With palms together,

Good Morning Everyone,

I am sitting at my desk listening to the coffee maker and the heater blower pushing air through our house.  These sounds are so comfortable.and comforting. 

Student David Novotny has spent a day with us here in Las Cruces.  We met at Breakfast with the Boys yesterday, then he came to the house and we visited throughout the day.  I offered him some texts to study and we talked about the precepts. 

My daughter-in-law called and asked us to pick up our granddaughter from daycare.

My Little Honey prepared a wonderful meal and Jason, Maggie, and Olivia came to dinner with Dave and us. It was a homey evening.  Olivia insists on sitting on my lap searching for horses on Google images.  Dave came from the same part of Cleveland that we lived in and so there was plenty of things to talk about.

Afterwards, Dave and I went into the Zendo for evening zazen.

What are the Zen Living lessons?  

All of life is Zen practice.  Not the robes, the beads, or the bells.  Our practice is about flow. The robes, bells, and beads remind us of our historical connection to both Buddha and the community of practitioners, Real Zen is about how you manifest your deep interconnection in each breath.  . 

Does this means we never become frustrated?  No.  But when we are frustrated we are immediately aware of both the frustration and its source.  We stop.  We breathe. We move on. There was a time in my life, a long time, when this was not so.  I would hold on to the thing, add another thing, then another: I would not let go.

Zen has taught me that an open hand is a free hand.

An open mind is a free mind.

It is nearly time for the bell to ring., The cushion in the Zendo is whispering.

May you be a blessing in the universe.

Be well.