This month our Moving into Meditation class continues study of the Yoga Ethic of Santosha. Santosha inspires us to cultivate contentment.
“When at peace and content with oneself and others (Santosha), supreme joy is celebrated.” Yoga Sutra 2.42 translation by Nischala Joy Devi, The Secret Power of Yoga
Today we drew our inspiration from Roger Keyes beautiful poem, Hokusai Says (link to Roger’s reading of the poem). The poet Roger Keyes is an American professor of East Asian studies. This poem is apparently his cross-media translation of the art of Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) into poetry. The poem says: “. . . Contentment is life living through you. Joy is life living through you. Satisfaction and strength is life living through you . . . “ Our guided relaxation incorporated lines of this extraordinary poem of mindfulness.
HOKUSAI SAYS
Hokusai says look carefully.
He says pay attention, notice.
He says keep looking, stay curious.
He says there is no end to seeing.
He says look forward to getting old.
He says keep changing,
you just get more who you really are.
He says get stuck, accept it, repeat
yourself as long as it is interesting.
He says keep doing what you love.
He says keep praying.
He says everyone of us is a child,
everyone of us is ancient,
everyone of us has a body.
He says everyone of us is frightened.
He says everyone of us has to find
a way to live with fear.
He says everything is alive–
shells, buildings, people, fish,
mountains, trees, wood is alive.
Water is alive.
Everything has its own life.
Everything lives inside us.
He says live with the world inside you.
He says it doesn’t matter if you draw,
or write books. It doesn’t matter
if you saw wood, or catch fish.
It doesn’t matter if you sit at home
and stare at the ants on your veranda
or the shadows of the trees
and grasses in your garden.
It matters that you care.
It matters that you feel.
It matters that you notice.
It matters that life lives through you.
Contentment is life living through you.
Joy is life living through you.
Satisfaction and strength
is life living through you.
He says don’t be afraid.
Don’t be afraid.
Love, feel, let life take you by the hand.
Let life live through you.