“Sequestered should he sit, Steadfastly meditating, solitary, His thoughts controlled, his passions laid away Quit of belongings. In a fair, still spot Having his fixed abode”.
Bhagavad Gita.
Spiritual quotes, Meditation and shamanism.
Hello everyone,
Once again the Art above is about meditation. I have designed it about two years ago after a long zen retreat. It talks about the nice quiet place that is at the center of any deep spriritual experience. This is the same place where stand mystics, saints , sages and shamans and from which they get in contact with something that is much bigger than them and that transcends them.
They are three key things, three pilars at the center of shamanic practices . “Prayer ” and “offering” is the first one. In shamanism, we never pray to ask or request favors for ourselfves we pray to express gratitude to every living beings ,to the elements, the death , the ancestors , our guides , mother earth, …, but as well to the universe, to God and to this gift of life we have received and that we vow to use to serve God(s) and manifest his light in this world. Healing is also a cornerstone of our practice because through it we practice our wish to put ourself at service to ease pain and suffering, to serve light and to repel the darkness. Meditation is the third pillar of our shamanic practice since it allows us to purify the ego , as well as to observe and let flow the mark of the Divine inside us and this place where it has not been stained: our heart and soul. In this quiet place of meditation, we also find an inexhaustible source of energy, of love and peace.
This said, today i wanted to share a few wonderful poems by Ryokan, a wise Zen monk , hermit, beggar and free soul from the 18 – 19th century. The depth of his poetry and his spiritual awareness are always like a breath of fresh air and his compassion for people as well as his love for his own path, far from any attachment to material goods and lust, appear in each of his verses . So here is a bit of his Art and zen poetry.
“Yes, I’m truly a dunce
Living among trees and plants.
Please don’t question me about illusion and enlightenment —
This old fellow just likes to smile to himself.
I wade across streams with bony legs,
And carry a bag about in fine spring weather.
That’s my life,
And the world owes me nothing.”
Ryokan – zen poetry and spirituality
“No luck today on my mendicant rounds;
From village to village I dragged myself.
At sunset I find myself with miles of mountains between me and my hut.
The wind tears at my frail body,
And my little bowl looks so forlorn —
Yes this is my chosen path that guides me
Through disappointment and pain, cold and hunger.”
Ryokan – zen poetry and spirituality
“I watch people in the world
Throw away their lives lusting after things,
Never able to satisfy their desires,
Falling into deeper despair
And torturing themselves.
Even if they get what they want
How long will they be able to enjoy it?
For one heavenly pleasure
They suffer ten torments of hell,
Binding themselves more firmly to the grindstone.
Such people are like monkeys
Frantically grasping for the moon in the water
And then falling into a whirlpool.
How endlessly those caught up in the floating world suffer.
Despite myself, I fret over them all night
And cannot staunch my flow of tears.”
Ryokan – zen poetry and spirituality
Have a great day anyone. Light!
Fred
yourenergymedicine.com
Distant healing, shamanism and energy healing