As a boy in Oxford, Henry Shukman seeks refuge from a painful childhood by disappearing into poetry, immersing himself in nature. But the beauty and clarity he finds there is only fleeting. A series of visits with a mysterious old family friend help him to understand that experiencing beauty — and its extraordinary gifts — doesn’t have to be a chance encounter. In fact, it could become a guiding principle of his life. Through listening deeply, she shows him how to unlock beauty at every moment.

Listen to David Whyte’s episode of Meditative Story, "We become the places we love": http://listen.meditativestory.com/DavidWhyte_WW

Henry Shukman is a Zen Master in the Sanbo Zen lineage and is the Spiritual Director at Mountain Cloud Zen Center, and co-director of the Rio Grande Mindfulness Institute. Before this, he taught poetry at the Institute of American Indian Arts and Oxford Brookes University. He has written several award-winning books of poetry and fiction, including the memoir One Blade of Grass: Finding the Old Road of the Heart. His new meditation program, Original Love, offers a broad, inclusive path of practice.

Each episode of Meditative Story combines the emotional pull of first-person storytelling with immersive music and gentle mindfulness prompts. Read the transcript for this story: meditativestory.com

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