The Moment is Perfect
We're often caught up in our inner samsara, the vicious circle of not so healthy repetitive thoughts running in our head as background noise. Such a circle is hard to recognize unless there is true introspection. People who came up with expressions like "monkey mind" have perhaps been those who saw their own inner samsara from practicing inward attention.
Sojong Reminder from Anam Thubten 10/2016
Dear Dharma friends,
On my last trip to Asia, a kind hearted monk led me into the forest around a temple, about an hour away from the city of Seoul. There was a poster on a tree overlooking a beautiful valley of tress. It captured my attention even though I didn't know what it meant.
The monk said it meant 'This moment is perfect.' This sounds quite simple since there is no complicated esoteric doctrine. Yet, this view is an art that we can learn to bring about a fundamental change in our experience of life.
We're often caught up in our inner samsara, the vicious circle of not so healthy repetitive thoughts running in our head as background noise. Such a circle is hard to recognize unless there is true introspection. People who came up with expressions like "monkey mind" have perhaps been those who saw their own inner samsara from practicing inward attention.
Worrying about the future, tangled in memories of the past. These mental states often causes unending internal drama that involves anxiety, fear, anger and stress. Then, there is always this belief that we're going to be happy once our life meets specific criteria or arrives at some situation, which may be something that can be achieved, or may never be achieved. Even if such a situation comes true, that won't be the end of samsara. It will continue with new desire and new fear.
When we can just pause here and there to witness this present moment with a non-judging open heart, then there is a deep sense of joy as well as contentment. In wisdom traditions, meditation, ceremony, and silence are used to bring our whole being into the present moment to feel the vibrant richness of life as it is. Even when we take a moment to breath with awareness, there is so much wonder in just feeling being alive, the joy for no reason.
This is why Buddha said that our mind can be our worst enemy or best ally. Once we start training our mind to be more in the present moment, we realize that we can be truly joyous without so many reasons why we should feel that way. Practice is to remember to pause throughout the day, to feel life as it is without any mental commentary.
During this upcoming Sojong, it wound be nice to reflect on our own life and to see how we have been living. Reflection is honest observation that doesn't involve judging or feeling bad about one's state of consciousness as a meditator. May we keep awaking on this beautiful path.
With Palms joined, Anam Thubten