Mima's Praxis

"We are nothing more than bundles of psychophysical processes, changing from moment to moment, who imagine ourselves to be more than that. Note, this is not the absurd claim that we don't exist, but rather the claim that the way we exist - as persons - is not the way that we normally take ourselves to exist - as selves."
- Jay L. Garfield

Much needed advice in this week's teachings for all of us leading busy & over stimulated lives in cultures that shame tranquility & rest while encouraging multitasking and an endless need to attain more.

"when we have learned how to listen to trees, then the brevity and the quickness and the childlike hastiness of our thoughts achieve an incomparable joy."
- Hermann Hesse, Lyrical love letter to our arboreal companions

"The self is part of social reality. It's not exactly a fiction but neither is it objectively real in nature like a neutron. In scientific terms, your predictions in the moment and your actions that derive from them, depend to some extent on the way that others treat you. You can't be a self by yourself.
Overall, your self is like a collection of do's and don'ts that summarize your likes, dislikes, habits in a given moment."
- Lisa Feldman Barrett

- The master and his emissary

In space in time I sit
Thousands of feet above
The sea and meditate
On solitude on love

- meditation in sunlight by May Sarton

"Since our fundamental problem is distraction, it's fundamental solution is to be mindful."
- Not for happiness (DJK)

"There seemed to be endless obstacles preventing me from living with my eyes open, but as I gradually followed up clue after clue it seemed that the root cause of them all was fear."
- Marion Milner, A life of one's own

“In his research, Chamovitz discovered which genes are responsible for a plant’s ability to determine whether it’s in the dark or the light, and these genes, it turns out, are also part of human DNA. In animals, these same genes regulate responses to light and are involved in “the timing of cell division, the axonal growth of neurons, and the proper functioning of the immune system.” Analogous mechanisms exist in plants for detecting sounds, scents, and location, and even for forming memories.”
― Conscious: A Brief Guide to the Fundamental Mystery of the Mind

Things are almost never just right. Something is always missing or a bit off.
Maybe it's just a bit too windy & cold, or a bit too sunny & hot, and a bit too bright or too dark & cloudy...
And even when things feel optimal can you allow yourself to enjoy them or does your mind wonder off into worries and anxiety about the future?
And if you do allow yourself to be fully present and enjoy the beautiful moment of perfection, how long does that last?

"But, first, remember, remember, remember the signs. Say them to yourself when you wake in the morning and when you lie down at night, and when you wake in the middle of the night. And whatever strange things may happen to you, let nothing turn your mind from following the signs. And secondly, I give you a warning. Here on the mountain I have spoken to you clearly: I will not often do so down in Narnia. Here on the mountain, the air is clear and your mind is clear; as you drop down into Narnia, the air will thicken. Take great care that it does not confuse your mind. And the signs which you have learned here will not look at all as you expect them to look, when you meet them there. That is why it is so important to know them by heart and pay no attention to appearances. Remember the signs and believe the signs. Nothing else matters."

- 'The Chronicles of Narnia

What we see before us is just one tiny part of the world. We get in the habit of thinking, this is the world, but that's not true at all. The real world is a much darker and deeper place than this, and much of it is occupied by jellyfish and things. - Haruki Murakami

"let then our first act every morning be to make the following resolve for the day; I shall not fear anyone one earth. I shall fear only god. I shall not bear ill will toward anyone. I shall not submit to injustice from anyone. I shall conquer untruth by truth. And in resisting untruth, I shall put up with all suffering."
- Gandhi

When we try to look at the “self,” what happens?

Most of the time the mind becomes blank because the “self” is actually unknown. It is as if the "center" disolves into the world "outside" it.

For example, your eyes can see things but cannot see themselves. We normally cannot see our face or head but instead we see the world. We see things around us. We can perceive form, images, objects etc. But the “self” is a mystery.

Why? It is empty! But we do not see that self as empty. We see the self as something solid and permanent and that something becomes so sensitive, fearful, grumpy.... And so unnecessary suffering is created.

“We’re talking about timeless qualities that are there in every human being. When you come to sit in meditation the game is to sit, let the mind quite, tend to the heart and begin to listen to the mystery of life. You are not meditating to fix yourself – you may have had some success in that, but it isn’t the point. The point instead is to become present for the mystery of your life.”
- Jack Kornfield, The hearth of compassion

Let's remember that to achieve an understanding of anything we must have an appreciation for the whole environment in which it is embedded.

Context is crucial to meaning.

https://youtu.be/LDVyOnf0t9M

How to Tap into Your Awareness | Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche | TED Meditation asks you to slip into a state of serene presence. But why does something that sounds effortless often feel so difficult? In this lighthearted invi...

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