Being in the Flow-ers - Check-in

Hello Friends,

 

I hope your week has gone well. I hope you have scheduled time to be in nature this week, and literally go smell the roses. Life goes by quickly, so let us cherish all we have.

 

As a point of inspiration on the flower theme, I offer you this. Vietnamese Zen teacher Thich Nhat Hanh speaks eloquently of “flower watering”, how we have seeds within us, and it is up to us which ones we will water. We can water the seeds of hatred, anger and revenge, or we can water the seeds of love, compassion and joy. It is up to us how we tend to our inner garden.

 

“Flower Watering is a chance to share our appreciation for the other person. We may mention specific instances that the other person said or did something that we had admired. This is an opportunity to shine light on the other’s strengths and contributions to the Sangha and to encourage the growth of his or her positive qualities.

 

Recognizing others positive traits allows us to see our own good qualities as well. Along with these good traits, we each have areas of weakness, such as talking out of our anger or being caught in our misperceptions.

 

When we practice “flower watering” we support the development of good qualities in each other and at the same time we help to weaken the difficulties in the other person.

 

As in a garden, when we “water the flowers” of loving kindness and compassion in each other, we also take energy away from the weeds of anger, jealousy and misperception.”

 

-- Thich Nhat Hanh

 

Being in the Flow-ers - Part 3: Thich Nhat Hanh

(Continued from When Push Comes To Shove)

Here are some quotes to inspire your day from Vietnamese Zen teacher Thich Nhat Hanh:

 

“People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don't even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child -- our own two eyes. All is a miracle.”

“When you plant lettuce, if it does not grow well, you don't blame the lettuce. You look for reasons it is not doing well. It may need fertilizer, or more water, or less sun. You never blame the lettuce. Yet if we have problems with our friends or family, we blame the other person. But if we know how to take care of them, they will grow well, like the lettuce. Blaming has no positive effect at all, nor does trying to persuade using reason and argument. That is my experience. No blame, no reasoning, no argument, just understanding. If you understand, and you show that you understand, you can love, and the situation will change.”

 

(Continues tomorrow with some teachings from Christ on "the lilies of the field")