The Miracle of Walking on Earth

Last weekend, I read that a great teacher of mindfulness had died – Thich Nhat Hanh. He has influenced so many during his long life . This evening , when I picked up his book The Miracle of Mindfulness, it opened at chapter 2 entitled The Miracle is to Walk on Earth. In this chapter, he writes how most people consider walking on water to be a miracle, but he thinks that the real miracle is when we walk along a country path, putting each foot down on the earth in mindfulness, then ‘in such moments, existence is a miraculous and mysterious reality.’

Just a few days ago, I was walking through the woodland pictured above and experienced that feeling of interconnectedness – that feeling of being a part of the natural world when we are not just observing it, but ‘of it’.

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A Room for Peace

For many years I’ve read and re-read the writings of  the Vietnamese Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh. His writings on mindfulness and peace are well known, but this is perhaps one of my favourite quotations (many can be found on the web if you don’t have his books)

When we have peace, then we have a chance to save the planet. But if we are not united in peace, if we do not practice mindful consumption, we cannot save our planet. Thich Nhat Hanh
Read more at https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/thich-nhat-hanh-quotes_3

There are times, like now when I read of arms being supplied to support the war in the Yemen, that I despair of some politicians ever abandoning their hawk like attitude but – we shouldn’t give up hope.

When visiting a friend in hospital one day I came across a notice –

 

‘There’s a room provided –

a room set aside for contemplation,

meditation, reflection, prayer

for those of any faith or none.’

 

On reflection, what faith would

condone massacre, bloodshed,

rape, self-immolation or torture?

 

Those following religions often

find barriers to understanding

in suspicion, hatred and fear.

 

Fear of the unfamiliar, unknown

feeds suspicion and unrest.

What faith can overcome this?

 

There’s a room provided

for those of any faith or none.

Is there room for peace?