Carnegie Hall Meditation Practice

On Monday night once I got on stage at Carnegie Hall and took my seat next to the three other readers, my heart began pounding so hard and fast I thought it would pop out of my chest and splatter all over the harp player just a few feet in front of me.

I'd been very calm all day up until then but once I was out there and the orchestra started playing GLORIA I was a hot mess.

In seconds I went from being this calm, Zen alpha guy to a complete wreck, totally self absorbed and worried about how I’d sound, how I’d look, how I’d manage to get the four lines of Sanskrit out of my heaving chest. I can’t remember the last time I felt so anxious about something.

Unexpectedly, one of the best real-life opportunities to put my practice into action fell right onto my lap. I realized the only sane thing to do at that point was to breathe and immerse myself in the sensations of those terrifying thirteen minutes before it was my time to go up to the podium and read. I did so even though it was counterintuitive--my mind and body wanted to get carried away with the experience that my small self was having.

There was this mini-drama going on in my head with regard to how potentially embarrassing this situation could be, how anxious I used to get as a young boy, etc. All of this crap trying to pull me out of what was essentially an incredible once in a lifetime experience that was passing me by because I was too busy being wrapped up in my scary little story.

I allowed my self to breathe deeply, I concentrated on the physical sensations and everything going on around me, I heard the beautiful music coming from the choir and musicians. Once I stood up and walked to the podium something kicked in: my breathing returned to normal, I felt sane, and I managed to pronounce the lines of Sanskrit without sounding like a complete dork.

Mission accomplished.

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Here is some video footage of the first part of the piece (from the world premier in London last summer, not the one I was at on Monday):

Martin Luther King Day Event

I'll be appearing very briefly tonight at Carnegie Hall for an event called the "Concert for Peace: Celebrating the Spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr."

I was asked to read the last few lines of the Diamond Sutra following two representatives of Islam and Hinduism.

The composition by Karl Jenkins is titled "Gloria" and from what I've already heard it's an amazing piece.

"Like a tiny drop of dew, or a bubble floating in a stream;

Like a flash of lightening in a summer cloud,

Or a flickering lamp, an illusion, a phantom, or a dream.

So is all conditioned existence to be seen.


It will be the Sanskrit version however. Eesh.


PRESENTED BY DISTINGUISHED CONCERTS INTERNATIONAL NEW YORK (DCINY)

DISTINGUISHED CONCERTS SINGERS AND ORCHESTRA INTERNATIONAL

Concert for Peace – Celebrating the Spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage (Seating Chart)
Monday, January 17, 2011 at 7 PM

Tickets from $20 - $100

Listening Deeply and Loving Speech

To listen deeply to another person is one of the greatest and transformative gifts we can offer.

To do this effectively requires that we can take the time to be still and quiet long enough and often enough to listen to ourselves. When we practice the art of silence and listening to what takes place in our minds and hearts, we are better equipped to respond appropriately to whatever comes up in life.

We spend a lot of time bombarding ourselves with information through texting and tweeting and facebooking. Not getting caught up in all of this and taking time to step away from it every day is crucial.

Thich Nhat Hanh emphasizes this beautifully in his interpretation of the fourth precept.

Noticing what we are putting out there in a facebook status posting or tweet is more important than many of us realize. Crapping all over cyberspace because our minds are struggling only creates more discord and crap in the minds of other people.

The words and symbols we put out there matter.

Suppose that person "A" leaves a banana peel on the floor and then person "B" proceeds to slip on it, fall, and get seriously injured.

Who is responsible for that suffering?

Seven Buddhalicious New Year's Resolutions

I had this on my previous blog last year and thought I'd post it again:

Since most of us have surely broken our resolutions by now, I came up with a list that makes sense to me and doesn’t involve any new gym memberships, money expenditures, schooling, or dietary restrictions:


1. Set aside at least a few minutes a day to be still and silent. Let the mud settle so you can have some clarity and peace of mind. As my teacher says, it’s more important to do a minimum amount of practice regularly than a maximum amount of practice sporadically. Translation: five minutes a day every day is better than forty five minutes once or twice a week.

2. Practice generosity even when you're not in the most generous of moods and may feel like you'd much rather be the recipient than the giver.

3. Don’t indulge the voices and thoughts from inside that criticize yourself and others, and keep you mired in the past and worrying about the future. This isn't about repressing them or pretending they aren't there mind you, but just about not giving any weight to them anymore.

4. Recognize the power of speech and use words wisely. I'm talking about a post-"I’m not gonna be PC" mindset where you don't just say anything that comes to mind simply because you can, but instead realizing that the words we choose and use have a very real impact on ourselves and others. I've actually had to explain to several people recently why it's not ok to use the word "gay" to describe something as being outdated, overly feminine (whatever that means), distasteful, or geeky.

5. Look people in the eye and smile at them even if you think there's absolutely no chance you'll ever see them or need them again. This applies to the bank teller, the grocery store check out clerk, a homeless person, your next door neighbor (this can be a hard one for New Yorkers), your annoying mother, just about anyone you encounter on any given day. And don’t get pissy if they don’t smile back or respond, don’t expect anything at all, just do it freely and openly and notice how it feels (even if it feels strange).

6. Pay attention. Don’t get lost or zone out throughout the day, or rush through the things you consider a chore or a nuisance. Wash the dishes carefully and mindfully. Shovel the shit off the sidewalk with the same attention you’d give to arranging a vase of flowers. Keep an open and curious attitude toward the physical experience of each moment. Don’t miss out on your life in search of the next momentary distraction in the form of food or sex or shopping.

7. Remember that we’re all made of the same stuff, the same universal substance. Recognize the divinity and worth in every living thing, even if you don’t care for the particular form that it’s currently taking. It doesn’t make sense for a wave to see itself as any different from the foam at its tip, so try not to hate anyone even if they act like “the enemy.” H20 is water at one temperature, steam at a higher temperature, and ice at a lower temperature. Yet it’s all H20 just the same.