Category Archives: New Year’s Day

beginner meditation, New Year's Day, zazen, zen, Zen Poetry

Advice to Self 2017

han-3

Don’t wait on providence, fate or luck
in sum they’re worth not half a fuck
in this moment, be here and aware
there were never extra nows to spare
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meditation, New Year's Day, zazen, zen

Ringing in the New Year, Enjoying the Gift of Time

bell-and-watch

Today, after a small sip of grapefruit juice and a back stretch, I put on the winter gear, and made my way up the icy driveway to the barn zendo.  I got up later than usual and the sun was shining brightly.  It’s a curious idea that we celebrate the new year January 1st. I always thought it should start with the Vernal Equinox and the greening of the landscape, but it makes just as much sense to celebrate the new year after the Winter Solstice and with the lengthening of days. Each day until the beginning of summer  we are given a minute or so more daylight to either savor or squander. Our choice. Speaking of minutes more, my sitting frequency and duration have slacked off quite a bit over the holidays, but the cawing of the crow and the burbling of the creek reminded me today to PAY MORE ATTENTION! So, I will heed their advice and as the days get longer I resolve to savor them by sitting:

 

at least once a day

every day,

come what may

Rain or snow

30 below,

or grass to mow

At the end of my sit today, I rang the tiny bell much longer than usual- enjoining the world and mainly myself:

Wake Up! Wake Up! Wake Up! Wake Up! Wake Up! Wake Up! Wake Up! Wake Up!

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