Tag Archives: spirit

Don’t Worry: You’re Not Late

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One morning recently I opened my Journal, ready to write: ‘I woke up late today.’ But I didn’t (well I did get up late) I stopped as the thought went through my mind: what does late actually mean.

Well, I know what late means as I suppose we all do, but I Iooked it up anyway. And, of course it means exactly what we think it means: ‘after the expected, proper, or usual time.’

Expected, usual, or proper. Three words guaranteed to get me thinking. After all, who is it exactly that prescribes (or proscribes) what is the expected, usual or proper time or what is not?

Then the lyrics of a song called A Blessing in Disguise by singer-songwriter Graham Connors came to me. One particular blessing he lists in the song is a watch that runs backwards. The watch owner’s friends all offer to have it fixed, but he says no thank you; it suits me just fine:

It reminds me that time is a state of mind
a restriction we place on our lives.

Yes, exactly. I’m sure we all sometimes see time as a restriction. How many of us are tired of (not to mention exhausted by) appointments, schedules, alarms waking us up, too many hours at ‘waste of time’ jobs, too many hours when we’re not at that job, the endless hours spent hypnotized by one screen or another?

In other words, we live bound by restrictions we place (or allow others to place) on ourselves and then we wonder why we’re unhappy, frustrated, exhausted, angry, sad and in need of a break; in need of more time.

Well, time, as the song says, is a state of mind. It’s how we look at time; that’s the point. Forget the restrictions. No, I don’t mean quit your job (though I never suggest to anyone they not quit their job), ignore family or other ‘obligations’ (same disclaimer). What I am suggesting is that you find ways to look at time as the ongoing present, a state of mind to be in, to be in presence. Not future. Not past. And never ever static.

One can never be late. One can only ever be here and now, in that previously mentioned ongoing present. You are the one to decide what is ‘proper’ for you; it’s up to you to create your own unique ‘usual’

And as for ‘expectations’: well, if you have to have them (and expectations are really only imaginings about events, situations, and circumstances that aren’t real yet and may never be), at least make them your own.
Peace

Controlling the Mind: It ‘Ain’t Easy

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Namaste friends

It’s so true isn’t it? The second you sit down, close your eyes and try to relax (or sleep, meditate, or just to get a little quiet) your mind jumps into high gear and suddenly there are all kinds of thoughts zapping all over.

Well, of course it is perfectly normal and nothing to become frustrated or annoyed about. Certainly you shouldn’t go thinking you’ve failed or are ‘doing it wrong’.

That’s been my trouble for a long time: if I wasn’t able to ’empty’ my mind then obviously it was something about the way I was going about it. I was the one making a mess of it.

In the last while I’ve started to realize that it’s the mind’s job to keep itself busy. In other words you’re never going to stop it thinking.

The best we can hope for, I’m learning, is that we come to the point where we see where the thoughts are headed, and we’re able to gently, kindly and without fuss, refocus attention back onto our breath or whatever aid we use to help us focus. It’s not so much about pushing the thoughts away or trying to stop thinking. It’s really about putting our attention somewhere else

And then what might happen every so often is a time, usually only a few moments, when you’ve reached beyond your mind’s reach.

Meanwhile, don’t worry about where you are headed. I can’t find the exact quote, but Swami Ramdas also said something to the effect of

Once you set your feet upon the path you are already at your goal

Like most things in life, the journey itself is where it’s really at.

Pouring tea can help focus the attention

With These Words … Part 1

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Namaste friends

At this early stage in the life of this blog, no doubt most visitors will really have only seen the Welcome and the About Me pages. The question I’m asking myself is what else can I tell you about myself and my life that you can’t see for yourself on those pages?

Well, I realized that I’d already, on another blog, shared some insights in a kind of miniseries of posts that speak about my philosophy of life as I call it. So, join me as I get into Part 1.

By now you probably worked out that I call myself a hermit. Perhaps I have explained what I mean by this somewhere else on this blog, but in a nutshell being a hermit to me means living a quiet life, without a lot of physical contact with other people; I visit shops and other businesses and so on, as little as I can manage. For example, I haven’t been to a cafe, restaurant, or other social gatherings for several years.

Just one of many hermitages we’ve found by the side of the road. This one way out in the desert country in Australia’s Outback
(Painting by my partner hermit Pauline)

Of course there are more esoteric or spiritual aspects to being a hermit, and I’m very much aware that it’s this spiritual quest side of things that is really the driver for the way I live. A quiet life lived apart from the world, means less distractions, more quiet, more time. All are great helps.

Obviously given the times we are living in right now, I’m far from the only one living a hermit life. At least I am blessed in that my way of living is by choice. At the same time, I’m actually quite excited to watch as the people of the world begin to slowly get back out there and into life again.

As no doubt I’m mentioned somewhere else, I was born with a nomadic nature and soul. So in a real sense it’s a pilgrimage I’ve always been on anyway. So perhaps I might be back out there on the road sometime soon

In the truest sense of the word, I aspire to live like a monk: A monk in (sort of), but not of the world you might say. However monks (and nuns) usually live in community, in a monastery or convent. It’s true to say that life with my partner has me living in community, though it’s only the two of us. Then there are the few places in cyberspace where I encounter and interact with others.

It’s well known that many monks and nuns take a number of vows when they join their communities. Traditionally these vows are: Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience. In many cases the additional vow of Stability is added, binding the monk or nun to a particular community in a particular place.

I’ve never been comfortable with those vows, so I’ve never made them. But as I have progressed in my spiritual journey, I have taken vows of various kinds. Mind you my vow to silence is having a hard time of it with me! As for the love part of this vow: well, that’s also a work in progress.

Anyway, recently I’ve been reading about communities (some religious, some secular, but always made up of people sharing the same or similar values, goals, and missions) who, also uncomfortable with those traditional vows, have reinterpreted them in a way that sits more comfortably.

That renewed version is : Simplicity, Purity, and Accountability. In the place of the vow to stability, there is now what you could say is a more precise concept: Presence.

While I can’t say I have formally taken these vows, it has occurred to me that, put together, they do make up a fairly precise set of principles that could be said to apply already as I attempt to live authentically as hermit, monk, and pilgrim!

Please join me in Part 2 (appearing soon) when I will put this theory to the test.

Peace and love from me to you