The Benefits of Stopping - The practice of stopping, one of the four aspects of Shamatha Meditation, as taught by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, involves a deep sense of arriving in the here and now. This ‘sense of arriving’ is something that can be felt in body, heart and mind or what I call, bodyheartmind and requires us to be fully engaged—fully present with ourselves and the world around us. Every time we stop we help all parts of ourselves, including our ancestors to awaken.
I heard in a talk recently by Paula Green, psychologist, peace activist and director of Karuna Center for Peacebuilding, “Healing is prevention.” If we can heal ourselves and help others heal, that is prevention. Sometimes we may think of those in our lives who have been angry, hostile and violent towards us and we see only their anger, hostility and violence; but when we look more deeply we may see their vulnerability, their fear and their inability to renegotiate or heal from the adverse conditions in their life—that which they perceive and that which they have been offered by others. Many of us have been seduced by anger, by greed and by the perpetual escapism that our media and our consumerist culture promote. What we ingest, including our own views, has a powerful impact on our lives.
When we engage in practices such as sitting and walking meditation, and when we take time to rest and to really get to know ourselves, we offer ourselves a kind of food, a kind of sustenance that may liberate us and that may heal the wounds that cause us to suffer and cause us to water seeds of suffering in others. Resting with Peace is a time to gather as a community to practice watering our own and each others wholesome seeds; and to nourish peace, love and understanding within ourselves. What we offer each other as a community of practice is the space and the opportunity to truly rest and heal. We do this through our engagement with the practices offered and through our wholehearted commitment to improving the condition of our lives.
If you would like to participate in Resting with Peace it is on a pay-what-you-can basis. If you plan to fast, please consult your primary care physician, first. You are responsible for monitoring your own progress and researching fasting methods. An outline of our fasting regimen is included in the additional Resting with Peace Fasting Regimen Flyer. You may register using the sheet on the front of this page or at www.briankimmel.com.
Texts by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, published by Parallax Press that we will be using during the retreat, that you may want to purchase and follow along with are: Beyond the Self (2010), Happiness (2009) & Chanting from the Heart (2007). The Pink House has a supply of Beyond the Self for purchase at a discounted group rate of $8.
©2010 Brian Kimmel
“Believe it because you’ve looked deeply and seen it yourself.”
-Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh (In Reference to the Words of the Buddha)
-Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh (In Reference to the Words of the Buddha)
