Queen Lolo
March 2005
Our Well-Flavored Lives
I am reading a book called “Turning The Mind Into An Ally” by Sakyong Mipham (it includes a great forward by Pema Chodron). I randomly opened the book this morning and my eye landed on a page that ties right in with my blog of March 15 (“Happy Birthday”). Here goes:
“”Well flavored” means that we’ve been born in a time and place where we have the luxury of hearing, contemplating, and putting into action teachings that awaken us to our enlightened mind. We’re relatively healthy, we have a roof over our head and food in our mouths. We have family and friends. We’ve encountered someone who can teach us how to train our mind and open our heart. Being threatened by nuclear war, terrorism, and global warming is a reminder that we can’t take such conditions for granted. We’re just these tiny, vulnerable beings riding on a blue dot in space. Yet sometimes we act as if we’re the center of the universe. The enlightened alternative is to appreciate how incredibly rare and precious human life is. The enlightened alternative is to appreciate everything."
Let's all take a moment (or better yet, a lifetime or two) and appreciate our well-flavored lives while we've got 'em. I know mine is pretty darn tasty these days.
With gratitude,
Queen Lolo