Touching the Earth

Quotes from Thich Nhat Hahn (2004) ISBN 1888375418

"I have been lucky enough to be instructed in the practice. Yet so often I am just like someone who knows nothing. I walk, stand, speak and smile in forgetfulness. I promise … to do better so that in every moment of my daily life I give rise to more mindfulness and right concentration." (P18)

"Although I have learned of the impermanent nature of everything that is, and I myself have spoken eloquently about it to others, I still have the habit of acting as if everything is permanent and I am a separate self. (p22)

"… you have taught me not to regret the past or lose myself in anxiety and fear about the future. Around me I see many of us who are losing ourselves in our worries and fears. This anxiety stops us from being able to dwell peacefully and live deeply in the present moment. I have the right and ability to make plans for the future, but it is not necessary to lose myself in my worries about it." (p30)

"Practicing mindfulness, I can recognize what is happening in the present without grasping or aversion. I can practice mere recognition of what is going on within me and around me. This helps me to keep stability and freedom alive within myself … When the mental formation of attachment arises I shall be aware that attachment is arising. I shall smile and recognise everything that is happening in the present moment without being anxious or having a complex, whether that complex is one of superiority, inferiority, or equality." (p32)

"I vow that I shall not consume any products that are toxic, whether food or drink, books, magazines, films, music or conversation." (p36)

"… I know that I still have so many wrong perceptions that prevent me from seeing things as they really are. I promise that from now on I shall practice looking deeply to see that the majority of my suffering arises from my ideas and perceptions. I shall not blame others when I suffer, but shall return to myself and recognize the source of my suffering in my misperceptions and my lack of deep understanding. I shall practice looking deeply, letting go of wrong perceptions and helping other people let go of their wrong perceptions so that they can overcome their suffering." (p42)

"Looking deeply I see that there is no phenomenon that is not wonderful: the drop of dew, the blade of grass, the ray of sunlight, a cloud, or a flash of lightning." (p46)

"I promise that I shall organize my daily life so that whenever I need to go somewhere on foot I shall walk mindfully, whether the distance I need to go is near or far. I shall walk mindfully whenever I walk from my bedroom to the bathroom, from the kitchen to the toilet, from the ground floor to the upper floor, from the door to the parking lot. In the forest, by the bank of the river, in the airport, or in the market, wherever I am I shall apply the practice of walking meditation." (p40)

"With mindful breathing I shall look deeply into my perceptions and other mental formations when they manifest. I shall look deeply into their roots so that I can see where they have come from." (p52)

"Many of us are always in a hurry. We hurry to finish one thing to do something else, and one task always follows another. If we have nothing to do we cannot bear it so we fill our time with countless projects and errands. One hundred years flash past like a dream. I do not want to live my life like that. I want to live at ease and deeply every moment of my daily life. I want to practice living happily in the present moment. I want to do less work, and work in such a way that every moment of my work brings me joy." (p78)

"I shall organise my life so that I shall have enough time and energy to cook in a leisurely and peaceful way." (p81)

"I vow to practice living simply, not consuming too much, so that I do not have to spend too much time making a living … I vow not to immerse myself in many different occupations, taking on additional jobs to earn a little bit more money. I vow that I shall not look for  happiness in being busy and consuming." (p83)

Mind made:

There is a role for meta thinking and meta feeling: for a leap upwards to generality about process such that all problems are solved in one stroke.

Never mind the details of the problem or issue note only that it is a mind made thing and let it go: whatever it is.

Note the reaction beginning and take time out for a couple of deep breaths. This will prevent the slide down the slippery slope.

And then move on. Do not hang around to gloat about the 'achievement'; go with the flow; move on to the next moment of presence.

One day at a time, one step at a time, one breath at a time.

push button people

Push button people (for peace?)

George G Clark, 06 April 2008

We all  have buttons which are easily pushed. We have become programmed to think, feel and act this way rather than that. We have fixed viewpoints about many things and we tend to impose our stereotypes and habits on the world. This means that in many ways we are robots – not much more conscious of what is going on than Pavlov's salivating puppies.

The buttons come in a range of sizes and cover all aspects of life. At the top end we have preferences for political party, religious persuasion, and supermarket ambience. At the bottom end we have preferences for ways of taking tea, for which pocket to keep the car keys in, and for which shoe we put on first[1].

The buttons have their causes and conditions. Some are due to our hard wired nature while others are nurtured by our culture and chance personal experiences. Some are of the head while others are of the heart although it is not always easy to split the two. Some appear to the conscious mind but most come from the unconscious such that 'you' do not normally notice them kicking in.

SO, are we doomed to be robots; push button people? The simple answer is NO!

We have the option of being mindful and aware. We can bring the push buttons into the light of conscious awareness and thus be free to break the link between the stimulus and the response. This may be a tough road to travel but it leads to freedom, authenticity and peace.

To practice this kind of freedom you have to make time to notice what is going on in your mind. It is as if there are two yous. One reacts like a conditioned robot while the other watches as a free witness. When the witness is in the forefront of consciousness  there is 'space' where you can consider other viewpoints and possibilities, and where you have the freedom to choose between them.

Freedom means not reacting automatically when a button is pushed. There are two main options for consciously responding. The first  is to notice that the button has been pushed, smile at the situation, and let it go. The second option, if you have the time, is to coolly reflect on the  causes and conditions that link the button to its response; in this way you develop deeper insight into your patterns of conditioning.

This is not an easy road to travel. Your comfort zone will be dis-eased when you upset your routines and habits: at least at first. But the world's  mystical traditions all report that those who push through come to know what Christians call the peace that passes all understanding. This might be  what John Lennon meant when he suggested that we give peace a chance. It is clearly what the Vietnamese Zen Master Thich Nhat Hahn means when he talks of creating true peace:

"Peace is not simply the absence of violence; it is the cultivation of understanding, insight and compassion, combined with action. Peace is the practice of mindfulness, the practice of being aware of our thoughts, our actions, and the consequences of our actions. Mindfulness is at once simple and profound. When we are mindful and cultivate compassion in our daily lives, we diminish violence each day. We have a positive effect on our family, friends and society." (p5)

 This suggests that by taking thought and making an effort we can reprogramme ourselves and become push button people for peace rather than for consumerism and war. How about you, are you going to give peace a chance?

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[1] You might like to watch yourself doing ordinary things and noting the habits that are involved eg the pattern of movements as you brush your teeth