Gasshō,

"Embraced in the moment's elegant sufficiency, we passionately dance with life."

The Living Compassion Board just completed two days of Best Year Yet planning for 2007, and the above is our new paradigm. We invite you to join us in holding that vision for Living Compassion 2007. Now, of course, you are absolutely welcome to adopt that as your personal paradigm for the year if it speaks to you. In addition, we have three new guidelines to help us focus on the dance:

* Practice diligently.
* Say yes to life.
* Keep the faith.

The values we will focus on are:

* Joy
* Generosity of spirit
* Attention to the moment
* Personal integrity
* Sustainability

"People are afraid to forget their minds, fearing to fall through the Void with nothing to stay their fall. They do not know that the Void is not really void, but the realm of the real Dharma. This spiritually enlightening nature is without beginning, as ancient as the Void, subject neither to birth nor to destruction, neither existing nor not existing, neither impure nor pure, neither clamorous nor silent, neither old nor young, occupying no space, having neither inside nor outside, size nor form, color nor sound. It cannot be looked for or sought, comprehended by wisdom or knowledge, explained in words, contacted materially, or reached by meritorious achievement. All the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, together with all wriggling things possessed of life, share in this great Nirvanic nature."
--Huang Po

According to Lynne McTaggart in The Field, "Quantum mechanics has demonstrated that there is no such thing as a vacuum, or nothingness. What we tend to think of as sheer void, if all of space were emptied of matter and energy and you examined even the space between the stars, is in subatomic terms a hive of activity." Or stated another way: "What quantum calculations show is that we and our universe live and breathe in what amounts to a sea of motion - a quantum sea of light." "... a great Nirvanic nature."

I think Huang Po is saying that since we are ever and always embraced in the elegant sufficiency of the moment, we should cease thinking, stop trying to figure out anything, let go worrying, drop all illusions of control, turn our attention to the passion that animates us, and join the dance!

And, again, he encourages us, "So you students of the Way should immediately refrain from conceptual thought. Any mental process must lead to error. Let a tacit understanding be all!"

 

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