View Inside

My deskmate follows the Buddhist tradition in her spiritual practice. I guess that makes her a Buddhist?

I'm not sure about the vocabulary, so I looked it up: What Makes You a Buddhist?

It’s not the clothes you wear, the ceremonies you perform, or the meditation you do, says Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse. It’s not what you eat, how much you drink, or who you have sex with. It’s whether you agree with the four fundamental discoveries the Buddha made under the Bodhi tree, and if you do, you can call yourself a Buddhist.

We have wonderful conversations about our faith practices. I am inspired by her unconditional positive regard for life, for me, for our situation, for others. I am inspired by her capacity to let everything become her teacher, through the healing power of mindfulness.

The other day, she explained to me how she went for a "sitting" at a nearby meditation center. As she was preparing to enter the sanctuary, she remarked to the meditation guide about the beautiful view out over the blue-ish, smokey-ish mountains. The guide's response was equal expression of awe. The she turned, and said something like, "wouldn't it be nice to see that when we look inside!"

When my deskmate shared that thought with me, I reflected on what a paradox that is. And how grateful that I can learn from her a liberating notion - to look inside at the inner view. I have been thinking about that ever since - is that what God sees when God looks inside?

What is your inside view, in this moment?

When experience is viewed in a certain way, it presents nothing but doorways into the soul. Jon Kabat-Zinn