Good afternoon dear friends
In these difficult times sitting, walking and studying the Dharma in community – even virtual community – can help us maintain our breath. Even if we can manifest deep mindful breaths for one minute at a time, that will help.
This week we have an opportunity to practice the Ceremony to Recite the Five Mindfulness Trainings. In the following weeks we will complete our viewing of Sr Annabel’s talk and then carry on with a focus on practice songs and what we can learn from them.
For Thursday, if at all possible, please have the text of the Five Mindfulness Trainings with you (available at http://wavesandwater.org/site/practice/five-mindfulness-trainings/ ) so that you can participate in the recitation.
The Zoom link and meeting ID remains the same and can be found at : http://wavesandwater.org/site/sangha/about/thursday/
We hope you can join us. And, here is an offering – a poem by our OI brother Dzung Vo who practices with the Vancouver Mindfulness Community:
i can’t breathe
said George Floyd
the knee of four hundred years of racism
on his neck
i can’t breathe
said the woman with fear
in her eyes
her lungs attacked by coronavirus
as she was put onto the ventilator
i can’t breathe
said the nurse, exhausted
after a long shift
sweating under a hot surgical mask
and foggy goggles
i can’t breathe
said the young man
poisoned by a toxic drug supply
and generations of trauma and loss
i can’t breathe
said the one hundred thousand
dead americans
a nation and a world in mourning
i can’t breathe
said cities choked in smoke
from a planet on fire
breathe my dear
said the buddha of our time
reminding us of the way
to love and healing and transformation
breathe my dear
said the beloved community
grieving
and waking up together
breathe my dear
said mother earth
and let my oceans, mountains,
and forests embrace you
right now
when it seems so hard just to breathe
right now
just breathe
With permission….
