I once attended a lecture by Robert Thurman about how life has no beginning and no end. A Columbia professor, Thurman is an authority on Tibetan Buddhism. After all he was the first American monk, close friend of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and founder of the Tibet House. His lecture offered the notion that we live in a world of infinite Genesises where every permutation of every outcome has and will happen. I like this idea very much. As I bathe and nurse my newborn son, I think about how he may have done the same to me an infinite amount of times. As each sunset passes and breaks way to a new dawn, we take an infinite amount of naps together as we always have. This gourmet snacker feeds in multi-course meals, a schedule of every 1-3hours even at night, every day unfolding into the next with no real beginning and no real end. And since I believe in feeding him on demand, and I haven’t had a solid night’s sleep in months, I kindly take refuge in the heart-offering. I know he has done the same for me an infinite amount of times.
I gave my son the name Bodhi, which means “awakened or enlightened”. Buddha became enlightened after sitting under the Bodhi tree. And a bodhisattva is an individual who is motivated by great compassion and has the spontaneous wish toseek buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings. Some may think this is a tall order, a great weight to carry for a baby boy entering into this world. But rather than pigeonholing my son with this auspicious name, I see it as an opportunity. One that we all have. Robert Thurman says “We Can All Be Buddhas”…
| Bob Thurman: We can be Buddhas |
To paraphrase, Thurman says that if you let go of the constant evaluations of your life, how good or bad something is because after all even when you’re happy you wonder if you can be more happy, and you start seeing how you can make others happy, your whole world opens and you start to see how interconnected we all are. The key to buddhahood lies in how fun generosity can be. How fun it is to be compassionate. So whether it’s helping the mother take her stroller down the subway stairs, offering money to the homeless, or even just stepping aside so that anxious person in front of you can exit before you, we have opportunities every day to practice compassion and live in Grace.
I’m now gracefully transitioning back into teaching classes and it feels great. My first class back to Sonic is this Monday, March 31st. Be sure tocheck out my new class schedule below. By the way, I’ll also be back at Kula Tribeca with three brand-spanking new classes starting in June.
This June is also when I’m leading Sequencology – a 100 hour advanced teacher training module that can now be taken as part of Pure Yoga’s 300 Hour certification program. I’ve been hard at work expanding and developing this methodology of sequencing for both classes and private clients. Plus I’ve recruited a stellar adjunct faculty!
I need you to mark your calendars… I’m planning a retreat to Spain in September that I want you to join in on! Please check below for a sneak peak of what it entails. More details will be made available soon, promise! I’m working on getting the best yoga vacation together possible with the help of my Spanish family and friends.
Flowing with Grace to serve you and balancing the exquisite role of guideto Planet Earth to our little “Titty Tapas”…
Lori