Bamboo and Stillness

Bamboo and Stillness

A freak June storm, an ever-more-common aberration in these times of climate change-induced storms, befell the northern Berkshires last week.  It offered five inches of rain, and an hour’s worth of half-inch hail that left the ground looking as though it had snowed. ...
Daoist Traditional Practices and Stillness

Daoist Traditional Practices and Stillness

I belonged to the Kwan Um School of Zen Buddhism as a part of the Providence Zen Center for three years before I left for China.  Daily service was a part of the tradition of the Zen Center, and service was always the same, morning and evening.  In a discussion one...
Breath and Stillness

Breath and Stillness

The major skills I teach at Blue Heron Stillness are qigong, taiji, and meditation.  They all share one thing in common:  the breath. Qigong exercises and taiji forms, both breath-driven, move at the pace of the breath.  We begin each from a posture of stillness...
Crossing Paths

Crossing Paths

We walk our path with steps determined Flashlight shined ahead. At morning wake and pray come night We’ll safely find our bed.   And in between we walk our path To learn what comes that day. With eyes wide open, mind so clear We walk along our way.   Our path has...
Be Bamboo

Be Bamboo

In Chinese painting first to learn With soft and yielding brush A grove of them so straight and tall So green and swaying lush.   Stalks of green and others black Leaves of varied size When comes a storm it does not care And will not fear demise.   Winds...
If They Should Meet When I’m Not Here

If They Should Meet When I’m Not Here

For eighteen months we came to learn Together as a pair That each was safe and simply learning How we’d come to fare.   Pumpkin seeds and peanuts roasted Seemed a decent meal. I’d leave them out and wait to see Just how the squirrel’d deal.   As time went on...