Day 6 – Spiritual Thunder

As odd as it may sound, I totally feel like fasting now, my whole being is requesting this. And even in the event I would come across some compulsion or temptation, I will breathe deeply and slowly 10 times and bring to my mind those loved ones that are suffering.

I have gone on a deeply spiritual mode today, as if it suddenly hit me, all what I have been reading, writing and listening to these days. Interestingly, I had been kind of concerned or curious that I was absorbing and seemingly not digesting, until now, I was having no enlightenment. I had it last night with those questions I wrote ‘for later’, and I had it today with this lightning of petals. It was strong and deep, yet gentle.

Right after this super rich walking meditation (out-loud meditation and advice), I felt like coming quickly to my room and writing everything down: (a) because I needed to digest and wanted to record somehow in order to be able to come later to this, and (b) because I needed to digest by myself, on my own. After an hour of writing, it was time for sitting meditation and chanting. The first half-hour was of silent sitting – and then it was half an hour of chanting by the nuns in Vietnamese; beautiful melodies that helped soothe my emotions and spirit. It was freezing cold; even with the heat in the temple it seemed not enough. I rushed for a cup of hot tea and to call the taxi for tomorrow.

I came to my room, had a tiny mandarin, was going to get ready for exercise but I feel drained in every sense. I only managed to do some strength training for 20 minutes and made the list of things I want to accomplish tomorrow before leaving. I wanted to work out vigorously, but I am deeply drained, physically and mentally. After receiving a sweet and heart-warming phone call, it’s time to rest. Tomorrow I will take the day very lightly…

Quote of the day:
“Some days we may feel hollow, exhausted, and joyless, not really our true selves. On such days, even if we try to be in touch with others, our efforts will be in vain. The more we try, the more we fall. When this happens, we should stop trying to be in touch with what is outside of ourselves and come back to being in touch with ourselves, to ‘being alone’. We should close the door onto society, com back to ourselves, and practice conscious breathing, observing deeply what is going on inside and around us. We accept all the phenomena, we observe, we say ‘hello’ to them, smile at them. We do well to do simple things, like walking or sitting meditation, washing our clothes, cleaning the floor, making tea and cleaning the bathroom in mindfulness. If we do these things, we will restore the richfulness of our spiritual life.”


[From “OUR APPOINTMENT WITH LIFE – Discourse on living happily in the present moment” by Thich Nat Hanh]