TEA AND ZEN - THREADS

A WISH FOR YOU.

Oh beautiful, loving child of the stars (thats you!), may you be at peace, may you be free from suffering, may you be happy, now and forevermore.Take a few minutes, and let the music flow into your spiritual heart space just below the sternum, sit and rest, let the love in, let it dissolve any shadows, and rest easy in the Light. Get full access to Tea and Zen - Threads at teaandzen.substack.com/subscribe
In the quiet between heartbeats a whisper calls you home, you are not broken you are becoming. These threads of silence and sound are letters from the threshold, offerings from the edge of stillness. Nigel  TEA AND ZEN - MAIN LIBRARY                                                                                                                                                                  DONATE

THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING

There are few lines of poetry as imbued with mysticism and ancient promise as those spoken in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings:"From the ashes a fire shall be woken,A light from the shadows shall spring,Renewed shall be blade that was broken,The crownless again shall be king."These words are more than prophecy; they are a spell, woven from the very threads of fate and entwined into the fabric of the universe. They speak of a cosmic cycle….destruction followed by rebirth, light born from the deepest darkness, and the unshakable return of the lost and broken to their rightful place in the grand design.The image of fire rising from ashes is an ancient alchemical truth: from dissolution and decay, new life and energy are born. Ash, a symbol of death and transformation, gives birth to a flame….one that burns with a new vitality, untamed and defiant of the weight of the past. This is not a mundane fire but one awakened by destiny itself, carrying the essence of ancient wisdom and primal power. It is not mere survival, but a roaring force of creation, a rebirth that cannot be stopped.The shadows, too, are not just darkness. They are the raw, unfathomable depths of the unknown. From this place of mystery, a light shall rise….not a light of clarity, but of revelation. It is the illumination that comes when all seems lost, when the way is obscured, and the path uncertain. It is the light discovered only by the seeker, the wanderer who ventures through the dark. This light does not simply reveal the world….it transforms it, unveiling realms hidden beneath the surface of things. It is not born of the sun, but from the heart of shadows themselves….ancient, secret, infinitely wise.A broken blade, once shattered and cast aside, now sings once more with the promise of restoration. But this is no mere physical repair. It is a mystical renewal, where the very essence of the blade is reforged in the fires of fate. This blade, tempered not just by heat, but by suffering, loss, and the passage of time, carries not only the scars of battle but the wisdom and strength born from them. It is a weapon of destiny, forged for a higher purpose and wielded by one who understands the deep mysteries of the world.And finally, the crown-less….those cast aside, forgotten, forsaken…..shall rise to their rightful place. This is not a simple return to power but a mystical ascent, a reclamation of a throne that transcends the material world. It is the fulfillment of a cosmic law, the coming into one's true nature, where destiny cannot be denied. The crownless do not merely reclaim earthly rule but ascend to a higher realm of kingship….a kingship born not of birthright or conquest but of an ancient, spiritual force. The crown that once eluded them is now revealed as a symbol not of authority, but of deep, innate power…..a power that emanates from the heart of the universe itself.These words, whispered from the ancient mouths of prophets and sages, carry within them the promise of cosmic order…..a return to balance and unity after chaos. They speak of the magical cycles of the world….of death and rebirth, shadow and light, destruction and creation. They remind us that even in the darkest times, the fire of transformation is waiting to be awakened, the light of hope hidden in the shadows, the broken shall be renewed, and those who have been cast down will rise again.In the great dance of the cosmos, nothing is ever truly lost. From the ashes, the fire shall rise; from the forgotten depths of shadow, the light of destiny will spring. And the crown-less, too, shall wear their crown again….not as mere rulers, but as sovereigns of the very forces that govern life and fate."This is, in many ways, my story, and I am still reassembling myself. As I do, mysticism and spirituality have emerged over the years…..truthfully, they’ve always been there. By releasing suffering, we awaken to our true nature of a love beyond measure, infinite in nature, the spirituality and mysticism are but ways Love communicates itself, heart and soul.Nigel Lott teaandzen.org Get full access to Tea and Zen - Threads at teaandzen.substack.com/subscribe
In the quiet between heartbeats a whisper calls you home, you are not broken you are becoming. These threads of silence and sound are letters from the threshold, offerings from the edge of stillness. Nigel  TEA AND ZEN - MAIN LIBRARY                                                                                                                                                                  DONATE

THE MORNING POEM

Again, the work starts as soon as you open your eyes in the morning. Hopefully you got some good rest last night.Why go into the city or the fields without first kissing the Friend who always stands at your door? It takes only a second.Habits are human nature. Why not create some that will mint gold? Your arms are violin bows always moving. I have become very conscious upon whom we all play.Thus my eyes have filled with warm soft oceans of divine music where jeweled dolphins dance, then leap into this world.Nigel Lott, teaandzen.org Get full access to Tea and Zen - Threads at teaandzen.substack.com/subscribe
In the quiet between heartbeats a whisper calls you home, you are not broken you are becoming. These threads of silence and sound are letters from the threshold, offerings from the edge of stillness. Nigel  TEA AND ZEN - MAIN LIBRARY                                                                                                                                                                  DONATE

THE MORNING POEM

Forget every idea of right and wrong any classroom ever taught youBecause an empty heart, a tormented mind, unkindness, jealousy and fearAre always the testimony you have been completely fooled!Turn your back on those who would imprison your wondrous spiritWith deceit and lies.Come, join the honest company of the King’s beggars -Those gamblers, scoundrels and divine clowns and those astonishing fair courtesansWho need Divine Love every night.Come, join the courageous who have no choice but to bet their entire worldThat indeed, indeed, God is real.I will lead you into the circle of the Beloved’s cunning thieves,Those playful royal rogues, the ones you can trust for true guidance -Who can aid you in this blessed calamity of life.Hafiz, look at the Perfect One at the circle’s center:He spins and whirls like a Golden Compass, beyond all that is rational,To show this dear world that everything, everything in existenceDoes point to God - Hafizteaandzen.org Get full access to Tea and Zen - Threads at teaandzen.substack.com/subscribe
In the quiet between heartbeats a whisper calls you home, you are not broken you are becoming. These threads of silence and sound are letters from the threshold, offerings from the edge of stillness. Nigel  TEA AND ZEN - MAIN LIBRARY                                                                                                                                                                  DONATE

THE MASTER ALCHEMIST

“You are the master alchemist. You light the fire of love in earth and sky, in heart and soul, of every being. Through your love, existence and nonexistence merge. All opposites unite. All that is profane becomes sacred again.” Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī Get full access to Tea and Zen - Threads at teaandzen.substack.com/subscribe
In the quiet between heartbeats a whisper calls you home, you are not broken you are becoming. These threads of silence and sound are letters from the threshold, offerings from the edge of stillness. Nigel  TEA AND ZEN - MAIN LIBRARY                                                                                                                                                                  DONATE

THE MORNING POEM

To have loved is everything. I loved, onceA hummingbird who came every afternoon-the freedom loving male-Who flew by himself to sample the sweets of the gardenTo sit on a high, leafless branch with his red throat gleaming.And then, he came no more. And I’m still waiting for him, ten years later,To come back, and he will, or he will not.There is a certain commitmentThat each of us is given, that has to do with another worldIf there is one. I remember you, hummingbird. I think of you every dayEven as I am still here, soaked in color, waiting, year after honey-rich year. Get full access to Tea and Zen - Threads at teaandzen.substack.com/subscribe
In the quiet between heartbeats a whisper calls you home, you are not broken you are becoming. These threads of silence and sound are letters from the threshold, offerings from the edge of stillness. Nigel  TEA AND ZEN - MAIN LIBRARY                                                                                                                                                                  DONATE

POWER

"When power is grasped in any name but Love, when it serves any end but peace, then, in the deepest sense, no power has truly been wielded. It is but an illusion, a fleeting shadow, devoid of substance or meaning." Nigel Lott teaandzen.org Get full access to Tea and Zen - Threads at teaandzen.substack.com/subscribe
In the quiet between heartbeats a whisper calls you home, you are not broken you are becoming. These threads of silence and sound are letters from the threshold, offerings from the edge of stillness. Nigel  TEA AND ZEN - MAIN LIBRARY                                                                                                                                                                  DONATE

THE MORNING POEM

WaitingThe song I came to singremains unsung to this day.I have spent my days in stringingand in unstringing my instrument.The time has not come true,the words have not been rightly set;only there is the agonyof wishing in my heart…..I have not seen his face,nor have I listened to his voice;only I have heard his gentle footstepsfrom the road before my house…..But the lamp has not been litand I cannot ask him into my house;I live in the hope of meeting with him;but this meeting is not yet. Get full access to Tea and Zen - Threads at teaandzen.substack.com/subscribe
In the quiet between heartbeats a whisper calls you home, you are not broken you are becoming. These threads of silence and sound are letters from the threshold, offerings from the edge of stillness. Nigel  TEA AND ZEN - MAIN LIBRARY                                                                                                                                                                  DONATE

TRUE WISDOM

"This is yet another in the series of quotes that have emerged over the years, some stretching back decades. This time, however, they are accompanied by a written reflection, a window into the workings of my mind. Yet, I must say, these words did not spring initially from thought, not by a long shot; they flowed from a deeper realm….one that resides within the heart and soul, a place beyond the grasp of the conscious mind.""In coming to the true wisdom of the heart we offer no resistance to circumstance, surrendering to it all with the utmost humility, we come before love, before God, wherein all questions are answered beautifully, and without reservation. Nigel Lott, teaandzen.orgThe profound statement, “In coming to the true wisdom of the heart we offer no resistance to circumstance, surrendering to it all with the utmost humility, we come before love, before God, wherein all questions are answered beautifully, and without reservation,” captures the essence of spiritual wisdom. It suggests that the path to true understanding and peace is not through forceful striving or intellectual pursuit, but through surrender, acceptance, and a deep humility toward the unfolding of life.At the core of this wisdom is the idea of resistance—the notion that much of human suffering arises from our unwillingness to accept life as it is. When we resist circumstances, we fight against reality, creating inner turmoil. True wisdom, however, lies in releasing this resistance and allowing ourselves to be fully present with whatever comes our way. By surrendering, we stop struggling to control our surroundings, and instead, we trust in the flow of life…..indeed not an easy task.This surrender is not passive or weak. It requires humility—a willingness to acknowledge that we do not have all the answers, and that there is a larger, divine force at play. In this space of humility, we let go of the ego’s need to be in charge and make peace with the unfolding mystery of life. When we relinquish our need for control, we allow ourselves to experience a deeper connection to love and God……a force that transcends logic and reason.In this space of surrender, all questions—whether about purpose, meaning, or the nature of existence…..are answered in their own way, effortlessly and beautifully. Love becomes the ultimate guide, offering clarity that is not intellectual but experiential. In coming before love or God, we experience an inner peace that needs no explanation or justification.Ultimately, this wisdom teaches that peace, clarity, and understanding are found not in resistance or in seeking endless answers, but in surrendering with grace and humility. By coming before love and allowing it to guide us, we discover that all our questions dissolve into the serenity of a heart fully at peace with the world as it is. Nigel Lott teaandzen.org Get full access to Tea and Zen - Threads at teaandzen.substack.com/subscribe
In the quiet between heartbeats a whisper calls you home, you are not broken you are becoming. These threads of silence and sound are letters from the threshold, offerings from the edge of stillness. Nigel  TEA AND ZEN - MAIN LIBRARY                                                                                                                                                                  DONATE

THE MORNING POEM

Sing songs that none have sung,Think thoughts that ne’er in brain have rung,Walk in paths that none have trod,Weep tears as none have shed for God,Give peace to all to whom none other gave,Claim him your own who’s everywhere disclaimed.Love all with love that none have felt, and braveThe battle of life with strength unchained. Get full access to Tea and Zen - Threads at teaandzen.substack.com/subscribe
In the quiet between heartbeats a whisper calls you home, you are not broken you are becoming. These threads of silence and sound are letters from the threshold, offerings from the edge of stillness. Nigel  TEA AND ZEN - MAIN LIBRARY                                                                                                                                                                  DONATE