When I was a kid, I was free to come and go from home, pretty much at will, especially during the summer months. Yet, it was also true that I never went out without first giving mom a plan. You know, something to worry about.
Continue reading Devoted to Goodness
On one occasion, one of the Buddha’s cousins asked the Buddha how his disciples occupied their minds during the ordinary course of the day. Good question, right?The Buddha’s answer was simple and direct. “Cousin,” he said (I’m paraphrasing), “When my disciples aren’t meditating, they reflect on their good fortune and their own acts of generosity, kindness, and moral goodness.” In other words, the Buddha’s disciples occupied their minds with reflections on positive qualities and mental states. They were nourishing happiness and joy.
The day after the last big snow, as I drove out of Gloucester on my way to yoga, traffic was light and unhurried. Scenes refreshingly beautiful replaced the grimy, tattered, roadside landscapes of mid March on Route 128. My mindful-driving practice was humming along with my car’s heater. I was right there, right then, joyful and warm.
As I turned into the road that turned into the yoga studio parking lot, I realized a car was about to exit. However, this car was exiting from its own lane, but mostly from mine. I slowed to squeak by. My eyes locked with the driver’s. Then, I smiled a broad grin. And next, his gentle, middle aged, mustachioed face twisted into an angry grimace. He tossed me an f-bomb… flipped me the bird. Don’t think that didn’t make an impression.