Wednesday, December 28, 2011

12/29/11—Accessing Your Eternal Self

Today's Draw: No-Mind from the Osho Transformation Tarot. Do you meditate or wish you could? If you've tried and failed in the past, how long did you try? What are your experiences with meditation?

Osho is a name given to Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh an Indian mystic and guru. Most of what I know about his philosophy comes from the Osho Zen Tarot (which is one of my go-to decks) and this oracle deck. His teachings ascribe to many areas of Eastern thought, but most of it reflects the gentle, profound teachings of Zen Buddhism. Reading up on him tonight, his life was surrounded by controversy and drama, so he may be a case of "pay attention to the message and not the messenger" for some.

I have held many Eastern practices and philosophies on and off over the years. I do chanting on and off. I chanted a mala every night for years, which means repeating the same mantra 108 times every night. But one thing that has been constant is that I meditate in one way or another every day, as I have done for nearly 30 years. And "No-Mind" is one of the cornerstones of meditation.

A lot of people say their mind is too busy to meditate, they have ADD or are too busy. That's just excuses. If all you have is five minutes, that's enough. In fact, the less time you feel you have, the more you probably need to meditate. As for the busy mind, I actually started meditating because of how active my head was. Besides, not all meditation requires you to strip all thought away—one requires you to be hyper-conscious of your environment, not screen it out. There's really something that will work for anyone. So, if you want to bring more discipline, quiet or focus to your mind and body, investigate the many forms meditation, including the moving ones.

All that said, I like to go into that transcendental place of no-mind. That place inside us is that part that is eternal and exists within us throughout every incarnation. It is us at our most pure. It is us as the divine. In that time and moment, we are connected with all existence, with that place that is common to us whether we're animal, plant, mineral or ether. Connecting to that most basic and eternal essence is a gift I give myself nearly every night, and because I've been practicing for so long, I can find that place easily in pretty much any moment. 

The illustration on this card depicts that silence and stillness for me. I imagine the vastness and silence of outer space to mirror the vastness and silence of that within. As there is significant space between matter in the universe, meditation creates significant space between the thoughts in our minds. To me, it brings me into that vast place of emptiness ripe for creation. One of my favorite tarot cards ever is from the Osho Zen tarot that also illustrates that wonder for me. If you're reading this on Facebook, you can see it at http://thedailytarotdraw.blogspot.com/

Have you ever been out in nature and listened to the profound silence that sits beneath the peace and quiet? That's the silence I'm talking about. The further you are from society, the easier it is to hear. But there's a riverside spot along a busy Parkway here where that silence is louder to me than the sounds of the cars passing by. And in the past couple of years it's getting louder and louder in my back yard. If you don't know what I'm talking about, give a listen the next time you're out in nature. I don't know how to put it other than it is the loud silence beneath the peace and quiet. I believe this silence exists everywhere in the universe, whether you're on a planet or in the nothingness. Sometimes I'm able to hear it within me even when I'm busy thinking. Like now. This isn't something you create, it's the most basic and everlasting part of you. It's there. You just have to remember how to be there with it.

Meditation brings us into the moment. It strips away everything but what is real and true. If you don't have a way to access this place of no-mind, consider adding it in the coming year. Here's the thing, though. It doesn't come overnight. It takes practice and develops over years. Like a diet or exercise routine, it's a discipline. But it's one that can benefit you on so many levels. It's definitely worth the investment of time and effort and I bet if you commit 5-10 minutes to it daily in 2012, you'll find it changes your life. So what are your experiences with meditation?

3 comments:

  1. I find meditating difficult. Since I'm pregnant it seems even more difficult.....
    But, when I take my time, as you wrote, it's so relaxing.
    Just some time for myself! No noice in my head hihi.
    Have to make some more time for myself in 2012.
    Thanks for your post.
    Charlene

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  2. I think it's even more important now you're having a baby. Moms are the most in need of time to themselves and the least likely to take it. :)

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  3. Yes, I think so too!!
    It's just that my concentration isn't all that great at the moment!!!
    But clearing my head is enough though :-)

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