Bravo to Ruth on progress made. And a loud "Amen, brother!" to Dale on his remarks about *not obsessing* about the mind obsessing. The "goal" in meditation isn't to rid your mind of obsessions (remember, meditation HAS NO GOAL). Instead, as Dale so wonderfully described in his comment yesterday, meditation is ALL about re-turning the mind to concentration when it wanders off, which it ALWAYS does.
Let's face it: minds are made to wander. (In fact, in my Korean-based Zen school, we refer to the mind as being a *sense organ* just like eyes, ears, nose, or tongue. Just as it's the nose's job to smell, it's the brain's job to think. Presumably you wouldn't try to stop your eyes from seeing or your nose from smelling, so why do you try to stop your mind from thinking, even if that *were* possible?)
So, every moment that you go "oh, my mind was wandering!" and then return attention to your breath, mantra, or other focus tool, that moment of "oh!" is awakening. Let me say that again: the act of wandering & returning isn't distraction; it's AWAKENING. So instead of beating yourself up ("Damnit, my mind is wandering, again!"), you can feel happy for the spot of awareness that brought you back.
Unlike baseball, in meditation you have an infinite number of at-bats to hone your focus. If you miss the ball this time, just take another swing. :-)
Here in NH, it's cooled down a bit from our recent heat-wave, so I'm hoping to spend some "serious cushion time" this afternoon instead of napping in my own sweat (ewww!) as I've done every other afternoon this week. In the meantime, I'm up WAY too early doing some grading I should have done yesterday: karmic pay-back for my own procrastinative tendencies...
Phew ... it's good to know that obsessing and mind wandering are to be observed and not eradicated!
If those "oh! I'm thinking about it again!" moments are awakening then I'm doing well on the awakenings count today! I'm liking the idea of mind as sense organ. I have friends who really mean it when they say they were thinking about "nothing" but that has never happened to me ... and now I don't mind :)
Enjoy grading those papers and your cushion time today ... the temperature is dropping here in the UK today too, for which I am grateful. Yesterday it was too hot to think ... move ... work ... write ...
Today is for doing the things I have been putting off ... I'm with you on the procrastinative tendencies ... I made a list, and then I sat for a while, no longer chastising myself when item 42b popped into my head. Eventually I was quiet and reached the items I had been avoiding ... those feeling things. There is such relief in just naming, allowing, difficult feelings without trying to mend or even understand. Being alone with being alone ... and sitting instead of running.
Lovely and inspiring things being said by Lorraine and Dale. Thank you for your wisdom and your humility.
Julian's happy I'm meditating because it means I'm less bothered by the sounds of the telly let him watch the tour de France! On dales' words about obsessing which I quoted to him, he grinned and said "I'd be lost without my obsessions!"
Today in the baking heat I have started to clear out the HUGE mess that was my beloved's studio, which is a step towards having my own space in which I will put a very large cushion!
Had a lovely swim today and have taken to meditating on my back afterwards by the poolside. (It's another word for sunbathing!)Actually I like being near water and enjoy the feeling of the breath move through my back into the concrete. I was very aware of lots of thoughts today, but also that there are far fewer thoughts about the thoughts as I return to the breath.
Sunday is day 100 yes? I'm certainly up for it ... though I might not make that very second - I am collecting a friend from the airport, she is returning from new york where she went to say goodbye to her father, who died just after she got there. I think it will be a tough day, amplified by the reality that she is now going to move back there and our friendship will be changing too. So, a day for a lot of deep breathing I think. And listening. And praying for grace, courage, sensitivity ... just to be a helpful presence to her.
So, whether I am sitting or not, I will certainly be popping in in mind. It will be great to know that many of you are tapping in too.
Ach, sorry, I've been falling down on the job of scheduling our group sits. yes, the Second Hundredth Day Sit. (Or walk, or Sunbathe, or Chant, or Whatever :->) I'll dig back through and see what time of day we were at last.
Holy smoke, didn't we do any monthly sits this hundred days? I couldn't find any.
Anyway, today's interesting fact is that, whereas last April it was the same time in Paris and Berlin, now in July there are, not just one but TWO hours difference between them. Unless the time converter site is telling me lies. How peculiar.
Here's the schedule for Sunday/Monday:
Sunday, July 23rd 8:00 PM GMT, which is:
Sunday, July 23rd 1:00 PM Vancouver 2:00 PM Boise, Denver 4:00 PM Montreal 8:00 PM London, Paris 10:00 PM Berlin
Monday, July 24 5:00 AM Seoul, Tokyo 6:00 AM Queensland
Stray, you'd be on London time, yes?
Do we have any lurkers out there in, I don't know, Afghanistan, or Hawaii, whose times I should look up?
Delurking to say yes, your time converter site is telling you lies. Paris and Berlin are in the same daylight saving time zone, GMT +2. London is currently on British summer time which is GMT +1.
Which, if you're taking 2000 GMT Sunday 23 July as the base time, gives you the following (all local times):
Sunday 23
Vancouver 1300 Boise, Denver 1400 Montreal 1600 London 2100 Paris, Berlin 2200
9 Comments:
Bravo to Ruth on progress made. And a loud "Amen, brother!" to Dale on his remarks about *not obsessing* about the mind obsessing. The "goal" in meditation isn't to rid your mind of obsessions (remember, meditation HAS NO GOAL). Instead, as Dale so wonderfully described in his comment yesterday, meditation is ALL about re-turning the mind to concentration when it wanders off, which it ALWAYS does.
Let's face it: minds are made to wander. (In fact, in my Korean-based Zen school, we refer to the mind as being a *sense organ* just like eyes, ears, nose, or tongue. Just as it's the nose's job to smell, it's the brain's job to think. Presumably you wouldn't try to stop your eyes from seeing or your nose from smelling, so why do you try to stop your mind from thinking, even if that *were* possible?)
So, every moment that you go "oh, my mind was wandering!" and then return attention to your breath, mantra, or other focus tool, that moment of "oh!" is awakening. Let me say that again: the act of wandering & returning isn't distraction; it's AWAKENING. So instead of beating yourself up ("Damnit, my mind is wandering, again!"), you can feel happy for the spot of awareness that brought you back.
Unlike baseball, in meditation you have an infinite number of at-bats to hone your focus. If you miss the ball this time, just take another swing. :-)
Here in NH, it's cooled down a bit from our recent heat-wave, so I'm hoping to spend some "serious cushion time" this afternoon instead of napping in my own sweat (ewww!) as I've done every other afternoon this week. In the meantime, I'm up WAY too early doing some grading I should have done yesterday: karmic pay-back for my own procrastinative tendencies...
Thanks Dale and Lorianne,
Phew ... it's good to know that obsessing and mind wandering are to be observed and not eradicated!
If those "oh! I'm thinking about it again!" moments are awakening then I'm doing well on the awakenings count today! I'm liking the idea of mind as sense organ. I have friends who really mean it when they say they were thinking about "nothing" but that has never happened to me ... and now I don't mind :)
Enjoy grading those papers and your cushion time today ... the temperature is dropping here in the UK today too, for which I am grateful. Yesterday it was too hot to think ... move ... work ... write ...
Today is for doing the things I have been putting off ... I'm with you on the procrastinative tendencies ... I made a list, and then I sat for a while, no longer chastising myself when item 42b popped into my head. Eventually I was quiet and reached the items I had been avoiding ... those feeling things. There is such relief in just naming, allowing, difficult feelings without trying to mend or even understand. Being alone with being alone ... and sitting instead of running.
Take care all,
xx
Lovely and inspiring things being said by Lorraine and Dale. Thank you for your wisdom and your humility.
Julian's happy I'm meditating because it means I'm less bothered by the sounds of the telly let him watch the tour de France! On dales' words about obsessing which I quoted to him, he grinned and said "I'd be lost without my obsessions!"
Today in the baking heat I have started to clear out the HUGE mess that was my beloved's studio, which is a step towards having my own space in which I will put a very large cushion!
Had a lovely swim today and have taken to meditating on my back afterwards by the poolside. (It's another word for sunbathing!)Actually I like being near water and enjoy the feeling of the breath move through my back into the concrete. I was very aware of lots of thoughts today, but also that there are far fewer thoughts about the thoughts as I return to the breath.
Found myself several times yesterday becoming aware that I had been following my breath. A strange sort of awareness of unaware awareness. Hmm.
Lorianne, thanks for the thought of mind as sense organ... and Dale, thanks for the reminder about obsessing.
(((Jean)))
Any interest in a group sit as we near the end of the 100?
Love to all.
Sunday is day 100 yes? I'm certainly up for it ... though I might not make that very second - I am collecting a friend from the airport, she is returning from new york where she went to say goodbye to her father, who died just after she got there. I think it will be a tough day, amplified by the reality that she is now going to move back there and our friendship will be changing too. So, a day for a lot of deep breathing I think. And listening. And praying for grace, courage, sensitivity ... just to be a helpful presence to her.
So, whether I am sitting or not, I will certainly be popping in in mind. It will be great to know that many of you are tapping in too.
My heart goes out to your friend, Stray. I hope you can be a comfort and strength to her.
Ach, sorry, I've been falling down on the job of scheduling our group sits. yes, the Second Hundredth Day Sit. (Or walk, or Sunbathe, or Chant, or Whatever :->) I'll dig back through and see what time of day we were at last.
Holy smoke, didn't we do any monthly sits this hundred days? I couldn't find any.
Anyway, today's interesting fact is that, whereas last April it was the same time in Paris and Berlin, now in July there are, not just one but TWO hours difference between them. Unless the time converter site is telling me lies. How peculiar.
Here's the schedule for Sunday/Monday:
Sunday, July 23rd
8:00 PM GMT, which is:
Sunday, July 23rd
1:00 PM Vancouver
2:00 PM Boise, Denver
4:00 PM Montreal
8:00 PM London, Paris
10:00 PM Berlin
Monday, July 24
5:00 AM Seoul, Tokyo
6:00 AM Queensland
Stray, you'd be on London time, yes?
Do we have any lurkers out there in, I don't know, Afghanistan, or Hawaii, whose times I should look up?
Delurking to say yes, your time converter site is telling you lies. Paris and Berlin are in the same daylight saving time zone, GMT +2. London is currently on British summer time which is GMT +1.
Which, if you're taking 2000 GMT Sunday 23 July as the base time, gives you the following (all local times):
Sunday 23
Vancouver 1300
Boise, Denver 1400
Montreal 1600
London 2100
Paris, Berlin 2200
Monday 24
Seoul, Tokyo 0500
Brisbane 0600
(basically everything's right except Europe)
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