First days of spring
The sky is bright blue, the sun huge and warm.
Everything is turning green.
I carry my monk’s bowl and walk to the village
to beg for my daily meal.
The children spot me at the temple gate
and happily crowd around,
dragging at my arms till I stop.
I put my bowl on a white rock,
hang my bag on a branch.
First we braid grasses and play tug-of-war,
then we take turns singing and keeping a kick-ball in the air:
I kick the ball and they sing, they kick and I sing.
Time is forgotten, the hours fly.
People passing by point at me and laugh:
“Why are you acting like such a fool?”
I nod my head and don’t answer.
I could say something, but why?
Do you want to know what’s in my heart?
From the beginning of time:
Just this! Only this!
Ryokan
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction. It’s a long way of saying can we be like Ryokan? Can we simply be in our lives? Just this.
I am excited to be part of the group forming now to open our hearts to our own experience. We are grateful to have the opportunity to meet on the sacred grounds of The Prancing Peacock in Bucks County. Liz Conner has lovingly cultivated this community on what was already a peaceful refuge as a Quaker farmstead.
Our group meets in safety. Safe covid protocols. And a safe space to just be with each other. Share and learn.
There will be a maximum of 16 participants to assure adequate spacing. So please register when you can. See registration information in the Practice section.
I am so looking forward to practicing with you: Just this. Just this breath. Just this life.