Creek Reflections
Yesterday, I read something by someone I love that brought up fear in me. My mind, in this case my monkey mind, started going crazy, thinking of all the potential consequences of my fear. Since I am trying to practice mindfulness more often, I immediately noticed the reaction of my body to this fear in my mind and knew I needed to calm myself. With my iPod in hand, I went upstairs to my treadmill for a little walking exercise combined with the wisdom of Buddhist monk, Thich Knat Hanh – The Art Of Mindful Living
One of his meditations on mindfulness was about still water.
I’m sure you have experienced a body of water that is perfectly still. It is as smooth as glass and reflects everything around it with perfect clarity; just as it is. The same goes for the water of the mind. Thich Knat Hanh says that when we are not calm, our mind distorts things. We can’t receive the message of other people, the truth of their message. Our mind must be still for true understanding to be possible. He went on to describe mind consciousness as like the living room in your house. It’s where your emotions, both destructive and constructive enter. When fear or anger arise, it is like a baby crying in the living room.
Mindfulness is the blood of your psyche. ~ Thich Knat Hanh
Mindfulness resides in the basement and is like the baby’s Mom. She has to come up and hold the baby (the emotion) with love and care until it settles down. Mindfulness helps calm and transform the emotion so that you can see its cause. Mindfulness is a stillness that leads to the truth.
Has mindfulness helped you to calm down and see the truth of a situation?