Practice While You Are Able

On our residential retreat with John Travis this August at Lake Tahoe, he mentioned a number of statistics.  Like Steve Jobs, he lives with a sense of urgency about the preciousness of our limited time in this life.  Retreatant Lisa Wallace read this lovely poem in our sharing circle at the end.  I thought you might enjoy it. - Kathy

Practice While You Are Able

There are 8 Billion people on Planet Earth.

5 Wikipedias in each brain cell,

6 modes of perception,

2,000 imprints in each view.

800 million people - 10% of the planet - could care less.

There are 17 parts to each moment of mindfulness,

15% of energetics go the body at all times,

there are 4 imponderables and 3 foundations

(plus 2 more foundations, plus 4 more foundations).

80 million people - 1% - don't know any of this.

1 moment of mindfulness = 100 years of ignorance,

aim hard for 50/50 balance inside and out,

just now, there is 1 less breath to be here.

8 million people - 1/10 of 1% - dive deep for all beings.

30 practitioners at Camp Galilee,

3 treasures: Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha,

with 1 Great Wish from the teacher:

That we all receive the peace of awakening.

--by Lisa Wallace

August 2011 at retreat at Lake Tahoe with John Travis