Spacious Mindfulness

What is Spaciousness?

Lao Tzu’s poetic text ‘Tao Te Ching’ is built around the concept of ‘spaciousness’. One of the example that he uses is that of the space within the pot. We do not actually use the clay of the pot. Rather the clay creates a usable space in which we can put what we like. Similar is the case of a house. We do not live in the materials that that the house is constructed with (walls, door etc). But rather we live in the space created by the materials. This spaciousness is what allows for everything in existence to be possible.Our true self is this birthless, deathless, timeless, limitless, eternal spaciousness.

The mind could be compared to a pond. When the concentration is on one object, it is as if one throws a single stone into the water. You can then observe beautiful rings expanding out from one point on a smooth surface. When there are a multitude of thoughts, it is like many stones hitting the surface of the lake, Ripples start going all over, running into each other, making any sort of clear reflection off the surface of the water impossible. Similarly, when the mind is full of thoughts it is impossible for any deep awareness to manifest. Neither can any deep reflection about oneself to take place.

This is the way the mind exists most of the time. In that condition, all we can do is attend to one thought before another breaks through, whether we like it or not. Thus, the individual is continuously forced to deal with the constant agitation of the mind.  Being pulled by our senses, desires, goals, dreams, attachments, aversions, or attempts to serve the demands of others. In such a situation there is hardly any peace nor can we experience our true self. Not only can multiple demands on our life lead to a sense of stress and overwhelm us physically. It can also feel unsustainable and hopeless emotionally.

The advantage of Spaciousness

What is often helpful is to seek the larger landscape which can hold one’s experience. A spacious mindfulness practice can benefit a sense of larger perspective. A bigger picture, an openness that can soothe the mind and calm the heart. And even if the practice does not completely do this every single time, it may do it enough so that we can be present one more moment, one more hour, one more day. It allows the boundless qualities of Life to arise and remind us that a clear mind and open heart are possible even in the most difficult circumstances.

One of the classic images used to express this is a storming bull that is caught in the confines of a very small barn. What happens as the animal rages and bucks against the narrow walls of its prison? Likely, it will both destroy the barn and deeply injure itself. However, place the bull in the space of an open field with no obstacles or boundaries; its energies will surely be vented, and its forces also will also exhaust and calm themselves over time. Our minds and hearts are similar.

Placing our minds and hearts within a larger landscape allows whatever to arise to be held with mindfulness. The broader the picture we have of our life, the more space we have to maneuver any difficulties that arise and to tend and care for all of the multiple joys and sorrows that come our way. This kind of spacious open awareness does not repress, deny, or change the experience of the mind. It simply gives the mind room to breathe, relax and come into its fullest potential — to be kind, clear and free and at perfect peace.

 

 

Say YES to life

 

Living in the moment

Mindfulness is more than being conscious of thoughts, feelings and actions. In fact we are conscious all the time and are aware of everything that we experience with our senses. But the difficulty is that we are not willing to accept the present moment as it is. Mindfulness is the faculty to remain as a witness to whatever it is that is appearing in the moment.  It is to be able to remain in the present. Unfortunately our life conditioning since childhood is always to pursue a goal that is always in the future. To use the words of Alan Watts, “you are always living for some where you aren’t”.  While it is of tremendous use to look ahead and plan for the future, it is of no use planning for a future which when you reach you’ll be looking forward to some other future. Unless you can live the present moment fully you cannot live it all.

Ranji Varughis

 

Links : Mindfulness Coaching Online

 

The Light of Love – Daniel Reid

Nothing can resist
the Light of Love
That always shines
from high above.

In the deepest depths
of the darkest heart
A glimmer remains
of the sacred spark.

When the time is right
a friend will come
To re-ignite
the Eternal Light.

And then you’ll know
without a doubt
What life’s about
and who you are:

A Child of Light
sown from stars

 

The space that fills life with wonder!!!!

 

Beauty

To awaken to beauty is to make life one continual praising.

To awaken to beauty is to live within the palace of the soul,

to shed the tattered overcoat of poverty and

to reveal the majestic inner robes of our own divinity,

the sacred mystery which contains us and

within which we have our breath and life.

 

Burn my mind.

Burn my mind, o my breath;
Empty all the forgotten
channels of my mind: they will
be filled up with new life.

Burn my mind, o my breath;
The void you left behind
is guiding me into
the darkest and most feared
places of my mind, where all
my certainties disintegrate
and my imagination is of no help.

Burn my mind, o my breath;
Your regenerating blows
have the power to move
the dead loads of this
now living channel of my mind;
your new air is bringing
my past times and future hopes
as gifts for a present moment
so hungry for life.

Burn my mind, o my breath;
The vital and deadly dance
of your blows, are reviving
and extinguishing this great fire
that has no light; at your pace
my emotions fade away and arise,
and as soon as a thought is born
it starts to die; along your blows
of death – as words – these thoughts
find another life.

Burn my mind, o my breath;
This complete darkness of my mind
– so discredited by my rationality -
only shows me the pale reflections
of the colours of the world,
while at each your regenerating blow
myself die and again is born.

Burn my mind, o my breath.
Here, among the black flames of
my mind, at each moment, a new search
for light restarts: passing through
my eyes and animating my body,
it never will stop.

Until I point it to home.

Linda Ori.

 

The natural state of bliss!

Bliss happens when we are connected to our natural state of love. Bliss feels so good, but what is it that prevents us from feeling this consistently?

The instability that our thoughts and emotions create which block our sense of bliss. Our thoughts feed our emotions. If we are thinking repeatedly life is hard and difficult, then emotionally, we can feel sad or even depressed. Alternatively if we keep thinking that life is wonderful we can feel happy and full of joy. When we are caught up in the cycle ossilating between negative and positive thoughts we experience the duality of life. That is the opposing nature of things: pleasure and pain, right and wrong, joy and grief, for example.

Duality engages us in a life constantly dancing between opposite forces, such as feeling happy and sad. When we feel happy, we feel good, and when we feel sad, we usually strive to make ourselves feel happy again. The dance between opposing forces usually involves struggle and/or pain. It is when we learn to go beyond thought into a space of calm and stillness that we experience bliss.

Thoughts are like clouds that hide the sun, or like waves that make it impossible to see the bottom of the lake. When the mind becomes calm and there are no thoughts, we can see things that our thoughts and our constant mental activity hide. WE become aware of our real essence, the consciousness that is beyond the mind

The main requirement for this spiritual consciousness to manifest is a silent mind – when the restlessness of the mind disappears.

Ranji Varughis

 

The Awakening (Author unknown)

A time comes in your life when you finally get…when, in the midst of all your fears and insanity, you stop dead in your tracks and somewhere the voice inside your head cries out…ENOUGH1 Enough fighting and crying and blaming and struggling to hold on. Then, like a child quieting down after a tantrum, you blink back your tears and begin to look at the world through new eyes. This is your awakening. You realize it’s time to stop hoping and waiting for something to change, or for happiness, safety and security to magically appear over the next horizon. You realize that in the real world there aren’t always fairy tale endings, and that any guarantee of “happily ever after” must begin with you…and in the process a sense of serenity is born of acceptance. You awaken to the fact that you are not perfect and that not everyone will always love, appreciate or approve of who or what you are…and that’s OK. They are entitled to their own views and opinions. You learn the importance of loving and championing yourself…and in the process a sense of new found confidence is born of self-approval. Your stop complaining and blaming other people for the things they did to you – or didn’t do for you – and you learn that the only thing you can really count on is the unexpected. You learn that people don’t always say what they mean or mean what they say and that not everyone will always be there for you and everything isn’t always about you. So, you learn to stand on your own and to take care of yourself…and in the process a sense of safety and security is born of self-reliance. You stop judging and pointing fingers and you begin to accept people as they are and to overlook their shortcomings and human frailties…and in the process a sense of peace and contentment is born of forgiveness. You learn to open up to new worlds and different points of view. You begin reassessing and redefining who you are and what you really stand for. You learn the difference between wanting and needing and you begin to discard the doctrines and values you’ve outgrown, or should never have bought into to begin with. You learn that there is power and glory in creating and contributing and you stop maneuvering through life merely as a “consumer” looking for you next fix. You learn that principles such as honesty and integrity are not the outdated ideals of a bygone era, but the mortar that holds together the foundation upon which you must build a life. You learn that you don’t know everything, it’s not you job to save the world and that you can’t teach a pig to sing. You learn the only cross to bear is the one you choose to carry and that martyrs get burned at the stake. Then you learn about love. You learn to look at relationships as they really are and not as you would have them be. You learn that alone does not mean lonely. You stop trying to control people, situations and outcomes. You learn to distinguish between guilt and responsibility and the importance of setting boundaries and learning to say NO. You also stop working so hard at putting your feelings aside, smoothing things over and ignoring your needs. You learn that your body really is your temple. You begin to care for it and treat it with respect. You begin to eat a balanced diet, drinking more water, and take more time to exercise. You learn that being tired fuels doubt, fear, and uncertainty and so you take more time to rest. And, just food fuels the body, laughter fuels our soul. So you take more time to laugh and to play. You learn that, for the most part, you get in life what you deserve, and that much of life truly is a self-fulfilling prophecy. You learn that anything worth achieving is worth working for and that wishing for something to happen is different than working toward making it happen. More importantly, you learn that in order to achieve success you need direction, discipline and perseverance. You learn that no one can do it all alone, and that it’s OK to risk asking for help. You learn the only thing you must truly fear is fear itself. You learn to step right into and through your fears because you know that whatever happens you can handle it and to give in to fear is to give away the right to live life on your own terms. You learn to fight for your life and not to squander it living under a cloud of impending doom. You learn that life isn’t always fair, you don’t always get what you think you deserve and that sometimes bad things happen to unsuspecting, good people…and you lean not to always take it personally. You learn that nobody’s punishing you and everything isn’t always somebody’s fault. It’s just life happening. You learn to admit when you are wrong and to build bridges instead of walls. You lean that negative feelings such as anger, envy and resentment must be understood and redirected or they will suffocate the life out of you and poison the universe that surrounds you. You learn to be thankful and to take comfort in many of the simple things we take for granted, things that millions of people upon the earth can only dream about: a full refrigerator, clean running water, a soft warm bed, a long hot shower. Then, you begin to take responsibility for yourself by yourself and you make yourself a promise to never betray yourself and to never, ever settle for less than you heart’s desire. You make it a point to keep smiling, to keep trusting, and to stay open to every wonderful possibility. You hang a wind chime outside your window so you can listen to the wind. Finally, with courage in you heart, you take a stand, you take a deep breath, and you begin to design the life you want to live as best as you can.

 

The Wisdom of LAO TZU – 1

When people see some things as beautiful,
other things become ugly.
When people see some things as good,
other things become bad.

Being and non-being create each other.
Difficult and easy support each other.
Long and short define each other.
High and low depend on each other.
Before and after follow each other.

Therefore the Master
acts without doing anything
and teaches without saying anything.
Things arise and she lets them come;
things disappear and she lets them go.
She has but doesn’t possess,
acts but doesn’t expect.
When her work is done, she forgets it.
That is why it lasts forever

 

Harmony

Life is both movement and rest. With awareness we can make use of both. When harmony is achieved between rest and movement you come to the very center of your life which is always with you whether you are sitting or moving, asleep or awake