Monday, August 10, 2009

Why don’t we do it on a heavily traveled road?


For meditation you need absolute quiet and tranquility, right?

NOT!

This Saturday I went to meditation as usual, but to my great surprise and nervous delight I wound up meditating in a public park. I felt like I was back in college again (I mentioned that after the session and generated some laughs) when we used to cajole our professors into letting us have class outdoors. I don't remember getting an awful lot of learning done when my college courses were held on the lawn, but outdoor meditation was remarkably educational.

Think of a really heavily traveled street in your neighborhood. Now picture trying to tune out all that noise and activity and "stimulation" such as it is.

I was a little bit anxious about my purse and my wallet, but the abbot from California who is the meditation master says "Forget about your worries," so I tried not to be too uptight. The end result? Well maybe I was really tired from gardening and staying out late the day before, but I was GONE very soon after the actual meditation session began. It was deep.

Meditating with this monk is so "trippy." He's got a very round face and he wears these glasses that make me think of John Lennon and he's always smiling. A more mellow guy, I've yet to meet. Taken together with his bright orange robe, he is totally psychedelic! I was told that he's in the 45- to 55-year-old age range so that fits in with everything else, even though he's a Buddhist from Thailand.

I have to say I think I am starting to better understand why Jews dig Buddhism so much. The meditative state is so harmonious and composed. No wonder the monks encourage us to meditate twice a day. I really wonder though whether the people who say they meditate daily actually do. I'm trying to be more diligent about meditating, praying, etc. I almost feel though as if I have to put it on my daily schedule, because I have so much going on that I forget to get it in. Forget to relax? Pathetic, no?

Well, it's all about prioritizing.

I know that when I look out for and take care of number one (that'd be ME), that I do better by and for all those around me. And that's what I want to do.

We'll see how I do tomorrow. It's my first day volunteering. I'm excited, but a little nervous too.

Maybe if I pray and meditate a little before going.....

Score: Domestic Divahood, 5; Unfulfilled on the job, 0

1 comment:

  1. Putting it on the daily schedule is what we have been doing for millenia. Think about it;
    Shacharit
    Mincha
    Maariv

    Love,
    Mommy

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