Enlightenment Senryu

seek enlightenment

inside or outside myself

sometimes fragile peace

~cie~

note

There was a wall hanging depicting the picture above in the Buddhist Temple in Boulder. I used to enjoy going for Sunday meditation, although parking down there sucked. Then I had to start working nights again, and it just wasn't possible. Currently, these Haiku are my form of meditation.

Carpe Diem Shikoku Island Pilgrimage: Vulture Peak

Vulture Peak

view with reverence

standing strong against the sky

mighty Vulture Peak

~cie~

The Ornery Old Lady's Reviews: Inspirience: Meditation Unbound

Please check out my exclusive Online Book Club review for Inspirience: Meditation Unbound by Richard L. Haight.

Rating: 
Four out of four stars for Online Book Club
Five out of five stars for Amazon and Audible

The above graphic leads to the Kindle version of the book. I reviewed the audiobook version, which I highly recommend as I find it helpful to listen to the author explaining the meditation techniques and leading the listener through the meditation process.

What I like best about this book:
This wonderful book offers meditation for everybody. One does not need to be an adherent of any particular religion or philosophy. There is no need to be an adept or have special knowledge. One does not need a special space for meditation. One does not need an altar or candles or any other trappings. One does not need to worry that he or she is doing meditation "wrong."

If you think you can't meditate, if you have become discouraged with meditation, let Richard Haight show you that you can meditate and it can be enjoyable and truly enlightening instead of frustrating.

This book has been one of my happiest discoveries this year.

The Real Cie

aka

The Ornery Old Lady

Real Cie Reviews: Tarot Coloring Book

This is a beautifully designed little book with wonderfully intricate pictures to color. Meditate on the archetypal images while relaxing, relieving stress, and allowing your subconscious to strengthen and expand. Coloring is a wonderful and soothing activity for adults and can be helpful for those working through trauma. The designs are innovative and will please those who collect and enjoy Tarot cards.

Print the pages from the e-book or purchase the physical book with the pages ready to go!

~Cie~

Tan Renga Challenge 2019: Day 9: Snails

Snails in Moonlight

Artist Unknown

I bow to my master

Matsuo Basho told me the way

to watch a snail

Haiku taught me to embrace

the way of snail and turtle

Chèvrefeuille & Cie

Notes:

The Hokku (Haiku) stanza of this Tan Renga was written by Chèvrefeuille. The Akegu (closing) stanza was written by me.

I am not being hyperbolic in any way when I say this. Participating in this exercise has been life-changing for me. Haiku is no longer simply a poetry form for me. It is a way of meditation, a way to improve not only my life but possibly the lives of others as well.

Tan Renga Challenge 2019: Day 5: Wintry Gusts and Fresh Fish

Image Source

Wintry gusts:

on the sardine still lingers

the ocean's color.

How fresh and lovely they are

When not confined to a can

Gaki & Cie

Notes:

The Hokku (Haiku) stanza of this Tan Renga was written by Akutagawa Ryunosuke a.k.a. Gaki (1 March 1892 – 24 July 1927, death by overdose of Veronal.) The Ageku or closing stanza was written by me.

One of the things I treasure about this type of poetry is the way it makes a mundane item or creature such as a sardine beautiful and precious. Some people mock minimalist forms such as Haiku/Senryu or Tanka/Tan Renga, but I find that they have a meditative quality. 

My monkey mind is far too chatty and jumpy for me to meditate very well using traditional meditation methods. Either my mind wanders off track and I get bored and antsy, or if I do manage to relax, I fall asleep. 

This type of poetry allows me to meditate. I find that engaging in the Tan Renga challenge has made me calmer overall and given me an eye of the storm to escape to although my life is very chaotic. I am extremely grateful for this gift.

I Am Grateful

 As someone with a rather chaotic life, everything is catch as catch can. I've tried meditating, but I have trouble doing so. This video is brief enough that it allows me to focus fully on it and to help myself with the brief, encouraging, but not sappy affirmations.

OctPoWriMo 2014: Day 7

Image Source

Silence

Turn off the world for a minute

Be done, be done

STOP!

Stop thinking

Stop ruminating

Worrying

Fearing

Throw out all the clutter in the mind

Turn it off for a minute

Please, why can't we?

Put down the damn world

And all the fears

And the sorrow and the tears

STOP!

Just stop and be...

It's harder than you think because then you get to thinking

And thinking

And thinking some more

Then you start to realize just how much is going wrong

The thoughts spiral down

The anxiety gets worse...

Living in the modern world

Is sometimes nothing but

A goddamn curse

Turn it off for a minute

Just a minute

Just fifteen

Just an hour...

I wish I could turn it off for a week

Organize everything the way I need...

That would take a lifetime

And then another one

Turn it off for a minute

Turn it off and just be

I'm tired of hearing the Monkey Mind

Always chattering at me

Turn it off for a minute

Turn it off

Turn it off

Turn it off

Stop thinking

Stop fretting

Stop worrying

Just 

STOP!

~Wanda~

Wanda's note:

This has a tendency to happen when I try to meditate.