Broken and Beautiful.
- clearstreamzendo
- Aug 4
- 2 min read
This week’s topic for reflection is broken and beautiful. One thing I love about the forest where I live is its ever changing, undying beauty. This is while all around parts of the forest are dying or in the process of dying. There isn’t a single tree, plant or thing that hasn’t been injured or broken in some way. And each and everything is wonderful and beautiful.
I knew someone who grew up in an industrial area of New Jersey. She said people often looked at it as ugly, smelly, dirty and disgusting. She also said her mother thought it was beautiful. I once heard Maezumi Roshi say the smog in L. A. “Tastes good.” I didn’t like the smog as it made breathing difficult. Notice how you view the world around you. Notice how much you actually experience the world around you. Do you take it in? Are you curious and interested? Also do you care about the world around you? Take a moment to notice strangers you pass on the street. Everyone is different and unique, interesting and even beautiful.
Normally we are very good at recognizing our own faults and broken places. We don’t measure up in this way or that way. By the way, who’s in charge of creating the standards we don’t measure up to? It could be given to us by parents, society or culture. Often we don’t believe we measure up to our own standards. And we can be very hard on ourselves. Please notice when this is helpful and when it’s harmful. For me if we can learn something and improve it’s helpful. If it’s just pointing out that you’re bad or shameful this is not helpful.
I don’t like being sick and I like being healthy. Perhaps I should lighten up when I’m sick and appreciate the experience more. This might be a more healthy way to be.
Our broken parts are what make us different and unique. Maybe we should laugh a bit and enjoy the way we are. Change what we need to change and enjoy all the rest. It’s not possible to fix everything and make it perfect. I don’t think that is even desirable. The forest is great the way it is. It was functioning like this before I came here and it will function like this after I leave. Being broken means change is happening which is good or beautiful. Broken can just be a harsh label which is projected onto something or a situation. It can feel like OUCH! How does it feel if you’re told you’re beautiful. We can say this with words or our eyes, with a touch or a smile. We can say you’re beautiful by simply caring and responding. Sharing is beautiful. Everything is broken and beautiful.
Please join us for morning Zoom zazen from 7:00 to 7:30 Tuesday and Thursday and Sunday morning Zoom zazen and discussion of the topic for reflection blog from 8:00 to 9:00 Pacific Time. Here’s the Zoom link:
Meeting ID: 811 6100 3357
Passcode: 278259
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