“Don’t mistake my finger for the moon.” The Buddha Buddhism offers a myriad of formulas, teachings, practices, sutras, and meditations. Three major Buddhist texts (like bibles), with their own countless sutras and teachings. Most are multi-layered and complex. Many emphasize awakening to your True Nature; all rely on practicing kindness toward oneself and others. My personal practice, found in the Mahayana tradition, is the Lo jong teachings, which is translated into 59! pithy slogans. And this is just in Buddhism, then there’s all the other religions, spiritual practices, yogic traditions, psychological and transformational programs, healing therapies and self-help formulas. There are even books and classes on how to be an atheist. Each approach worked for at least one person. “Don’t mistake my finger for the moon;” don’t mistake the teachings or formulas for direct experience. Don’t practice meditation to wake up; wake up to the practice of meditation. Don’t write to prove something; write to explore, discover and express yourself. Write to share yourself. Don’t force a scene or try to make something happen. Let the mystery unfold as you write. (You have nothing to prove and everything to share). Don’t try to write like someone else or follow someone else’s “sure” technique of success. My main message to writers is this: let the writing prompts or teachings take you where they will. Open to your own personal experience and knowledge. Your own ideas. Your moon. Trust your personal experience above all else. With teachers (from the Buddha to William Strunk jr.,) notice what they have to say and what resonates with you, let the rest go. Don’t mistake their finger for The Way. Be brave. Fumble and discover as you go. There really is no there to get to anyway. Yes, you will complete a poem or book, but that is in no way the Nirvana or finish line of one’s writing life. And the poem or book is just a pointing finger for someone else to go find their own moon; their own experience. I walked at sunset last night. The sky a brilliant orange messenger, a reminder that the moon the Buddha pointed to is right here in this sky. That moon is in my heart. And in yours. Write about that. As a writer you are a Buddha pointing. Your words are pointing to something for you and your readers. What are you pointing at? Write about that. FREE Writing RETREAT: FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 10th I am offering a Free Virtual Retreat. We start with an hour LIVE talk on The Truth About Lies: Writing Fiction that sends a Message. 9:00 am . I will give several writing prompts for the day. This will be just for my writing tribe, you, and we will follow with a half day (optional) retreat! Then we will meet up for another hour at the end of day to share in a closing circle. You in? Simply RSVP to me. I will be at Stewart Lake pavilion from Noon to 3:00, come visit and write! Meet up in a closing circle at 4:00 via ZOOM. A monthly EMBODIED Writing & Living Series 1st Wednesday of each month, 6:30 to 8:15 CST. Live. An evening of writing prompts with a transformational theme, meditation and breathwork, with simple body awareness practices. Starts Wednesday NOVEMBER 3rd (Please contact me to get on list). Donations welcome but not necessary. (6 month series). FREE webinars through Oregon Public Library: Writing Your Story series. A popular webinar/U-tube on Embodied Writing: Click HERE. My Write-by-the-LIGHT class & workshop in October is full, so sign up for this month-long class in MARCH
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The road seen, then not seen, the hillside hiding then revealing the way you should take, the road dropping away from you as if leaving you to walk on thin air, then catching you, holding you up, when you thought you would fall, and the way forward always in the end the way that you followed, the way that carried you into your future, that brought you to this place, no matter that it sometimes took your promise from you, no matter that it had to break your heart along the way ... excerpt from PILGRIM and DAVID WHYTE: ESSENTIALS Presently many of us are having a collective experience of feeling STUCK. Certainly there are many, many paths normally taken that are not available to us during COVID restrictions. Over the years too, as counselor and Writing Sherpa, many have come to me with the complaint that they felt stuck.
But what is this experience of feeling stuck? (Write about that!) Stuck is a place. Stuck is a place that we have arrived into from another place. And Stuck is a place where there are inherent invitations to what is next. We can, if we pause in a compassionate way, long enough to be here (be in that zen moment of the here and now of stuckness), will recognize that there is life here. Movement. A calling or invitation. I have not met one person over these four decades of counseling who've come to me expressing feeling stuck in their life, who were actually stuck. (That includes you my dear writing friend). If you are feeling stuck as a writer here is all you have to do: (a little or a lot of tough love here, hey, I'm a Writing Sherpa! I don't want you dying on the mountain side.)
Gather with talented and published writing instructors for a return to your inner writer and light at this years Write-by-the-Light Workshop and Retreat. Time to Write by the Light! June 16th through June 19th, 2021. Join me and other writers for this year's Write-by-the-LIGHT Workshops and Retreats. Instructors from past Write-by-the-Lake retreats will offer our 1st summer Write-by-the-LIGHT workshops and retreat, LIVE and On-line. You have 2 workshop venues to choose from: One: Laure Scheer's BACKPACKING BASICS - NATURE WRITING 101 Two: Julie Tallard Johnson’s Write Meaningful Nonfiction: Turn Your Personal Experiences, Knowledge, and Journaling into an Inspiring Book, Blog, or other Writing Laurie and Julie will offer consecutive workshops 9 – 11:00 every morning and 2 to 4:00 every afternoon. In addition! You can attend one-hour sessions with Christine DeSmet, Angela Rydell and Tim Storm. Molly Chanson, author and yoga instructor will offer an evening class of yoga for writers! And!, Laurie and Julie will give personal one-to-one attention and consultation to 10 pages of your writing following the retreat. Click here for more information and to REGISTER: Write-by-the-LIGHT workshops and Retreat Here is a great talk on writing, collaboration. the importance of poetry and poets and getting published . . . recorded now for your pleasure. (Click on the image below to watch)
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©2024 Julie Tallard Johnson, MSW, LCSW
The Writer's Sherpa
Transformational & Embodied Counselor & Mentor
Most rights reserved. Admin
The Writer's Sherpa
Transformational & Embodied Counselor & Mentor
Most rights reserved. Admin