The Bounty Within

Recently we’ve been captivated by the book, In Love with the World, a Tibetan monk’s tale of going on a multi-year “wandering retreat”, living anonymously as a pauper. The story weaves his experiences with detailed, accessible descriptions of different types of meditation practices and how they supported him on his journey. At one point in the book, the author, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, who is a well-regarded Tibetan Buddhist meditation teacher, talks about how there is a misperception that the sense of peace that comes from meditation is something external to us to be attained. Rather, he points out, it is our natural state, something already within us, and we just need to re-access it.

Each meal is a chance for us to tap into a sense of well-being, a chance to shift away from a reliance on external forces for our happiness. The difference between a meal that fills us with joy and one that doesn't may simply be how we relate to what is before us. If we take the time to appreciate the colors, the textures, the scents and the flavors we may turn an otherwise modest and unremarkable dish into a feast for the senses. Moreover, we can pause to allow for a welling up of a sense of good fortune and gratitude for the food before us, allowing ourselves to feel cared for by everyone whose labors contributed to our meal, nurturing our spirits as well as our bodies.

We hope you will join us this week as we tap into our inner source of well-being.

May all beings without exception have what they need to sustain themselves,

Your friends at CMP