And so I have often asked myself at the end of the day, how do I fit it all in, how do i finish this jigsaw puzzle of my life, how do I bring to a conclusion as to what is the truth or reality that governs this realm of my existence. iN SHORT HOW DO i MAKE SENSE OUT OF ALL THESE NON SENSE! ( accidental typo error seems apropos). All these years of accumulating and digesting knowledge from every possible sources are but mere grist for the mill, compost to feed the soil, the worms and the vegetables that feeds me. Past experiences from childhood to adulthood keeps popping up their heads reminding me of the time that was, but in truth has nothing more to offer in terms of my spiritual growth and development but just memories some of which are best left forgotten, buried for good in the primordial ground of my being as they have played their role and have become nothing more than an irrelevant baggage that weighs me down. It is again time for a good housekeeping, spring cleaning, lawn mowing project for the body, mind and the spirit. Easier said than done no doubt but it has been one of those practices that have carried with me this catharsis of the soul every now and then, especially when the septic tanks runs full and threatens to over flow.
Much has yet to be learned and much has yet to be rid of and yes this is the ego voicing out, out of ignorance and wrong perceptions of what is the real and the truth; that there is no mind nor is there any attainment towards being liberated from it. It is all a mental construct the matrix of the mental state of consciousness conditioned by the illusory external manifestations or phenomena, the unreal. Running in circles is what it is all about, while packing the same old baggage looking for answers that are not there to begin with; a mental masturbation. In the mean time suffering persist within and without, it seems there is no end to it in sight. Why? How? When? If not now when? if not here where? Will there ever be eternal peace and tranquility while in this realm of existence? How deep rooted is my karma, how bad a sinner am I that I am haunted by so much discord, anxiety and fear? Or is it all just my conscience working overtime as I get older and approaching the hole in the ground? This is what being hauted by a Mayavic mind feels like, no matter how great a tstate the yogurt smoothy you hold in your hand you still feel like tere is something not right with your life. This is the monkey mind that rides your every moment in sleep and wakefulness no matter how comfortable your bed or how beautiful your partner or the day be; getting rid of this rascal is a prime directive for all those who seek sanity in life.
Acceptance and the feeling of gratefulness are all that I can come up with in facing this predicament; It is the healing potion that the ancient has handed down for man when dealing with a bad situation. I feel that it is a very potent advice and have been putting it to practice for some time now. Accepting a situation no matter how dire it may seem makes it loose its bitterness, like adding sugar to black coffee. By acceptance I feel myself still in control and not the other way round, I make the choice of how to face the situation and not surrender to what is fated. Accceptance also gives me a chance to step back and take a closer look at what is taking place, how I have allowed for it to happen and how it affects me and ultimately what can I do about it to change the scenario. Being thankful or grateful for the experience is again my choice of not allowing the event to take the upper hand in my life. No matter how negative the experience may be there is a lesson to be learned and I am thankful for this. Insread of giving in to my weaknesses of the past mistakes, poor judgments and so forth, I am able to turn the negative into a positive outcome. A Muslim will utter Alhamdullilah especially when he suffers from any tribulation, giving thanks to the All Mighty for the chalenge He has placed before him to deal with. In Islam, God is a Tester and everything that man faces in the course of his life is a test of his faith and wisdom in dealing with them.
I made this observation as I am writing this post and it was not that i thought about it beforehand to come up with the answer, the answer has been in my heart all along just waiting to be be expressed.
As I have eexpressed in the past time and again, I write it alldown not to advice others but to remind myself of who I am and what my strength and weaknesses are so that i can keep facilitating the healing process towards understanding my own mind, to use it rather than let it abuse me. Even if i feel I have touched the peak of the mystique mountain in my practice, I now i am still now totally free from my negative mental formations.
There is no sure fired way to keep the mind in complete silence, however there are simple ways one can bring the mind to a gradual slowdown and become more stable. These are no Yogic gymnastics nor some mysterious exotic practice but simple day to day routine activities. Work is a sure means towards getting the mind to stay somewhat focus unto one subject or attention. The more deeply into what we do we submerge our mind the more settled it becomes not scattered into the four directions like wild horses dragging a chariot into four different directions. The Japanese Zen Practice has a period of morning work schedule for more or less house keeping. Here the idea is not so much as to do sweep or mop the floor, clean the altar or rake the garden, it is to mindfully observe the mind while working with the idea that it is the mind that is being cleansed. It is not surprising to find mirror like polished wooden floors and sitting platforms in the Zendo, or meditation hall, in old temples all over Japan this being the result of years if not hundreds of years of doing "Houskeeping" Practice.
"We sweep dust to remove our worldly desires. We scrub dirt to free ourselves of attachments. We live simply and take time to contemplate the self, mindfully living each moment. It’s not just monks who need to live this way. Everyone in today’s busy world needs to do it." ..Shoukei Matsumoto.
This Mindfulness practice applies to all our daily activities whether we are cooking or carpentering, gardening or simply running a corporate organization,; Housekeeping comes first, purify and quiet your mind.
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