If you were walking
and saw a hungry child
on the Road,
would you not stop
and offer nourishment?
Sister, Wake up!
You are that child!
Stop!
Right now!
Don’t take another step!
Sit down at the table called stillness—even if it is for 1 breath!
A feast has been prepared for you.
All you need to do is show up.
The wise say this kind of meal
feeds millions!
Might satisfy an entire planet!
And here, there are no dishes to clean up!
C. Smith 11/2/15
When a squirrel took residence in the basement, I found Mr. Theo online–“City Pest Control. His website proclaimed: “Guaranteed Results”.
Mr. Theo arrived late, set live traps and captured the intruder. As he finished his work and walked to his truck, he stopped and turned toward me. Both eyes fixed on mine. His voice quiet.
“Mr. Smith” he whispered. “I want to tell you something.”
“Sure” I replied.
“I meditate.”
“Twenty years ago, my doctor sent me home to die. I had liver problems. I couldn’t have any of that! So, I told my family, I was going to do a little experiment. I started meditating.
Mr. Theo continued…
“You know, Mr. Smith, it helps when you sit up straight. Posture is important. I tell my grandkids that.”
“Believing it will make a difference is key. Do it like your life depends on it.”
“We are all messed up. It don’t matter if you are employed or unemployed; rich or poor. What matters is what’s happening right here. (Here, Mr. Theo pointed to his head.)
Squirrel in the basement: Buddha at my door!
Guaranteed Results! Indeed.
“If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.”
-Marcus Aurelius