Cathy’s mindfulness, acceptance, equanimity, and even gratitude in so much discomfort remind me of how Munindra dealt with the vicissitudes of the ailing, aging body. (more…)
Mirka Knaster
Selected Worksnon-fiction books and articles
Highlighting 16 qualities that make a great person and lead to spiritual awakening, this is the first book to feature the life and teachings of Anagarika Munindra, the meditation master who taught so many of today's prominent dharma teachers in the West and helped start the contemporary mindfulness movement.
“An informative and inspiring guide to body-oriented approaches--from traditional Eastern disciplines to modern Western techniques.”
- Andrew Weil, M.D., “Self-Healing"
Can one of the world’s happiest countries survive the 21st century?
Honors worldwide spirituality grounded in the body and its senses.
Ethical speech is a neglected but essential aspect of spiritual practice.
Sayadaw U Tejaniya emphasizes practicing in a relaxed but continuous manner rather than forcing one's effort.
How silence soothes.
Our view of the body influences how we work with it in spiritual practices. |
Living This Life Fullyfacing life with equanimityDecember 16, 2010
I am in the middle of reading Breast Strokes: Two Friends Journal Through the Unexpected Gifts of Cancer, by Cathy Edgett and Jane Flint. Although Cathy does not use Buddhist terms in her spare but lyrical journal entries and poems, it is clear that she understands what it means to embrace Dharma, to live this life fully even while undergoing the rigors of medical treatment for breast cancer. She faces each day trying to be as present as possible to what each moment brings: the sight of a redwood tree outside her window, Mt. Tamalpais in the distance, the fragility of the body, with its soreness, nausea, and fatigue, the soft morning light, the joy of being able to walk or share a meal, the sound of rain, the clutch of fear. As she confronts the truth of what is, she comes back again and again to “calm, steady, present, and clear.” Realizing that suffering arises when she wants things to be otherwise, she is now willing to “be with the journey, instead of wishing or willing it away.”
Cathy’s mindfulness, acceptance, equanimity, and even gratitude in so much discomfort remind me of how Munindra dealt with the vicissitudes of the ailing, aging body. (more…) |
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