Island of the Soul

by Ingrid Goff-Maidoff

"...in the soul of man
lies one insular Tahiti,
full of peace and joy..."
~Herman Melville, Moby Dick

Every year, thousands of travelers arrive on the island of Martha's Vineyard to find respite for a while. They come to bask in the sun, relax under the infinite sky, to rest beside the ocean, play in the surf, roam the forest trails, admire the fields, and to eat delicious food. They come to be together with family and friends, and to tune in to the feelings of love and spacious peace that this beautiful landscape provides.

Vietnamese Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh suggests that there is a beautiful island within each of us as well. This is the principle of Atadipa, or "self-island", and taking refuge in this place is a recommendation made by the Buddha when he was eighty years old. "There is an island, very safe, very green, where you can find lots of beautiful trees and streams of fresh water and birds. You can take refuge in that beautiful island. If you look deeply there must be love there at once right inside of that island. The Buddhaland is in there; the Kingdom of God is in there…" Thich Nhat Hanh ~Plum Village, Aug 6^th 1997

This is an invitation to enjoy your imagination to its fullest, visualizing an island of indwelling spirit, peace, inspiration and infinite spaciousness. My inner island is very much like Martha's Vineyard, where I am blessed to live, but I call it Honey Island, and I've given it warmer winters.

The English poet, William Butler Yeats, wrote of his own Atadipa in a beautiful poem called
The Lake Isle of Innisfree

I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made;
Nine bean rows will I have there, a hive for the honeybee,
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.

And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping from the veils of morning to where the cricket sings;
There midnight's all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,
And evening full of the linnet's wings.

I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements gray,
I hear it in the deep heart's core.
~William Butler Yeats

How might you imagine the island of your soul? Is it tropical? Deserted? Full of friendly natives? Perhaps there is a favorite cove with a colorful little boat that waits for you to take it out for a day of fishing or a picnic. Perhaps there is a peaceful garden with the most exquisite fragrant flowers. Maybe there are fields full of cows, sheep, and horses. And maybe there are lots of quaint cottages with friends and loved ones beckoning you to join them for refreshment on the porch.

Above all, peace and love, and a feeling of infinite oneness abide there.

This is a part of your Landscape Of Joy, ~ the place within you where the whole universe dwells. Here are abundant rivers, fields, marketplaces, lakes and streams, and every splendid possibility. There is no limit to the beauty, variety, and sheer splendor of that sacred dwelling within.

Thic Nhat Hanh teaches: "No one can remove that island of safety from you. They can steal your money, they can steal your car, but they can never steal that safe island within yourself."
and:
"It is possible to tell young people to practice this way. They are very vulnerable when they go out into society, and if they don't have a refuge inside, it is very easy for them to get into despair." ~Thich Nhat Hanh, Plum Village, July 28, 1998

Being able to visit this refuge provides a very strong and harmonious center from which to live our days. As you visualize your own Inner Island, you'll gain a place of love, unity and peace you may visit in meditation any time. Returning from your island, you will bring that love, unity and peace back to your engagement with the world.

Love and Joy, Ingrid

P.S. A few weeks ago, I found a visit to my own inner island extremely useful when I went in to get an M.R.I. of my right hip. This is a somewhat nerve-wracking procedure where you must lie perfectly still for nearly an hour while a great machine clanks and hammers noisily all around you. I realized that this was the perfect time to breathe in and breathe out and take myself to Honey Island. Once there, I wandered my landscape of joy: I roamed the fields, smelled the flowers, and gazed out at the sea. I felt surrounded by the love and the light of the place, and by the time the M.R.I. was finished, I felt relaxed and refreshed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLESSING:

May the sun shine with generosity upon you.
May the good earth nourish, bless, and comfort you.
May the waters of the world caress and cleanse you.
May your passions always feed an inner flame.

May love, pleasure and affection
give a lightness to your steps,
and the joy of life together
shine with brightness from your souls.

May your days and nights together
be a witness to the beauty
of ever-expanding passion, peace
and never-ending Love.

from the gift book ETERNAL SONG, Blessings for the Path of Love,
by Ingrid Goff-Maidoff

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE DELIGHTED?
SIGN UP for the PORTIONS OF JOY E~NEWSLETTER


Login: pw: S H O P • I N G R I D • ARCHIVES • JOY BLOG • H O M E