Learning Space No.8 [Masaru Goto]

Gifts offered

"Someone is offering you a gift. If you don't accept it, who do you think it will belong to?"

"My yoga teacher asked me this question.

"It remains in the hands of the person offering it."

As I was thinking back on my time at the "learning space" the other day,

We felt that the greatest gift we had received was our bodies.

Receiving gifts

This happened at a meditation center in New Zealand in January of this year.

The place is a community that practices the meditation techniques of Thich Nhat Hanh.

Not extraordinary, glorious experiences, but ordinary things that everyone has experienced at least some of.

For example, the center offered opportunities to engage in mindful (meditative) activities such as walking, eating, cleaning, doing housework, and touching plants.

We took off our shoes and performed walking meditation in the garden, which was filled with colorful flowers typical of early summer, on a mid-afternoon day when the rain had just stopped.

Place your heel on the ground and then slowly shift your weight so that your toes touch the ground.

As you feel the coolness, moisture, and softness of the soil through the soles of your feet, you can almost hear the lively sounds of the microorganisms living in the soil.

This time, the muscles in my thighs tense up, the soles of my feet lift lightly, and I watch as my toes cut through the gentle air.

When I focus my attention on my whole body to notice the subtle sensations that I might otherwise overlook,

Your breathing and physical movements will naturally become synchronized, creating a consistent flow within you.

In reality it was only a few minutes, but it felt like a long journey, and after that I was filled with a sense of calm and warmth inside.

And then I discovered "eating meditation."

Just like when walking, I want to use all my five senses, and use all my cells as sensors.

The moment I put the soup in my mouth as if it were my first or last meal of my life.

I was shocked to realize that I had never been able to truly eat until then.

It's like tasting not only the vegetables, but also the earth in which they were grown.

It was as if I was witnessing the food entering our bodies, becoming our blood, and gently nourishing our constantly working organs.

I was taken aback by this sensation, and my body was filled with joy at how delicious it was.

These two experiences helped me practice truly receiving the gifts that were presented to me.

A place of learning

The workshops held this time included yoga, Chi Nei Tsang and eating meditation.

All of you who came to the event taught me once again how full of potential we humans are.

A clear and radiant look after yoga and chi nei tsang

A person told me that they felt like they were going to cry as they munched on rice balls

The palm of the hand of someone who told me they were happy

Eating with my hands made me feel like I was back in the wild!

Someone who expressed that they couldn't contain their happiness

A beautiful profile of a woman shedding tears

None of this was a miracle, nor did my wife and I use any magic.

I believe it is the result of facing myself honestly, accepting the gift of my body, and treating it with care.

"A place of learning"

Once again, I thought about the meaning of this word.

It dawned on me that this was about myself. We have been given this greatest gift - our bodies.

There are countless things to learn from putting this to use, and I believe that the "learning space" is precisely yourself.

And when we are able to truly use our bodies, we become aware of the countless miracles that exist before our eyes.

You will be moved and be able to receive each one as a gift.

Just as nature creates beautiful changes with each season,

May we too enjoy changing freely and with tolerance.