“Breathing in, I calm body and mind. Breathing out, I smile.
Dwelling in the present moment, I know this is the only moment.”
Dwelling in the present moment, I know this is the only moment.”
―
Thích Nhat Hạnh,
Being Peace
"When you listen to your body in this way, you can also feel that it’s
the Earth’s body. Its bones are made of Earth minerals, calcium and
magnesium, and there is seawater in your blood. Your body is everything
you eat. It’s not just your body but part of something bigger: you are
the Earth come alive."
-- Jack Kornfield
 |
| Reverend Gyomay Kubose (1905 - 2000) |
I hadn't
seen anything like it before.
There was a simple grace in his bearing, a Presence in his slow mindful steps that was astonishing.
It was obvious to me that Reverend Gyomay Kubose, in his 70's at the time, was connected to his body, to the smooth wooden floors of the Buddhist Temple of Chicago -- and to Life itself -- in an entirely different way.
There was a simple grace in his bearing, a Presence in his slow mindful steps that was astonishing.
It was obvious to me that Reverend Gyomay Kubose, in his 70's at the time, was connected to his body, to the smooth wooden floors of the Buddhist Temple of Chicago -- and to Life itself -- in an entirely different way.
Embodied Practice
The first of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, Mindfulness of Body, is a concept that stretches back to the earliest texts of Buddhism. The Anapanasati and Maha Satipathana Suttas spell out the details of meditative techniques which have been widely taught for about 2,500 years. In these teachings, the development of a fuller awareness of our bodies is seen as a means of cultivating a calmer and clearer sense of the entire realm of our own experience.
Beginning with focusing our attention on the process of breathing, attention can be directed in a number of ways to more fully experience our embodied existence. As Mindfulness Practice deepens and we become more fully present to what we are experiencing on deeper and subtler levels, Reality asserts itself.
At a certain point, the Real Deal becomes self-evident.
The first of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, Mindfulness of Body, is a concept that stretches back to the earliest texts of Buddhism. The Anapanasati and Maha Satipathana Suttas spell out the details of meditative techniques which have been widely taught for about 2,500 years. In these teachings, the development of a fuller awareness of our bodies is seen as a means of cultivating a calmer and clearer sense of the entire realm of our own experience.
Beginning with focusing our attention on the process of breathing, attention can be directed in a number of ways to more fully experience our embodied existence. As Mindfulness Practice deepens and we become more fully present to what we are experiencing on deeper and subtler levels, Reality asserts itself.
At a certain point, the Real Deal becomes self-evident.
Getting From There to Here
Conditioned as we are, most of us are "in our heads" most of the time. Although we are always breathing, and our bodies and our sensory apparatus are operating to generate a whole realm of experiences, most of this occurs without our conscious awareness. Generally, conditioned as we are, the focus of our attention is primarily captured by the thoughts running through our head.
Fueled by emotional energies, subconscious beliefs, and conditioned filters, these thoughts dominate our attention in a way that sweeps us along the stream of our own conditioned ego patterns most the time. Mindfulness Practice, both on and off the meditation cushion, offers us a means to expand our range of awareness to include a universe of experience that we generally aren't aware of. Without Practice we are liable to "sleepwalk,"only half-awake, throughout our lives.
Reverend Kubose, most definitely, was not sleepwalking that day. He was awake to the present moment, to the Oneness of Life Itself.
(READ MORE)
Conditioned as we are, most of us are "in our heads" most of the time. Although we are always breathing, and our bodies and our sensory apparatus are operating to generate a whole realm of experiences, most of this occurs without our conscious awareness. Generally, conditioned as we are, the focus of our attention is primarily captured by the thoughts running through our head.
Fueled by emotional energies, subconscious beliefs, and conditioned filters, these thoughts dominate our attention in a way that sweeps us along the stream of our own conditioned ego patterns most the time. Mindfulness Practice, both on and off the meditation cushion, offers us a means to expand our range of awareness to include a universe of experience that we generally aren't aware of. Without Practice we are liable to "sleepwalk,"only half-awake, throughout our lives.
Reverend Kubose, most definitely, was not sleepwalking that day. He was awake to the present moment, to the Oneness of Life Itself.
(READ MORE)
