not imagined;

just here, being;

just being, here.

Not a moment measured by a watch;

Not a place measured by a here;

Just for a moment (ha ha), throw away the measuring devices

and the location beacons….

and words like ‘moment’ and ‘here’ or ‘there’ that define them.

like this.

Words and photo by Stevie J - Unruffled

“Problems are mind-made and need time to survive. They cannot survive in the actuality of the Now.” Eckhart Tolle

Eons ago, when I was experiencing the early years of my career in financial services, I was involved in the creation of a corporate training guide titled “Problem Solving Guide: Turning Problems into Opportunities”.

In my now faded memories, it included a simple step by step process for investigating an issue and then finding opportunities for change and improvement. It was actually pretty good, in my less than humble opinion. 😌

My involvement in that experience was foundational, because it helped me to see clearly that problems are never really the solid immovable things that they seem to be; they really aren’t “problems” at all - just situational conditions that are open to interpretation (isn’t everything?).

“Problems” are just fluid, changing situations - if we change our interpretation of them, we can transform our feelings about a problem through acceptance (this is just the way it is now) or we can deal with it (respond to the situation) in an appropriate and timely way.

So, what’s your problem? ☺️🙏🙇‍♀️

Words and photo by Unruffled

let go of concepts and views -

just go with the flow.

“When we meditate, we seem to have two selves. One is the flowing river of thoughts and feelings, and the other is the sun of awareness that shines on them. Which is our own self? Which is true? Which false? Which is good? Which bad? Please calm down, my friend. Lay down your sharp sword of conceptual thinking. Don’t be in such a hurry to cut your ‘self’ in two. Both are self. Neither is true. Neither is false. They are both true and both false.”

Thich Nhat Hanh (The Sun My Heart)

Looking out the window, I spotted a rainbow forming.

Its beauty calling to me to stop and enjoy its silent offering…which I did.

Silent offering;

hearing the call beneath the noise -

these sweet communions.

Thich Nhat Hanh quote for further reflection:

“We spend a lot of time searching for happiness when the world around us is full of wonder...

To be alive and to walk on the earth is a miracle, yet most of us are running as if there were a better place to go...

Beauty calls to us every day, every hour, but we are rarely in a position to listen....

The essential condition for us to hear the call of beauty and respond to it is silence...

If we do not have silence within ourselves – if our mind, our body, is filled with noise

we cannot hear that call. ..”

The Gift of Silence -Thich Nhat Hanh

closing all doors and windows -

spend the day inside.

Inspired by this transcript of a short video of Thich Nhat Hanh on the Plum Village site, in answer to a question on how to deal with ‘bad days’.

There are days when we feel that we are not lucky.

Everything we try to do is a failure.

And we say, this is not my day.

So, according to this practice,

the first thing is to close all the sense organs -

all the windows and the doors.

Don’t look anymore, don’t listen anymore.

Close all the doors of the sense organs,

not allowing the wind to continue

to create disorder in the heart.

That’s very important.

Stop looking, stop listening, stop thinking.

Stop all six doors of the sense organs.

And then you can begin to light up,

to begin to practice mindful breathing,

to rearrange everything.

The practice of mindful breathing helps

release tension in your body and begins to

calm your feelings.

Thich Nhat Hanh - Plum Village gems

3 line poem and photo by Stevie J - Unruffled

this world as it’s unfolding -

the wonder of you.

words and photo of Sila the border collie, by Stevie J - Unruffled

“Washing dishes in the historical dimension,

I see them piled high.

Looking from the ultimate dimension,

I am happy washing dishes forever.

“When you see a huge pile of dishes, you may feel a little daunted. If you know how to wash dishes in mindfulness, each dish becomes a precious occasion for enlightenment. Normally we want to finish washing the dishes so we can go on to what we consider a more worthwhile activity. In the ultimate dimension no activity is more worthwhile than what we are doing in the present moment.””

Thich Nhat Hanh (Present Moment Wonderful Moment)

Our two pet border collie dogs are nearing 10 years old. One of them appears to be suffering incontinence as I keep finding small pools of urine indoors, even though they are well-trained and know to go outside (and can take themselves or let us know).

So, yesterday there I was, cleaning up dog urine off the floor tiles, yet again.

A few years back, when this sort of thing happened it would send me into a terrible ‘mood’ - growling like a dog as I cleaned up the mess and grumbling and swearing about it all the way through and well after the task was completed.

Now, I just quietly set about the task and clean the floor calmly and methodically. Staying present, not yearning to be doing something else - just being with what was necessary in that moment.

Everything is just as it is.

Unfolding moments;

left without interpretation -

our hearts can sing along.

Words and photo (of Dana the Border Collie) by Stevie J - Unruffled

when emotion overwhelms -

making space for love.

Ordinary life made extraordinary -

Just by really being here.

Words and photo by Stevie J - Unruffled

like a lifetime of waiting -

in no time at all.

Words and photo by Stevie J - Unruffled

of petty squabbles and fights -

nature lies waiting.

Words and photo by Stevie J - Unruffled

I would take it with me as I go

and cast it to each one I meet

a glorious toroidal flow.

Let me be the colours bright;

like the rainbow, full of light

let me spread my golden hues

across this world I now travail.

Then once my life draws to a close;

let me float on shambolic seas

with arms as arches rising into sky

like a fading rainbow,

may I gently die.

Words and photo (circa 2021) by Stevie J - Unruffled

it’s right here all along -

joy,

bubbling just beneath the surface -

let it out, let it out;

stop the pretence,

the show does not need to go on.

Words and photo by Stevie J - Unruffled

die to the things of your mind -

cherish this moment.

Inspired by Jiddu Krishnamurti

Questioner: May I ask just one question? In what manner should one live one’s daily life?

Krishnamurti: As though one were living for that single day, for that single hour.

Q: How?

K: If you had only one hour to live, what would you do?

Q: I don’t know.

K: Would you not arrange what is necessary outwardly, your affairs, your will, and so on? Would you not call your family and friends together and ask for forgiveness for the harm you might have done to them, and forgive them for whatever harm they might have done to you? Would you not die completely to the things of the mind, to desires and to the world? And if it can be done for an hour, then it can also be done for the days and years that remain.

Q: Is such a thing really possible?

K: Try it and you will find out.

From, Commentaries on Living 3—Chapter 55

no remedies are sought -

I’ve so much to learn.

Words and photos by Stevie J

Words and photo by Stevie J - Unruffled

memories are like snapshots

made into a movie

edited for current intent.

Words and photo by Stevie J

Me: What a beautiful morning!

Neighbour: Is it?

Me: The sunrise is just stunning…..(said as I look at the sky in all its glory)

Neighbour: I’m too warm (plucking at their warm jumper).

We continue on our respective walks in opposite directions and in different worlds.

For reflection: A good question to ask yourself, akin to a mindfulness bell:

Where is your attention right now?

Photo: The sunrise this morning

Reviewing my daily journal notes, I have come to this:

just being;

here now; being here now; fully here now; fully present;

choice - (preference, expectation, view, opinion, judgement) unnecessary and unskilful in all kinds of ways;

no choice - just this, as it is and that’s ok;

Noticing that the brahma-vihara - goodwill; compassion; appreciative joy and equanimity - naturally arising when just being; effortless; choiceless; pure; simple.

Seeing through the games of Mara, the ego-self repeatedly constructing its house of cards; a house of suffering and stress; watching the arising, persisting and falling - those continued attempts to re-establish; re-build; solidify an identity; shape-shifting; cunning; deceitful; tricky; wooing; fermenting; tormenting; reassuring; provoking; wanting; clutching; grasping; feeding.

Finally understanding and not resisting surrender to just being…this presence; this choiceless awareness; this acceptance; this unfolding….not minding.

And all these words falling away

to embrace

this Vesak full moon.

Words and photo by Stevie J -

“In the Buddhist teachings on compassion, there’s a practice called “one at the beginning and one at the end”. When I wake up in the morning, I do this practice. I make an aspiration for the day. For example, I might say “Today may I acknowledge whenever I get hooked” or “May I not speak or act out of anger.” I try not to make it too grandiose, as in “Today I may be completely free from all neurosis.” I begin with a clear intention and then I go about my day with this in mind.

In the evening, I review what happened. This is the part that can be so loaded for Western people. We have an unfortunate tendency to emphasize our failures, but when Dzigar Kongtrül teaches about this, he says that for him, when he sees that he has connected with his aspiration, even once briefly during the whole day, he feels a sense of rejoicing. He also says that when he recognizes he lost it completely, he rejoices that he has the capacity to see that. This way of viewing ourselves has been very inspiring for me.”

Pema Chodron - From her book Taking The Leap

https://pemachodronfoundation.org/.../taking-the-leap-book/

I patted myself on the back this morning as I was taking my morning walk.

Earlier, I had been in a discussion with a live-in companion. The conversation had commenced with a question from me about putting in a grocery order for delivery by truck and wanting to confirm that we would be here for at least another week. This gave my companion an opportunity to open the calendar and then proceed to direct me to add entries for grocery orders and deliveries for the next three months. This is something I normally manage very capably by myself.

The indignation and annoyance arising within me were significant, yet I was able to refrain from bursting into outright angry speech, although I did make a couple of comments about this particular task being my normal responsibility and one which I have no trouble managing by myself at the appropriate time.

I was subsequently lectured on my lack of respect and still I managed to remain calm and actually apologised before quietly leaving the conversation to prepare for my morning walk.

My behaviour is a significant improvement from my normally reactive ways when such triggers arise. A pat on the back and some little rejoicing that I was able to stay (almost) perfectly calm throughout this little interchange and not ‘ruin’ the day for both my companion and myself.

Words and photo by Stevie J - Unruffled

Photo from morning walk this morning: