Shunryu Suzuki, the Japanese monk who popularized Zen Buddhism in the United States, shares a beautiful story about the difference between noise and sound:
If you think, when you are reading something, “Bird is there” – bluejay is over my roof, bluejay is singing but their voice is not so good. When you think in that way, that is noise. When you are not disturbed by the bluejay, the bluejay will come right into your heart, and you will be a bluejay, and the bluejay will be reading something. Then the bluejay doesn’t disturb your reading. This is sound.
So many unwanted situations are like noise.
Because we think something is “out there”, it becomes something to resist. The art of non-resistance doesn’t mean giving in. Rather it means resolution. How do we bring a situation to completion so that it no longer distracts us from being fully present?
In today’s video we go deep into the Hawaiian practice of Ho’oponopono. Over the years I have encountered this prayer from several different teachers and have used it extensively in almost every area of my life. What seems like a simple prayer has many layers and mysterious depth.
Ho’oponopono is a powerful way to find resolution in almost any situation. Today I unpack some of the more subtle nuances of its application and offer it as a tool to bring more “sound” into your life.
PS. I’m currently running a pilot version of our new course that revolves around resolving challenging relationships. The course is a synthesis of research from Harvard and the Theory U framework from MIT. It offers a deep dive into the underlying patterns behind your psychology.
The approach is based on the Immunity to Change model developed by Professors Robert Kegan and Lisa Lahey out of Harvard. This model is one of the simplest and most effective ways I have ever seen to facilitate lasting behavior change.
The course will help you uncover hidden commitments that may be holding you back while applying a simple methodology to step into new ways of being.
It’s a blend of embodied listening, stillness, introspection, and real world action woven together in an interactive journaling experience. We don’t have a fancy landing page to tell you about how awesome the course is, but if you’re interested in participating in the pilot, it’s heavily discounted at the moment. I’m happy to offer you a refund if you’re not happy with the experience. Here’s the link.
