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A selection from one of Anthony DeMello’s books, “Walking on Water”
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The idea of “the shrine” has been resonating deeply within me
Opening my mind to a very simple, but huge, shift of perspective…
“where” might that “shrine” be….????
“where” might I have thought it was?
“where” might I have been looking?
“where” might it be?
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a lovely “shrine” where I’ll have the privilege of “being”
throughout the next several months
…….moments……..moments…….moments…….
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the river as a “shrine”…. a “teacher”… a “companion”…. an “inspiration”
offering an abundance of…..peace and wisdom
….moments….moments…moments….
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“River…take me along” Learning…living….being….while at one “shrine” that is the river…. 
“Watching the river run” Learning from…with…through… the river
“In the classroom of the teacher that is my life” .… my daily life…. where a “shrine” might be…. wherever I might be in any moment….
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each moment… no matter “where” I might be… a shrine….
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……….no matter where we might be……….
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Pocket Perspectives 
Perhaps there is mo perhaps about this! Smiling!
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I thought that the boatman’s insight and wisdom about the river was so special…but… yes, there is more… we bought a second home on the river in NH. So right now, the shrine I’m at is here in CA…living in each moment, collecting, sorting, organizing, packing….and Saturday we fly cross country to the river…another precious shrine…the river… where I’ve learned so much and received such nurturing through the years… pretty amazing!
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yes. I love that tale. We are so busy, too often, looking outward, looking toward something away or not yet here, that we miss the All that is right here, right in this moment.
How lovely to have two places that speak to you and nurture your soul. NH is so beautiful.
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I just saw a relevant quote in my email inbox this morning: “The ground of renunciation is realizing that we already have exactly what we need, that what we have already is good. Every moment of time has enormous energy in it, and we could connect with that.” —Pema Chödrön
So, as your wrote….the overlap of it ALL ….appreciation, gratitude, learning, insight and realizing that this moment contains it ALL…if we can recognize that….. How remarkable that it took me such a long time to realize, understand and appreciate this…the shrine is right here….
Yes…I’m sooooooo thankful to have 2 lovely, nurturing places… I’ve had a challenging 10 months, so I’ll be thankful to simply be by the river and in the mountains where I often feel tremendously nurtured and restored…
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I love Anthony de Mello’s words, and often quote him. I was struggling today, wondering what else can I do with my time? And here is your post. 🙂 I realize I am blessed but when I am too quiet, my mind starts getting antsy.
Read your comments… How wonderful you brought a house by the river. This is both Phil and I’s wish. We will be selling our house soon, but plan to flip houses to make a profit, and then we will buy our permanent home. We don’t yet where it will be, but do aim for a home by the river.
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Hi Marie, It’s wonderful to “hear” your voice! I’ve also been deeply moved by a number of ideas from Anthony deMello’s books…especially the ideas in his very short, powerfully packed little book, The Way to Love. What an amazing person he was…the impact of his ideas continues.
And oh yes…my mind has also gotten way too antsy the past few weeks with too much quiet and trying to wait patiently to head east…stirred up a bit of “angst” too…sigh…but, amazingly enough, I’ve actually been watching that “angst” and using it as it’s own “shrine/learning opportunity” and learning to work my way through it…what a huge change that is to be able to see “challenges” as not only seeming unpleasant, but also a positive opportunity and to somewhat do that!. (that’s also supported by the “cheerful choices” ideas, from a few posts ago…committing to reminding myself to choose that way of choosing…and by the ideas from the Life Quake Guide I came up with, as I was studying and attempting to become more “resilient” this winter…in the Greenhouse tab: https://pocketperspectives.com/other/1-life-awake-life-quake-prepared-ness-guide-encouraging-well-being-and-developing-resilience/)
Oh, yes, the place by the river is such a surprising (!!!) blessing. There was a progression of “coincidences” and “serendipity” in a Big Magic post (in Greenhouse tab…that’s where I’ve mostly been putting ideas for the past 9 months) I had put together last year and then continued with, as more happened. ( https://pocketperspectives.com/other/big-magic-coincidences/ ) I also put some ideas from the book Big Magic… about not letting fear interfere with living creatively, in a comment in one of Joss’s posts. ( https://crowingcrone.com/2016/06/21/banish-fear-you-say/ ) You and Joss would be 2 of the few people I know who might see the flow of coincidences tying in with each of Elizabeth Gilbert’s 3 books….a flow that seemed to happen/occur without working for or trying for wonderful things…they simply seemed to flow gracefully into my life, including the progression leading to this place by the river. I’ve had that river quote from Siddhartha in my wallet since I was about 20 years old…and loving singing those river songs for sooooooo many years….wow…you just never know…
Oh, Marie, I wish you well and do hope you and Phil do get an opportunity to have a place on the river. Blessings to you both………..
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Hi Kathy, It’s so wonderful to connect with you again. 🙂 I am starting to post again but in my other WP blog “Beyond Inspiration Daily.” I find that by writing it awakens my creative energy, and it’s also healing to the soul.
Just read your post “Life Awake” and it’s in perfect timing for me as this is what I am exploring resilience as a way of being. I will be printing your words and images to add to my inspirational tools.
And wow, also read “Big Magic”… I am kinda of misty eyed in seeing the beauty of so much synchronicity that led to the your meeting with Jampa and the purchase of your home. Life works in connecting patterns, – one small event leads to another – and being aware ensures we don’t miss the turning points in our lives. I am reading Gregg Braden’s “Resilience from the Heart,” where he talks about the turning points in our lives, and how we can either embrace them, reject them or ignore them. That in itself impacts our destiny.
I wish you and Peter much joy.
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Marie, I tried to find Beyond Inspiration Daily” but couldn’t find it. Can you add a link to it here?
And isn’t that something…we’re both exploring “resilience”…what I noticed as I was studying the ideas from various “researchers” who had studied qualities of people they considered to be resilient…many of the “resilience” traits are traits of “well being” too…so living those qualities supports living with a sense of well being and also helps one to bounce back from tumbles.
Here’s some of the first ideas I was using… Mayo Clinic and Al Sierbert mostly. https://pocketperspectives.com/other/9-dance-with-me-resilience/
The ideas from both well being and resilience are in here: (it’s long… I was creating a compilation, for myself, to be able to integrate and use the various ideas..using the ideas and integrating the charts with more visually appealing symbols) https://pocketperspectives.com/other/9-charts-for-using-via-core-strengths-positivity-qualities-perfections/
I also explored what goes into supporting becoming increasingly “proactive”…. a trait that several researchers wrote about and that I realized I wanted to encourage more of in myself: https://pocketperspectives.com/other/1-becoming-more-proactive-simply-ogt-one-gutsy-thing/
I’ve learned a lot from all of those explorations!
I’ll check out Gregg Baden’s book too…sounds interesting….
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