Why all the shopping?

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.  Matthew 7:12

Christmas? So why all the shopping?

what story?

The physical world is the same for all of us: the air, the water, the weather, the animals, and the alternation of night and day and so forth.

It is then a matter of what story we tell ourselves about it.  I like the story that:

Nothing is mine,

God is in control of all matters, and

everything is temporary.

This story hatches a peaceful heart.

Meditation shows that we choose our stories.

Peace on you,

bob

What you don't need to do

Meditation is the practice of doing nothing. As I think over my life, I cannot imagine how much trouble I could have avoided if I had just sat there quietly instead of jumping into the fray. 

Sitting in silence shows me all the things that I do not need to do anything about right now.  This pretty much accounts for all my thoughts as I meditate.

Practicing stillness; noticing all the things that I don’t need to do anything uncovers peace. Stillness points directly at the “illusion of control” - the cause of most anxiety. 

“To God belongs everything in the heavens and everything on earth, and all matters are controlled by God.”
[Quran 3:109]

“All of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”
Blaise Pascal

"Sitting quietly, doing nothing, Spring comes, and the grass grows, by itself." - Matsuo Basho

peace on you,
Bob

give it up!

Meditation is the search for what to give up.

Give up what?  When we sit quietly in silence we see so many stories - stories about how we think IT OUGHT TO BE.  Did I do well at work today? Does my partner care about me? I should have said something different to Jack yesterday.  I’m scared and lonely. My meditation practice is not right. I could go on and on - you get the picture!

Not a single one of these ‘stories’ is true while sitting quietly. Meditation is the practice of noticing these stories and seeing that they are just not true right here right now.  In this light, the stories  dissolve leaving the One True Story.

Empty yourself utterly and the One True Story will shine brightly.  It’s really quite simple.

Hint: all is well!

peace on you,

bob

  

who am I?

Meditation eventually forces us to answer the question: “Who am I”?

Who is meditating?
Who has a quiet/noisy mind?
Who sits?
Who is noticing the breath?
Who is trying to find peace?
Who was born?
Who dies?

Hint: If nothing is yours and God is in control of all matters and everything is temporary, who are you?

To God belongs everything in the heavens and everything on earth, and all matters are controlled by God. [Quran 3:109]

O my people, this worldly life is only a fleeting enjoyment, while the Hereafter is the abode for eternal settlement.
[Quran 40:39] 

peace on you, bob

Meditation is the the search for what to give up.  When you empty yourself utterly, you will come to see that:

   Nothing is yours,
   God is in control of all matters, and 
   Everything in this life is temporary. 

As they say: the truth shall set you free - free of the tyranny of ‘me’ and ‘mine’.  Ahhhh the sweet taste of it!


To God belongs what is in the heavens and what is in the earth, and to God, all matters will be returned.
[Quran 3:109] 

You cannot will anything except in accordance to the will of God, the Lord of the worlds. [Quran 81:29] 

O my people, this worldly life is only a fleeting enjoyment, while the Hereafter is the abode for eternal settlement.
[Quran 40:39] 

Peace on you,
bob

Worship

I've been meditating for almost four decades now, and my practice has had some pretty distinct stages - about three of them. I’d like to share my experience with you - perhaps it will lighten your load a bit.

The first stage for me is what I call "Getting out of the pounding surf". It lasted for several years. My mind was like a rough ocean surf that I could not shake. It seemed to have  me captured in endless pounding.  Thank goodness it only lasted for a few years when I found myself up on the beach where it was quieter and I could open my eyes. It was consistent daily practice that lead me out of the turbulence. 

The second stage I like to call “Coming to see things as they actually ARE not as I think they OUGHT to be". This period lasted about twenty years where I practiced letting go of all my notions of how my life, you, and the world ought to be - welcoming the truth without my ideas about it. One day, quite suddenly,  I came to see that all of my ideas were wrong save three. Grand peace became the signature of my meditation periods after that.   The  three ideas that remained after all that emptying were:

Nothing is mine,

God is in control of everything, and

everything in this life is temporary. 

The third (and current) stage of my practice is to effortlessly sit in worship of God with an overwhelming sense of gratitude knowing that everything is exactly as God would have it be - seeing that the world is not broken.  The Arabic term "Ibadah” comes to mind.  Ibadah means a humble submission and obedience to the One God. I have come to believe that Ibadah is the purpose of my life. Every practice period is filled with peaceful surrender. Ahhhhh.

You shall have no other gods before Me. (Torah)

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. (Jesus)

I have not created the jinn and the humans except to worship Me. (Quran)

Peace be upon you,

bob