Tag Archives: Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche

Something Good

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Hammock

I first heard of Hammock on Susannah Conway’s “Something for the Weekend” list. She posts every Friday, and quite often, a few things from her list end up on my Monday’s Something Good post. I have been listening to them all morning, and their music is so beautiful, it breaks my heart. On Rhapsody, they are classified as “Shoegazer,” which is one of my favorite genres of music.

Slow Living

I’ve been obsessed with the Voluntary Simplicity Movement since I first discovered it in graduate school. It named and defined a longing I felt deep in my belly, the way I wanted my life to look, to be. This weekend, I read a description of Slow Living and felt the same recognition, a longing named.

Slow Living is the choice to live consciously with the goal of enhancing personal, community and environmental well being. Slow Living recognizes the role that time plays in shaping the quality of our lives. By slowing down we make time to savor our experiences and to connect more fully with others. The process of slowing down involves simplifying our lives and minimizing distractions so that we have more time and more energy to focus on what is meaningful and fulfilling. By consciously choosing to do less, we contribute to reducing some of the negative social and environmental impacts of our actions.

Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche Quote

“The point of meditation is to feel alive.” Oh yeah. I want to go to there.

Blog post by Justine Musk

“Things Smart Women Know.”

A Human Thing

I’m sad, because yesterday we finished our 41 6-Word Days on A Human Thing, but happy because Judy Clement Wall, author of the site, has only just begun. She also writes the blog Zebra Sounds, another good thing.

Great posts on Scoutie Girl

“Taming the Giant Incongruence” and “Gestures, Ripples, and Wealth: What Does it All Mean?”

Post from Sandi Amorim of Deva Coaching

“Are You Ready to Listen?” describes a really powerful, yet simple practice.

Promise #90 from Twisted Pinky

“You are Perfect,” which says ‎”If you think you need to change, then change, but know this: you won’t become more perfect or most perfect or perfecter or perfectest.”

New post on Truth Tending with Kristin Noelle

I am wishing you a wonderful Monday, dear reader. May you have your own long list of good things.

We think we are rocks, but we are gold.

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image by Richard Reoch, click on the image to see a beautiful little video of the making of the dragon

I mentioned in a post yesterday that it was Tibetan New Year, Year of the Water Dragon. At the Fort Collins Shambhala Meditation Center, this is celebrated as “Shambhala Day.” Last night, a large group met at the Center, and while we couldn’t do the full, traditional Lhasang (smoke) ceremony because of high winds, and there were some technical difficulties with parts of the Sakyong’s video address, dinner from Mount Everest Cafe was its usual delicious and the company was good.

A few things from the Sakyong’s talk really stood out to me, are still resonating. First, as he was on retreat last year, he talked about how for him it was a year of knowing basic goodness, studying it and reaching a fundamental understanding. He feels this year, for all of us, will be a year of being basic goodness. For me, this reinforces my own path of retreat this year, underscores the importance of really knowing something before you can manifest it, embody it.

Dalai Lama and Sakyong Mipham at Shambhala Mountain Center

The other thing the Sakyong said is “we think we are rocks, but we are gold.” This phrase has been on repeat in my head, in my heart since I first heard it. I am utterly in love with it.

He didn’t mean that we should feel like we are special, or that we should use this information to build up our ego into thinking we are better or more important than anyone else. He meant that we all, every being, are precious, have basic goodness, and that our true nature is compassionate and wise.

We think we are rocks, but we are gold.

We could also say that we think we are rocks, but we are diamonds. Or that we think we are dirt or even shit, but we all are a seed, flower or vegetable or tree, we all have the possibility, the instinct and desire to grow, to manifest our basic goodness. We must know it, and then we must be it.

We think we are rocks, but we are gold.

Pema Chödrön and Sakyong Mipham

Then I read the latest post on Painted Path (seriously, are you reading this? Julia’s writing, poetry, audio posts, art, and beautiful self are not to be missed), in which Julia invited her readers to answer this question “What in your heart do you know you are meant to do?” and “Leave six words that give a glimpse.” Her own answer was “I am meant to shine light.” Mine was:

I am meant to open hearts.
Soul surgery, to help and heal.
Kindness and gentleness are my superpowers.
Wake up, brave and tender hearts!
We’re warriors of wisdom and love.
Our basic goodness is our birthright.
I am here to remind you.

Once I started, I couldn’t stop (see, even that’s six words!).

painting by Julia

We think we are rocks, but we are gold.

Be you.