Waking Up to Your World

I am visiting friends in Kansas City MO this week. A magazine in the home of my friends is entitled "Shambhala Sun: Buddhism, Culture, Meditation Life." Thich Nhat Hanh is pictured on the cover - and rightfully so. Thich Nhat Hanh is a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, poet, scholar, and human rights activist. In 1967, he was nominated by Dr Martin Luther King Jr. for the Nobel Peace Prize. he is author of more than sixty books, including Being Peace, Calming the Fearful Mind, Blooming of a Lotus, Moment of Mindfulness and Touching the Earth. he lives at Plum Village, his meditation center in France, and travels world wide leading retreats on the art of mindful living.

An article in this monthly magazine "Shambhala Sun", begins with these words:
"Waking Up to your world: Throughout your day you can pause, take a break from your usual thoughts, and wake up to the magic and vastness of the world around you. this easy and spacious type of mindfulness practice is the most important thing we can do with our lives."

This reminds of the Center for Exceptional Living where I went for therapy 15 years ago. All was about living consciously, to be conscious every moment of what one is doing and especially why, the reasons behind one's actions. Those two years of therapy were a great gift to me and influenced greatly my Franciscan community living and my preaching. God's truth and love are available for all of us in so many places, cultures, religions, people. Thanks be to God!