The Essence of Faiths
Whispers from everywhere
First steps on the Path
Transcendental wisdom comes from our clear seeing in each moment. It comes from seeing how our ‘experiences’ arise and pass away and how we relate to them. It comes from our gentle and careful inquiry into how our body and mind work and how they relate to the world around us. ‘Spiritual insight’ comes when this kind of continual ‘self observing’ and deep questioning are kept in the forefront of consciousness.
Here are some simple exercises which you might care to try as your first steps on the path towards ‘mindfulness’.
Refraining from killing: reverence for life. Try for one week to purposefully bring no harm in thought, word or deed to any living creature. Be particularly aware of any living things in your world (people, animals, even plants) that you normally ignore, and develop a sense of care and reverence for them.
Refraining from stealing: care with material goods. Try for one week to act on every single thought of generosity that arise spontaneously in your heart. Give things to people, especially your time.
Refraining from false speech: speech from the heart. Try for one week not to gossip (positively or negatively) or speak about anyone you know who is not present with you (any third party).
Refraining from sexual misconduct: conscious sexuality. Try for one week to notice carefully how often sexual thoughts arise in your mind. Each time, note what feelings are associated with them, such as love, tension, compulsion, caring, loneliness, desire for communication, greed, pleasure, aggression or whatever.
Refraining from intoxicants to the point of heedlessness. Try for one week or one month to refrain from all intoxicants and addictive substances (such as alcohol, dagga, cigarettes or even tea and coffee if you wish). Notice the urges to use these and become aware of what is going on in your heart and mind at the time of those urges.
‘Mindfulness’ in Buddhist terms involves noticing without choosing and without preference. It is a peaceful, choiceless awareness that, like the sun, shines on all things equally. There is no clinging and no condemning, just an accepting awareness of what is present. It is what is involved in the Christian's ‘gracious acceptance’.