Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Jan 5: See Yourself

Today I meditated.  And without really meaning too, I had the most beautiful experience.  Usually, trying to focus (for me) is like trying to nail jello to a tree.  But lately I have been getting better at it.  I closed my eyes, listened to my all time favorite relaxing song ("Mountain Stream" from Solitudes: Appalachian Mountain Suite, but I also really love "Lament" from The Lord of the Dance Soundtrack. I know, I'm a dork.) and saw myself walking barefoot on a dirt path in the middle of this beautiful, lush forest.  And for a moment, I swear it was like I could feel the wet soil, soft beneath my feet.  The mind is a powerful thing, and what it perceives as real, for all intents and purposes, is real.  What, then, could be more important than the way we perceive ourselves?  For how we see ourselves affects every aspect of our lives, how we treat others, how we allow them to treat us, what we think, say, and do, all revolve around our self-image.  
And today, I was confronted with an idea that made me see myself differently.  Spiritual scholars from many cultures teach that though we like to see ourselves as completely individual (and this is true, no one will ever have your body, your thoughts, your experiences, your desires), we are all much more connected to one another and the world around us than we realize.  Qualities that I admire in someone, to some extent, are a part of me.  Qualities that I don't like (impatience, hypocrisy, over-dramatizing...) are also a part of me.  Things we like and don't like about ourselves are also a part of each other.  Everyone we know, whether we like them or not, and everyone we will ever come into contact with, is made up of the same qualities (in varying degrees) as we are. Knowing this, and considering it when we interact with others, can change everything.  For, "If you see yourself in others, who then can you harm?" ~ Buddha

1 comment:

  1. Definitely a hard one for me. I need to find a quite place so that I can meditate and not have to worry about being interrupted... very hard to find in a studio apartment:( I'm working on it though! Maybe once the weather is warmer I can find a place outside and lay a blanket out on the ground:)

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