Patricia Harrelson

This is a post that I’ve been writing in my head for a couple of weeks . . . and it’s a follow-up on my three pronged “Lenten” self-improvement experience. Remember I did the Maker’s Diet (fasting), a prayer study, and a generosity practice during the six weeks of the Christian Lent.

Coincidentally (or perhaps not so), the lay Buddhist monk with whom I study (Nancy) was here during the last week of my commitment to this practice (during what is Holy Week in the Christian tradition). I wasn’t able to participate in all of the services and workshops held that week, but I did meet with Nancy in Dokusan (which means going alone to the teacher). It brought my six weeks of committed practice to a satisfying close as I reviewed the experience and the outcome with my teacher.

Of course, the work never ends, but this exploratory phase has reached it’s conclusion and Dokusan led me to the next door.

In review, on a practical level, I learned
1) how to eat so I never have heart burn, never feel nauseated, never fill stuffed;
2) how sugar affects me and how it’s elimination has such incredibly positive effects;
3) I learned that my metta practice is a prayer of asking;
4) I learned that practicing generosity extends to myself and that opportunities to be generous abound EVERY DAY! (How did I miss this for 61 years?)

More importantly, Dokusan with Nancy renewed my effort to practice faithfully and diligently and deepened my understanding of walking a spiritual path. I recognized the next step and have already opened the way and set off . . .