Me-me, Me-me
One year ago I began a writing project with an aim for spiritual growth. The aim of this articles is to share some of the fruits of that project.
About a month before starting this project I re-discovered writing with the writing of a poem (named “On Loss” I have posted this poem in another medium post for reference). Intentional creative writing was a craft I’d left untouched since around the completion of my secondary education.
The rediscovery of this treasure - that had been buried in an unconscious quest for productivity — was set off in similar means to the spiritual journey of one of my spiritual ancestors, King Ashoka of the Maurya Empire in India. What I mean by this is it started off with a meeting of a gentle Buddhist Monk. A month before writing “On Loss” I met this clean shaven monk clad in the traditional ocher robes fitting his title.
This Ajahn had come to the small Buddhist congregation, that as per my curiosity on meditation, I was frequenting at the time; to give a talk about Art and his journey. His experience as an artist was extensive to say the least! I was impressed by his Art. In fact to this day I have a printed copy of the icon of his making (featured above) in my home.
As I listened to him speak and took in his art, a question arouse in my heart (courtesy of God or Mara I’m not sure which, though I have guesses). “How does an artist balance productivity with creativity.” It seemed a worthy question for what appeared to me to be such a productive renunciate.
At the end of his talk I had the opportunity to ask my burning question. His answer was worthy of Gautama. He didn’t balance them. It wasn’t about productivity or creativity but about skillfulness. I sensed his primary motive wasn’t to make emotionally moving paintings, or to send clearly worded messages to the world, but to progress in the bringing about his true self. As Chidanand Saraswati is fond of saying “You are the mantra.”
In this Spirit of being the mantra I began an Instagram account for the writing of what I would loosely call Zen Poetry. The major guideline was that I would attempt to post one poem or less a day that was short enough to be encompassed within a single post. Of course some days I did post many but that is why I made it a guideline rather than a rule.
I have selected 10 of these posts to turn into “Spiritual Memes.” A special thanks to Medium though whom I have access to Unsplashed for the making of these “memes” and of course to the Ajahn for his planting of seeds.
10 : On Listening
“Listening is opposed to giving full attention. Rather it is giving absolute presence.”
9: On Changing Ways
‘“Breaking the cycle” of mistreating our loved ones for personal gain is the constant cultivation of little acts of love rather than a single epic doing.’
8: On Acceptance in Right Relationships
“When I stop trying to change the people in my life they very quickly appear to change for the better, but this is an illusion. I’m just finally getting to see what they look like with my support added and my judgement taken away. They are as they always were: wonderful.”
7: On Devotion
“Devotion is an experiential journey. None can take it for another. Such is the difference between burden and joy.”
6: On Awareness in Healing or On Grieving
“Knowing can be painful but it is a pain that can heal. Avoidance of knowing is to have a wound that continually and unpredictably opens, again, and again, and again.”
5. On Emotion
“A master of emotion is not one who controls them, but who manages to find their beauty in whatever their state — and is so never overwhelmed by them. This means “response-ability” — a key indicator of maturity is maintained.”
4. On Soul
“It is a sin for the mind to make a body of the Spirit or a Spirit of a body … Remembering where that “to sin” means to “miss the mark or point.””
3: On the Roles of Being Whole
“To be your own teacher means to simultaneously speak and listen — to be both the water of a stream and the earth on which it flows. Namaste.”
2. On God
“Authentic being does as Being loves. Yet doing is not being; where as Being is Love.”
1:On Purpose
“A meaningful life is about realizing what the true self can hold and then holding it. All else is toward this purpose.
Not only are these my words but the sum total of my experience.”
So there you have it. A chosen Ten. As always I want to leave you on a blessing … and it seems fitting for that blessing to be a spiritual meme.
“May you follow your bliss to the ends of suffering; where begins the eARTh of living happiness.”
Aumn.
Jay
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