One of my favourite poems is from the 18th-century Japanese monk, Ryokan. The legend has it, he returned to his home one evening to find all his belongings (the very few he had) stolen. His response? He wrote a haiku.
The thief left it behind:
the moon
at my window.
On my own journey on the path of mindfulness, meditation and journaling, I’ve discovered the importance of cultivating stillness. One of my favourite methods to do this is to look up at the night sky and find the moon or some stars. Every time I look up, I think back to Ryokan. Wherever we find ourselves in our complicated lives, I like to think of how lucky we are to live on a planet that has constant companionship in the nightsky. All you have to do is look up, and there it is. It’s a humbling reminder of our place in the world, how small we are and what it means to feel alive.
This poem has helped shift my perspective on how to find tranquillity and solace in difficult moments. It’s trite to constantly hear the cliche that the little things in life are what matter most, rather than the material possessions we accumulate over time. However, the more you practice mindfulness, you start to see the truth of the matter. Your life is a series of moments to be lived, not a checklist of things to get or achieve. You get to decide what you pay attention to. Choose wisely.
Thanks for reading. Much love and gratitude.
SG