This evening will begin Day 15, chesed she b’tiferet-lovingkindness in compassion, as Jews around the world continue the spiritual practice of Counting the Omer, the 49 days between the second day of Pesach (aka: Passover-celebrating freedom-the exodus from Egypt-Mitzrayim-the narrow place) to Shavuot (the revelation of Torah on Mt. Sinai-a continuous unfolding through our life experiences, not just a story from long ago)
chesed she b’tiferet
am I fully present to the suffering of others
offering up myself completely in the moment
allowing the wall of duality between other and self to dissolve
or just being kind out of habit, without awareness?
lovingkindness in compassion
one within one
chesed she b’tiferet
am I fully immersed
in the tears, fears and pain of another soul
tenderly listening with the wholeness of my being
or simply wiping the drops away with a reactive gesture
mind elsewhere, heart guarded?
lovingkindness in compassion
one within one
chesed she b’tiferet
am I capable of the same attention
and genuine gentleness
when it comes to my own suffering
or do I slip away into someone else’s
to avoid my own?
lovingkindness in compassion
one within one
chesed she b’tiferet
am I able to greet the Divine
when I meet you or me in a silent moment of
lovingkindness in compassion
one within one?
Our brokenness becomes the space in which we meet, heart to heart, soul-to-soul, human-to-human, and human to God. It may be a brief flash of connection during which time feels boundless--and then it is gone and the walls of You/Me/Thou/Us/Them/It/I rise up again--but for that one moment recognizing our sacred ONENESS is as clear as the stream of consciousness, the ONE we swim through, and flows through us with or without our noticing.
Omer Counting Resources:
The Spiritual Journey of Divine Compassion, a podcast by Rabbi Marc Margolius one of my teachers at the Institute for Jewish Spirituality
Spiritual Guide to Counting the Omer this little spiral bound book by Rabbi Simon Jacobson is a wonderful companion for traveling through each of the 49 days. We are currently in Week Three.
Lev Counts the Omer a beautiful guided meditation- visualization I found this morning.
How To Count the Omer: http://www.dayenu.com/omer.php
I will be relatively quiet in blogland for the next few days, focusing on family with deep lovingkindness and compassion.
Oh, I'm so glad you are linking in to Guest Heart Thursday on this lovely shot!
ReplyDelete(and I'm VERY MUCH glad you are feeling better and spending more time away from your PC!)
I sigh I thank you and admire you for all this, my dear lady...
ReplyDeleteSo beautiful, "one within one"...thank you...
ReplyDeleteto truly embrace another suffering is a beautiful moment and one in which the divine can step...
ReplyDeleteyou know this makes me think... and it's beautiful. and i love the flower springing up from between the stones...
ReplyDeleteA beautiful, prayerful reflection about something we have but don't give enough of -- empathy.
ReplyDeleteAnd I love what you say about our brokenness as a common ground, with lots of terrain to explore.
I have never met you
ReplyDeleteexcept through your writing
But I love your words
Love your thoughts
You never fail to touch my heart
I send you special blessings
this early evening...
I like this, human to human, etc...Nice thoughts
ReplyDeleteThese are questions we should all be asking ourselves. Well done.
ReplyDeleteFantastic post, a weaving of life and how it is,..."the ONE we swim throug." Mind blowing awakened thought!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
PS: you visit as you are able. we are pleased when you do!
ReplyDeleteYour words are like a road map to inner peace. If we all remembered keep our focus on these true values, we wouldn't get lost so often.
ReplyDeleteYour beautiful soul shines through in this wonderful post. Make sure you pace yourself and take care of Laura, we love her!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful words.Good questions to ask ourselves.
ReplyDeleteThought provoking post structured with poignant questions!
ReplyDelete"One with one" is a phrase I will carry into tomorrow. So glad I stopped here.
ReplyDeleteSo easy to forget we are all connected. This is beautiful, Laura.
ReplyDeleteI strive to focus on loving kindness. I miss the mark but I'll keep trying. Nice of you to take a few days off to be with loved ones and practice.
ReplyDeleteTo be kind... without awareness. Just because that is who we are. Truly beautiful.
ReplyDeletesuch a beautiful phrase: one within one" Thank you for sharing and all the best to you. :)
ReplyDeletei think a compassionate heart is a great gift and i think you can feel it if it goes too far...you got the sensitivity
ReplyDeletea wonderful example of heart and compassion....I loved this, but more than that: I learned something so essential...something that has been missing from my life recently...and I have known it.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this.
Lady Nyo...and don't do too much cleaning...it will come around again!
LOL!
What can I say beyond Thank you! ? What a wonderful post, dear friend, and was SO needed today. (by me and I'm quite confident, many others!) ~N
ReplyDeleteVery compassionate!
ReplyDeleteIt is divine to care for others more than your ownself..
Many Hugs xox
A beautiful post my friend, and one I enjoyed reading very much.
ReplyDeleteFull of love.
ReplyDeleteLaura,
ReplyDeleteThis "slipping away" (below) can be so easy to do:
am I capable of the same attention
and genuine gentleness
when it comes to my own suffering
or do I slip away into someone else’s
to avoid my own?
I'm happy to hear you are able to be more active. :)
Jeanne
My word.. this is so beautiful, Laura... so often, we choose to take the easier path... but sometimes, it's the other - more obstacle filled - path which helps in building our character..which tells us what kind of a human being we really are... I guess once we see that, we automatically come one step closer to our God...
ReplyDeleteI think you have said it really beautifully here, my friend..
One within One - three simple words given in startling clear truth and compassion. Beautiful piece of work, Shine. Your creativity honors the spiritual lessons of Torah. Well Done
ReplyDeleteI found this tremendously moving.
ReplyDeleteYour posts this week have contained so much soul, so much beauty, so much you. The love you share reaches so many of us. I thank you.
ReplyDeleteWhat uplifting and moving words!
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm so very happy to hear you are up and about and able to do stuff!
All of the hearts in the leaves are sweet and tie in so nicely.
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing invitation to consider how we connect with one another! So interesting how each of us focuses on different aspects; so rich this is, so full of thoughtful nuggets to taste and savor.
ReplyDelete"...with the wholeness of my being" stood out for me in this momen. No guarded heart, no slipping away. Fully, mindfully, thoroughly present! Wow! That takes a heart with absolutely no fear; it takes courage and great strength. It also requires one to become completely empty and open. The wholeness of my being is one that is open and accepting. Wow ... I'm going to sit with that one for some time, I feel.
Namaste, my anam cara.
Your words are always beautiful and filled with love and incredible insight.
ReplyDeleteAnd your images always speak more than thousand words...
Thank you dear friend for your very kind and substantial comment on my Monday post...
xoxo
Lovely
ReplyDeleteI feel privileged to follow and learn of Jewish ways...inspiring and thoughtful.
ReplyDeleteI was just thinking about the counting of the Omer this helps put me back into rhythm. My children and I use to count together and then we would pitch a tent on Shavuot read books about Ruth and other Bible stories and try and stay up all night.
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful words here and a great meditation. May you have a blessed week.
I just came home from a long dinner conversation about how to engage our hearts with others and show love in relationships. You speak here of an ideal that we need to not just dream of, but work towards in partnership with the people we love.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful post, you have given me much to think about today.
ReplyDelete"am I fully immersed
ReplyDeletein the tears, fears and pain of another soul..."
I did this today, Laura, and it felt good. I felt really caring and that I made a difference to the person in need. I feel like a winner for it!
xoxoox
When I read that you have been feeling better, my heart did a huge LEAP! You are often in my thoughts and prayers, and I wonder if you know just how much you inspire me ... thank you for sharing your heart ... and your heart shaped leaves. Smiles to you with Love and Peace. Take time with your family without worrying about us in blogland - we will still be here - rejoicing with you!
ReplyDeleteI have been relatively quiet to my blogland friends-but I am so glad to have linked back to this post from Random Hearts. This post says so much about your commitment to compassion-blessings and thank you. Lovely hearts!!
ReplyDeletemy dear, dear laura... this is so powerful. i'm wondering, can i possibly use some of this beautiful prose in a post i'm doing monday for my eating disorders blog? you said perfectly what i plan to address... the need to enter, with someone, into the darkness, in order to give them strength to see the light. i love you friend, and i'm so glad you're feeling better.
ReplyDeleteI love the big green heart, such a beautiful and perfect illustration to your text. How wise you are!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Laura for your words.
ReplyDeleteLove.
Lately I've been too caught up in my own problems to think about anybody else's, so I thank you for the reminder of unity. We all need that.
ReplyDelete