“You have to find a mother inside yourself. We all do. Even if we already have a mother, we still have to find this part of ourselves inside”
—Sue Monk Kidd, The Secret Life of Bees
Daily Self-Love Quotable: “In the practice of Momfulness, we mother not only our children, but also ourselves. When I work with clients (who are mostly moms) … Too often their inner voice is a harsh and critical one. As they develop a positive mothering presence within themselves, they are better able to soothe themselves when they are feeling stressed or anxious. Then they are able to mother their own kids in a much more compassionate way.”
— Denise Roy, MOMfulness, Mothering with Mindfulness,
Compassion, & Grace
Kawaii* Tea Party: “The still water reflects the moon and a little star magic.” Funzen Saying
(*kawaii means cute, adorable and darling in Japanese and refers to a feeling of love, care, and protectiveness)
Koans Open Our Heart or Mind
The point of the koan or problem (question) is to exhaust the analytic and egoic mind in order to reveal an insight from the more intuitive no-mind.
A Cup of Tea
Nan-in, a Japanese master during the Meiji era (1868-1912), received a university professor who came to inquire about Zen.
Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor’s cup full, and then kept on pouring.
The professor watched the overflow until he no longer could restrain himself. “It is overfull. No more will go in!”
“Like this cup,” Nan-in said, “you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?”