30 seconds into walking meditation and I find myself on fully bended knees in the wet grass of a public park. Head bowed. Eyes closed. Arms outstretched in the turf on either side of me. Fingers spread and plunged in dirt. Praying, listening, hoping Mother Earth would reveal herself to me. Moments slide by. Nothing. I listen harder. Still, nothing. No revelation. No mystical moment. Just me in a public park with wet knees and dirty fingers. In GR, I could get arrested for thi

With eyes closed, my right hand drums out a beat on my chest over my heart. The pulsating action gives off a dull thud like a heartbeat: BOOM-bada-BOOM-bada-BOOM-bada-BOOM. Over and over. 500 people making the same sound, keeping the beat. Softly at first, in a somewhat falsetto voice, Cynthia starts to chant with the rhythm, "Thy will be done Lord, not mine." Slowly, in our own way, all 500 join in. The low, rumbling chest drumming becomes a meditative undertone of complete

It's 7 a.m. Wednesday morning. About fifty of us are standing in a circle on the edge of a public park. The sun is rising over the nearby mountain range and there are several hot air balloons in the bright blue sky. Our walking meditation guide says, you were born for the power of the Earth to run through you; and for you to run through her as well. "We are bipeds!" was his sounding call; two-legged creatures meant to walk and keep going and going and going. He's what some wo

Thank you for your trust in us, said Richard. We come from a unique place in that, we have no need to gain and nothing to lose. With a wry smile and a laugh he says, we're not trying to build careers here. Besides, he adds with a twinkle in his eye, it's not our work we're sharing; it's the perennial tradition. Cynthia speaks. The beliefs from the traditional systems of power are breaking down. There's a growing stream of understanding that we're rebuilding the original wines

Every month (or so!), I post one of my poems (paired with one of my pictures), sharing its origin and some of its essence. Here is my Poem & Pic of the Month for November 2015: Known as I am Known by Patrick Bishop Science can explain almost any phenomenon: Why a candle burns How food becomes energy Where the monarch flies How mirror neurons trigger a smile But, when I watch the candle I don't understand it at all The same is true for most nature experience: A baby being born

Every month, I post one of my poems (paired with one of my pictures), sharing its origin and some of its essence. Here is my Poem & Pic of the Month for August 2015: The River of Woljeongsa Temple by Patrick Bishop The tall green pines stand like a great gentle wall They whisper of another way beyond their prickly branches Rushing waters call to me, as do the birds; a happy welcoming greeting The crickets call. The squirrels call. The blackbirds call. Even a bumble bee floats

Every month, I post one of my poems (paired with one of my pictures), sharing its origin and some of its essence. Here is my Poem & Pic of the Month for July 2015: Together in Our Loneliness by Patrick Bishop The book store cafe is filled with people who sit alone, wanting to connect as they sip Starbucks, flipping through books they don't buy drawn here, not just to read They (we) clearly need to be with others, even in their (our) loneliness The older ones seem to know bett

Every month, I post one of my poems (paired with one of my pictures), sharing its origin and some of its essence. Here is my Poem & Pic of the Month for May 2015: Birds of Prayer by Patrick Bishop What did St. Francis say to the birds? "You are beautiful! Look at your exquisite feathers! So full and light, with just enough mystery to hide you in the brush. They allow the air to float beneath, and the water to roll off above. Warming your soft body in winter. Falling off in sp

Every month, I post one of my poems (paired with one of my pictures), sharing its origin and some of its essence. Here is my Poem & Pic of the Month for April 2015: See Through Me by Patrick Bishop My heart wants. A memory of what it knows it has lost long ago in separation of divine into form Unable to go back and reconnect Unable to find you in wanting Trying numerous times in a multitude of ways Distracting? Yes. Fulfilling? No. It only makes the emptiness bigger, deeper I

Every month, I post one of my poems (paired with one of my pictures), sharing its origin and some of its essence. Here is my Poem & Pic of the Month for March 2015: Blind Faith by Patrick Bishop I don't care about the labels of your morality: Christian, Jew, Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, Zen, Agnostic, Atheist mean little to me What I want to connect with is the goodness of your soul the tenderness of your heart the joy of your being you the suffering that breaks you open I'm scar

Every month, I post one of my poems (paired with one of my pictures), sharing its origin and some of its essence. Here is my Poem & Pic of the Month for February 2015: Fire by Patrick Bishop The fire rises Always rising, seeking its highest point Higher, always higher A flickering flame A moment in time Flashing upward like a dance with now Always rising The flame doesn't hesitate and wonder, or doubt and fret, "Should I go higher?!" No. It flashes and strikes out. Now. Now.

Every month, I post one of my poems (paired with one of my pictures), sharing its origin and some of its essence. Here is my Poem & Pic of the Month for January 2015: Your Story by Patrick Bishop You have a story to tell It is singular, special, all your own No one else can tell it, which is why it's so important you do There will be joys and sorrows, discoveries and lessons learned Moments when you felt God Others when you feel alone Tears will fall in the telling because yo