A Kiss Before Leaving

A Kiss Before Leaving
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2020
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In these uncertain times (note: all times are uncertain

For everyone everywhere), it’s more important than

Ever for us to remember how much we appreciate and

Value the presence in our lives of the people we love.
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When I think of my dear ones, my mind often skips to

The question of how difficult it would be for me to cope

With the sudden, permanent absence of any one of them,

And, for a moment, a chill of uneasiness overwhelms me.
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And then I think of our shared paths, and a slight or two

That linger between us, still unforgiven, and I am shamed.

Or maybe I’ll ask myself when the last time it was that we

Told one another of the love that’s held in our hearts.
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Fear of the sudden loss of a loved one is a consequence

Of our natural human ability to love other humans. Often,

We value the loves we hold for our most dear loved ones

As our highest human ambition and accomplishment.
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Now, in these times of uncertainty that seem more intense

Than any other times in our lives we’ve ever felt before,

Wouldn’t it be a kind, mindful, loving thing to do, if next

Time, before we took our leave of a loved one, we kissed?
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Focus on Kindness

Focus on Kindness


When our minds become convinced that we’ve been the recipients of a tremendous amount of kindness in our lives, the wish to speak ill of others vanishes.


—Ven. Thubten Chodron, “The Truth About Gossip”

How to Gain Wisdom

How to Gain Wisdom


We attain wisdom not by creating ideals but by learning to see things clearly, as they are.


—Jack Kornfield, “Theravada Vipassana Practice”

Train Yourself Toward Compassion

Train Yourself Toward Compassion


With mindfulness, we see that the heart is the ground from which our speech grows.

We learn to restrain our speech in moments of anger, hostility, or confusion, and over time, to train the heart to more frequently incline towards wholesome states such as love, kindness and empathy.


—Beth Roth, “Right Speech Reconsidered”

Benefits of a Spacious Mind

Benefits of a Spacious Mind


The spacious mind has room for everything.

It is like the space in a room, which is never harmed by what goes in

and out of it.


—Ajahn Sumedho, “Noticing Space”

Your Calm Mind Helps Others

Your Calm Mind Helps Others


Your body reflects your mind. When you feel love for all beings, it shows

on your face. Seeing your honest, relaxed face, others will gravitate

toward you and enjoy being around you.


—Bhante Henepola Gunaratana, “11 Benefits of Loving-Friendliness Meditation”

Opening Our Hearts Amidst Difficulty

Opening Our Hearts Amidst Difficulty


Meditation and dharma practice give us straightforward and powerful

trainings to balance our mind and open our hearts amidst all difficulties,

using mindfulness, loving-kindness, equanimity, and compassion.


—Jack Kornfield, “Truth and Reconciliation Begins with Us”

May Pieces of Love Ever Cling to You

May Pieces of Love Ever Cling to You
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2020
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Reminded of the concepts of fair market value

As applied to fungible commodities, he felt an

Expansive, new hope unfold within. Rightly so.
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The hope was borne to his mind and heart on

Strong, supple wings that were as light as the

Whisper of lovely, patterned, polychromatic,

Butterfly wings, as they, so softly, passed the

Space in front of ears, softly beating in the

Fine, gentle ways that butterfly wings do.
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Gross, organic commodities like precious

Metals and uncut gems have market value

Based on karat fineness and carat weight.
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Each of them can be cut and divided, but

Still retain apportioned parts of its whole,

Man-made market value, but only to a

Finite point at which all the parts of the

Whole are gone, divided up and sold off.
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Which brings me to the hope in my heart

And mind. For you see, love also bears

The ugly saw marks, cuts, and the loud,

Lurching, hammer-blows that its essence

Bears every time someone tries to divide

Its indivisibility, and reapportion its being

From wholeness to their silly ideas of

Dreamt-up, constituent, fungible parts;

Each part with its own fractional values.
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But those foolish ideas about how love can

Always be split up, divided and apportioned

Off, piecemeal are, just so, artlessly dumb.
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Even when riven apart, love will never break!

Even over lifetimes, it will grow more whole,

And its beauty will only serve to inspire good.
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So, I wish you all who feel that love can be

Commodified like precious metals and gems:

Bought, sold, traded, increased or diminished,

Here’s a final loving wish for you to carry in

Your hearts and minds:

May Pieces of Love Ever Cling to You.
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What Does a Mindful Life Look Like?

What Does a Mindful Life Look Like?


To be mindful means to remember to let go of compulsive reactivity and

realize a nonreactive way of life.


—Stephen Batchelor, “The Art of Solitude”

Toward the Pinnacle of Our Potential

Toward the Pinnacle of Our Potential


Bodhicitta is not some “thing” you either have or don’t have, or something that you need to acquire …

Its purpose is a test of what we can become—the greatest unfolding of our human potential.


—Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel, “Nurturing the Intelligent Heart”