I sat and thought about inventing "staggering meditation." I decided that I would go for a walk, and rather than take my "stick" along as a necessary evil and out of anxiety over falling, I would "invite" my cane to be my helper… For so many years, because of my anger, I deprived myself of support I needed to be fully mobile...I have come to an awareness that my companion is a gift that helps connect me not only with the ground, but also with the many others who for a variety of reasons cannot walk easily, but who also stagger. When I am connected with these brothers and sisters, I no longer feel separated or left out. Rather than a reminder of a terrible past, I have uncovered a deep root of present meaning in the "tree" that I hug in my hand.
~ from "Staggering Meditation" by Vietnam vet Alan Cutter, in A JOYFUL PATH by Thich Nhat Hanh and friends
If you cannot meditate, you can repeat one simple word; this is good
for the soul. Do not say anything else, just repeat the word over
and over, innumerable times. Finally, it will lose all meaning, yet
take on an entirely new significance. God will open the doors and
you will find yourself using that simple word to say everything you
wanted to say. Thus, routine work can be transformed into prayer.
