Listening Excercise

People have asked me many times what is mediation. I have given many long drawn out answers. I regret them now if they ask me I will just say "Listening".

"Well what do you mean Jijo?"

To me mediation is listening to the outer and inner worlds that we are in all the time.

Listen to the outer world, at the risk of sound crazy I will give you an exercise. Wake up early in the morning, before sun rises and sit by the window. Listen to the outside noises. The crickets, the first bird to sing in the morning, the cars driving by, the silence. There is a peace and a quieting of the mind that occurs.

Listen to the inner world. This is often harder to do, but reaps unending rewards. Just listen what is bothering you. The human mind is amazing! It will go to where it needs to go. Initially it is hard because you will have thousands of thoughts spinning like a CD in your head. Give it time HAVE FAITH, your mind will quiet and go where it needs to go. Think about your issues big and small trust me it will bring you peace. "We can look at a storm in the day or in the night the damage is the same." Vernon Howard said that. I take it a step further. A storm at night can do more damage because you cannot see anything. If you look at your problems straight on then you can deal with them better.

So try it. See if it works for you.......

The Persistant Hunt

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wI-9RJi0Qo&feature=related

Watch this video. It is truly amazing and beautiful. The Sand People hunt in an ancient way. The way man must have hunted before weapons. This way of hunting is truly magnificent as the hunter and prey are truly one. The hunter is one with the earth and feels the pain and emotions of its prey.

Being a practicing vegetarian I felt terribly sad about the loss of life of the animal, but I understand that this is the nature of things in this world. His tribe must not have access to a supermarket to buy alternative sources of protein so the meat is true nourishment to him and his family.

And boy did he earn it. I tell myself the day I can kill an animal myself with my own hands is the day I will eat meat again. Boy, do I dare say the day I can hunt like this amazingly powerful man is the day I will eat meat again?!?!?!

Listening

Listening is a true art form. I am learning how important and beautiful it is to have the skill of listening.

Let me explain, most of us listen with "filters" on high alert. These filters are our experiences negative and positive. They are our prejudices, our biases, our beliefs, our values. The reason I say it is an art and a skill is that we must listen with those "filters" off. It is not easy to do. You always want to chime in with your own opinion. What is wrong with just shutting up and truly listening to what the other person has to say?

Furthermore, we must listen wholehearted with our mind/body/soul. Watch the person's expressions. FEEL the passion in what they are saying. I mentioned Hara in the previous blog, it is your vital center. Listen with your Hara which is your INNER being. Let the persons words vibrate in you and absorb what they are saying.

It sounds like a simple thing (especially if you disagree with his/her point of view), but try it! It is not as easy as it sounds!