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This Sky is our Sky

March 08, 2006

Alive in the Heart: Meditation for Inner Transformation with Sharon Salzberg, National Cathedral, farm and sky image
While driving through the Shenandoah Valley several weeks ago, tunes like This Land is Your Land kept popping into my head as Rob and I witnessed scenes of Americana unfold in front of the MINI Cooper over and over again. What strikes me about this simple image is the sky. We forget about the sky, which is a pity. The wind blows whichever way it wills, and is free for all, supporting all, protecting all.

Yesterday, I learned about metta practice during my second Buddhist meditation class with Sharon Salzberg at the National Cathedral. The word "metta" means "lovingkindness", and during our practice together, we said a blessing over and over in our minds. First, for ourselves. I love this. We begin by blessing ourselves. Just as peace and love must first begin in each of us, so should blessings. A simple lovingkindness meditation goes something like this:

May I be safe, may I be happy, may I be healthy, may I live with ease.

Breathing in and out and focusing on these words for oneself can be quite healing. Our teacher talked about how we can be so hard on ourselves and obsess over the tiniest things that go wrong during the day, ignoring all the good we accomplish which in reality, far outweighs whatever mistakes we've made.

Blessings. I like this.

Second, we moved on to repeat the lovingkindness words for a benefactor in our lives. Someone who is there for us, supporting us, or who has greatly inspired us. I chose my mom. I easily could have chosen my dad, my teacher, Oprah Winfrey (no, I'm not kidding, Oprah rocks), or maybe god, even. I realize Buddhism does not recognize a personal diety, but this is my metta... and I am allowed to let my heart speak its own poetry.

May you be safe, be happy, be healthy, and live with ease.

Third, we focus our attention on someone who is a neutral presence in our lives. Someone who we know at a distance. An example of a neutral person might be a neighbor you've never gotten to know or your UPS guy, or your grocery check-out person. I chose the woman sitting next to me in my class. It's interesting how a shift begins to happen when you begin seriously blessing someone you basically feel nothing for ~ neither good nor bad. Not that it was hard to do ~ it was easy. The surprising thing is what began as a simple exercise turned into a surprisingly genuine desire for goodness in the life of the woman next to me, which really... think about it... is powerful.

May she be safe, be happy, be healthy, and live with ease.

Finally, we shifted our focus to all beings everywhere. All things, great and small. Everyone. Everything. People we love. People we hate. Animals, bacteria and presidents who completely annoy. Stretching the mind and heart as far as it can go ~ we blessed all that is conscious. All that is.

May all things be safe, may all creatures be happy, may all living things be healthy, may all live with ease.

A unique thing happened to me in the middle of metta-ing. There in the stillness of my breath. In that still small space between breathing in and out. Hovering in this quiet moment where time stands still, my blessing came full circle, and I was back where I had started. I realized I was blessing myself. When we bless ourselves, we bless the world. When we bless all things, we recognize the interconnectedness and oneness of everything, everywhere.

It wasn't quite a mind-blowing experience, but it certainly was a special and meaningful one. For some time now I have been a follower of the All is One Theory of the Universe, but what is different is I have a practice now ~ a metta practice ~ a lovingkindness meditation ~ that I can go to and be quiet and remind my soul of a poetic truth. Beauty in all things, because we are all in this together.

How annoyingly sweet this is getting? Perhaps. But if you were to give this a chance, the sweetness would find you. And once found, you could find an experience infused with genuine power. A presence that isn't easily tossed aside with a cynical flick of the wrist. What I'm talking about is certainly cattywhompus to our westernized ways of rugged individualism and cocky oneupsmanship. It has taken a lot of patience for me to get to this place, and I'm only scratching the tip of the iceberg.

I look at the simple little image up there of a humble farm enveloped and protected by an all-encompassing sky. A sky which knows no borders. The air we all breathe and share. A sky which indeed we must bless and protect not only for just ourselves, but for all creatures great and small everywhere. I look at the simple picture and I come to the conclusion that maybe the sky is a perfect metaphor for unity.

At the beginning of this post I paraphrased John 3:8. I interpret it a bit differently than most, but perhaps you can begin the process with me of opening. Holding the door ajar to allow spirit, oneness, awareness and truth to sweep across all people, all religions, all colors and persuasions, traversing every border.

The wind blows where it wills, and you may hear the sound. But no one knows whence it comes from or whither it goes ~ so it is with every one who is born of the Spirit."


This sky is our sky.

Posted by vincent at March 8, 2006 12:12 AM

Comments

SO beautiful, Susan! I love your lovingkindness practice. Buddhism can be so very profound and simple, in the sense of purity. I love this post.

Posted by: Wandering Willow at March 8, 2006 02:11 AM

Simply lovely Susan. Thanks for sharing such a sacred time and for giving words to make it feel like something we all could, and should, strive to grasp. Have a very beautiful day.

Posted by: samtzmom at March 8, 2006 06:34 AM

This is good. Thanks.

Posted by: candy at March 8, 2006 08:56 AM

Through tears, I echo that last comment. This is good. Thanks.

You are such a special person:)

Posted by: Tamara at March 8, 2006 09:56 AM

I wish I was there taking these classes with you and meditating on a daily basis with you. Your stillnes, love for all, fairness, letting each person alone to be themselves and you willingness to share your thoughts of goodness warm my heart and soul. Thank you for calming thoughts.

Posted by: janet at March 8, 2006 05:47 PM

I just went back and read some of your latest posts (somehow I've gotten behind) and I wanted to tell you that your spirit oozes peace and calm, a feeling of welcome, a drawing into itself which comes from something much larger than you. You are truly being blessed and in so doing you are blessing each of us. whew. I love that.

Posted by: candy at March 9, 2006 08:45 AM

You know, it is true in so many ways that giving is a reciprocal phenomenon. The comments left here on my little blog and especially here on this post have affirmed that I am moving in a good direction. Thank you so much for your warm reception.

Susan

Posted by: susan at March 9, 2006 09:48 AM

"The modern mind always tends to reduce the greater to the lesser rather than seeing the lesser as reflecting the greater."

-- Peter Kreeft, The God Who Loves You

Posted by: Mark W. at March 9, 2006 04:15 PM

Beautiful journey, beautiful photographs, beautiful voice. Thanks for sharing. Be blessed...

Posted by: beth at March 11, 2006 11:14 PM