Friday, February 25, 2011

Death becomes her....

Living in a culture of narcissism to survive...be successful, be attractive, be healthy..hmmm... to deny death?   People 100 yrs ago surely did not live as long as they do now, and even though we have made progress with technology and science,  yet we still are powerless over death.  In Buddhism, one of the ideas is that it prepares the mind for death.  Every day is just a practice of keeping thoughts in the present..because that is all that is going on anyway.   Thich Nhat Hhan, (sorry I may not have the correct spelling here) said that it takes all the conditions to be present to light a match.  You need the wood, the stuff on the wood, the stuff to scrape the stuff on the wood to make the light...the air..the stuff in the air.....it all has to be just right for there to be a flame. 

I am thinking when it is our time to die, all the conditions have to be present for us to go.  And, that is the great mystery..so deny it, I'm not sure it is helpful, but to live in the awareness of death is no party either.

A friend of mine passed away earlier today.  Someone found him at his home in the country where he was living a pretty ordinary life.   He decided to live a clean lifestyle about a decade or so ago...and he most of the time went out of his way to help people.  Someone said to me recently, "when it is your time, it is your time".  Right now, that seems to make sense to me.  When all the conditions are present then the mystery happens. 
Jai Bhagwan...(I honor the truth that resides in all of us)

Thursday, February 10, 2011

sit that's it

I am always amazed at the complexity of meditation.  Don't get me wrong, I am not saying people who make it complex are wrong, but people are pretty much just sitting.  Isn't that what we are talking about?  The majority of the activity happening in meditation is just that, "sitting".  

Now, there is this idea that if a person learns to sit with his or her self and be present with the breath, sensations in the body, etc....then that sense of presence can be carried out into daily life.  Which is a great goal for many of folks who don't multi-task or work at a stressful job, or live in a super stressful environment.  So, what my meditation teacher told me the goal is....well, to not have a goal.  Watch your thoughts if you must, but let them pass through and treat them all the same.   If you have some profound and peaceful experience...she said..."SO WHAT".  The profound and peaceful experience is a side effect of sittting.     If you need to cry, scream, shake, rattle or crow while sitting..."SO WHAT"...don't get up for 20 minutes and try not to move too much.  You will get through it, you are alone...and it is okay to say to one's self..."There, there..now...everything is going to be all right"....
Cuz' it's true...everything is going to be all right.  Just sit:)