My personal practice is stillness of mind. Profound meditation allows us to see our mind objectively.
(aka Mataji)
When there is awareness of the mind, the “me” behaves better, because the quiet self sees the mind’s pains and pleasures objectively. Most of the fuss in life comes from a total investment in the likes and dislikes of “me”, and we see life constantly in terms of Me…. ME – and you; ME – and the rest of the world; ME – and my friends; ME – and the people who don’t like me; ME – and my ego…
It sets itself at the centre of all, and even giving itself a second person in there somewhere, called “my ego”. But the I/Me is the ego! There is no “me + my ego”… The ego is not something we have, it is what the personal self actually is.
That sense of self changes – a little at first, then a lot, as awareness grows. There is an awareness that the I-ego is not really the centre of anything… and one’s life plays out without the dramas of the “me” holding its ground against every other “me”. As persons, we become more robust to the ups and downs of life, more tolerant of others, and much much easier with our own life and how the world is. And yes, a quiet awareness notices . That really means every day. But if you cannot manage that, then every two days, or twice a week, or three times a fortnight… Ideally the meditation practice is one hour a day; but 15 minutes, or 10 minutes, once or twice a day is great; or otherwise, even when you remember. Just do it, and get used to just doing it!
The other part of a meditative life is contemplation. That is, using the wonderful mind that is in your head to consider the processes by which you handle everyday events.
Little by little, meditation along with contemplation changes how you see life, and self, and others; you wonder why you didn’t see it long ago!
MEDITATION and CONTEMPLATION
I’d like to help you get meditation and contemplation into your daily life. So why not try from basics, practising each exercise, for 6 months? The start date on this page is July 2023, but of course, the processes are not only for any a particular time and then finished.
MEDITATION
Sitting in any comfortable and sustainable position. Sitting upright in Lotus Pose? Only if you would sustain it without feeling smug. Armchair? Ok, so long as it does not become an exercise in dozing off.
TIME
One hour daily; or half an hour daily; or 15 minutes daily; or 10 minutes daily! Or whenever you decide you will. But remember, MEDITATION, MEDITATION, MEDITATION!! Practising for the time you have set, and not getting up until then, is the key. Boredom is not a reason for stopping; a baby crying is a good reason; or maybe if the curtains catch fire. Normally, just continue, no matter how much you feel as though anything else at all would be much entertaining!
CONTEMPLATION
Consider your rules for living: how do you decide who loves you? How do you decide who it is you are prepared to give your love? Who do you exclude from love? And think about the “why” in each case. What is “I” and “Other”?
TIME
Frequently – during the day; before sleep; upon awakening; while doing the dishes; making a cuppa. Maybe not when you are truly working on some other task. But then, full concentration on such a task is a contemplation in itself, focused on a task.
Will you do it? Let me know how you go 🙂
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