Have You Heard the One About: the Jack Nicholson and Adam Sandler movie “Anger Management” has a scene where Adam Sandler’s character visits the Buddhist monastery where his old school bully now lives as an adult. Instead of me telling it, let me just recommend the movie.
What You Might Expect Me to Say about Meditation: If you are from a certain background you might think Christianity is against meditation and that it is a practice limited to eastern religions and “new agers”. I hope this isn’t you. But assuming it is not, you might also expect me to say that meditation is easy to learn and practice.
But that’s Not the Whole Story, Is It? While Judaism and Christianity have encouraged meditation from the very beginnings of their movements [see Psalm 19 for example, and note the last lines] it seems that the practice is rarely taught, and even when it is, it is hard to admit how many conflicts with the practice most of us have.
What is it? Usually being silent, frequently in a group, but maybe more often alone; breathing slowly, sometimes counting during breaths to slow their pace over a period of time; and focusing on one thing of beauty or goodness, or one passage, or just resting in the Presence of God. How to learn it? Well, see below, but I recommend reading a short story from the life of Jesus several times over, then going into the breathing and quieting time beginning with a simple prayer like “God stand guard at the door of my heart”, and listening directly to the spirit.
What goes wrong? Well, let’s see … kids, phones, to-do-list kinds of thinking, models of prayer that end at asking God for stuff, caffeine-laced twitchiness, impatience, you name it. Still for those who learn to meditate, they insist it is a profound act. I practice three forms, both with no regular schedule, but both very meaningful to me. The first is a lot like the above, the second is more of a Muevorar kind of planned movement, often associated with Bible passages, and a third a kind of meditative walk, almost labyrinth style (labyrinths rock, by the way). As a hyperactive, it is nice to move between the three.
Here’s Where I Get into Trouble: If you can never go there, if you can’t imagine having the time and attention to meditate, that is a self diagnosis that your life is probably paced to kill. No, you don’t need to meditate like the next person, but if you never get to be at home in your deepest internal space, you probably have been force fed a lifestyle of noise and activity and stimulation that is divorcing you from you. It happens to all of us, but realizing it is a call to come home, to take your soul back and to allow God to bring you to yourself.
But Don’t Lie to Yourself: The call to become meditative is a beginning of a grand conversion away from the electronic perversions of our day … it is just a beginning and it will not end there. Choose it at your own risk. You will become more at home outside than inside, you may lose your love of shopping online and television drivel, you may lose your hunger for gadgets, you may even speak fewer words and more meaningful ones.
On the other hand, you may find it is a very unBuddha-like war to try to build a lifestyle of even the occasional hour for this artful life choice. My only counsel on that matter is try to let every minute become a little more mindful and ease back on all your intense behaviors and it may become more realistic to slip into the deeper place.
And one more thing: Moms and others under near-constant pressure, and still others who are prone to self flagellation, don’t abuse yourself if this seems far from you. Resenting those who keep you from deepest silence is not a way to find any peace at all. Cherishing the moments with others can be its own kind of mindfulness, and doing the meaningful tasks of life at a certain clip can be total immersion experiences.
Peace and joy, strength and beauty to you.
Do well.
3 comments:
First of all, Anger Management, Good movie. Not my Favorite of both the actors, but, good movie.
I have a huge problem with finding that moment to do exactly what it is you say to do. Like you say at the end, some of us busy mom's don't have the time, and I know I sometimes beat myself up about that. What I wish more then anything though sometimes is to have a free moment with my girlfriends.
But back to the subject of Meditaion, I definitely felt like a "duh" moment came on when you were talking about the constant noise, music, etc that is in our lives. I didn't think about it, but perhaps this new year I should put meditation on my list of new years resolutions. Maybe that could help a lot of my "issues".
When we first hosted another thai student at the beginning of the year as a "welcome" student (Ming Ming) I saw how beautiful meditation was. Every night, rioght before bed, she would sit in the dark, and meditate for only about 10 min. but wow, those 10 min... I couldn't believe it. Of course back then I thought, wow, I need to do that, look how peaceful it looks, how much good it could do me probably. And, well, I found every excuse to NOT do it.
I don't know where i'm going with all this. My brain seems to be filled with a lot of thoughts on this, but i can't seem to put them in a cohesive comment. Thanks again for making me think.
The idea of mindfulness is so important to a parent, because there are few real open times to guarantee space and time. You are on the right path if you are hungering for it. Hang in there
Yeah, I rarely even get a shower without some boy interrupting me! I'm trying to carve it out, but it's so hard to quiet my mind... my mind just keeps racing... what is the schedule for the day, what am i cooking for meals, finances, chores, etc. I will say, in taking yoga today, at the end i was able to just think about NOTHING... wow, was so nice... i didn't realize it until after how great that was... so maybe i'm on he path... :)
Post a Comment