Life you are witnessing.  But don’t worry, something different will present itself in due course. Then just be present for that.  

Look deeply inside and see what your heart's intention is. Open yourself to the splendor of Life. Be awed by its depth.  Notice the interdependence of all things.  Recognize both the impermanence and the continuity of Life.  See your role in this and Life’s role in you. 

May you dwell in the present moment and find peace and happiness in abundance. 

So depart with no destination.  Set no fixed pace.  Arrive every moment with each step. And be grateful for your blessings.  

And speaking of blessings, consider these words and images from Brother David Steindl-Rast:

On this Easter Sunday ...

Sunbeams over The Mokes, Lanikai Beach, Lanikai, HI,
April 2020, iPhone 11 Pro, © Steven F. Crisp 2020

... can we look within ourselves ... look deep inside our hearts ...  and live more like Jesus? 

While I am not a religious man, I am somewhat spiritual, and consider myself a seeker.  And I'm non-denominational when looking for wisdom that can challenge me to grow, to investigate what really matters in life, and to see what is true about myself and my fellow man.

So with that as background, I offer a few of Jesus' words to inspire your inner journey while promoting wise action:

... The kingdom of heaven is within you ... 

... Turn the other cheek ... 

... I will make you fishers of men ... 

... The truth shall set you free ...

... Love one another ... 

... Do not be anxious about tomorrow...

... Seek and ye shall find ... 

... Love your neighbor as yourself ...

... Love your enemies ...

... Do unto others what you would like done unto you ... 

 ... Forgive those who trespass against us ... 

... Forgive them, they know not what they do ...

There is a lot of practical ... and rather challenging ... wisdom within those few words.  

Think how one's life might change for the better just by making the intention to follow one of those "radical" ideas, let alone all of them.

Blessings to you on this Easter Sunday.  Here is my Easter bouquet just for you!

Plumaria Bouquet, Lanikai, HI,
April 2020, iPhone 11 Pro, © Steven F. Crisp 2020

Trapped in The Churn Zone

The Churn Zone, video of Kailua Beach on a calm day, Kailua, HI,
April 2020, iPhone 11 Pro, © Steven F. Crisp 2020

Have all the developments of late got you trapped in "The Churn Zone"?  That's where you try to control your mind, but your mind doesn't let you, instead it keeps ruminating and catastrophizing.

Trapped by the constant onslaught of the latest infection counts and mounting deaths.  Roiling the mind, over and over, each breaking news alert triggering fearful fantasies about what the future might hold.

In some ways, this is a natural reaction to the unknown.  Fear has its place in evolution, helping ensure we take immediate action to live today so we can pass along our DNA.  But that flight-or-flight threat is not what we're facing.  There is something different going on here.

In today's hyper-connected world, we receive a constant churn from the news media, from our local and national governments, from well-intentioned friends over social media, and also from our own imagination.  This creates "The Churn Zone" in your mind.

But not unlike the video clip above, that is not the whole picture.  It is not reality.  It is possible to quiet your mind so that you can address the fear, the anxiety, and the cortisol and shallow breathing that come with those reactions, right here, right now.

As a first step, how about reducing your news consumption, and unsubscribing from social media feeds that help create this churn.

Then you can try sitting quietly ... taking a few long, deep breaths to relax the mind and the body.  Tune into your body and see where the tensions exist, and relax those as well.

Now, just quietly follow your breath.  Put your attention on your nostrils, and physically feel each breath that comes in and goes out.  When your mind starts to churn again, gently, kindly, bring your attention back to your breath.  And repeat for as long as needed, going deeper to "change the channel", so to speak.

This is one way you can quiet those churning thoughts in your head.  Look at the video, and notice how that churn zone is only where the waves meet the shallow depths of the shore line.
If you can get past the churn zone, you see the water is deep and clear and calm.  You have that reservoir throughout your body.  You can connect with those reserves through sitting meditation (breathing as above), and also by walking meditation, outside in nature, if possible.

Look deeply at Life as it is unfolding before your eyes.  That is Life, in the present moment.  The only place where Life exists.  Find the calmness that so easily lets the paddle-boarder remain balanced and upright, out beyond the churn zone.

Namaste.