Sacred Pause

Taking just a moment of our day to stop and feel can be a wonderful practice. There is a sense of coming home, of groundedness and giving ourselves a momentary respite of spacious silence. To do this find a place where you won’t be disturbed …the bathroom will do if you are in public or at work. Take three or four deep breaths feeling the sensations of your breath in the body. Slowly scan through the body from the feet to the crown of the head. Take another few breaths, open your eyes, and continue with your day. I like to do this when things seem to be taking on a chaotic energy of their own in my life and it is often just what I need to slow down just a little bit, release a bit of stress/tension, and have a more balanced perspective.

Doing Time

Sometimes mindfulness meditation feels pleasurable, we enter into deep states of stillness or we encounter body sensations of peace and a sense of groundedness. Other times it feels very difficult, encountering anxiety, restlessness, sadness, frustration, anger/rage, or any other type of intense sensory experience that can be accompanied by compelling and painful thoughts. At these times we are essentially, as one of my teachers puts it, ‘punching the time card.’ We are doing our time on the cushion and trying the best we can stay with our object of meditation whether that might be the breath, mantra, body sensations, etc. It is important not to be too hard on yourself and to just do the practice. We may feel we will never have a ‘good meditation’ again. Usually this means a quiet or peaceful state. In my opinion the ‘good’ meditation is the one we do. The only ‘bad’ meditation is the one we don’t do. So it is important to persist here and attempt to stay with the object of the meditation and sit or practice (if you are doing an alternative practice) for the time we have committed to. Over time and with practice this difficulty will arise and pass away and we will be more familiar with our own experience. We may feel that nothing is happening as we practice and find ourselves swept up in thought or emotion/sensation. There is a very subtle process at work here that will allow us to become more concentrated and centered as we simply allow ourselves to sit engage with our experience with an unconditional attitude of acceptance. Don’t just take my word for it, check this out and ‘do your time’ on the cushion or with whatever practice you have chosen. Whether it is for 5, 10, 20, 45 minutes – stay with a regular practice over time and see what you notice….

Regard All Dharmas as Dreams

In the Tibetan Lojong practice there is a slogan that I am particularly fond of it is just this:

Regard All Dharmas as Dreams

Dharma loosely translated can mean life lessons, or life path, or even ‘the truth.’ In this case it is often translated as meaning simply, life and the life events that occur for us. Regard these as a dream an, illusion, perhaps even death as a dream, lacking real substance. How do we adjust our values now, if we let go of the solidity and seriousness ‘our life?’

For me this statement adjusts my priorities – a view that includes the highest values being compassion in relationship and connection to my ‘self’ and other beings, and acting in a way that reduces harm and suffering for all beings.

This slogan also begs the question: What is not illusory if this life is?