How wonderful that it is now raining in Northern California.
From Native Peoples I’ve lived with, especially Hopi, I learned to express
deep gratitude I feel for rains, which sustain all life.
These current rains here are blessing us with clean air to breathe and putting
out the devastating wildfire. Thank you land ancestors for helping me express this thanks.
I’m feeling very grateful for having Thich Nhat Hanh as my spiritual teacher for the past couple decades,
as he has provided compassionate & wise teachings for experiencing well-being,
while continuing to offer a beautiful example of practicing them at 92 years of age.
Furthermore, using skillful means he has spoken honestly to me about impermanence, explicitly climate change,
preserving mother earth, human relations & other issues of concern to us all. Breathing through an air mask for these past couple weeks, when outside, I’ve felt accepting of dry, smoky, unhealthy conditions as they were.
Skies were also smoky here many weeks this past summer. I’m feeling more solid as a mountain than I could have without our practice of stopping, conscious breathing & trainings to not do harm to ourselves & all beings. There is a sadness I feel for descendants who will not have the privilege I’ve had of growing up in a seemingly stable environment.
May they be happy & feel safe in the world they inherit.
I’ve great gratitude for being able to take refuge in a mindfulness community or sangha.
Such a wonderful condition of happiness being a part of a community
that practices living in harmony & awareness;
that we may awaken from the illusion of separateness.
On Thay’s (affectionate Vietnamese term for “teacher”) continuation day last month
some lay friends on retreat at Deer Park Meditation center gathered,
expressing gratitude to him by sharing the benefits of, or fruit, of their meditation practice.
Some were quite new, with real beginners mind. Others were more experienced brothers & sisters. A clip of these heartfelt expressions, including images of Thay enjoying tea at Tue Hieu in 2007 (his root temple, at which he is now spending his last days)
can be viewed here, if interested: “mindfulness sweetens our world.”
Wishing you sweet fruit from the practice you’ve chosen to bring happiness, healing & insight.
smilecalm 
What a deep and beautiful post!
Thank you.
smiling to your kind review, dear smileybev!
thanks to you the video
is even sweeter 🙂
i’m glad your rains
have cooled your
global warming
for the moment
thank you, dear Tippy
for being part of my cool
at this wonderful moment 🙂
May your world remain sweet always.
my world is sweeter
knowing you are there, dear Linda 🙂
Thankful here too
for rain, for breath,
for life in each
new moment!
makes me happy knowing
it got wet down there, also, Tom!
may the people, animals & plants
dance the happy dance together 🙂
Thankyou for your sweet words and thoughts… here’s to living the rain we are having too in southern Spain ❤️ love to you x Barbara x
thank you, dear Barbara
for the kindness & favorable
weather report in Spain!
may it continue falling
gently on the plain 🙂
Your post of Gratitude and the pictures are so beautiful!
smiling to your kindness, Infinite Living!
may your day be well & happy 🙂
My pleasure 🙂 Wish you an amazing day too!
Here in Los Angeles, we had just one night of rain earlier this week, enough to clear the air.
Grateful for the respite until the next wildfire.
i’m happy there’s cleaner air for you, dear Rosaliene!
i understand being resigned to
expecting more fires.
i was out in the fresh air today.
may all experience fresh air 🙂
Even I am thankful for the rain especially after the terrible wildfire.
Happy thanksgiving David.
Take care.
thank you for sharing empathetic gratitude, dear Rupali. after a couple days of rain i was out today enjoying the freshness.
it was a pleasant thanksgiving.
wishing you days of thanks, also 🙂
Another beautiful post, David. I leave myself open to absorb a even a particle of your vision.
thank you, dear susan!
i hope you absorb
the happy, good parts 🙂
I was eager to see the return of better breathing conditions and for the rain in Northern California to come for you and others. Wonderful video 🙂
thank you for caring, Ka!
after a couple days of rain
i enjoyed being out in the fresh air today.
makes me happy you were able to see
familiar Deer Park sights.
wishing you happy moments 🙂
You’re fortunate to have had a spiritual teacher for most of your life, David. We all can use one of those, and be one to others in our own way, too. xo
a smile to your kindness, dear Rose!
that’s a wonderful expression
being grateful for teacher(s)
& passing on teachings
to those around us
who are open to learn 🙂
Thank you David.
you’re welcome, dear Sarah!
wishing you a happy soapy day 🙂
It was inspiring and joy reading your beautiful post 🙂 Rain is always a blessing ….
i’m feeling grateful for your kindness, Beth!
i enjoyed getting out into today’s clear freshness.
may your day be fresh & happy, david 🙂
thank God for the rain ! Those are some very beautiful images …
we’re all feeling grateful around here, leo!
thanks for your kind, empathetic words 🙂
I am happy to hear the rain has finally arrived to soften the harsh conditions that has affected so many in California. May Thich Nhat Hanh continue to support us and encourage us to find gratitude, no matter what our outside conditions are. 🙂 .
Went out for a walk today. Blue sky, fresh air and wet leaves along the forest trail; wonderful!
I believe Thay’s maintaining the will to live is an important example. I’m grateful for your kindness & reflective counsel, Karen 🙂
Mindfulness certainly sweetens our word and I thank you for this peaceful and deeply thoughtful
post. To take time to thank for the rain, for the wind, for the sun. All life giving elements.
Would it that we could all live in such harmony.
I always wished I could have met Nhat Thich Hanh, he is one of the first to fill and exhilarate
my soul and mind that were hungry.
Bless
Miriam
thank you for this kind expression, dear Miriam!
yes, sad he’s no longer able to lead retreats & walks.
yet, many practice his mindful way of life
so that his continuation still feeds the hungry.
may you be well, david 🙂
What a beautiful post, dear David. How grateful we all are for the rains that will hopefully douse those California fires. I pray that you remain safe and I hope you had a good Thanksgiving holiday.
thank you, dear Linda!
yes, it has been pleasantly fresh
with air cleaned & ground moistened.
i’ve been well, wishing you the same 🙂
Beautiful, So pleased to know that the rains are falling, We take so much for granted the Clean air that we breathe. and the water that we drink.. Without these two, we would not be here..
This last Summer in the UK, who normally have lots and lots and LOTS of rain…:-) Had a summer of drought.. It brought home how we take our rain for granted, when my husband had to do two hours of manual watering our veggie plot each day..
May the rains continue
And I hope you and yours had a wonderful Thanksgiving..
Stay Blessed David. ❤
thank you for your kindness, dear Sue!
I hope the rains fall soft upon your fields
and winds blow favorably.
smiles to you, david 🙂
Awww.. thank you David.. the rains keep falling, and the winds keep blowing… making up for the drought in the summer.. So always thankful 😀 what ever the weather . ❤
Charlee: “We got some rain here in southern California too!”
Chaplin: “Yes, Dada says we really needed it, and that we need more.”
Charlee: “We’re glad your air is cleaner up there now and that those awful fires are almost under control!”
thank you, dear kitties for your kindness!
wishing you pleasant weather
with all the sun & rain needed
to keep you both dry & fresh 🙂
I’m thankful the rain made it there and breath comes easier. I continue to pray for healing of the lands there. Peace, David.
thank you, dear JoAnna
for your comforting prayers!
wishing you happiness
& comfort today 🙂
🙂 Thanks, David. Wishing you happiness and comfort also. 🙂
Dearest David, how our world is in such desperate need of healing in so many ways. May the masses “wake up” to mindfulness, not only of one another but this planet that is our home and very much a part of us. Bless you for this post. Peace. 💞
i’m grateful for your kind words,
of understanding the situation, dear Amy!
wishing you a happy day capturing beauty
with your camera & your heart 🙂
Grateful for fresh air, so all beings can be at ease. Thank you for deeply touching post, David. Namaste.
thank you for sharing your gratitude, dear shobhna!
regrets for not responding sooner.
may your heart feel happy, david 🙂
Thank you for being so kind hearted David. Sharing my happiness and understanding. Be well. 🙂
I am very grateful that the rains have come and hope they heal California, and help to cleanse the pain away.
thank you, dear Michele for this rains gratitude!
clean air & moist earth are most wonderful now.
wishing you sweet freshness
inside & out 🙂
Such a beautiful post. 😀
I feel like a glutton. We’ve had so much rain recently in New York. I went to the post office and grocery store today and was so wet when I got back I had to change my clothes. ☔️ 🤣The plants are happy. 🌲
smiling to your kind weather report, dear shiftinconsiousness!
nice that it’s fresh here.
wishing you continued rains
and other favorable conditions 🙂
Thank you. 😀
Blessed rain. Glad the wounds started to heal.
Hope you are having a good and peaceful week.
i’m grateful for your kind, healing words, dear inese!
fortunately i’m well. may it be so for so many others.
wishing you a happy day 🙂
Thank you! 🙂
Thank you for sharing this, David. I’m glad the rains came! Wishing you peace, beauty, and blessings. ☮️🦋✨
smiling to your healing, fresh comment, dear Betty.
as sun rises in my window
wishing you a sun shiny day, also 🙂
This is awesome 🙂
thank you for being
so awesome
yourself, joshi 🙂
David, a beautiful and uplifting post. I sense the deep sigh of relief as the rain finally arrived for you all and helped dampen down the nightmare of the fires. The images from the affected areas are horrendous and it was hard to believe this was real and not a movie set. As the news organisations disappear I think of all those whose lives have been drastically changed, to try and find a new home for the near future before rebuilding even starts.
I am touched by the serenity and peace of your post, your grace and calm reminding me to breathe, reminding me there is so much more. The videos were lovely to watch and I was taken with Thich Nhat Hanh wonderful interview with the girl. His poise and manners draws one in.One in a million!
thank you for taking time to express a deep caring, dear Annika!
makes me happy that you had a chance to see the videos and touch their intention.
Thich Nhat Hanh has been a beautiful example for me and many others.
May we each be wise & compassionate teachers for ourselves
and those in need. smiles to you, david 🙂
So glad for the rain, which you honor with your words and gorgeous images, David. I especially love the vineyard and “our last smoky evening.” May it cool and nourish the land and console all creatures who suffered and survived the fires.
thank you for recognizing rain’s beauty & renewal, dear Cate!
while it’s so easy to forget the trauma of a month ago,
i’m still grateful for today’s fresh air & moist ground.
wishing you a happy day, david 🙂
Deep
Peace
Resonates
❤
makes me happy finding you, dear Lara
abiding in this peaceful state of being!
may it continue being true
with each gentle breath 🙂
It is good to hear that you and many others have come out of this experience even more resolved in mindfulness and the though that we are ONE in everything for we owe that much to our children’s children in trying to leave them with a better world than which we left it… jc
smiling to your kind understanding, dear JC!
may your words come true
that myself & others maintain resolve
to act with reverence for children & all beings 🙂
How sweet indeed. Your photos and reflections of late are such a gift. Thank you for sharing the inspiration from above and the earth below 💛
Oh how I enjoyed the video, David, and the many different voices sharing their experiences of how mindfulness has sweetened our world. The fires we have been experiencing in California have been a challenge, but your wonderful words here and the voices in the video, are a much-appreciated reminder of embracing impermanence and the joys of living, being mindful. I found it interesting in my own experience of wearing the mask every day. Breathing was so audible when I had to breathe in the mask. The very action that I have been trained to bring stability, was challenged with the mask; but gradually the evenness of the breath, regardless of the mask, did come. I so enjoyed your work here and in the video, David, thank you.
One of the best moment for me is to practice while snowing outside. I feel kind of magic atmosphere all around…thank you for sharing 🙂
snow is quite special for me, also. especially, xc skiing meditation. may you be well 🙂
Hello there. A quick to say that I’m going to follow your blog. No pressure to reciprocate, though I’ll be glad if you do.
Neil S.
thank you for your kind words, Neil S!
i enjoyed your thoughtful, humorous post.
wishing you happy, joyful holidays, david 🙂
This post made a deep impact on us, David. Thank heaven for rain!
We really enjoyed the video. Your spiritual teacher is very special and so is you.
xx
thank you for kindly appreciating the rain, Dina!
we’re fortunate to be getting some right now.
i’m happy knowing you enjoyed hearing
others share about how mindfulness
sweetens their world!
may your day be in beauty 🙂
love your expression in words and pictures. indeed very mindful. Happy to share that i wrote my first post on mindfulness today https://sunniesmybunnies.wordpress.com/2019/02/23/how-we-transformed-a-normal-morning-to-a-mindful-morning/. Do find time and leave your thoughts for me.
How incredible that you lived with the Hopi. They have always intrigued me. So much to learn from Native Americans who have retained their beliefs.
i was fortunate to spend nearly 20 years
living and working on Indian Reservations.
yes, so much to be learned from the ways
of indigenous peoples & ancestors 🙂