Thoughts from Heaven
- Paul Cook
- Jun, 06, 2014
- Mindfulness, Reports from the Sangha, Weekly Meditation
- No Comments.
The wonderful thing about the room we use at Heaven in Nutfield for our weekly meditation is that it has a glass ceiling. As I looked up after this weeks meditation, lead excellently by Dhruvamati, I found myself thinking about what lies beyond the evening blue sky. As I sat and reflected, I got a real sense of that moment evaporating out into space where all moments that have ever existed are racing away like ripples on water. We often hear about how long light takes to reach us from distant galaxies but the same is true in reverse. You never know, someone with a powerful enough telescope could see you reading this blog post in a thousand years from now.
These thoughts were inspired by a book of poems I am reading by Steve Taylor called “The Meaning”. Here is part of his poem entitled “Awakening Earth.”
After the meditation we discussed our experiences on the recent retreat and the value of getting in touch with nature. Coincidentally, the same Steve Taylor has just published some research on the positive psychological impact of gardening. According to the article in Psychology Today 93% of gardeners believe it makes them happier and the research shows that, compared to non-gardeners, they are. Steve goes on to explain that this may well be because having contact with nature has a well established therapeutic effect for mental health problems. However, as Dhruvamati discovered, if you are inspired to go camping then don’t pitch your tent too close to a field of sheep!
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