Carpe Diem Namasté, The Spiritual Way #10 Ascension

!!! The submission for this "weekend-meditation" starts next Sunday May 28th at 7:00 PM (CET) !!!

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Welcome at a new episode of our CDHK "Namasté, The Spiritual Way". This week I love to challenge you to create haiku, tanka or an other Japanese poetery form, inspired on "Ascension". As I publish this episode "Ascension Day" (or in Dutch, Hemelvaartsdag) is almost over. You all will know that Ascension Day is a Christian holiday in which the Ascension of Jesus Christ is celebrated. But here at CDHK I do not pretend to promote the Christian belief or which other religion there is. So I have tried to make this "weekend-meditation" more common than Ascension Day will be.

I have chosen to tell you more about Ascension. Maybe you remember or Theme Week about "The Ascended Masters" in that theme -week I also told you about Ascension. Today however I love to watch to the more spiritual meaning of Ascension. (Source: Ascension Symptoms)

Ascension

Many people are confused about what Ascension means when it is referred to in the spiritual sense. Ascension can mean different things to many people. The literal definition of the word ascension means: the act of ascending or ascent; to be risen up or to climb. The concept or idea of Ascension itself can be explained in several different contexts depending on the spiritual tradition or philosophy.

Ascension, in a simple and spiritual sense is very similar to the Eastern concept of Enlightenment found in Buddhism. To become Enlightened can simply mean to have "full comprehension of a situation". Enlightenment is a spiritual revelation or deep insight into the meaning and purpose of all things, communication with or understanding of the mind of God or Source, profound spiritual understanding or a fundamentally changed consciousness whereby everything is perceived as an interconnected unity.

Ascension in its basic spiritual or mystical sense can be thought of as the highest state of Man (humanity). It is the expansion of awareness. It involves the realization of being ONE with the Creator and all of creation. An individual is 'ascending' in the sense that something of a lower vibration is ascending; is is being 'raised up' or becoming higher in vibration. This is why many Spiritual traditions aim to achieve the dissolution of the human ego (lower self) in order to realize the true nature of their being, or Higher Self.

Ascension, in this spiritual sense of the word, does not mean that one's physical body is lifted off the ground and flies through the air, ascending up into or above the clouds towards a physical place called 'heaven', although some religious adherents still literally imagine this very scenario. But for the sake of understanding, If Ascension did actually involve entering heaven without dying, then it would be more accurate to say that Ascension is about 'bringing heaven to earth' by raising the 'lower vibrational aspect of your non-physical being to a higher vibrational state of being or realization.

Ascension can also be understood in a more metaphysical way by considering the concept of 'Dimensions' or 'planes of existence, or planes of conscious'. This would mean that Ascension is about shifting from one dimension, frequency, plane of existence or conscious (such as the 'lower' physical Earth plane) to another plane, dimension or state of consciousness that is of a 'higher frequency'.

The Ascension of Jesus Christ

Maybe you know about several Ascensions. There is of course the "Ascension of the Christ", but there are other ideas about Ascension. For example there is the Ascension of Buddha.

Ascension of Buddha

But there is also the Ascension of the Prophet, Muhammad.

The Ascension of Muhammad Miraj-Isra

In my opinion Ascension isn't something physical, but it is spiritual. In this time of Aquarius, we all will ascend to a higher state of spirituality. We will go into another dimension, another state of thinking.
Ascension is becoming more spiritual, maybe it is the moment that you choose to take another path to fulfillment, or spiritual growth. I think that we, haiku poets, are creating our own "ascension" through our haiku, tanka or other Japanese poetry form, because we are one with nature, with the cosmos.

What does Hinduism tells us about Ascension?

According to Hindu philosophy, by living a life of Truth governed by various forms of yoga, anyone can ascend to the ultimate state of moksa - release from the round and round cycle of birth and death. This is achieved by understanding the Inner Self (God), by overcoming ignorance and desire requires one to live constantly (every act, thought and breath) in the awareness of God. Paradoxically, moksa cannot be attained if it is one's goal. Ascension to moksa can only occur when one life of Truth transcends all desires (including the desire for moksa). The dynamics and liveliness of the Hindu belief system allows for use of ancient texts as well as continuous contemporary instruction on exactly how to live in Truth.

Atman, Ascension in Hinduism (image found on Pinterest)

As I re-read this (maybe to long) episode of Namasté, The Spiritual Way, than I think I am more a guy that fits in the idea of Ascension as taught by Hinduism, because I think that through living a good life full of truth I will ascend to a higher consciousness, another spiritual dimension.

For this "weekend-meditation" I have sought the Internet for haiku on Ascension. Here are a few examples that I encountered:

Morning fog lifts
the grayness of the still creek,
joy in ascension

© macandrew

ascension colors

ever changing from downfall 

grows stronger with time

© Marty King

the glorious light

touches my poetic soul

am I a witness

© Joyce Johnson

As I was searching the Internet I ran into "The Haiku Stairs", a steep hike on the island O'ahu Hawaii. This "Haiku Stairs", has nothing to do with our haiku, it has to do with a flower that grows on this island, but I was surprised as I read the other name "The Stairway to Heaven"; and that fits our theme for this "weekend-meditation" in a great way. So I just had to include it here.

"The Haiku Stairs" or  "The Stairway to Heaven"

To conclude this "weekend-meditation" on Ascension I have a few haiku that I wrote themed Ascension, these are all from my archives.

keeper of the flame
protects the world and its inhabitants
until they rise up

universal experience
walking on the path of wisdom
finding the truth

ascension
conquering the seven paths
into Christ Consciousness

dervishes whirling
seeking a higher consciousness -
third eye opens

© Chèvrefeuille

It has become a (to long)  episode, but I loved creating it for you all. And of course this is our "weekend-meditation", so you have all weekend to meditate and contemplate about Ascension.

This "weekend-meditation" is open for your submissions next Sunday May 28th at 7:00 PM (CET) and will remain open until June 2nd at noon (CET). I will try to publish our new episode around that time too. For now ... enjoy your weekend.

Carpe Diem Namasté, The Spiritual Way #9 Mother's Day

!!! Open for your submissions next Sunday May 14th at 7.00 PM (CET) !!!

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Welcome at a new “weekend-meditation”. This week I have a nice episode of “Namasté, The Spiritual Way” for you and I think you will love it.

Next Sunday, May 14th, it's Mother's Day and therefore our prompt for this “weekend-meditation”  is Mother's Day, but what is Mother's Day? Is it just a celebration day for Mothers? I have sought the Internet for some information about this holiday and I ran into the following.

Mother's Day is a celebration honoring mothers and motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. The modern holiday of Mother's Day was first celebrated in 1908, when Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother in Grafton, West Virginia. She then began a campaign to make "Mother's Day" a recognized holiday in the United States. Although she was successful in 1914, she was already disappointed with its commercialization by the 1920s. Jarvis' holiday was adopted by other countries and it is now celebrated all over the world.

In ancient Greece there was already a Mother's Day for Cybele, but who was she? Or what  kind of cult was it?

Source: Cybele

Cybele was the great Phrygian mother of the gods, a goddess of fertility, motherhood and the mountain wilds. Her orgiastic cult dominated the central and north-western districts of Asia Minor, and was introduced into Greece via the island of Samothrake and the Boiotian town of Thebes.
Cybele was closely associated with a number of Greek goddesses, firstly Rhea, the Greek mother of the gods (Meter Theon), but sometimes also Demeter, Aphrodite and Artemis.
Cybele was portrayed in classical sculpture as a matronly woman with a turret-crown, enthroned and flanked by lions.

In ancient Greece Cybele was called 'Meter Theon', and there were great festivals to celebrate her. These were called: The Orgia (Orgiastic festivals) of the Meter Theon.
These festivals were introduced into Greece from Phrygia via the island of Samothrake. They were closely related to those of Dionysos, whose Phrygian form, Sabazios, was named as a son of the goddess.
The Phrygian Orgia were overseen by eunuch priests called Gallai, who led devotees in nocturnal mountain rites involving much drinking, and frantic dancing accompanied by the music of rattles, kettledrums, flutes and castanets and the ritual cry 'evoe saboe,' 'hyes attes, attes hyes'. Young men armed with shield and sword also performed the high-footed, shield-clashing Korybantic dance. The rites also involved ritual mutilation, ranging from flagellation to the act of self-castration performed by the Gallai priests.

Young Greek man performing the Korybantic Dance

OK ... enough about the background of Mother's Day. It's just a holiday especially for mothers and I think you all know why you are visiting your mother, grandmother, mother in law. Let us try to compose a few haiku on Mother's Day to honor our mothers and grandmothers.

she is the best
mother takes care of me
I cherish her

when I was little
she always sang her lullaby
to scare bad dreams

© Chèvrefeuille

That was it for this “weekend-meditation” prompt Mother's Day. Have a nice Mother's Day and ... well cherish your mom ... she has given birth to you.

This episode, as you all know I think, is open for your submissions next Sunday May 14th at 7:00 PM (CET) and it will remain open until May 19th at noon (CET).

Carpe Diem Namasté, The Spiritual Way #8 Spiritual Imagination

!!!! Open for submissions Sunday April 30th 7:00 PM (CET) !!!!

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Welcome at a new "weekend-meditation". This week I have a "Namasté, The Spiritual Way"- episode for you. And this time I thought to share a few images for your inspiration. You can choose the image you want to use yourself.
Try to create a haiku, tanka or other Japanese poetry form with the focus on the "deeper spiritual meaning". I think the images I have chosen have all such a deeper meaning, but to explore that and to "get that deeper meaning", you have to meditate and contemplate on those images, or the image of your choice.



Young Mountain Monk



Laughter

 

 

Time flies

 

 

Tranquility

This episode is open for your submissions Sunday April 30th at 7.00 PM (CET) and will remain open until May 5th at noon (CET). I will post our first episode of May 2017 later on.

 

 

Carpe Diem Namasté The Spiritual Way #7 New Life (Easter)

!! Open for your submissions Sunday April 16th 7.00 PM (CET) !!!

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Welcome at a new episode of our "weekend-meditation". This week I have a nice new episode of Namasté, The Spiritual Way. I think it's a nice weekend to have a Namasté episode, because of the fact that it is Easter this Sunday. So that's why I have chosen for the "sub-title" New Life (Easter).

As you all know Easter is the holiday on which we celebrate the resurrection of the Lord, it's the end of the so called "Lenten", the period from Ash-Wednesday until Easter. Here in The Netherlands we have already started with the so called Easter period, because yesterday (Thursday April 13th) it was "White Thursday", today it is "Good Friday" and tomorrow it is "Silent Saturday" and than Sunday the day to celebrate that the Lord has risen from the death.

"The Lord Has Risen"

24 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ (Luke 24: 1 – 7 NIV)

What does this mean? It brought my thoughts back to our Theme Week about The Tibetan Book of The Living and Dying; and it also brought my thoughts back to our Tarot-month back in 2013. In that Tarot-month we discovered that the Tarot isn't occult, but divine ... and this is what we discovered about the resurrection of humanity:

In the so called "Great Arcana", we find the card titled "Death", it's the 13th card of the "Great Arcana". That card tells us a lot, to much to replay here again, but part of that episode I love to "re-print" here again:

Great Arcana card 13, Death

There is no death.  There is only resurrection.  Live your  life of fulfillment, taking advantage of every opportunity of every moment of every day.  When the miracle of resurrection has passed on, then you are at peace to recognize that things have simply returned to their natural state. 

That is why this card is in the Tarot deck.  It is meant to be embraced.  It is meant to be a gateway to a new birth.  If we can embrace death, then our lives are transformed.  That is the physical realm.  This is also a card of immense spiritual power.  The crucifixion of ego, that we saw in the Hanged Man, can and will become reality.  As that ego dies, we then live in a glorious resurrection.  As we continue to look at the card, we see several important elements.

Death is a secret, death is a darkness which we do not wish to look at nor embrace.  So if we are not going to supplicate death and we're not going to ignore death, what response do we have?  The response of the little child.  Unless we have faith like a little child, we will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven and recognize all truth.  The little child does not seek to turn death into a friend.  The little child does not seek to ask death to go away.  The little child does not turn her eyes and pretend that death is not there.  The little child opens her eyes, sees death in the face, recognizes death as what it is, and has a simple straight forward natural acceptance of this reality.

The disciples were engaged upon the start of the spiritual pathway when they began to understand the resurrection of Jesus.  You must start there to understand the death and resurrection of Jesus.  But as we have said before, Jesus’ death and resurrection are only the beginning, because they are an instruction booklet for you and your personal death and resurrection.  That is the power that enables you to embrace death, look it squarely in the face with the faith of a little child, and rise beyond the human limitations to a glorious and infinite resurrection. (Source: Carpe Diem #199, May 18^th 2013)

 

What does "The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying say about this? Well ... let us "jump" back in time and re-read part of the Theme Week about the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, in this part it's about what Tibetans call "Bardo":

The original meaning of bardo is, the space between the moment of dying and reincarnation / rebirth. As we 'dive' deeper into this matter than we discover more than one bardo. Let's go ...

First there is the bardo of living and dying. This is a painful bardo, but also the moment that the nature of spirit / soul becomes real and in a way breaks through the armor of the body. This we can see in, for example, the story of Easter as Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsemane and asks His Father, God, to take away the cup of poison. Than He is arrested and endures the pain of 39 lashes and the crucifixion. As He dies He commands His Spirit to His Father. This is what we can call the bardo of living and dying.

What follows is the bardo which is called the shining bardo or dharmata, the state of consciousness / mind after death. To explain this shining bardo, wasn't easy, because I could not find something to explain it with. Then I got a revelation. This shining bardo you can see as a bright light, the radiation of the pure nature of spirit / mind. It's a state of pure happiness. In a way this you can see as what is happening as you (someone) has a Near Death Experience (NDE). I ran into a few stories about NDE when I was preparing these episodes. As you read the reports about NDE than everyone sees a bright light in which shadows are moving, ancestors mostly, but angels too.

This shining bardo doesn't stay forever. Sometimes it takes / endures seven days, but it can also take seven weeks.

The next bardo is called the bardo of becoming. The consciousness / mind finds a new place, in a new body and a new life gets started. This we can also see in the story of Easter. After three days, and that’s very fast as we compare this with the Tibetan idea about living and dying, Jesus rises from the grave. He conquered dead and became an enlightened being who walks a short time on this earth and then rises to Heaven making the Holy Spirit, a kind of reborn energy, available to the world. With His resurrection and entering Heaven He broke the Circle of Bardo, as did Buddha.

In Tibetan tradition of bardo the songs from The Book of the Dead were recited by the monks to lead the spirit. Rinpoche goes further in this idea and describes his ideas in The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying. In his book he sees life as it is as a bardo. The bardo between birth and the moment of dying, life in itself is a transition. It's a time in which we learn, contemplate, meditate and prepare on death. (Source: Carpe Diem Theme Week 1, episode 3; February 17th 2016)

Daffodils

New Life ... the resurrection of the Lord proves that a new life can be established, not by rising from the death, but by finding your path to spiritual growth ... that can bring you New Life too.

Easter is mostly associated with the color yellow and with tulips and daffodils ... and maybe that's correct ... in my opinion, yellow stands for the color of the sun, and the sun gives us new life, new energy ...

Well ... it has become a (to) long episode I think, but it was really a joy to create this episode for you and I hope it will inspire you to create haiku, tanka or other Japanese poetry form.

resurrection
part of my being is dying
finally found myself

the final frontier
to become newly born -
conquering death

© Chèvrefeuille

You can start responding next Sunday April 16th at 7.00 PM (CET). You can respond until April 21st at noon (CET). So you have a whole weekend to meditate and contemplate about this episode of Namasté, the Spiritual Way. I will (try to) publish our new episode, shawl, later next Sunday around 7.00 PM (CET).

!! Don't forget ... Saturday April 15th 10.00 PM (CET) our Summer Retreat 2017 (unconditional) love will start. 30 Days writing haiku and tanka themed "unconditional love" !!

 

 

Carpe Diem Namasté, The Spiritual Way #6 Haiku's State of Mind - Zen

!! Open for your submissions Sunday April 2nd 7.00 PM (CET) !!

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Welcome  at our "weekend-meditation" episode of this week. This week I have a nice episode of Carpe Diem Namasté The Spiritual Way for you to mediate and contemplate on. As you all know you can respond on this "weekend-meditation" on Sunday after publishing. This gives you the time to think it over and meditate on it ...

This week I had some trouble to getting an idea for this Namasté episode, but after a while I thought maybe I can do something on Zen Buddhism, because that's one of the pillars for a classical haiku. Maybe this will episode will give you an idea how to bring spirituality into you haiku. As you all know (maybe) next month, April, I will have all classical (maybe sometimes modern) kigo (seasonwords) for spring, also a pillar of haiku. April will be in total classical, because I hope to challenge you to create haiku and tanka based on the classical rules. (These classical rules you can find in our exclusive e-book "In The Way of Basho" above in the menu).

Let me take you "by the hand", let's go find out what haiku and spirituality have to do with each other.

Maybe you remember that we have had a series here at CDHK about "Zen in haiku", based on the "bible" of  haiku, the four volumes "Haiku" by R.H.Blyth.

cover of Volume 4 of the series by R.H. Blyth

To start with I have a haiku in which one of the most important issues of Zen Buddhism, Emptiness, is mentioned and with that haiku I hope to start this episode of Namasté and bring it to a great end.

an empty bowl
but in it is the spirit of emptiness -
the spring breeze

© Chèvrefeuille

This is the "heart" of haiku .... emptiness .... based on the ideas and thoughts of Zen Buddhism, but in haiku it's not only "emptiness" it is also "selflessness", "loneliness", "wordlessness", "simplicity" and "grateful acceptance". And of course there will be more to say, but that is not possible in the shallowness of this episode ...

Last week I brought the idea of "emptiness" already towards you all, so I think this is a clear thought already. So let us take a look at the other things mentioned here. First "selflessness" ... What is selflessness? It is a condition in which things are seen without reference to profit or loss, even of some remote, spiritual kind.
If you start writing haiku the first thing that will be said to you is "don't personalize your haiku, the poet has no place in your haiku, it's only nature". Maybe you have heard that when you started to create haiku. But in my opinion the haiku I create are me, in my haiku I am always present, because I am the poet who has crafted it. Haiku is a nice way to say things as you feel them and sometimes you need to bring yourself into the haiku (or tanka).

the butterfly having disappeared,
my spirit
came back to me

© Wafu 

woodblock print "butterfly" (image found on Pinterest)

And than "loneliness". What is loneliness? I think you all know that, but as Zen explains it: Loneliness is the underlying rhythm of thought rather than the thought itself. Loneliness we can bring into our haiku, an example:

wandering

through the city park near by

just the wind and me

© Chèvrefeuille

Or this one crafted by Buson, one of the "big five":

an autumn eve;

there is joy too,

in loneliness

© Buson

There is need to use words for haiku and tanka, for all kinds of poetry and other writing skills. Without words we don't create, but "wordlessness" is also one of the pillars of the classical haiku, but how can that be?

What does "wordlessness" mean in Zen Buddhism? Zen is essentially a wordless state, in which words are used, not to express anything, but rather to clear away something that seems to stand between us and the real things which are then perceived by self-knowledge.

Or as Thoreau says at the end of Walden:

"The volatile truth of our words should continually betray the inadequacy of the residual statement. Their truth is instantly translated; its literal monument alone remains."

this evening, ... the happiness,
while I washed my feet, ...
those two or three words

© Kaito

There are times when words lose their own power and serve us in humility and truth, when our thoughts peacefully arrange themselves in conformity with the order of things.

a gleam in the mirror

of colored leaves falling -

the sound of rain

© Chèvrefeuille

Zen has an extreme simplicity, and the  volubility of the Japanese language has been completely overcome in haiku. When we say "Eastern Thought", meaning the manner of apprehending the world by Japanese, Chinese, Koreans and Indians, we refer to a unity of Chinese practicality, Japanese simplicity and plainness, Korean independence, and Indian non-ego-ness. That's simplicity. Isn't that what we are trying to do in our haiku and tanka? Trying to say, describe, a scene in its most naked form, in its most simple way .... isn't that what we do?

For example this haiku by Basho, my master:

the Rose of Sharon

by the roadside,

was eaten by the horse

© Basho

That simple it is. Basho describes just what happened ... that horse eating. Or this one ... also just a description of the scene as it is:

what a joy

the song of birds

a new day rises

© Chèvrefeuille

That is what it is, every day again ... that is simplicity. We are all wonderful haiku and tanka poets, let us be grateful for all what nature gives us ... the Earth herself and all that is on, in and above it provides us with the scenery to use in our haiku or tanka ... just that simple ...

cherry blossom petals

fall one by one in the puddle

hugged by the moon

© Chèvrefeuille

Well ... enough to mediate and contemplate I think. Have a great weekend.

This Namasté episode is open for your submissions on Sunday April 2nd at 7.00 PM (CET) and will remain open until April 7th at noon (CET). I will publish our new episode, the first prompt of April, a classical kigo, also on Sunday April 2nd around 7.00 PM (CET). For now ... have a great weekend and I hope I have inspired you to create haiku, tanka or other Japanese poetry forms.

Carpe Diem Namasté The Spiritual Way #5 self consciousness

!! Open for your submissions Sunday 19th 7.00 PM (CET) until March 22nd at noon (CET) !!

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Welcome at a new episode of our "weekend-meditation", this week I have a (I hope) nice episode of Namasté to inspire you. I had some trouble to find a theme this week for Namasté, but than I ran into a nice poem by the English poet Thomas Hood (1799-1845) and I thought "maybe I can stay a little in tune with our regular prompts this month ... poems by Persian poets".

At first I thought this will become a tough episode to write because in the first lines of the poem Thomas Hood speaks about "the cold grave", but as I read on I saw the broader perspective of the poem. So here it goes ...

In one of my earlier posts this month I talked about existentialsm based on Nietzsche. I tried to explain existentialism with the following phrase:

[...] "Existentialism is the belief that philosophical thinking begins with the human subject—not merely the thinking subject, but the acting, feeling, living human individual. While the predominant value of existentialist thought is commonly acknowledged to be freedom, its primary virtue is authenticity. In the view of the existentialist, the individual's starting point is characterized by what has been called "the existential attitude", or a sense of disorientation, confusion, or dread in the face of an apparently meaningless or absurd world." [...]

Thomas Hood's poem can be read as an existentialism poem, because he describes the "spiritual ways" of human kind. He describes man in his / her world in which they exist ... but during his poem his "theme" changes to the spirit, our the self consciousness.
We are all conscious, we have all self-consciousness ... and through that you can find your own "hiding place", "your own safe haven", "your own place to find the silence and come in tune again with your self-consciousness and mayb "tap-in" in that bigger "thing" ... the collective consciousness of all mankind, of all his / her surroundings. Self consciousness is a great good, but to be part of the collective consciousness is better. We are all one, we are all one with evrything and everyone ... together we can bring the silence back in our world ...

Here is the poem by Thomas Hood:

There is a silence where hath been no sound,
There is a silence where no sound may be,
In the cold grave—under the deep deep sea,
Or in the wide desert where no life is found,
Which hath been mute, and still must sleep profound;
No voice is hush’d—no life treads silently,
But clouds and cloudy shadows wander free,
That never spoke, over the idle ground:
But in green ruins, in the desolate walls
Of antique palaces, where Man hath been,
Though the dun fox, or wild hyena, calls,
And owls, that flit continually between,
Shriek to the echo, and the low winds moan,
There the true Silence is, self-conscious and alone.

(c) Thomas Hood

A wonderful poem I would say. Full of spirituality and full of inspiration ... here is my attempt to create a poem inspired on this post.

old barn
in the middle of the field
so desolate
a playground for the wind
deep silence of no where

(c) Chèvrefeuille

Not as strong as I had hoped, but I think in this tanka there are several layers, maybe not all spiritual, but there certainly are more than one ways to "explain" this tanka.

This episode of Namasté is, as you all know, open for your submissions Sunday March 19th at 7.00 PM (CET), so you have time to meditate and contemplate before you respond on this Namasté episode. I will post our new episode, potted plant, the first episode of our Theme Week about Hafiz (or Hafez) later on Sunday March 19th around  7.00 PM (CET). Have fun! Have a great weekend!

Carpe Diem Namasté, the Spiritual Way #4 keepers of the earth

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

In my garden I have a small statue of Buddha, he always sits there, meditating and contemplating. I a way he is my spiritual master. Sometimes I kneel in front of him. I bow my head. Than my mind becomes clear and silent. All my thoughts stop, complete emptiness in my head. All my senses awaken and than ... the miracle ... I hear nature, I breath nature, I see nature, I feel nature, I sense nature in a way I have never sensed it. I become one with nature.
As I look back than I feel, I experience every moment of my life again. Than I see how my. our, life has changed.

Recently I had a small depression. I questioned all and everything I had done. One day I sat down and looked back on the years that have passed. I saw how "my" Buddha was covered with snow and he sat there without having a problem with it. Than Buddha was covered with the fragile beauty of cherry blossom of the old Sakura in my garden. I became Buddha, I felt the softness of the cherry blossoms, I smelt the decay of the blossoms. I saw the life-stream through the Sakura and followed it through its branches, its trunk  and in its roots deep hidden in the earth. I became the Cherry tree. Right at that moment I learned to appreciate the Cherry.
One day, just after the start of summer, Buddha was the only one in my garden that captured a spot of sunlight. It was a mystical experience ... the (so-called) Pelican-Tree behind Buddha, a surrogate for the Bodhi Tree, caught a bit of sunlight too. At that moment I had a "karumi" experience, a revelation. I saw for the very first time that the leaves of the Pelican Tree had a thin red pinkish edge. I really hadn't seen that earlier, but it must have been there forever, I however hadn't seen it. On that moment I thought "Wow, nature is gorgeous. I have to go back to nature. Only than I can be one with nature as a real haiku poet".

Pelican Tree (Salix Integra)

Later that year, when summer departed and autumn colored nature I saw that beauty again, more intense than ever. A small colorful leaf was in the folded hands of Buddha, a few days later we had the first frost and that leaf in Buddha's hands had become more fragile, more beautiful ... that thin layer of frost told me "seasons come and go, and nature knows it  better than which intelligent species on earth".

Just a little story to explain what this Namasté episode is about. We are one with nature. We need nature, we have to take care of nature, we have to be the keepers of the earth like all those shamans all around the world. We are all keepers of the earth and we are praising earth with our haiku.

Be a keeper of the earth, live with nature as if you see it for the very first time. See that apple as if you see it for the first time. Look at the apple follow its life back to the blossoms, the bare branches, the trunk, its roots ... than you will experience its beauty, its richness, its taste to the max. In a way become the apple. Isn't that what Zen-Buddhism means?
Zen-Buddhism is one of the pillars of haiku. In Zen-Buddhism one of the sacred ideas / thoughts is Oneness. Be one with all and everything around you .... be the keeper of the earth.

This Namasté feature is meant to be a kind of "meditation" to contemplate and think it over. Become part of the story of your life ... you are a keeper of the earth.

To give you time to meditate and contemplate you can start to submit your haiku, tanka or other Japanese poetry form next Sunday March 5th at 7.00 PM (CET) until March 7th at 7.00 PM (CET). So you have a few days to think it over and create your poetry and you have a few days to post your submission.

I hope to publish our new episode, dancer, Sunday 5th around 7.00 PM (CET). Enjoy your weekend.