Soulful Sadhak

How to Order Interbeing when disorder is what we're seeing? What theory or philosophy Will make us bond beyond entropy Turn matter into energy And bring unity through diversity? How to Order Interbeing What can be more deeply freeing Than to arrive with every step Into this Pure Land we create Carrying the jacket of our Bodhicitta Do we take the leap of faith? How to Order Interbeing and to become real human beings To not be lost in thoughts or feelings And find real purpose and meaning Non-selves coming into oneness One Action to True Emptiness How to Order Interbeing And to meet Love’s high demand In the midst of separation We come together to make a stand Build the beloved community Until injustice is forever banned How to Order Interbeing Let our activism be an organism Practice openness, no dogmatism We are the light that breaks inside the prism Liberating us from mental prison Reconnecting us with ancient wisdom How to Order Interbeing And as a species to evolve? For our igno...

  Poiesis* Where does the poetry come from, what is its stem? Where do words go when there's no one to say them? Who will read me when i am no longer there? Does anybody know, does anyone even care? What will come out, when there's nothing left inside? How can i speak to You when i have nothing more to hide? Can one name the structure of existence? How to write a declaration of interdependence? Is there an Intelligence that is more than artificial? That makes real sense, and not superficial? Is there a meaning to creation? Or is this a mere figment of my imagination?   * Classical Greek for 'creation', 'artistic creation', 'poem'  This little poem was inspired by Thich Nhat Hanh's teachings on Interbeing and Buddhist psychology.  

Please call me by my true names So I can see that my joy and pain are one - Thich Nhat Hanh    For a while i struggled with this thought: How can i practice mindfulness and meditation and find peace and happiness, while there is so much peace and injustice in the world? This poem came out of that contemplation. It is dedicated to my brother in the Dharma and activist friend Tom. When i breathe, let me breathe for Eric Garner and all those suffocating under discrimination and oppression And when i breathe, let me breathe for the officer who only knows how to react to challenge with violence When i walk, let me walk for the child in Gaza who can no longer walk home as he lost both his legs in a bomb explosion And when i walk, let me walk for the soldier who does not know  how to walk in peace but sees enemies everywhere When i eat let me eat for the mother in Darfur going hungry to save the last scraps of food for her starving children And when i eat let me eat for the mult...

 Here's a little song i wrote about oneness and non-duality. I am the sky, I am the wind I am its sweet soft whispering I am the Earth I am the moon This is her song this is her tune That has no beginning and no end I hope one day you understand All the answers are within That’s why I am singin’ CHORUS We are one, we are one We are one, we are one I am the light, I am the dark This is the calling of the lark In the dawn before we rise To see a new sun rise With all our joy and all our pain Nothing to lose nothing to gain So break free from these bars And sing with open hearts CHORUS Let us walk hand in hand And together we will stand We’re emotion, we are love A higher force from up above A new song in a new key To take these chains and set us free I am you and you are me Let us sing in harmony CHORUS A new day now will come Where we will all live as one This is the voice deep inside That no longer wants to hide So let’s stop to pretend I am your brother,* I am your fri...

A piece about my life in Sadhana Forest  and how living in a sustainable reforestation community contributes to my understand of Interbeing. Originally written for Wake Up . Adapted from an earlier post . Tree planting in Sadhana Forest The past four years, I have been living and volunteering in an eco-community in South India. We live very simply in thatched roof huts made from local, natural materials. Our community is off-grid and uses only electricity from our solar panels and the water we draw from our well. In our daily life, we practice reforestation, bringing back to life an almost extinct indigenous tropical forest on a 70-acre piece of land, returning water, trees, and life to a once-barren and deserted area. I have learned many practical things about community life and sustainable living practices, but the deepest teaching while living this life has been a very direct, lived experience of the reality of Interbeing. Living this close to nature and actively participat...

The spirituality of a sustainable lifestyle The environment. It is a big issue these days. Our society lags behind in coming up with the right answers. Even in our own lives it is not easy to become aware of all the problems involved and live a life that is wholly sustainable. These issues are so deeply rooted in our society and it would take such a radical change to break away from all of them. It is easy to be acquiescent and just settle for second best. It can be even easier to just lose hope and settle with resentment. However, I think it is worth the effort to try and live a life the is integrally sustainable, for I belief that is not only good for our planet, but it is also a deeply mindful life, one where every action we take connects us with all living beings on our planet. The restoration work of Sadhana Forest I will share with you my story of how I try to live a life that is fully sustainable. It made me quit my job back home in Belgium and move to India to go and live in a ...

May there be many more forests to grow people - Sadhana Forest I am the forest I am the trees I am every single leaf I am the birds and the bees Nesting on each branch Humming in each flower All thirst I quench Shade and shadow I shower I am a thousand years old Yet born this very day More precious than gold Made of earth and clay I will always be there I am sky and space Here there is fresh air And everyone has a place Breathing out, you breathe in Breathing in, you breathe out We are the same kin Without any doubt As our roots intertwine Here I set you free Put your little hand in mine Come now, come grow with me