向下閱讀中文

How is your June?

Last Monday after our gathering online, one participant shared she felt peaceful and powerful. She said, there is an expansion in her heart, and she felt the calmness and a sense of inner strength intertwined. I felt so honored to witness the transformative journey within each individual and feel this is my calling.

During my pilgrimage to Nepal this February, our guide introduced us to an elderly man who was 95 years old, dressed in a traditional all-white Kurta, running a simple small shop in Lumbini, offering snacks and simple meals to pilgrims.

The guide told me that this gentleman and my meditation teacher, Goenka, sat both of their first 10-day silence retreat course together, and both learned with U Ba Khin. The old men's biggest wish was to build a small stupa after the shop was completed so that he could leave this body. I saw the stupa built behind the shop and felt both sad and happy.

I feel sad that he may choose to leave soon and happy that he is now free and no longer bound by any expectations or desires. He spoke in Nepali and chatted with everyone. There was a warm and joyful atmosphere around him. Many people in the group cried.

On the way back to the Tibetan temple where we stayed, my companions and I rode in a tuktuk, tears streaming down our faces.

Two days before leaving Lumbini, I had the chance to talk privately with him. He put his five fingers together, tapped his own heart, and said, 'I will give everything I have to you.' And then he tapped my heart lightly. I was deeply moved. I felt like a part of my heart had been expended so vast! There was a sense of relaxation and joy in my body and I carried the feeling that my sense of acceptance for myself and for everything grew. I was happy to have the opportunity to be in the same space with a wise person and to be touched by the love and compassion he emanated.

How about you? Do you have any experience of heart expansion?

Monday 9am-10am PT with RememberPresence (on-going) https://rememberpresence.com/event/?eventId=1275

7/21: 6 weeks of introduction to mindfulness (Mandarin) https://www.zitamae.com/event_series/90f5f186-6dc7-4f85-98a8-946b6781a671

8/3: 4 weeks of class with Caroline and Cindy (Mandarin)

Book I read this month: My Bones Know by Stephanie Foo

Favorite quote this month: "Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul, and sings the tune without the words, and never stops at all." by Emily Dickinson

Looking forward to sharing more with you each month! If you have any suggestions, recommendations, or questions, please feel free to contact me zitamae.caroline@gmail.com

Peace and always love,

Caroline

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你的六月過的好嗎？

上個星期一，在我們線上聚會結束後，一位參與者分享她感到平靜而且有力量。她說，她的內心有一種擴張的感覺，感受到平靜和內在力量的交織。我感到非常榮幸能見證每個人內在轉變的旅程，並且感受到這是我的使命所在。

這讓我想到，我去尼泊爾的時候，導遊介紹我們一位老先生，他95歲，穿著傳統全白Kurta, 在藍碧尼經營著簡單的小店，供朝聖者點心和簡餐。導遊訴說著，他和我的靜心老師, 同時一起第一次靜坐。並和我老師的老師，一起學習。而他最大的心願，就是蓋好店後小小的寶塔，那他就可以離開這個身體了。

我看見店後蓋好的寶塔，內心同時感到難過和開心。 難過是他也許近期會選擇離開，開心是他自由了，再也沒有什麼期待和渴望可以綁住他。 他說著尼泊爾文，和大家聊天。在他在的氛圍裡，感覺有一種溫暖和喜悅。團裡很多人都哭了。回住宿藏傳寺廟的途中，我和幾位夥伴坐著tuktuk, 眼淚卻不停的流出來。

兩天後將要離開藍碧尼的時候，我有個和他私下聊天的機會，他五指併攏，輕敲自己的心，說 ”我會給你我所有的一切.” 並輕敲我的心。我感到無比感動。我感到心的某部分被撬開了！身體有一種放鬆和喜悅。很開心有機會和智者同在一個空間，沾染他散發出來的愛與慈悲。

你呢？有沒有什麼心被打開的經驗想分享給大家？

感謝RememberPresence 的邀約, 每個星期一早上九點有一小時和大家相處的時間，歡迎大家踴躍參加！https://rememberpresence.com/event/?eventId=1275

7/21：6週的正念導入課程（中文） https://www.zitamae.com/event_series/90f5f186-6dc7-4f85-98a8-946b6781a671

8/3：Caroline和Cindy 4週的「與自己和好」課程（中文）

本月閱讀的書：我的骨頭知曉一切 （史丹芬尼。胡）

本月最愛金句：希望是那隻停在靈魂上、無需言語演唱曲調且永不停歇的有羽毛的生物。~Emily Dickinson

期待每個月能與你分享我的學習點滴。如果有任何建議或問題，歡迎跟我聯絡 zitamae.caroline@gmail.com

遙寄愛與平靜，

史特美

Here are my fellow teachers from rP, check their classes out if you are interested:David's Class and Michael's Class