Shunryu Suzuki once shared, “Nothing we see or hear is perfect. But – right there in the imperfection is perfect reality.”

My darlings, when we lay down expectation – when we open ourselves to the possibility of uncertainty and risk – then, and only then, can we finally be free.

We are free to experience the vitality of this present moment.

In my own practice, I try to remain as faithful to the energy of renewal. With each breath, and every step – I continue to search through the intricate patterns of present. I take note of the little things – the pebbled brook, the mottled leafs, the way in which the wind moves through the trees. It’s all right there – nature’s masterpiece; a glorious affirmation of our capacity to see.

Sometimes, I’ll ask myself – am I really here? Meaning, as Brother Phap Tri so eloquently reminds,

“How alive is my practice?”

Indeed, how alive *is* your practice? Are you simply performing the actions of mind, without fully stepping into it with heart?

“That is our way,”  Suzuki writes. “to live fully in each moment of time.”

And, allowing our practice to permeate all aspects of our being.

The practice is life, my darlings – and, this moment is our greatest teacher.

Namaste…