Re: Mindfulness (another inspiring poem)

August 28, 2011

" The Guest House "

This being human is a guest-house.

Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,

some momentary awareness comes

as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!

Even if they're a crowd of sorrows,

Who violently sweep your house

empty of its furniture.

still, treat each guest honorably.

He may be clearing you

out for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,

meet them at the door laughing,

and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes,

because each has been sent

as a guide from beyond.

Rumi, " The Guest House "

Translated by Barks with Moyne

> > > >

> > > > Bruce,

> > > >

> > > > Here's what I think is going on: when you say you are " always

> > > > mindful of my anxiety and depression, " what this suggests

> > > > to me is that what you are really " mindful " of, in the sense

> > > > that you are noticing it and buying into it, is your ongoing

> > > > evaluation of uncomfortable thoughts and emotions as being

> > > > not only uncomfortable, but " bad. " And there are probably

> > > > all sorts of other judgments wrapped up in there that you are

> > > > not necessarily explicitly aware of, but that are likewise

> > > > evaluations.

> > > >

> > > > In other words, feeling uncomfortable is " always on your mind "

> > > > in the sense that you are very aware that you feel uncomfortable,

> > > > and you are totally bonding with this sense of " it's bad. " You

> > > > are stuck in the judging / evaluating frame of mind that we

> > > > all are capable of and that, absent learning any new skills,

> > > > we continue to trust as somehow representing what is " real "

> > > > and " important. "

> > > >

> > > > That's not what is meant by mindfulness. But I have the feeling

> > > > that being told about mindfulness directly will not be very

> > > > helpful for you. You have probably read about it, either in

> > > > books or on this list, a zillion times already. Whatever I

> > > > write here is going to go straight to that judging/evaluating

> > > > mechanism that you have entrusted with your life, and it is

> > > > going to get judged and evaluated all over again.

> > > >

> > > > Over and over and over. Round and round and round.

> > > >

> > > > I know what it's like. Believe me. I get on that little

> > > > gerbil wheel made of evaluations a LOT. I was on it yesterday

> > > > and early today till I remembered (again) that my experience

> > > > is my experience, nothing more or less.

> > > >

> > > > Here's what I would suggest: If you haven't already, start

> > > > a meditation practice centered around something like watching

> > > > your breath, or counting from 1 to 10 with your breath, etc.

> > > > You can find good instructions in a basic Zen or Vispanna book,

> > > > or in " Get Out of Your Mind " for that matter. I would do it

> > > > for about 10 minutes a day at first, and I would keep at it

> > > > for several weeks at a minimum.

> > > >

> > > > Try and do it not to " get rid of those uncomfortable thoughts

> > > > and feelings " or to " get it right " or anything like that. The

> > > > instructions for counting your breath, for example, are just

> > > > to count from 1 to 10 with each inhale - 1 on the first inhale,

> > > > 2 on the first exhale, on up to 10, and then start over. Keep

> > > > your eyes open if you like. If a thought shows up, let it -

> > > > don't follow after it and don't push it away either; just let

> > > > it show up, and then return your attention to the next breath

> > > > and the next number. If you find you have gotten sucked into

> > > > following a thought, no problem: once you notice this, gently

> > > > place your attention back on your breath and the count.

> > > >

> > > > The idea is that by having a neutral focus that you can put

> > > > your attention on, and by making that what you are " doing, "

> > > > you can start experiencing other stuff as it comes and goes

> > > > without needing to follow it. You have something else to follow

> > > > instead of your evaluations: the count and the breath. Out of

> > > > that may slowly emerge a different experience. Let whatever

> > > > emerges do so, without any expectations. And if you find you

> > > > have an expectation, that's OK too - expectations are also

> > > > thoughts, and so you can let the thought of an expectation

> > > > come as it is and then return your attention gently to the

> > > > count and the breath.

> > > >

> > > > Over and over and over. But this is a different " over and

> > > > over " than getting trapped in your evaluations and thinking

> > > > that those evaluations represent " mindfulness. " This over

> > > > and over is learning something new.

> > > >

> > > > I really suggest you do this for a few weeks, or something

> > > > like it. Your habitual thoughts may say it's a waste of time

> > > > and that you already know what will happen. You can put those

> > > > sorts of thoughts in charge if you like. I often put all kinds

> > > > of thoughts in charge of my life until eventually I notice

> > > > that's what I'm doing and return control to myself.

> > > >

> > > > If you do mindfulness meditation for a few weeks - or even

> > > > for a week - let us know what happens. Or if you have already

> > > > tried a meditation practice and your experience wasn't

> > > > successful, let us know that too and maybe someone will have

> > > > a suggestion about how to try again with more success.

> > > >

> > > > Good luck,

> > > > Randy

> > > >

> > >

> >

>

August 28, 2011

G - Your post arrived at the precise time I needed it. Thank you. BillTo: ACT_for_the_Public From: jellybean112017@...Date: Sun, 28 Aug 2011 17:53:00 +0000Subject: Re: Mindfulness (another inspiring poem)

"The Guest House"

This being human is a guest-house.

Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,

some momentary awareness comes

as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!

Even if they're a crowd of sorrows,

Who violently sweep your house

empty of its furniture.

still, treat each guest honorably.

He may be clearing you

out for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,

meet them at the door laughing,

and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes,

because each has been sent

as a guide from beyond.

Rumi, "The Guest House"

Translated by Barks with Moyne

> > > >

> > > > Bruce,

> > > >

> > > > Here's what I think is going on: when you say you are "always

> > > > mindful of my anxiety and depression," what this suggests

> > > > to me is that what you are really "mindful" of, in the sense

> > > > that you are noticing it and buying into it, is your ongoing

> > > > evaluation of uncomfortable thoughts and emotions as being

> > > > not only uncomfortable, but "bad." And there are probably

> > > > all sorts of other judgments wrapped up in there that you are

> > > > not necessarily explicitly aware of, but that are likewise

> > > > evaluations.

> > > >

> > > > In other words, feeling uncomfortable is "always on your mind"

> > > > in the sense that you are very aware that you feel uncomfortable,

> > > > and you are totally bonding with this sense of "it's bad." You

> > > > are stuck in the judging / evaluating frame of mind that we

> > > > all are capable of and that, absent learning any new skills,

> > > > we continue to trust as somehow representing what is "real"

> > > > and "important."

> > > >

> > > > That's not what is meant by mindfulness. But I have the feeling

> > > > that being told about mindfulness directly will not be very

> > > > helpful for you. You have probably read about it, either in

> > > > books or on this list, a zillion times already. Whatever I

> > > > write here is going to go straight to that judging/evaluating

> > > > mechanism that you have entrusted with your life, and it is

> > > > going to get judged and evaluated all over again.

> > > >

> > > > Over and over and over. Round and round and round.

> > > >

> > > > I know what it's like. Believe me. I get on that little

> > > > gerbil wheel made of evaluations a LOT. I was on it yesterday

> > > > and early today till I remembered (again) that my experience

> > > > is my experience, nothing more or less.

> > > >

> > > > Here's what I would suggest: If you haven't already, start

> > > > a meditation practice centered around something like watching

> > > > your breath, or counting from 1 to 10 with your breath, etc.

> > > > You can find good instructions in a basic Zen or Vispanna book,

> > > > or in "Get Out of Your Mind" for that matter. I would do it

> > > > for about 10 minutes a day at first, and I would keep at it

> > > > for several weeks at a minimum.

> > > >

> > > > Try and do it not to "get rid of those uncomfortable thoughts

> > > > and feelings" or to "get it right" or anything like that. The