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Author Archives: Deirdre
Simple.
Posted in In 2012, Teachings of Great Masters
Tagged 2012, breath, buddhism, choice, community, compassion, Dalai Lama, heart, living, love, meditating, mindfulness, mistakes, non-violent, peace, relationships, simple rules, teachings, world
From out of Stillness
A quiet Sunday morning. The bell rings. I intend inner quiet. Rooting my sit bones into the cushion, dropping my shoulders, allowing my spine to rise naturally to the base of my skull, allowing my head to balance like a ping-pong ball on a column of air, I remember: I intended inner quiet.
I notice my breath. Rising and falling, air travels up and out of my body then back down again. Miraculously, this Sunday morning, I am (at least for some bit of time) actually just noticing my breath. There is a vague awareness of having attached my mind to my breath as if it were a great mouth with teeth sunk into the movement of breathing. There is stillness. Then there is an image.
Being not of traditional Buddhist stock (being sort of a non-traditionalist in general) I gazed upon the image. It was that of a tennis ball being hit by a racket. Then, there was a golf ball being hit by a golf club. Finally, I saw a baseball bat strike a ball of the same sport.
As the images melted back into the flowing movement of my breath, I understood. What I was being shown was what to do with my consciousness, my thoughts, and in turn my life-force energy. I was being told to “keep my eye on the ball”. In the magical world of inner knowing, three simple images downloaded pages of guidance that I could apply right then and there and in every subsequent moment I would live. The “eye” is the mind. The “ball” is the center of the experience of being. The message: anchor your awareness deeply into your essential self and what you are aiming for will be reached.
Upon reflection, also in the mysterious manner of the mystical realms, this image would speak particularly strongly to me. I have a memory, clear and visceral, of a kind of shocked surprise, when for the first time, in an act of sheer will, I forced my eye to watch the bat contact the ball and as a result the ball travelled straight in the direction I wanted it to go. In all prior attempts, I had done the logical, but ineffective, act of looking out toward the place I wanted the ball to go. As most can guess, this only produced strikes, fouls or other non-starters.
So these images, simple yet profound, told me that all of my worries and wonderings over the trajectory of my life, what choices to make, where to put my energies and essentially how it will “all work out” will all be taken care of if I can stay rooted in the center of my being.
Later that morning, I had the good fortune to be discussing this realization with Sacred!Centre’s founder Deirdre Cole, and there came an enhancement. Contacting the center of one’s being seems to be fundamentally an alignment with the heart. And as we relate with the world through the actions we take, if we can stay anchored in the heart those actions will be infused with a quality of caring, compassion, and kindness and none of that ever seems to be bad.
And then I saw a final image, one of human arms leading directly out of human hearts, animating human hands that are the “doers” in the world. If we can stay centered in the center of our beings, in the energy of the heart, then when we strike a ball or lift our hands in action we find that we do attain our goals, the highest ones being inner peace and joy in living.
Lisa Jane Lipkin is a piano based singer-songwriter who recently released her third CD called “Flying on Instruments”. www.lisajanelipkin.com
“Beloved“ – Written & performed by Lisa Jane Lipkin. From her album ” A Prayer for Peace”
Posted in The Meditator's Corner
Tagged attain, ball, breath, heart, human, inner, meditation, quiet, reflection
It Is 2012 … Here Comes the Sun!
I saw this performed this evening on the Kennedy Center Awards. It seems like the perfect first song of what could really be a
Happy New Year!
2 0 1 2
Love,
Here Comes the Sun, James Taylor & Yo Yo Ma
Deirdre
Posted in In 2012
Tagged 2012, happy, here, it's alright, james taylor, sun, yo yo ma
Let’s Get Excited! — A Message from a Meditator on 2012
Let’s get excited!!!!
That’s all I’m thinking for this year and transitional time in our history as humanity. It’s certainly an interesting point. In some ways, it can be frightening. Will society collapse? Will our money be worthless? Are we living in the midst of a crumbling empire? The answer to these questions hasn’t arrived yet. I do know this. Massive change that a lot of us as humanity have been waiting for our whole lives for is upon us. The system as we know it simply can’t exist anymore. This form of predatory capitalism that the west has been practicing for so long is on its deathbed. There are people in the streets all across the country voicing their discontent.
I can hear all of you who have lived through the 60’s right now telling me…”not so fast there young guy. We lived through that. We marched. We stopped an immoral and unjust war. We tried to change things, and the reality of the situation is a peaceful utopia is impossible. So just go to school, and get a job” And I can get that mentality. I’ve had it at points in my life when I’ve seen past protests. Most protests we are used to seeing are more like large gatherings of like-minded folks pushing some sort of special agenda. However, Occupy Wall Street is something entirely different and don’t expect it to go away anytime soon.
I will tell you this. I’m really excited to see how the media is going to keep trying to discredit the movement. They’ve been trying to in vain since that cop took it upon himself to go on a pepper spraying spree back in September. We’ve already seen them try to paint all the protesters with that dirty hippie brush. I hate to break it to those empty headed talking heads on television feeding us the news, but there are not THAT many hippies all over the world. It’s been interesting to watch that, no matter how hard they try to laugh off the movement as nothing serious, it just intensifies. I think our leaders have underestimated us. I think I personally have been guilty of underestimating the intelligence and compassion that exists in this country. I’m pretty sure if I would have told you at this time last year that there would be a massive protest movement in the United States you’d look at me like I just told you Jesus was at my house stealing cable. I love the fact that every single day I’m at work and dealing with the public. It seems that people are more awake and aware than ever. For too long in this country we’ve been fat, happy, and content. We really didn’t care what our government was doing, or the CEO’s of banks or anything really for than matter. Just as long as we had our X-boxes, Ipads, and Doritos well, then we’d be happy. Well, now our moment is upon us.
I feel 2012 is going to be exciting, interesting and challenging. It feels like I’ve been preparing my whole life for the changes that are coming. I’m sure there will be a few rough patches here and there, but I feel in the end, humanity is going to make a choice. Are we going to live in a more cooperative world where we finally learn to share the resources of the planet with one another, or are we going to continue to let our leaders hoard all of the resources while we kill each other off for the scraps. I think we’ll find out in the coming years. In the meantime, now would be a good time to start praying, meditating, and getting your mind right. Also, don’t forget to enjoy the spectacle of it all 
I love you all
Peace
Namste
Hare Krishna
Praise Jesus
And
Allah Akbar
Brad
Posted in The Meditator's Corner
Tagged 2012, aware, changes, choice, community, compassion, cooperative, hippies, Ipad, media, meditating, meditation, mind, new, news, occupy, peace, pepper spray, planet, present, protesters, protests, society, wall street, world
The Wisdom of Adversity with Jeff Rubin
Join us this Sunday for a Dharma teaching and meditation on The Wisdom of Adversity and how to look deeper into the common experience of not getting what we want.
Jeff Rubin, a student of the Venerable Chogyam Trungpa, Rinpoche and the Sakyong Mipham, Rinpoche, has been a meditation instructor, dharma teacher and Shambhala Training director for over 30 years. He is currently the Chair of the Board of Trustees of Sky Lake Lodge, a Shambhala contemplative center located in Rosendale, NY. This is Jeff’s 4th visit to Sacred!Centre where he has also given Unconditional Healing workshops and a Dharma teaching entitled “Sudden Glimpse.”
The Wisdom of Adversity
Not Getting What We Want May Be Just What We Need
with Jeff Rubin
November 13th, 2011
10am-2pm
Sacred!Centre–Meditation & Community for The Global Good
$50 requested donation.
No one will be turned away due to financial hardship.
To Register & for further details call or email
Eve Hausler
914.552.3135
eveaajeff@aol.com
Tea, refreshments and sharing will follow the
meditation & teaching.
Posted in Uncategorized
Occupy Wall Street — Public Meditation – Being ‘Present’ at Occupy
This is a letter from the Buddhist Peace Fellowship inviting everyone in the world to occupy the present moment together this Sunday, October 16th, 2011.
Scroll down to see the the letter below.
A dear friend of Sacred!Centre aspires to “Bet on the truth and let go of the outcome.”
… which perhaps Thich Nhat Hanh exemplifes best…
Thich Nhat Hanh… My right hand, my left hand
Dear friends,
Here at the Buddhist Peace Fellowship we are deeply moved by what is going on at Occupy Wall St. and around the country. We are excited by the message of interconnectedness in this movement–the influence of money in politics is blocking not one, but the many interconnected social justice and environmental goals that BPF works for. We also applaud the commitment to nonviolence of Occupy Wall Street and the many solidarity Occupy events. We are inspired to bring our practice and our perspective to this movement, together with our friends and allies.
We invite you to join us in a Public Meditation to “Be Present” at Occupy Wall Street this Sunday, October 16th. You can join us at one of the locations listed below, at the Occupy event in your own city, or
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged being, meditation, non-violent, occupy, present, protest, rally, voices, wall street
Thich Nhat Hanh to Offer Congressional Retreat
This is important. Thoughts?
http://www.plumvillage.org/events/events/321-how-u-can-help-congressional-retreat-11.html
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged bipartisanship, congress, meditation, thich nhat hanh
Honoring Nelson Mandela – A Veteran of Peace
The United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday declared July 18 Nelson Mandela International Day to mark the South African anti-apartheid leader’s contribution to peace.
A resolution adopted by consensus by the 192-member world body calls for commemorations every year starting in 2010 on July 18 – Mandela’s birthday – to recognise the Nobel Peace Prize laureate’s contribution to resolving conflicts and promoting race relations, human rights and reconciliation.
New York – AP
Posted in Uncategorized
Go As A Sangha ~ Thich Nhat Hanh
We feel that the words of this beloved teacher and bodhisattva reflect the heart of what Sacred!Centre and many other organizations around the world have come into existence to serve. Please enjoy.
“Personally, I want the twenty-first century to be called “the century of love,” because we desperately need love, the kind of love that will not produce suffering. Unless we have enough loving kindness and compassion, we will not be able to survive as a planet. Our problems in the twenty-first century are not the same as the problems the Buddha and his friends and disciples encountered during their lifetimes. Today meditation has to be practiced collectively–as a family, a city, a nation, and a community of nations.
There is a Buddha that is supposed to be born to us named Maitreya or Loving Kindness, the Buddha of Love–Mr. Love, Ms. Love. A Sangha that practices loving kindness and compassion is the Buddha that we need for the twenty-first century. Each of us is a cell in the body of the Buddha of Love. Each cell has its own role to play, and we cannot afford to miss one of our cells. We have to stay together. We have the power to bring Sanghakaya, the Sangha body, and Maitreya Buddha into existence just by sitting together and practicing deeply.
So the next Buddha may not take the form of an individual. In the twenty-first century the Sangha may be the body of the Buddha. We have the power to bring the next Buddha into existence in this century. If we sit together and practice looking deeply, we can bring the Sanghakaya and the Buddha into existence. All of us have the duty to bring that Buddha into being, not only for our sake, but for the sake of our children and the planet Earth. This is not wishful thinking, this is real determination.”
Posted in Uncategorized
In The Woods
In the Woods
Yesterday morning in Starbuck’s my friend Victoria revealed to me how it has been hard for her to be in this world, to be in a body, and then somehow to do the social thing. To somehow carry out all the behaviors and recommendations for happiness that the luckier ones of receive from the time we’re born. …Behaviors that pass for real relating in this world.
I have to say, this has been true for me too. I got really good at it, except when it failed me and being in this world and in my body would return to feeling untenable. The pricetag was an authentic life. It was enough to get me shopping, with or without a dollar in my pocket.
I’d guess it can’t be just the two of us. Maybe it’s ubiquitous? … Life is miraculous yet smooth sailing isn’t really real for anyone. It’s challenging to be alive, to keep doing and doing and doing, in search of an elusive happiness. It’s hard work keeping up a good, functional front. …In itself this isn’t bad, but it’s the choicelessness of it. And the tragic way it seems to silently become a stand in for real contact with our fellow humans.
Then Victoria told me a story someone had told her once and now I’m telling you. Are you here?
A man was lost in the woods. Really lost. The woods were super dark and it was cold. Then there was an opening! He discovered a little, tiny cabin alight from inside. The man knocked on the door. Someone opened it and handed him a lantern. He felt very grateful and relieved until deep discouragement descended.
“This lamp will never light the whole way, it will illuminate only the one next step in front of me!,” he said. The benefactor replied “Then take that one lit step. And the next will reveal itself. Practice this. And, though you may yet not know where you’re going, you are no longer lost.”
Well, like the game of telephone, I probably just put my own spin on the story. But I wanted to send this out into the life brimming and at times lonely reach of cyberspace. Just in case anyone else in the woods needed a light.
I’ll add that Victoria told me this story to express to me the depth of her visit to Sacred!Centre a couple of weeks ago. A small group of us had meditated together for a woman who was up for parole that day after serving 30 years in prison. …After serving a whole lifetime without any light along the way save what was within the cabin of her own heart.
Victoria handed me a lantern. She helped bring me back to the clarity that the trueness of Sacred!Centre, what makes it trustworthy, can only be discoverd one mindful step, one in-breath, and one out-breath at a time. And that as long as a Sangha has this as its guidance, we are no longer lost.
Thank you, Victoria. Yesterday, you were the teacher. And our friend,in prison, made parole.
Posted in Uncategorized
