Readings week of November 24th.

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Readings from last week's Daily Contemplative Pauses

*All previous readings & reflections can be found here*

Monday, November 17th 

Reading: "The human brain is an extraordinary creation with its large frontal lobes, the cerebral cortex. This is the site of our most wonderful human capacities: clarity, compassion, patience, empathy, imagination, forward thinking, and thoughtful responses. Yet our present chaotic culture is so fearful, so threatening, that these finest qualities are shut down automatically. When threatened, we lose the essential human capacities most needed and, at the neurobiological level, we have no choice but to contract in fear…

“To respond rather than react, to override our reptilian brain and engage our rich frontal lobe capacities, requires intention, discipline, and training. We have to want to use our fine human capacities; we have to want to be more open and less fearful. We have to want to be generous, creative, and kind-our human birthright. 

“The core teachings from many spiritual traditions teach skills to awaken our better brains and enable higher capacities. In different forms, but from the same wisdom, these spiritual teachings offer practices to pause, settle, open, identify emotional triggers, notice reactions, practice patience, refrain from judgments, overcome bias, make moral decisions. It takes work to be a human being rather than a human animal! Robert Sapolsky, a brilliant neurobiologist whose work has educated me, defines the frontal cortex's role as "making you do the harder thing when it's the right thing to do." — Margaret J. Wheatley

Gospel of Thomas Logion 7, translation Lynn Bauman

Yeshua says...

A lion eaten by a man is blessed

as it changes to human form,

but a human devoured by a lion

is cursed as lion becomes human.

Chant: Blessed is the one who turns around and awakens, blessed is the one who opens blinded eyes — Epiphany Today

Tuesday, November  25th

Reading: When Wisdom is embraced 

righteousness, justice, and fairness are known; 

all paths are illumined 

and you need fear no detour.

When Wisdom enters your heart 

and knowledge your soul,

you will perceive the order of the universe 

and never despair.

You will be rescued from your own dark inclinations, 

and not even the cleverest lies will deceive you'

— Proverbs 2:9-13, translation Rabbi Rami Shapiro

Chant: Spirit of truth [open] my mind, soul of wisdom enter my heart – The Oriental Orthodox Order in the West

Wednesday, November 26th

Practice: A Prayer for Practicing Resurrection by Adam Bucko

[Inspired by the words of Thich Nhat Hanh]

Breathing in, I come home to this moment.

Breathing out, I rest in the miracle of being alive.

Here I am, body and mind together, fully present.

This is the place of resurrection.

When I drift away from this moment,

something else begins to drive my life—habit, distraction, illusion, or desire.

Let me return, again and again,

to the place where life truly is.

Teach me, O Christ, to walk in your Kingdom now.

Teach me, O Buddha, to dwell in your Pure Land here.

May each breath be a prayer,

each step a return to love.

For I cannot love if I am not here.

Presence is the seed of compassion,

the ground of service,

the beginning of showing up for others.

This is my practice of resurrection:

to be alive, truly alive,

to touch the living presence of God

in the here and now.

Chant: Attend to the living presence, here and now – Darlene Franz

Thursday, November 27th

Reading: "Thích Nhất Hạnh teaches us how to listen to God, to life, to one another. He reminds us that there is no other time or place to meet the divine than here and now. “The kingdom of God is available to you at this very moment,” he said. Your calling to live truthfully from the heart of God, in service of compassion and justice, is here and now. The courage to say yes to it is here and now.

But the question is: are you available to it?

Are you really here to see it, to hear it, to say yes to it—or are you somewhere else, lost in a fog of thoughts, scenarios, and social media posts, missing what is being given to you right now?

So let us pause and return to the present moment. Let us practice what Thích Nhất Hạnh taught:

Breathing in, say, I am here.

Breathing out, smile.

Breathing in, say, God is here.

Breathing out, smile.

Breathing in, say, my life with God is here.

Breathing out, smile.

Breathing in, take in all the gifts this moment brings—your life, your loved ones, your community.

Breathing out, say, thank you, God."

–  Adam Bucko

Chant: Be right here, in the Heart of God – Henry Schoenfield

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