Without desire everything is sufficient.
With seeking myriad things are impoverished
Plain vegetable can soothe hunger.
A patched robe is enough to cover this bent old body.
Alone I hike with a deer.
Cheerfully I sing with village children.
The stream under the cliff cleanses my ears.
The pine on the mountain top fits my heart.

Ryokan

With each meditation, each moment of engagement with what is, I am becoming more aware of the sensations of desiring.  This occurs to me in a strand of thoughts: when I am content, contact is luxurious.   I take my time getting to know shape, feel, scent, music, colours, and flavour. Plain vegetables suffice in their richness.

When I’m ravenous for contact, there is an urgency that pushes through the sensations, desiring only that the ache of craving be soothed.  The connection is impoverished by theft.

Just this one breath…

just this one breath… is sized perfectly for my heart

Thank you for still practising,

Genju