Mindfulness in Daily Life
Mindfulness is that the energy of being aware and responsive to the current moment. it’s the continual apply of touching life deeply in each moment of everyday life. To be aware is to be actually alive, present, and at one with those around you and with what you’re doing. we have a tendency to bring our body and mind into harmony whereas we have a tendency to wash the dishes, drive the automotive, or take our morning shower.In our apply centers, we have a tendency to do most of constant things we have a tendency to do at home–walking, sitting, working, eating, etc.–except we have a tendency to learn to try and do them with heedfulness, with associate degree awareness that we have a tendency to do them. we have a tendency to apply heedfulness throughout each moment of the day–not simply within the meditation hall however additionally within the room, the toilet, in our rooms, and on the trail leading from one place to a different.
In active along as a sangha, as a community, our apply of heedfulness becomes a lot of joyful, relaxed, and steady. we have a tendency to ar bells of heedfulness for every alternative, supporting and reminding one another on the trail of apply. With the support of the community, we are able to apply to cultivate peace and joy at intervals and around us, as a present for all of these whom we have a tendency to love and look after. we are able to cultivate our solidity and freedom–solid in our deepest aspiration and free from our fears, misunderstandings, and our suffering.Let us attempt to be intelligent and skillful in our apply, approaching each side of the apply with curiosity. allow us to apply with understanding and not simply with the shape and look. Enjoy your practice with a relaxed and mild attitude, with an open mind and receptive heart. Living Together Togetherness is a practice. At the practice center we have a unique opportunity to live closely with friends from many different countries and backgrounds. Together we form one sangha body, connected by the practice of mindfulness. With our collective energy of calming and looking deeply, it is possible for us to support each other on the path of transformation. This requires cooperation, skillfulness, and acceptance. To live amongst each other, we need to cultivate understanding, communication, and a willing heart. Let us take the time to get to know the people around us. We have neglected our neighbors for too long.By being together we can encourage each other with our practice and build diligence and solidity. Sharing a room with others is an opportunity to develop understanding and compassion for ourself and for those we live with. By being mindful of the people we share a room with, we can identify and appreciate their positive qualities, creating an atmosphere of harmony. We know that when the other person is happy, we are also happy.We can show our respect to our roommates and the space we share by helping to keep it neat and clean. We try to be considerate of our roommates. For example, we might like to ask before we open a window or light incense or turn on the light, to make sure it will not bother our roommates. In this way we can create a supportive environment for practicing loving kindness through our words, thoughts, and actions.The greatest gift we can offer our fellow practitioners is our practice of mindfulness. Our smile and our conscious breathing communicate that we are trying our best to find peace within ourselves and we hope to contribute to the peace in the community as well. We should remember to keep communication flowing, and our happiness will flow as well. Bell of Mindfulness When you arrive at the practice center, you might hear a bell and notice people pausing in their activities and conversations. It might be the sound of a telephone ringing, the clock chiming, or the monastery’s activity bell sounding. These are our bells of mindfulness. When we hear the sound of the bell, we relax our body and become aware of our breathing. We do this naturally, with enjoyment, and without solemnity or physical rigidity. When we hear one of these bells of mindfulness, we stop our conversations and whatever we are doing and bring awareness to our breathing.
The bell has called out to us:Listen, listen, this wonderful sound brings me back to my true home.By stopping to breathe and to restore our calm and our peace, we become free, our work becomes more enjoyable, and the friend in front of us becomes more real. At home we can use the ringing of our telephone, the local church bells, the cry of a baby, or even the sound of fire engines and ambulances as our bells of mindfulness. With just three conscious breaths we can release the tensions in our body and mind and return to a cool and clear state of being. Breathing Our breathing is a stable solid ground that we can take refuge in. Regardless of our internal weather–our thoughts, emotions, and perceptions–our breathing is always with us like a faithful friend. Whenever we feel carried away, sunken in a deep emotion, or scattered in worries and projects, we return to our breathing to collect and anchor our mind.We feel the flow of air coming in and going out of our nose. We feel how light and natural, how calm and peaceful our breathing functions. At any time, while we are walking, gardening, or typing, we can return to this peaceful source of life. Sitting Meditation Sitting meditation is like returning home to give full attention to and care for our self. Like the peaceful image of the Buddha on the altar, we too can radiate peace and stability. We sit upright with dignity, and return to our breathing. We bring our full attention to what is within and around us. We let our mind become spacious and our heart soft and kind.Sitting meditation is very healing. We realize we can just be with whatever is within us–our pain, anger, and irritation, or our joy, love, and peace. We are with whatever is there without being carried away by it. Let it come, let it stay, then let it go. No need to push, to suppress, or to fake our thoughts don’t seem to be there. Observe the thoughts and pictures of our mind with associate degree acceptive and admiring eye. we have a tendency to ar absolve to be still and calm despite the storms that may arise in us.[read more..]
Content credit: djmaza