I enjoy walking in the early morning hours. It is one of my lifelong pleasures and a spiritual practice for me. My mind is calmed by the steady physical rhythms of walking. My pace is steady, unhurried, and not physically stressful. My senses come alive. I settle into a cheerful and energized state, a joyful trance. The complexity and beauty of Nature is deeply satisfying.
Yogis and Zen folks are known to sit and meditate in the morning, Taoists like to stand and meditate, I prefer a four mile walk at dawn to clear away the cobwebs of confusion or discontent from my mind, and lift me to contentment and insight.
"Aurora hail, and all the thousand dies,
Which deck thy progress through the vaulted skies:
The morn awakes, and wide extends her rays,
On ev'ry leaf the gentle zephyr plays;
Harmonious lays the feather'd race resume,
Dart the bright eye, and shake the painted plume."
- Phyllis Wheatley
"Waking up in the morning, I vow with all beings to be ready for sparks of the Dharma from flowers or children or birds.
Yogis and Zen folks are known to sit and meditate in the morning, Taoists like to stand and meditate, I prefer a four mile walk at dawn to clear away the cobwebs of confusion or discontent from my mind, and lift me to contentment and insight.
"Aurora hail, and all the thousand dies,
Which deck thy progress through the vaulted skies:
The morn awakes, and wide extends her rays,
On ev'ry leaf the gentle zephyr plays;
Harmonious lays the feather'd race resume,
Dart the bright eye, and shake the painted plume."
- Phyllis Wheatley
"Waking up in the morning, I vow with all beings to be ready for sparks of the Dharma from flowers or children or birds.
- Robert Aitken
"Who will tell whether one happy moment of love or the joy of breathing or walking on a bright morning and smelling the fresh air, is not worth all the suffering and effort which life implies."
- Eric Fromme
- Eric Fromme
"To find new things, take the path you took yesterday."
- John Burroughs
"All walking is discovery. On foot we take the time to see things whole."
- Hal Borland
A Poem by Du Fu
ReplyDeleteI thought I would post this simple poem from someone who lived and wrote in the Tang period. A blog gets as lonely as the traveller if unread.
The hundred rivers flow east every day,
The traveller keeps on moving, without rest.
My life is one of bitterness and drift,
What time will they finally reach their end?
Abbot Zan, learned in Buddhist teaching,
Banished from the capital to here.
Still we're bothered by these earthly cares,
Reflected in our lean and haggard faces.
We stood one morning with willow twigs in hand;
The beans sprouted; then rain; then they ripened again.
The body floats along just like a cloud,
What limit can there be, to south or north?
I meet my old friend in a foreign region,
Newly happy, I write what's in my breast.
The sky is long, the fortified pass is cold,
At the year's end, hunger and chill pursue me.
The desert wind blows my travelling clothes,
I'm ready to leave and journey into the sunset.
The horse neighs, remembering its old stable,
Returning birds have all now folded their wings.
The places where we used to meet and part,
Thorns and brambles have quickly covered over.
We look at each other, both in years of decline;
Leaving or staying, we each must do our best.
View Chinese text in traditional characters
The hundred rivers flow east every day,
The traveller keeps on moving, without rest.
My life is one of bitterness and drift,
What time will they finally reach their end?
Abbot Zan, learned in Buddhist teaching,
Banished from the capital to here.
Still we're bothered by these earthly cares,
Reflected in our lean and haggard faces.
We stood one morning with willow twigs in hand;
The beans sprouted; then rain; then they ripened again.
The body floats along just like a cloud,
What limit can there be, to south or north?
I meet my old friend in a foreign region,
Newly happy, I write what's in my breast.
The sky is long, the fortified pass is cold,
At the year's end, hunger and chill pursue me.
The desert wind blows my travelling clothes,
I'm ready to leave and journey into the sunset.
The horse neighs, remembering its old stable,
Returning birds have all now folded their wings.
The places where we used to meet and part,
Thorns and brambles have quickly covered over.
We look at each other, both in years of decline;
Leaving or staying, we each must do our best.
Thanks Dave.
ReplyDelete"The body floats along just like a cloud,
What limit can there be, to south or north?"
Humans are the great walkers, the great travelers, the great tourists ... even now floating along in jets amongst the clouds (at least as long as the petrol is available).
Yes, our daybreak walks, around 5 am, are very important for us, too, and for our German mini schnauzer, lol!
ReplyDeleteYes, Yes! Excellent. What a pleasure - walking at daybreak.
ReplyDelete