Awareness

Listening to Buddhist and Christian monks alike, and reading many books on the subject; I thought that ‘Entering the Stillness’ started with letting go. Letting go of thoughts and emotions, letting go of earthy desires like striving for wealth and success. I thought that letting go was the starting point in any meditation. I now realise that to ‘enter the stillness’, to enter the unity with God, the Divine Spirit or the Absolute, starts with awareness.

 

The instruction on meditation ‘to watch your thought go by’, or ‘your thoughts are like cars, don’t jump into them, because you don’t know where you will end’ all seemed useful. However, this meditation instruction is about how to deal with distractions; it is not teaching awareness. 

 

Mindfulness, the buzzword of our time, is about awareness. It is being aware of your feet on the ground, your body touching the chair. Mindfulness teaches us not to dwell on the past or be concerned about the future. It is about being in the moment, not running on ‘the automatic pilot’, but being present and aware and noticing what is going on in and around us. 

 

Recently I read ‘Cave in the snow’ it is about an English woman who became a Buddhist nun, her name is Tenzin Palmo. The book is well written and hugely inspirational for everyone on a spiritual quest. The author shows us the life and challenges Tenzin Palmo faced as a female in a male-dominated faith tradition and how she accomplished her goals.

 

What struck me, was the certainty Tenzin Palmo experienced in the way she leads her life. Initially there was some hesitation on her path with young men chasing after her. As she was living in a remote part of India, the mail could take some time to be delivered. At one time she received three letters, from three different men all suggesting she marries them. However, she stuck to her spiritual path with energy and determination, despite the fact she had to go to the other side of the world for it. Her life is an amazing journey, which continues to this day. I recommend reading it!

 

Tenzin Palmo’s quest is how to become perfect; for me, the quest is unity. A path away from duality; Brother Lawrence is my teacher to being present. Brother Lawrence teaches to be present to God in all I do. To be present in the moment, rather than for example, mindlessly eating, or gardening. Something simple as brushing your teeth, without thinking what my plans are for the day, or thinking back to how the day went.

To be fully present to the action of that time, without letting my mind drift aimlessly.

 

 

 

 Seek Peace. Find it within

 

 

 

Non-Attachment

The wisdom of my grandfather has become more apparent to me as I grew older. He said that once you earned your first dollar, you always wanted more. As a child, you learn that money can buy pretty things or useful things. You can buy gadgets or gifts. The question I have come to as a more mature person, enriched by life's experiences, is: what is a good gift? Is it something small and expensive, is it something practical? Or is the best gift your time and energy?

In our world, where Covid-19 is noticeable in every corner of the earth, the consequences of lockdown is on every person's mind, and consumerism has to take a step back. Gone are the times when the desire for travel and experiences were easy to accommodate.  Internationally tripping has come to a stop. National travel might be contemplated, but at what cost? Are we better to stay in our region?

The recent elections have given our Labour Party a mandate to continue. The reality is that no matter which party won, the economic crises that is anticipated due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, needs funding. The job losses, the uncertainty, the hopes and dreams of many are shattered. Maybe this is the right time to re-evaluate our hopes, dreams and spending. Perhaps this is a good time to look at saving the planet and our bank balances.

I am astonished to read that one of the major chains in New Zealand is closing branches due to under performing sales, and at the same time it is announced that the CEO is receiving a 1.4 million dollar bonus. To me, that is incomprehensible! I am well aware this is not unusual. There will be more stories like this. My grandfather was right. Once you have experienced the benefits of having money, you don't want to be without. There is a difference between need and greed. There is a difference between what you earn and what you are worth in an industrial setting.

The lofty ideological ideas of a variety of religious traditions describe detachment, or more to the point, non-attachment. Maybe it is a good practice for the world of today.

Attachment is seen as the main obstacle to a happy content life by Buddhists and Hindus alike. They practice letting go; letting go of desire; learning to let go takes time. Those who practise meditation know it takes hours and hours of self-discipline to practise the art of detachment. For some Buddhist, this means 'nekkhamma', renunciation, or giving up the desires of the world to lead a holy life. 

For Zen practitioners, it is about giving up thoughts, and staying in the moment for it is all you have. Detachment of thoughts and opinions of others can lead to less suffering.

It is not just the Eastern Philosophies who encourage non-attachment. Christians have a similar thought. Not to store up riches on earth, but in heaven. According to the Hindu tradition that could relate to karma. Or in modern sayings, "What goes around, comes around'. In Ignatian Spirituality, the word is 'indifference'; this relates to letting go of personal stuff and being available to God and neighbour.

If you thought that minimising of desires is mainly a spiritual notion, think again. There is a raft of organisations focussing on less consumerism, less wastage, and on intentional living.

Change the world start with yourself, seems to be a realistic starting point!

 

Seek Peace. Find it within.

Joie de Vivre

The world of marketing and advertising is exciting and full of colour and creativity; it is a multimillion-dollar business to support large and small brands of products. The messages are witty and colourful, often with a catchy tune.

We are bombarded daily with products we need to buy to feel better, look better or how we can make a change for the better. This moisturizer, that car, or even those clothes, will instantly change your life! We are told that ‘we are worth it!’

I do not doubt that we are worth taking care of ourselves, to enjoy life and strive to be happy. To live life to the fullest is an art most of us need to develop. Most of us become good musicians, painters or writers by diligent practice. Sure, having some talent helps, but it is the practice that makes the difference; endless scales, writing and rewriting before we publish, or whatever practice is needed to improve our skill.

Recently I pulled one of Anselm Grün’s books of the shelf. Anselm is a German monk who writes books and leads retreat. This particular book is about ‘joy’ (vreugde) – the joy of life, what inspires us, what makes us happy as an individual?

He says you cannot make joy; you have to experience it. To live a fulfilling life, we need to work out what brings us joy and delight, and a zest of living. What makes us get out of bed, what spins our wheels? Anselm invites us to revisit our past. What did we enjoy as children, followed by what is meaningful, or what gives meaning to your life?

To discover what makes us tick, what supports our spiritual well-being is the foundation of our zest for life, our joie de vivre. Whether you are ‘a bon-vivant’ or an introvert, to discover your spirituality, your desires for life and the bare necessities for living that life, we may need to look at what gives us pleasure and delight outside our regular chores.

For some, the ground of their spirituality lies in prayer and meditation. Attending church services on a regular base is enough to feed their spiritual hunger. There might be a time when that is not enough—a time when God feels at a distance.

Anselm suggests reminding ourselves of the delights of childhood may help us reconnect with our spiritual source. For me, that is about water. As a child, I could sit at a river or lake for hours at a time, watching the movement of the water. Water, especially flowing water, has given me a sense of connection with the Divine. Walking along a beach, feeling the sand between my toes is heaven!

Another way I reconnect with the Divine is through creativity. To create and be creative, to sing and dance or paint and write, whatever gives us joy is the bases for a spiritual grounding.

What brings you joy and delight?

 

 Seek Peace. Find it within.

Books

Books, I like books.
Although e-books have become popular, I like to hold a book, it is so different from an electronic experience.
The excitement of wonders hidden inside the pages, the wisdom gathered and shared.
I am not sure about you, but I like the possibility of flipping through a book, turn the pages and go back if necessary.

I have lots of books.
They become like friends. There is knowledge and insights I haven't discovered yet.
'How-to' books are engaging. Learning a new craft from a book is a challenge. However, as, I am very visual, I give thanks for the 'YouTube' videos posted by competent people.

Do you read a book as soon as you have bought it? Or does it go on the shelf with its counterparts, to be rediscovered another day?

When I was studying, we were encouraged to read widely, a chapter here and a chapter there. The required reading list was endless. "One day", I thought… One day, I will sit down and read the whole book at leisure. I am sorry to say, that day has not yet come, and more books have been added to the shelves. The excitement, the wisdom, the insights to be gained, are still waiting.

The other day, I thought it would be sensible to go through the shelves and see if I can make some space.  I was not successful. I pulled book after book off the shelf, read the blurb at the back and returned it to the shelf, making a mental note to self to read the book and take some notes, it was all fascinating. And so the afternoon continued. Although 'downsizing' is the buzzword for this generation, my intention was to create space.

Then there was a book sale for a local charity.
Thousands and thousands of books!
Rather than exercising any self-discipline, we went along, and yes, we bought more books. Novels, some I had read a long time ago but no longer owned and books of authors who were vaguely familiar, also came home.

I am not sure that you can have too many craft books: stitching, painting and lace-making are only part of my selection.

The good book says not to store up riches on the earth, to exercise self-discipline in every area of our life. I clearly am a work in progress, as I have not managed that criteria yet!

I like using my hands and my brains. I enjoy the intellectual stimulation of scholarly books. To toss ideas around, to engage with life's questions and have some conversations.
Books are good companions. In some instances, it takes a while for me to warm to the insights, and sometimes they hit the spot.

It is the diversity that attracts my attention. It doesn't matter whether the author is from a Jewish, Buddhist or Christian background; there are always gems hidden in the pages.

 

 

Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.