METTA CENTER

(Collected from email, March 2010) Worth thinking about... In Washington, DC, at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007, this man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After about 3 minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule. About 4 minutes later: The violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk. At 6 minutes: A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again. At 10 minutes: A 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole time. This action was re...

"Each moment is actually a stepping stone--another chance at bliss." ~ N.M. Last Friday, I had the opportunity to see "Man of La Mancha". In one of the scenes, Don Quixote was observing that as he held dying comrades in his arms, their eyes seemed to ask him why. He said: "I do not think they were asking why they were dying... but why they had ever lived." That line struck a chord inside me. Why do we live at all? I have been contemplating that question. Why do we bother to live at all? Why do we come here? Many of us might think that we didn't choose to be here and were just plunked down by happenstance. We could have been dropped on a different planet, but here we are on Earth right now, reading this newsletter. But, what if we did choose our presence here? Why did we come to live in this body, in this particular time-space? A few days later, as I was walking in nature, enjoying the spring-like weather, I found my answer. I was walking o...

(From "The Beggar King and the Secret of Happiness" by Joel ben Izzy. This book is about the author, a storyteller, who lost his voice due to cancer and his healing journey. This is an inspiring and wonderful book! ) Story Origin: Sufi Muslim, Turkey Nasrudin is known much for his wisdom as his foolishness, and many are those who have sought out his teaching. One devotee tracked him down for many years before finding him in the marketplace sitting atop a pile of banana peels - no one knows why. "Oh great sage, Nasrudin," said the eager student. "I must ask you a very important question, the answer to which we all seek: What is the secret to attaining happiness?" Nasrudin thought for a time, then responded. "The secret of happiness is good judgment." "Ah," said the student. "But how do we attain good judgment?" "From experience," answered Nasrudin. "Yes," said the student. "But how do ...

(This article was first published in the March 2006 edition of Metta Center Newsletter.) "And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." ~ Anaïs Nin When I first read this quote, years ago, I was struck by the enormity of the truth resonating from these words. I felt it with my entire being. It has since been one of my favorite quotes that I go back to when I need an inspiration to renew my hope and grow my courage. This quote is so poignant to me now as we move into Spring where renewal and growth are obvious to the senses. Spring is practically bursting with new life: the flower buds are swollen and some even have blossomed, new branches are extending, soft green shoots are poking out from the cold ground, fresh flower fragrance is in the air. Mother nature is renewing herself after a winter of quietly gathering her potential for growth. It is as if She is telling us, “Trust that spring comes after winter. E...

Diane (not her real name) felt stage-fright singing in front of a huge audience. She knew she was a talented singer because she had received many accolades for her work. Yet, when it came to singing in front of a big audience, she would fumble, forget her lyrics or just feel ill with anxiety. When we talked, she was a few days away from performing in front of an audience of 200. She felt nervous just thinking about it, with an intensity of about 3 or a 4. She said that perhaps if she was sick before the performance then she would have an excuse for not performing perfectly. I asked her what would happen if she “failed.” And she replied that it would be the end of the world for her. With such a strong statement, I suspected that her intensity was in fact higher than what she reported. I inquired into why she needed to be perfect, and she recounted the story of hearing her brother being hit by her father because he wasn’t “perfect.” We tapped: “Even though I feel nervous, I don’t...