Slow Line

          

 

              

Through meditation and the practice of disciplines such as slowing down and keeping the mind one-pointed, we can learn to do something that sounds impossible: when thoughts are tailgating each other, we can slip into the flow of mental traffic, separate thoughts that have locked bumpers, and slowly squeeze ourselves in between.

 

THOUGHT FOR A DAY

Eknath Easwaran

 

Meditation is known for releasing stress, relaxing the body, tuning into silence and basically slowing our lovely selves down.  There is however, a secondary reward which can assist us in every moment of the day.

 

When we have learned to slow our minds down in meditation, it is a skill that can also be used in daily living.  When we slow down  our intake of things, we are more apt to maintain balance,  emotionally, physically, and spiritually.  When we see or hear our surroundings in slower motion, we are less likely to react. Our chances of acting appropriately increases.

 

When we feel triggered by any action seen or heard, we can open ourselves to the larger picture which generally reflects the possibility of taking things too personally.  When our thoughts are constantly being projected without censorship, we are likely to falsely assume we are a target.  If there are pauses in our thinking, there is time to effectively evaluate a situation.

 

An scenario displaying this would be:

I am in a grocery store line, waiting to check out.  The person in front of me is paying with a credit card and cash.  Then the credit card is rejected.  I am shifting from one foot to another wondering why I always end up in the slow line.  As my annoyance begins to flourish, the person behind me rams the cart into me, hitting my tender ankles tearing the skin.  Now furious, I begin to turn formulating insults in my mind, feeling personally attacked.  At the full turn,  however, I manage to take a breath and open my eyes to the full picture.  A little boy is hovering behind his mother and the mother is totally humiliated and quite anxious herself.  This has the potential for a full blown argument. Since I had added a pause, I am able to see the small frightened child who was just as anxious as me.  I choose to smile at the little guy, who then comes out of hiding. Laughing, I tell the mother while pointing to the child, "I had four little ones and I sure miss them all!"  The mother sighs with relief.

 

 

Out There



"This belief that somewhere 'out there' is the land of joy, dogs our footsteps wherever we go.  As long as we look upon happiness as something outside us, we shall never be able to find it.  Wherever we go, it will still be beyond our reach because 'out there' can never be 'in here'."

 Eknath Easwaran
THOUGHT FOR A DAY



When we are unaware of our Divine connection or have not yet discovered our gifts and talents, it is more difficult to sense the vast knowledge we hold within.  When we remain wounded and unhealed from life's many lessons, the last place a person looks for guidance is inside of self.

We may spend years attempting to fill our self with happiness, only to witness it fade away or simply change.  Children grow up and move away, neighborhoods change, careers get canceled or disrupted, or we cease to have the buying power we once had. 

The intent is not to paint a dark image, but rather to stress how frequently we will attempt  to tap resources when we run out of 'things'.  Not only is our wisdom within our seemingly last choice, it is often chosen out of pure desperation. 

We feel the stirring of self-love once we start removing the debris.  Little by little our light begins to heal our pain and we notice a small change.  Using energy work, meditation, massage, therapy or journaling can assist us in bringing our troubles to the surface.  Professional services or a trusted friend can help untangle the past.  We can compare this to cleaning out a basement.  As we toss unused items, old memories might pop up, but we move them along.  When the clutter has been removed, we marvel at the room inside.  We can walk around without bumping into things and there is enough space to create something different.

When we have resolved old personal issues, there is new space for light.  We feel stronger and our light grows us into places where we feel the void slowly filling up with personal and Divine goodness.  We no longer attempt to buy our happiness with material things or relationships.  We are content to be where ever we are, contained by Spirit, and happy to be connected to all things through Divine guidance.