Meditation - the abcedaria of a writer

Meditation - I return to the paramitas with 'M'. If you are new to this site, the paramitas are a way of working with one's mind and actions. The six paramitas are sometimes called 'the perfections'. The word 'paramita' is a Sanskrit word that means "that which has reached the other shore". They are the means by which we move out of our sleepy self-absorbed state into one which sees the conectivity of all. From selfish to compassionate, from asleep to awake - the worthy boats we take from one shore to the other are these six ways of being. The six paramitas are Generosity, Discipline, Patience, Exertion, Meditation and Prajna or descriminating awareness wisdom.

The fifth paramita is meditation. One way to think of meditation is that it is a sometimes slow, but always sure way to befriend oneself. To sit quietly with our thoughts arising and our discipline bringing us back gently, again and again to our breath, is to realize that our notions of self are fairly insubstantial.  We are insubstantial, and that after we ride the fear of that, we get the liberation of it. The gift of meditation is the ordinary magic of being all right with what is.

If I can carry that into my writing I can be fearless. I can let go of the feelings of not doing enough, or not doing the right thing, or not being worthy of even trying anything. I can breathe and rest in what is and then my writing can reflect that basic sanity. This, for me, is the most difficult of paramitas to explain - it is beyond explanation. It has to be experienced. Giving you a recipe for bread does not nurture you - you must make the bread yourself. So if you have a meditation practice or any time that is a quiet self-reflective time - you will nourish your writing.

As this is Friday here is your Challenge!

Take a few minutes - I suggest fifteen. Find a quiet spot indoors or out and let your mind settle. Don't fret about this if you don't usually meditate. It isn't like lifting weights. Just let your mind's busy chatter settle down and notice what is around you with your senses. The colours, the movement of clouds, the sound of birds or your computer, or the fridge's hum, the taste in your mouth, your hands resting softly on your thighs.  No big deal, just you and your senses in the moment.