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Gratefulness
Enjoy this practice as a stand-alone experience or as the third of an eight-day series celebrating National Poetry Month and inspired by Br. David's appreciation of and experience with haiku.
Haiku is all about the fleeting preciousness of experience, nature, and our seamless connection to everything. ~ Tom Clausen
Welcome.
Today we will explore how approaching life with a haiku “mindset” is essentially a gratefulness practice that can reveal a profound sense of belonging. Through inviting all of our senses to be awake to the revelatory possibility in each moment we are in touch with the “fleeting preciousness of experience” and of nature. Br. David Steindl-Rast has said “Most of the time we go around as if everybody else was in and we were out and why am I the orphan in the universe? But once in a while something breaks through, this universal love, that universal ‘yes’ to belonging touches us and all of a sudden we come alive.” Opening to “that universal ‘yes’ to belonging” can be a gift of haiku.
Haiku and calligraphy by Br. David Steindl-Rast
As we turn our attention to writing haiku, Tom Clausen encourages us to:
Start with major signifiers in our universe, the stars, our sun, our moon, the planets, our water, oceans, rivers, lakes, ponds, streams, puddles, rain drops, dew drops, our weather, our seasons, our mother earth, mountains, hills, trees, shrubs, plants, flowers, and little by little the seamless connection and relation of yourself will become ever more aware, linked, and suffused in everything around you.
Such engagement with our world will make it clear “that we are all part of an intricate miraculous web of belonging.”
Today we invite you to connect with “major signifiers of our universe.” Gaze into a pond or up at the stars. Watch some ants or lean against a tree, feeling its strength, texture, and resilience. Contemplate the planets, seasons, or the wonder and miracle of the breath that animates your being. Allow yourself a few minutes to feel what arises — noticing if and how you feel connected to the universe of which you are a part.
Experiment with writing a haiku (or more than one!) that expresses your experience. Feel free to share your reflections or poem(s) in the reflection area below.
Enjoy the full eight-day Exploring Haiku practice.
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Every spring canvas scattered all about with white birds, flowers, clouds.
I will spend some time outdoors today (even though forecast is for a lot of rain) and write something for today.
I wanted to share a set of haiku I wrote while my brother was having a 7+ hour brain surgery. I waited at the hospital until his surgeon gave me an update. I felt I had to be completely present – that was my universe that evening:
Into the deep sea fright, flailing, settling, some calm Fighting this won’t help
A peaceful moment Relaxing into the depth I start to notice
Support, buoyancy Patience, determination A purposeful shift
In between is now No separation, really This ocean is me
Knj 1/30/19
Endless pieces, one peace blessing
Powerful. I particularly like the last one which suggests that in your waiting you had reached a good place. Hope your brother is healing
Thank you! He returned work without restrictions a little over a week ago. Haiku often helps me focus when emotions are bouncing around due to various circumstances.
Now we see A Blackhole and I wonder Where it goes
Write an entry in your private gratefulness journal
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