Meditation on Jack Kornfield's, The Wise Heart

Why do we fear letting go of pain, our grievances, our stolen innocence? Being vulnerable is not a weakness; it takes courage and faith to open our hearts. As we release what has crushed our spirit, we breathe life into it once again. This meditation on Jack Kornfield's The Wise Heart gives hope to humanities healing heart. May we be the catalyst to the peace that is our only truth.

In loving light,

Mags

Meditation on Jack Kornfield's, The Wise Heart, Chapter 9

via Sanctuaries, Dreams and Shadows by noreply@blogger.com (Maureen) on 9/24/09

Albert Camus said, "We all carry within us our places of exile; our crimes, our ravages. Our task is not to unleash them on the world; it is to transform them in ourselves and others."

Open your mind and heart
Ask why you are stuck in this place
Be brave, name the fear
Name the resistance.
Understand what it is, then
Step back, allow it the space it needs.
Breathe.

Little by little, feel it soften and dissolve.
Be courageous, greet your emotions
Each by name. Again
Step back, allow each the space
It requires to do what it will;
To expand, to intensify, or dissolve
To rise and fall again, and again.
Breathe.

Tears flow, honor them.
Pain comes in  waves,
Fear and resistance reappear
Swirling one into another, be brave.
Listen to your stories of sorrow and shame.
Hold them gently.
Hold your fragile self gently.
Breathe.

Be open to the waves, the tears.
Acknowledge your confusion and the grief.
Be fearless, do not lose your way.
Let go, accept your life,
Understand it is what it is.
Respect the history that is you.
Make peace with your life.
Breathe.

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When the show is over, only love remains

Life is like a Broadway show. What character do we play today? Villon or hero? Friend or foe? Victim or healer? Husband, wife, worker, parent, child, teacher, student? The casting call is endless.

We get up every morning and immediately the director in our head--our subconscious mind--yells,  "Action!" Without another thought, we obediently get into character.

Like in the movie, Ground Hog Day, our lives become a repeated drama.

Consumed as stars of our own show, we release all moment by moment decisions to the producer--the ego--and simply perform as the writers--society--has written in the script. Sure there are some standing ovations and elated encores, but often performances bomb and there are poor reviews. 

Nevertheless, the show must go on!

Actually, if you look real close, many are only stand-ins. Sure, it looks like them, it sounds like them, but if you look into their eyes you can see they are not there. Clueless to the perpetual retake, they blankly move through each scene of their life as if it were a new show.

People are either performing, crashing in between curtain calls or rehearsing the same scene over and over again. Co-actors may change, the scenery may change, but the lead actor remains the same.

"Bravo! Now can't you see it was only another performance?"

Yes, different performance, but essentially, it is the same production.

What I like about the message in the Ground Hog Day movie was that Bill Murry, the lead actor, recognized that he was reliving the same day over and over again. With that awareness, he made the best of each day by exploring new territories; new parts of himself. While everything else seemed to remain the same, he began to change, his choices within the seemingly repeated day. His asserted efforts changed his perspective. Creating new realities. In the end, the real next day came, but this time, he was a new man--realized in beyond the illusion. He was ready to embrace every day with a whole new outlook.

To be a successful actor, one must give it all from the heart. There must be passion...desire...joy...the love of every moment.

To be a successful human, one must give it all from the heart. There must be passion...desire...joy...the love of every moment. 

In the performance of our lives, when the show is over only love remains.

Considering life from a window of light,

Mags