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Mindful that escape won’t help
“Be mindful that you are in the universe and the universe is in you: if the universe is, you are; if you are, the universe is.” Thich Nhat Hanh, Vo-Dihn Mai, Mobi Ho
The world as we know it is changing at a startling pace, but are we mindful of its effects on us?
Surely, local, and global events impact our mindset and actions, and there is no way to avoid it.
When the reality around seems bleak and appears to spiral down out of control, we feel helpless.
To shield ourselves from this ‘undesirable’ present, we will look for ways to forget what’s happening.
Distraction | attracts like a magnet
Granted, not everyone reacts the same, nor sees things in the same manner, nonetheless we are made of the same stuff.
In view of the “unwelcomed” we will often seek evasion in the “pleasurable” even if it is short lived.
It turns out distraction is addictive, giving only momentary relief, it calls on for more, just like sugar.
What’s wrong with that? Escape does not bring true peace of mind; evasion is not the solution.
Live to the fullest
“The more we run away, the less chance we have of escaping.” Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, Helen Tworkov
Unquestionably, our quest for rest from the hardships and suffering of existence takes many forms and expresses itself differently.
Some focus on their work arduously, others find relaxion in sports, the lasts in entertainments of all sorts.
The problem is dosage, as much as we invest time and busy trying to keep reality at bay, we’re missing out.
If that is not enough, what we avoid is happening whether we want it or not and we know it…
Be mindful | think about it
We occupy ourselves, hustle and bustle, our pace is almost frantic, still, the moment we stop worries pop in.
Those of us who get their dose of peace through sports find that both endorphins and adrenaline wear-off.
Alternatively, we may be on the hunt for bliss through consumption, yet whatever we are hooked on turns-out is never enough.
Exit strategies can only serve to give us transitory relief, soon enough reality catches up with you.
Cool it
“We are always trying to get out of the boiling pot into some kind of coolness, always trying to escape and therefore never really fully settling down and appreciating.” Pema Chodron
Our perspective on the world is very much determined by our attitude, not the other way around.
So, what about it? We ought to know our mental stance at any given moment to prevent distortion.
Our mind holds many facets, if we let the arrogant and judgmental side lead, it will find reasons for grief.
The only recourse is to stay attuned, mindful, to choose a better mindset when it tends towards the negative.
Don’t miss a beat
Being mindful can be said to be everything but escapism, but what does that mean in the ‘real’ world?
It is the intent to stay connected, alert and attuned moment to moment, to meet the day to day literally head on.
Not only, it is also the will to forfeit judgment as to what you are facing and its impression on you.
That requires attentiveness, a strong determination to curb the impulse to react, we must ‘stand down’.
Mindful of the road blocks
“We hear things that aren’t there, see things that aren’t there, like spooked inhabitants in the haunted house of our own mind.” Andrew Holecek
Despite our best efforts, the urge to form an opinion and assign blame can be strong, we’re to expect resistance.
That’s especially true when it comes to the stuff we love, our prized possessions, our relationships, ourselves.
Facing overly strenuous conditions in the “personal arena” can make our nervous system very jumpy.
Once our mind perceives a ‘threat, however imaginary, it goes haywire, so always question the feeling you get.
No Dreaming
Mind training is necessary because without it we are unconscious of the tone that determines our experiences.
Simply put, under the control of its habits, our mind analyzes the present based on past experiences to make future predictions.
The taste we get, the initial sensation that moves through us, pleasant or not, is the fruit of subjective computing.
Our mind’s outlook may be completely flawed, if we are not aware of the mechanisms at play, we’ll adopt its standpoint.
Turn on the light
“Life is like a play where we are born, we live our short lives and we die.” Lama Zopa Rinpoche
There is no magic potion, life is what it is, that’s why the Buddha declared the truth of suffering.
We may want to fight the notion, hide the fact in the back our mind or cast out the idea, even so…
The life of a mortal must know discomfort at times, it comes with the territory, history books bear witness to that.
The thing is, even though we know it, we let misconceptions turn ordinary events into big tragedies.
Nature always rules
To help correct our mental stance and see things in the right view, we must remedy our nearsightedness.
The world follows universal laws that apply to all that is, these need to be internalized before we can see truly.
Change, impermanence, Karma (cause and effect) and emptiness (interdependence) touch all things.
Without understanding, acceptance and mental training, these are easily overlooked, this is especially true when it relates to us.
Seize the moment
“When the time of our death arrives, there is no escape.” Geshe Kelsang Gyatso
To fully grasp how nature works our focus must widen, our vantage point must change, we must open our mind.
Under a broader lens, no lines can be drawn, nothing is found to be fixed, all is connection and transformation.
Further, under the clarity of mindfulness, we discover both our irrelevance and our importance in changing the whole.
Realizing our insignificance awakens a sense of humility, knowing you do make the difference stirs a new kind of motivation.
How things are
Understanding karma, we no longer see ourselves as the solitary beneficiary of our actions, and that changes everything.
Seeing that thoughts, words, and actions resonate beyond our short-term projections, we become more conscious agents of change.
What we ‘do’ creates who we are in a flash, moment after moment, not only as individuals but as people.
Our contribution matters, it may not look like much but it does make a difference, for better or for worse.
Mindful | Zoom Out
“Stay mindful of the reassuring ongoingness of being a person: you’re still breathing, still functioning, still here, still doing all right.” Rick Hanson
To counter our mind’s proclivities, we must train ourselves to widen our focus, so that our attention is put on context.
Why? Because our fixating on discrete details has us lose a full gamut of information necessary for our scrutiny.
Additionally, taking in the larger pictures encourages our stepping back, our involvement becomes lighter.
The further out we go, the less personal our encounters become, leaving much-welcomed space for discovery.
The things we do
When we leave our mind to its own volition, the present is not free to reveal itself to us, it’s polluted.
For the true tone to unfold, we must be attentive, dismiss sensations and mute the mental chatter.
To do that we must learn to slow down, evaluate, take in happenings from a more impersonal position.
No more do we rely on our mind arbitration, mindfulness supported by meditation help us make things clearer.
On the flip side
“Our own worst enemy cannot harm us as much as our unwise thoughts. No one can help us as much as our own compassionate thoughts.” Gautama Buddha
Our mind strains when it is met with uncertainty, it gets chatty when conditions do not align perfectly.
Without mind training, projections can spin out of control, get louder and darker, before long panic kicks in.
Until we reach the ‘Teflon mind’ of the Masters, we work on becoming resilient and train to change our mind.
Call practice to the rescue, use mindfulness together with compassion meditation, bring back your mind back to its senses.
Mindful of your psyche
Make no mistake, mind training does not aim at making you hyper vigilant or have you on the lookout.
On the contrary, Buddha would say nothing out there can threaten you, but your thoughts sure can.
Relax, remember our mind is quick to decide there is reason for fear, that doesn’t mean we have to follow suit.
Breathe, step back, anchor to the present, remember nature’s rules? All is change, temporal, interconnected, finite.
It all hinges on the ability to keep an eye on our mind, awareness helps spot the light where darkness lies.
When ‘too much gets too much’ and escape seems like a good idea, look again this is not the whole story?
Nathalie Bizawi, founder of Wisdom & Mindfulness meditation center. Senior Meditation, Mindfulness and philosophy instructor, From Wingate Academic College. M.A in Education from TAU University, Tel Aviv.
Wisdom & Mindfulness your meditation center in Tel Aviv