keep your mind Wide open

Day 2, forty days of everyday inspiration. Lest you be worried that the next forty days are a Christian practice, relax. Yet should you want to pray, go ahead. Should you want to fast, go ahead. Should you want to not pray, go ahead. Should you want to not fast, go ahead. Whatever anyone feels called to do sounds good to me. I was in the shower (the place of much inspiration!) when I was jolted with the idea to do this focus between Ash Wednesday and Easter.

If I cannot stir and distill the essence of inspiration equally to a child, to a dancer, to a lover, to a merchant, to a zookeeper, then I will not have risen to this task. 

when they lose their sense of awe [sometimes translated wonder],

people turn to religion - Tao Te Ching

I may bring in a few religious or spiritual references. Jack Kerouac spoke of the Holy Ghost guiding the words that he penned frequently. Buddhists call it prajna and it's also known as the Tao to Chinese. It could be the kiss of the Beloved for Sufis.

But the core is wonder which seems to care not for the bounds to cultures or to systems of beliefs.

Yesterday I saw Bridge to Terabithia, a film about wonder, based on the children's book of the same name. There is a scene where Jess and Leslie have climbed up high on the treetops, and Leslie is mesmerized by the kingdom she sees spread before her.

Jess asks, "What am I looking for?"

"You'll see. First close your eyes, and keep your mind wide open," Leslie advises.

When he does opens his eyes, he sees.

"The world is its own magic." - Sunri Suzuki

You will probably have noticed yesterday that I didn't say a peep about giving anything up ;-)

"Usually we think of renunciation as celibacy, poverty, obedience, shaving your head, going off somewhere and leaving everything behind. Trungpa Rinpoche gave a Tantric, nondual interpretation of renunciation: "Renunciation means  to let go of holding back." Can we let go of holding back? Can we relinquish our fears and defenses?" - Lama Surya Das

Update: This may not sound practical (as in practice) yet. It will take a few days for me to set the stage. So how do you keep your mind wide open? How do you let go of holding back? Consider, the answer to how is yes. Trust that you know how. Jess did.

images I so adore Rolfe Horn's photography. Totally transports me to that vibrant stillness that has nothing to do with lack of noise. Sunrise for Kobo Daishi, Noto, Japan 2004; and Creek, Study 1, Izumo, Japan 2001

Comments

[Loofa]

I saw the same movie this week. That child, Leslie, seemed wise; maybe children are, in general, because their minds are already wide open.

[StevieR]

Hi Evelyn,

I like your blogs - I'm impressed that you've been at this for a while! Good endurance.

I don't know if you've read this before, but in response to your question "how do you keep your mind wide open?" you may want to read 'The Heart of Sadness' by Chogyam Trungpa. It's a very brief chapter located in his book "Shambhala: the sacred path of the warrior". I read it once at a meditation retreat and it increased my understanding of what it means to 'open up'. Cheers from Canada, thanks for the words!

[Evelyn Rodriguez]

Hi Loofa, Yeah, I think Leslie was simply herself, instead of conforming which is tough in middle school. (Have you ever read "Reviving Ophelia"? - I think kids minds are wide open until they begin to value conforming and fitting in more.) Her natural self was compelling and allowed her to be available to the spontaneity and intelligence inherent in inspiration (although originality may not win you popularity contests in 7th grade!) This quote I came across reminded me of you the other day: "Fritz Perls once said that the only difference between a wise man and a fool is that the wise man know's he's playing." - Bernhard Gunther, Dying for Enlightenment

Of course, this actually sounds like the way of the fool to me.

Stevie, Thanks so much for stopping by and recommending "The Heart of Sadness" chapter. I am guessing it is about allowing your heart to go ahead and break open when it's heading that way. Not holding that at bay. I'll check it out. Namaste, e

[Marilyn]

Catching up on your posts...looking forward to seeing where you'll head during this 40-day exploration. Since you asked how we keep our MINDS (rather than hearts) wide open, I will say by writing. If I can get to a place where I can set my shame-guard (picture a full-body hockey mask) down for a moment...if I can be willing to look in those dark places behind my mask...then often through written words (which feel safer to me most times than spoken ones) I can sometimes open wide up top...and then, in the best moments, let me heart follow.

[lucan]

the diamond cutter by geshe michael roche is an amazing book for those trying to incorporate right use of will into their daily lives of doing business, i highly reccomend it and chogyam trungpa and tibetan heart yoga is elemental to our understanding for healing the world that's part of us, yet seems ironically somewhat out of reach. it isn't. heart yoga works. thank you for reminding me and thank you for the quote, "Usually we think of renunciation as celibacy, poverty, obedience, shaving your head, going off somewhere and leaving everything behind. Trungpa Rinpoche gave a Tantric, nondual interpretation of renunciation: "Renunciation means to let go of holding back." i wrestle with the spirits to no end to temper the soul within me. the hardest thing i find in getting to my creative process is getting myself "out of the way"! something that puzzles our western minds as we use substances like drugs and alcohol to temper our egos, but we end up with the side effects of abuse. not the same.

cheers,
beauxdesarts