How Grand that Canyon is….

Jun22

Meditation is Not what you think...

My husband and I took a helicopter excursion to the Grand Canyon today. As I watched the Colorado river flow into Lake Meade, it made me think about its similarity with meditation. The river has a significant current and the water looks green and cloudy. Lake Meade is very still and looks clear compared to the river flowing into it. As I viewed these bodies of water, I recalled a description Reverend Ed Bacon had given on meditation like a dirty bowl of water.  He explained that as dirty water sits still over time, the dirt falls to the bottom and the clean water sits on the top. He went on to explain that as one sits in meditation on a regular basis, clarity emerges just as the clean portion of the water does.   For 2 years now, I have been trying to meditate daily.  I do believe it brings clarity and calmness to my life especially when I do it on a regular basis.  Just as I would want to drink the more purified water, I also want healthier thoughts.  Next time I am feeling stressed and anxious, I will think of Lake Meade and try to find some stillness to purify the thoughts .

Row, Row, Row Your Boat….

Jun20

We are all familiar with the famous kid song, “row, row, row your boat gently down the stream merrily, merrily, merrily life is but a dream”, but have we ever really focused on the words.  Last year I went on a 3-day silent Buddhist retreat at a lovely facility on the Hillsborough river.  During my private meditation sessions, a lot of times I found myself sitting in the chairs and watching the current of the river.  I could not help but think of the song and think of life as a water current.  As I watched things float in the water with such ease, I thought about the calmness it created; the effortless ease.  Then boats would come by needing the motor to go against the current or to go faster than it was taking them.  Such an effort was required.  Over the few days, the current changed direction with the wind and such, but the things that floated were not bothered by the change.  I have thought about that with my life.  If I would just allow God’s will to happen, so much effort and wasted energy would be saved.  I would have so much more enjoyment and peace.  I hope to find my row boat, throw away the oars, and merrily float down the current of life.   

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