Waking Gatha

Greetings, Sisters, Brothers and Friends,

I pray that this note finds you all weel and full of God’s joy!

Every day brings us hundreds of opportunities to live mindfulness lives; to return us gently to the present moment of awareness where all of life happens. Are you living in the past? Are you liivng in the future? Then, perhaps, you are missing out on the treasures and miracles happening before your very eyes.

There are many ways to awaken our attention to the present moment, to snap us back to reality, to pull the plug on mental movies that keep playing in our heads. One such technique is to use little “gathas.” Gathas are short verses which we recite during our daily activities to remind us of where we are. For example, this gatha can be used when you wake up:

Waking up this morning, I smile.
Twenty-four brand new hours are before me.
I vow to live fully in each moment
And to look at all beings with eyes of compassion.

A great way to start the day is with a smile. As Thich Nhat Hanh writes in “Present Moment, Wonderful Moment,” your smile affirms your awareness and determination to live in peace and joy. The source of a true smile is an awakened mind.

Gathas, which can also be short verses from the Gospels or other scripture, are used for any of our daily activities; brushing our hair, washing the dishes, using the phone, sitting on a chair, getting the mail, opening a door, etc. All the little actions in our life become sacraments of movement revealing the miracles of life.

This week think about the sacredness of movement and being. Write a gatha or two for yourself, and share them if you feel moved to do so. Collect them! Trade them with your friends!

Know that you are loved by Our Lord!

Your gatha-seeking brother,

Br. Daniel-Joseph, CTG