Writings devoted to exploring the joys and difficulties of practice, of sangha, and to that most important endeavor of all: learning to care as deeply as possible.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

5 minutes


I freely admit that although busy with y MA in socials studies education, I’ve spent up to an hour writing a few of these blogs.  This one is five minutes.

Going to go sit in on some high school philosophy classes, and talk to the teacher about what it’s like and how to teach philosophy to teenagers.  Skipped out on zazen at the CC this morning in order to compose my thoughts regarding questions I want to ask her and my own notions of teaching. 

Woke at five, and for the first time in a while, immediately lit a candle and sat on my zafu.  It felt so good to do this with the first breaths of the morning.  Spent five minutes on the pillow slowly stretching out and feeling the breath, then a ten minute zazen (I’m guessing.)  Paid homage to the three jewels, then chanted the Loving Kindness meditation and the Heart Sutra.  Felt some of the lines tugging at me, a few very emotionally but in a grounded way, some of the lines serving to stir up the desire for the path.  I would like to write about what it feels like when lines pull at you; I guess that depends on the line and your own state…

Ran for fifteen minutes as the light was growing in the city, walked into a Starbucks in a ritzy hotel and too a few sips under a giant chandelier – whenever under a giant chandelier I imagine Trotsky and Lenin after the revolution lying on the floor of the palace together gazing up at the chandeliers! – I realize nine minutes have quickly passed and I have to go!

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