The Deepest Spiritual Life Ezine

A Monthly Publication, Issue #6 – February 2003

Publisher: Susan Quinn

http://www.thedeepestspirituallife.com

Creating Your Personal Sacred Space

“Your place, too, should be fixed. Most of us cannot afford a separate room…but all of us can make a corner sacred…Incense, pictures, and flowers help to put us in touch with the wellsprings of universal spirit, drawing us to the oneness with our heritage and with our sisters and brothers which we already know intellectually to be the fact of our practice. They help us to establish meaningful archetypes of compassion and realization in our innermost being. Without such aids zazen [meditation] may become just a kind of pop psychology exercise, on a level with books devoted to positive thinking.” Robert Aitken, Taking the Path of Zen

Over the years, I have gained a great deal of respect for the benefits of creating sacred space. My husband uses one room in our home as an office during the day, but at night the room converts into a meditation retreat room for me. Before I enter the room at night, I remove my shoes, as if I were entering a place of holiness. Depending on the time of year, the room is either dimming in the last rays of the early evening setting sun, or it is dark, waiting to be transformed into a place of stillness and silence. Nearby, my sitting pillow and rokasu* rest on the sofa, and my zabuton* is stored at the side of the sofa, until I am ready to meditate. It’s the altar that is constant, marking the place where I engage the sacred and let go of time in my meditation practice. There are no ringing phones to answer, no television to be watched, no radio to be listened to. Just silence.

As I approach my altar, I first lift the zabuton from its corner, and place it in front of the altar. Then I remove my rokasu from its case, place it upon my head, recite the Four Vows, and open the rokasu to put it over my head and around my neck. At those moments that I think to study my altar (which is about three feet high), I’ll notice the sacred objects that I’ve collected over the years: a little woven bag from Peru with sage inside given to me by a friend; a picture and verse about Manjusri, the Bodhisattva who cuts through delusion; a little knitted pouch with a cross on the front that has a Christian prayer inside that my husband’s dear Aunt Esther, a Roman Catholic, gave to me; a photo that my husband shot of one of the largest Buddhist statues in Hawaii; a little Buddhist bell; a photo of my parents; and a candle. If it were a traditional altar, it would also have a little bowl with water (signifying purity and the elixir of life, and fresh flowers). On the captain’s dresser next to the altar is a Buddha from Pitshanoluk, Thailand; one’s head is never supposed to be higher than the Buddha, according to Thai tradition, but this is the highest spot in the room; although the top of the dresser isn’t higher than my head, it’s the best I can do.

I love this little altar. It represents so many things to me. It represents a place where I can go where my husband would only disturb me in an emergency. It is a sacred space, with an energy created from years of meditation. And in a way, my husband’s energy mixes with the room’s energy as he uses it during the day for business. I like the idea of mixing the sacred and everyday energies. It is a place where time becomes unimportant. It is a testimony of my faith, of my commitment, of my love of practice. Its symbols remind me of the sanctity of life and death (as I look at the picture of my mother and father). It reminds me of how easy it is to be blinded by delusion (as I see Manjusri with his sword poised to cut through delusive thought). It reminds me of the beauty of the many traditions (from Aunt Esther’s pouch to the sage bag from Peru). It honors many of the special relationships I have. And when I light the candle, I become one with this sacred space.

Although I have opportunities and the necessity for meditating in other places (such as Zen retreats, on airplanes, in hotel rooms or in my own office), my altar in its sacred space offers me a refuge, a place that symbolizes the spiritual depth offered by faith practice and the choices I make to participate in them. It is a place and time where I choose to simply be quiet, open to Presence and encounter whatever arises. That’s what sacred space offers.

If you decide to create your own sacred space, try to pick a place that you can truly call your own, even if it is only for the time you spend in personal practice, even if it is only five minutes each day. Adorn it with items that symbolize the sacred for you, that represent the beauty of life, and if you are so inclined, the difficulties of life, too. (I put a photo of a person I didn’t get along with on the altar to remind me that in spite of our differences, that person’s life is sacred, too.) When you are so moved, add or remove items from the altar. Insist that family members honor this brief time that you are setting aside to relate to the sacred. Use this space for contemplation, reading, meditation, prayer or reflection. Make it yours. And use it, if you possibly can, every day.

*A rokasu is a bib-like garment that represents my having accepted formally the Zen Buddhist precepts; a zabuton is a large cushion upon which I put my sitting pillow to protect my knees while I meditate.

To hear Susan discuss her book, The Deepest Spiritual Life, call BookTalk toll free at 888-355-0600, code #2677.

Calendar of Events—Please let your friends know!

Phil Goldberg, author of Making Peace with God, Thursday, February 13, 2003—7:30 pm, Borders Books Music and Cafe, 1360 Westwood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA (310) 215-3720 Tuesday, March 11, 2003 – 7:00 to 8:30pm

Susan Quinn, author of The Deepest Spiritual Life--

Tuesday, March 11, 2003--7:00-8:30pm, Borders Books & Music, 22372 El Paseo, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA (949) 635-2800

Friday, March 14, 2003 - 7:30pm to 8:30pm, East West Bookshop, 324 Castro Street, Mountain View, CA 94041. Call (800) 909-6161 for advanced tickets.

Wednesday, March 19, 2003 - 7:30 to 8:30pm, Barnes & Noble, 10775 Westview Parkway, San Diego, CA (858) 684-3166

Sunday, March 23, 2003 - Service and zazen beginning at 9:00am, dharma talk at 10:30am
Santa Monica Zen Center, Santa Monica, CA, (310) 572-9070

Sunday March 30, 2003 – 7:00pm, Bodhi Tree Bookstore, 8585 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood, CA (310) 659-1733
www.bodhitree.com

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