People never remember happiness with the care that they lavish on
preserving every detail of their suffering
Edward St Aubyn, English Author.
Whatever one keeps pursuing with their thinking and pondering,
that becomes the inclination of their awareness.
The Buddha, Dvedhavitakka Sutta, MN 19, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
In different traditions and at different times there were many attempts to express the value of setting aside some time for silence or creating some space to listen and yet they all agree on its benefits. What was true in the 12th century is even more true today. When we get caught up in relentless activity we are in danger of not hearing what our deep needs are, or indeed what are those of others close to us. Finding some time for quiet in our lives is not a luxury but rather is essential for protecting our health.
Let all my world be silent in your presence so that I may hear what you may say in my heart. Your words are so softly spoken that no one can hear them except in a deep silence. But to hear them lifts the person who sits alone and in silence completely above their natural powers, because those who humble themselves will be lifted up. Those who sit alone and listen will be raised above themselves.
Guigo II, Carthusian monk, died 1188, Ladder of Monks and Twelve Meditations
photo brian stansberry
In meditation practice we are cultivating a mind that knows rather than judges. In other words, it has enough space to hold what is happening, without it triggering reactions or negative stories about how our lives are. I find the image in this passage to be a help toward developing that:
As a bee gathering nectar
does not harm or disturb
the colour and fragrance of the flower;
so does a wise person move
through the world.
The Dhammapada, v 49
photo Andrea Westmoreland
Awareness is not the same as thought.
It lies beyond thinking, although it makes no use of thinking, honoring its value and its power.
Awareness is more like a vessel which can hold and contain our thinking, helping us to see and know our thought as thought rather than getting caught up in them as reality.
Jon Kabat Zinn, Wherever You go, There you are
photo Wagner Machado Carlos Lemes
Mindfulness helps us get better at seeing the difference between what’s happening and the stories we tell ourselves about what’s happening,
stories that get in the way of direct experience.
Often such stories treat a fleeting state of mind as if it were our entire and permanent self.
Sharon Salzberg, Real Happiness, The Power of Meditation
photo frank kovalchek
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