A digest for conscious living
I did my yoga and completed a short meditation this morning and was then able to fit in another longer meditation in the early afternoon.
Last night, I had a realization about the role of mindfulness and presence in effecting change in my life. It seems that one of the most fundamental characteristic that all true spiritual paths share, is an emphasis on the experience of the now- complete mental presence in the present moment. Sages and enlightened ones throughout the ages have all taught that if there is any freedom to be found, it exists neither in the past nor the future, it can only be found right here, right now- because that is the only reality that has ever been. In fact it seems a fair assessment that being able to be completely present and mindful of what one is, and what one is doing is the key to realization of the highest states of consciousness. Initially, I intuitively accepted this as true, but the further I travel along my Spiritual path, the more apparent it becomes.
Alan Watts once wrote, “Zen does not confuse spirituality with thinking about God while one is peeling potatoes. Zen spirituality is just to peel the potatoes.” As long as I am doing one thing, but thinking about anything else, either remembering the past, thinking about an imaginary situation in the future, or holding an imaginary dialogue in my head, I am being distracted. I can not actually be aware of what I am actually doing in my life because effectively, I am absent. My body might be carrying out a task- driving, showering, or brushing my teeth, but my mind is in an imaginary world. The actual content of much of my life must then be carried out in auto pilot mode. When I am doing something, but thinking about something else, whatever I am doing is being carried out in this unconscious state. Unfortunately, this default setting is governed by patterns of thought and action that may not be in my best interest. If my mind is here, now, completely involved in whatever it is that I am doing or experiencing, there is no room for any other thought, there is no room for any sort of inner dialogue, and most importantly, I can not be unconscious.
By not relinquishing the control over how I live my life to the power of habit, by definition, I have to be aware of my own behavior. This is the pivotal point- if I am truly being aware of the actuality of my experience, there is no further need for analysis, consideration, comparison, or education in order to know what action to take. There is no need for a moral paradigm or even for deliberation, because in that state, the right choice becomes completely self evident. As long as I am completely present, the veil of illusion that I continually draw around myself disappears and everything becomes crystal clear. I see that there is only one truth, and that truth always leads me in the same direction- home.
Goodnight,
Kikta