Mindfulness in Daily Life

As I am a humble student of Life, sometimes the daily grind of 'personality living' or, the Mind (ego) being in control of my awake and aware functions over-rides that which I meditate daily to realize and reclaim - Mindfulness in my daily life.  When I sink into meditation - the release is instant, mindfulness enters; the problems, anxieties, fears melt away and I am transformed almost into another being it feels at times.  However this cannot be - I am not 2 persona, but one whole being - part of the greater Oneness that 'is' All that Is.   As I've listened to the teachings and insight from many teachers past and present via writings and audio recordings that are bringing the teachings of the Buddha to the world - I hear many similar components, similar reasonings.   One of the key teachings or reasonings, is the understanding of Mindfulness; what it means, how to achieve it, and how to apply it in daily living - and why.   This has made a great impact on my life as one of the teachers that I listen to often (Thich Nhat Hanh) delivered a message that seemed almost crafted for me; a method to retain mindfulness throughout your day, how to grasp and love all parts of yourself through this mindfulness - even your anger and depression that you may have.

What a joy to receive this lesson!  Slowly, day by day I am using this method to maintain my mindfulness now in such a way that it is like breathing - there is no 'thinking' of 'being' mindful - it just is.   If you are interested, it is a track from one of TNH's recordings titled 'Present Moment'.   This message is delivered from a number of teachings by many teachers and reaches back to the teachings of the Buddha himself.  It is in actuality one of the 14 mindfulness trainings:

The Sixth Mindfulness Training: Dealing with Anger
Aware that anger blocks communication and creates suffering, we are determined to take care of the energy of anger when it arises and to recognize and transform the seeds of anger that lie deep in our consciousness. When anger comes up, we are determined not to do or say anything, but to practice mindful breathing or mindful walking and acknowledge, embrace, and look deeply into our anger. We will learn to look with the eyes of compassion at ourselves and at those we think are the cause of our anger.

In my own post about 'What really makes us Human' I give my personal definition of Mindfulness.

Some Zen masters argue that seeking Mindfulness in a direct way, destroys what you are seeking.   How can you destroy something that is already a part of you, I ask?  We are not 'seeking' mindfulness truly - but 'reclaiming' this method of thinking and putting it into play in a modern world. This is a personal goal in this life, and how I wish to aid all others to have the possibility to realize and achieve egoless Mindfulness.  It sounds simple - and it is.  It's only made difficult by ourselves as I have discovered.

You may ask - how then is Mindfulness expressed - what do you mean?

Everyone has had at least a few mindful moments that you can recall - if you know what to think upon.

"That day the sky was so blue, the trees so green"

"The sunset was so beautiful, the purples and blues"

"The air smelled crisp and fresh, clean and light"

These are simple and brief viewpoints with mindfulness applied.  Not just the 'thought' of each of these statements, but the 'feeling' inside that you are speaking Dharma - Truth, and experiencing the moment in it's fullness.

Now comes, the sometimes daunting thought of applying Mindfulness to every aspect of your daily life (I still find it  challenging - and inspiring to seek all at once).  This is especially difficult for those of us in the Western World, where our daily lives are sped up year after year with the latest technological devices that take away the 'thinking' involved in tasks where maybe, technology should take a back seat or another approach..  Mindfulness is not just a concept of Buddhism - however for me it delivers the best teachings and explanations for that which is within each of us no matter East, West, North, or South and the means for anyone, anywhere to achieve this mindful clairity in your thinking and reactions. 

Mindfulness is that quick darting thought that floats though your mind of what to say - before you speak.  If you give pause, contemplate that elusive darting thought, then give response, this is a lead-in to Mindful thinking.

"Well, isn't this just smart thinking, or being wise and listening before speaking?"

Very close yes, but do not let terminology confuse how mindfulness is expressed from the buddhist point of view - apply your own terms to the situation but understand the viewpoint:  Saying 'mindfulness' implies that the response you give, you are giving from a neutral standpoint, with no advantage sought just pure truth of the moment.

"How about a modern application of Mindfulness??"

You are driving home from work, and your commute is 1 hour each way, 5 days a week.  Today it is raining, traffic is terrible, and someone has just cut you off causing you to sit through one more long red light before you can turn down to a faster moving street.

What comes to mind directly for most - is not a mindful thought..   :)

a mindful thought or reaction in this instance would be;

"Whoever you are - be safe and at ease"

"Reach what you are heading towards, safely"

or

to allow a smile to cross your face, instead of unrest and frowns. (or a multi-fingered salute)

Sounds peaceful, yes? How easier and more agreeable would everyones daily commute in the world be if this way of thinking were applied by everyone to each other at all times?

What do you think?


Namaste'

Rob Bryanton on Kelly Howell's weekly Podcast

Imagine my surprise, to find that Kelly Howell has a webpage and weekly podcast event (I'm a fan of her mind opening CD/meditative guides).  Further imagine my surprise, to see that I'd just missed her weekly podcast - with one of my strongest influences (supporters really) of how I think 'things are' - Rob Bryanton!  

Certainly the biggest sync I've had in a week or 2 at least - and exciting at that!

Rob is the creator of the incredibly important (and viral) understanding of the dimensions we call 'reality'.

Rob Bryanton's 'Imagining the 10th Dimension'

(inside sync - Rob 'stumbled' on (nothing is by chance, everything is for a reason) my bonsai blog months back - and 'that' is what led me to discovering him!)

Here is the podcast from May 13th.  Can't believe I missed it, but only by a few days..

Rob Bryanton discusses 'beyond the 3rd dimension' on Kelly Howell's Podcast

Probably the one thing that gave me shivers (and I will have to go back and listen to the entire podcast now) is when Rob mentions the theory of another thinker, that discussed 'black holes' inside humans.  This person's viewpoint of the dimensions and how they work differs from my own, but that someone else also had the same concept as myself about 'black holes' existing within us was amazing to hear.  See my own post about 'lightful black holes' being in actuality - our Chakras  

What appeals to me about Rob and his ideas - is that it so mirrors mine (He's had more time to think , build, and advance his ideas - that elusive 'time' feature), however he and I are not unique - indeed Rob is voicing what many are beginning to perceive,  and what many have thought for likely thousands of years (One can certainly go back to the respective times of the Sumerians, Mayans, Egyptians, and also concepts in Hinduism to see that man has been thinking not only about their place in the cosmos, but that the cosmos has more to offer than what we are able to readily experience in the '3D' of the 3rd dimension).  As a friend of mine puts it, living in the '3d' can be hard when you're always getting glimpses from the 5th!  (This told to me almost a year before I discovered Rob's work on the 'net)

That is another amazing fact about this podcast; that he discusses much the 5th dimension and how much of spiritual and meditative travel, messaging, conversations beyond the physical - paranormal inter-connectivity is through the 5th dimension or even higher.  Also the explanation of the differences of the 4th dimension to the 5th (and higher) when trying to understand images or events that have transpired during meditation, dream travel, or much of the sensual experiences that are often 'written off' as insanity, or worse in other times.

Thank you Rob and Kelly and those like you for being the beacons and offering open discussion for all on these important viewpoints.  Indeed we are 'expanding' and I found the jumping jesus concept not only truthful but something we should indeed ponder. The speed of our technological advancement is indeed moving in leaps and bounds. I hope that our spiritual development is able to walk forward arm in arm with our mind's growth, so the day when we 'can' point to a spark of life and 'name' it, terminology will not split us on what we call this Oneness.

Namaste,

What really makes us human

What is the basic component that makes us human?  What separates us (in fact it does not separate us, but brings us closer to Nature) from what we consider species that are not 'homo sapien'?

To my humble observations, what makes us 'human' is our compassion for others; humans and others outside our own species alike.  It has been argued that in early man, we gathered together simply for protection, and to survive.   But what drives this?   One may seek protection, but what makes 1 person more 'protective' than another?  What does that 'protection' really mean?  Does the one 'giving' protection, do it for their own 'protective' gain - what is their initiative to be a protector?

Compassion is obvious in every form of life outside the 'human' realm;   Care given to the newly born, unconscious concern for the pack/mates.  Concern for elderly (Elephants will stand for hours, even days it's been documented, around a member who has passed of old age), and even peers (most species of apes and gorillas 'groom' each other in a most expressive form of care that we humans can readily understand.)   Dogs and Cats care for their youth, and eventually their pack members.   Why??

This is Compassion.  It exists in all beings, all creatures to one level or another.  Concern for the well-being of others.    Caring for another to enhance their well-being.  Protection, for another's longevity.   Providing nourishment for another, this is all compassion.   It is a deeply rooted part of all organic life on this planet.  It is the one component that does unite us all in this Oneness existence.  Compassion and Concern for others - for all, for One.

How can we propagate Compassion even more?  Certainly compassion exists in this world - however it oddly finds itself at the bottom of the list when governments meet, companies compete, and political parties speak.  

We can propagate Compassion, by being the example; Many will say (and quote this line) ' an eye for an eye'.   This thinking lacks compassion.  however the parable 'do unto others as you would have them do unto you', this thought generates compassion and concern in the individual, allowing for the growth of compassion towards others.

How do we begin to be more compassionate in our lifes to others, to form a foundation of compassion for daily life?   This begins with truthful Mindfulness of yourself, your life, your goals, your desires.  Mindfulness is essential.  What does this mean?

Mindfulness is the ever present awareness of self and also realization of lack of self through, the first breath of waking, to the last breath before sleep.

It is the awareness of everything around you, and at the same time, lack of self-concern while being completely Mindful and aware of all that is around you..

This is not something done overnight - for some it can take a lifetime, others, intense study and practicing instills this.  For others (myself included) it is a daily ritual of remembering 'to' be Mindful of every thing, every being, every insect, animal, plant that I see.  Every cloud - noticing the blueness of the sky!  Noticing sadness in others around me - taking an active role to use this Mindfulness to assist where I may.

Complete mindfulness, is compassionate living.

Compassion, 'is' what makes us Human.

Namaste,

Humanity Revolution, our right to exist

Over the ages various beings in the annals of History have stood forth and offered us a glimpse of greatness - the possibilities that are One - Humanity's One.  Sometimes we've created villians of them; often times they become the focus of a 'movement' and as such, many have passed from Reality into the context of Religion.   An even larger portion have no 'name' written down in history for us to discuss - because they did not wish it, or led most humble lives - imparting their wisdom as they deemed right.

However we 'remember' them, their message have always been the same put forth by these beings into the context of their surroundings and their own existance.   That message has always been one of Love.  Love oneself, Love others, Love thy Neighbor, love your children, love your village, love Everyone.

How do we, how can we, why do we - continue to brush aside these messages?   When do the hermits, saints, shamen, holy women and men from all walks of life, come down from their mountain retreats and begin teaching us again, what we continue to forget as a species?

It's all too easy to write something off as 'human nature'.  Human Nature is the ability to inflect thoughtful, Mindful Change around us.  As someone wiser than me once said 'Be the Change you want to See'.   And so these Mindful Beings before us have done so, yet how much of it is taken literally, or just used as pomp and circumstance of some religions for 'other' purposes?

The assortment and uniqueness of these Mindful Beings is without end; they have come from all branches of life; Poor, Rich, Man, Woman..  They have come from a myriad of backgrounds, they 'are' a reflection of Humanity, at our very Best.  There to serve as guides to any that come after that seek this same Oneness, or 'enlightenment'.  Offered in an endless list of tongues, hidden within many of today's Religions, others lost in time, but their impression on those around them was the message itself that they came with.  These messages are strewn across our entire globe, in communities and religions so far flung, as to not even have an idea of each other's existance.    The 'One' message is there, when do the Many decide to answer it's call?

When do we all 'wake up' and find our own messages, awaiting us?   Is it possible for 'everyone' to wake to an internal resolution to be 'more' than they are now?   What would have to happen to cause the rich to not horde, the poor to not lose hope and determination, the angry to find Love, the Hateful to find Peace within..  What 'would' it take?

I'm not here to offer up conclusions, or ideas about the future, rather I'm seeking the answer to this question for my own knowledge - and maybe if I knew this answer, I could help produce it, place it into motion in other's Reality, allow it to breathe and have a life of it's own.

Or maybe that has 'already' been done, and the conclusion awaits our United grasp?

Tibetian buddhism, with Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche

Having read Shambhala: The sacred path of the warrior (I keep mentioning this book, albiet it's far from the 'only' reading that I'm pulling from these days into my life), I found myself awash with feelings of love, understanding, acceptance - I felt as if I 'knew' Chogyam personally after reading, and then I also knew that as infinite spirits go - we must have paths that have crossed in the 4th dimension of time, before.   His way with words, simply enveloped me into his tellings and thoughts on being a Gentle being.   I am far from stating that I am a 'bodhisattva' yet the aims of those that have come before me, create such a wave of warmth over me; without really being aware of it, my first 36 years of life, were already lived with this 'goal' or way of being in mind.  The past year of my own expansion and awakening, I've taken up my old internal beliefs - and found them already uplifted by hundreds, thousands of those alive today and in lives past in history.  The times we face today - and our being here at this time are not by chance.  Nothing, in this great existance is by chance.  This does not remove the ability of 'choice' or of creating your own existance - but with the view that the universe is infinite and that we do 'create our own reality', any moment we make a choice we create an alternate existance or reality - which isn't too hard to fanthom as possible when dealing with infinites.

So back to my friend Chogyam, and his many writings.  I'm delving into many other books he wrote - his spirit was certainly one of joyful Light and insight, simplistic, straightforward, honest, without shame.  Decency, as he writes - abounds in his own pages, yet he takes no credence for this; a true lightful being, a true bodhisattva.

To Quote Chogyam Trungpa:

"When there is daring, you dare to do something: you put forth your vision fearlessly. People have doubts about big vision because they don’t have a sense of gentleness in themselves first. So gentleness brings daring and a sense of fearlessness. Daring is appreciation of letting go in the fundamental sense. First you develop gentleness toward yourself; then you begin to develop daring, which is connected with how to express your gentleness to the world outside, how to proclaim your sanity. Your are not going crazy because you have seen the Great Eastern Sun, which is the symbol of expansive vision in the Shambhala world. Rather, because you have seen the Great Eastern Sun, you are very daring and at the same time very gentle and soft. The softer you become, the greater the message to the world becomes."

I have seen my vision, my reality of the great eastern sun.  That is to say, I have faced my fears and now manage my internal issues rather than letting them live through me.  I am living to be the best human I can,. the best helper, healer that I can be to myself, my family, friends, neighbors, people on the other side of the planet!  In a sense without knowing it until I found the 'label' for how I feel about myself, I found this on wikipedia (wikipedia is just incredible, a wealth of information)

Shepherd-like Bodhisattva - one who aspires to delay buddhahood until all other sentient beings achieve buddhahood.

This I feel is my goal and reason for being (I feel this was my goal even before I came into this existance).  To expand myself so that I may learn more, to share in a more mindful manner, what many are seeking.

Another quote from Chogyam Trungpa:

"We have a fear of facing ourselves. That is the obstacle. Experiencing the innermost core of our existence is very embarrassing to a lot of people. A lot of people turn to something that they hope will liberate them without their having to face themselves. That is impossible. We can't do that. We have to be honest with ourselves. We have to see our gut, our excrement, our most undesirable parts. We have to see them. That is the foundation of warriorship, basically speaking. Whatever is there, we have to face it, we have to look at it, study it, work with it and practice meditation with it."

In the past year I have taken up meditation.  Before my awakening, I would never, never have thought that 'I' Mr motion, would be able to sit still and meditate.  I'm the type of person that even sitting still, a leg is tapping, thoughts are rolling of the next project, the next event, the next experience.  Yet, one of the greatest experiences I have had in life, has been learning how to meditate.   This is very personal, to each of us;  Many people think of meditating as sitting in one place, eyes closed, legs crossed, humming Mantras.    For many, this is exactly it!  However do not limit yourself to what you've read; Meditation takes many forms, and many methods to reach this'peaceful' setting for the mind to explore, for the sub-conscious to be set free from it's reins.  You cannot do meditation out of expectancy; that is to say, setting a timetable for meditation is not always good.  Neither is meditating only when things are not good in life, as if to seek answers.  Meditation is very personal!  This is your time to meet your guides, meet yourself, speak to your inner you, invite your sub-conscious up to take a breath of reality - letting the Mind take a break, but without sleeping.

I thank Chogyam for this quote:

"A saint in the Buddhist context...is someone who provides an example of the fact that completely ordinary, confused human beings can wake themselves up; they can put themselves together and wake themselves up through an accident of like of one kind or another.

The pain, the suffering of all kinds, the misery and the chaos that are part of life, begins to wake them, shake them.

Having been shaken, they begin to question: "Who am I? What am I? What is happening" Then they go further and realize that there is something in them that is asking these questions, something that is, in fact, intellingent and not exactly confused."

I am far from a saint, and really nowhere near reaching my own internal goals for this life, but I'm working on it; for all of us, for all of One.  Shouldn't we all?  I feel that my awakening is greatly akin to how Chogyam writes here about how we all can awake ourselves, if we are ready to be Daring.

So what is this all about?

If you've read this far back, then you may be trying to figure out who I am or where my ideas come from - or what the basis of this blog is.  Well this is that post.   May/June of 2008, I was in a rough period of my life.  This probably comes as no surprise to those already awakened to themselves, or are on the path to enlightenment or 'living a full life'.  Times of pain and trouble, can cause us to raise to our greatest heights - or sink to our lowest lows (once you've hit this 'low' there is nowhere else to go - but up).  This time of hardship and lows - has brought me to a 'high' that I'm not ever retreating from.  My 'coccoon' as described in the 'Sacred Path of the Warrior', is in tatters, but I keep it nearby as a reminder, of where I have been, and where I 'really' want to be, what I want to be, in this life.  I was 'born' catholic, and married catholic, but I'm not a practicer.  I'm heavily into the writings of the Dalai Lamas, Buddhism, Dharma, and many other Eastern Influences into Spirituality.    This is my theme; not religion, but true spirituality, blended with science.  As we advance in technology, we're beginning to prove and build the foundations that we've forgotten already in our past, but is retained through history and religion;  True Spirituality and communement with God or One, is within each of us to produce and live by.  We can no longer live only with the teachings of religion - which are the teachings of man.  I humbly feel we each hold our own answers to One inside each of us.  This blog is about sharing my experiences in this spiritual exploration and sharing these experiences as conversations with other Mindful people.

That's it in a nutshell - this post could be paragraphs, but would turn into a sleeper.   My hope is that this blog will be Daring, challenging to the minds of all (including my own), causing us to re-think Everything we feel we know as Right and Wrong, and spur us all to realize - we know Nothing, yet we have the answers to Everything, inside all of us.

As my 'About Me' pic shows, I have seen my vision of the 'Great Eastern Sun'.  That is - I have seen my Light, Our Light, and it is Good.