Practicing Mindfulness

In Living Buddha, Living Christ Thich Nhat Hanh talks about how to be present. He says when you are doing a task you immerse yourself into it. You are aware of everything around it and simply do not do it for the sake of it.

This message is so apt for people living in the modern world, in a city like New York, where life is constantly on the go. We are so busy planning our days, nights, weekends that we oft find ourselves living in the now. A while back, I wrote about a message I saw from him when I was at Ridgely - do your dishes to change the world - where he emphasized how one could derive pleasure and reach God through even the simple task of washing their dishes. You reach God because your heart is in it, you are in it. And when you perform a task that way, you reach the eternal Spirit and become One with it. This gives you pure, unadulterated joy. It is hard, very hard because your mind wants to go back to doing what it was, it wants to wander - it loves to wander but there is no joy in it. The joy lies in being aware. 

I started thinking, since Sophie came along I love being around her and I enjoy her company immensely. One of the reasons, of course, is because she is my daughter and as a result I naturally love her; but the other reason, I think, is because I am present when I am with her. In order to enjoy her every movement, I am focused on her so much I am not aware of anything else around me. This brings me joy! I am present with Sophie and that brings me pleasure; unlike any other I have experienced. 

Thich Nhat Hanh talks about how he looks at Buddha and Christ as his saviors - despite being two different religions he worships and adores both of them. They are both his teachers because in the end they both promoted the same message - love, harmony and awareness.

Every time I go on vacation, I slow down because there is no need to rush. There is no bus to catch, no reports to deliver - I am on a hiatus. It is easy to slow down, I want to slow down and live the so called moment. But Hahn says we can be on vacation even when we are living our every day life - just by being aware. Watch your breath every time you feel you are getting lost. He advocates a simple exercise to help with keeping the mind in check .

Breathing in, I calm my body.
Breathing out, I smile.
Dwelling in this present moment,
I know this is a wonderful moment.

I have observed people in other countries know how to live - for instance every time I visit Jamaica I am amazed at the pace at which things move. People do not need to rush; same thing when I travel to India. Some would say, we North Americans don't work that way; we are more efficient - but you know what that's why people here are dying at the age of 30. It has almost become a necessity to slow down and smell the roses. People in other countries do not give so much importance to being on the go but rather taking their time and enjoying their day. 

As Thich Nhat Hanh says "To breathe and know you are alive is wonderful. Because you are alive, everything is possible. Please don't waste a single moment. Every moment is an opportunity to manifest the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit".