Death is all around. They say that in the West so many people are walking around seeing and hearing news of deaths, but yet still believe "that won't happen to me".
Death is an inevitable part of living. Life and death, the full circle. Meditation is a way to prepare one for death. Living with the conscious awareness of one's own mortality cultivates the ability to live one's life better. To savor one's present moments, to put things into perspective, to see the bigger picture.
"Nothing is permanent except change". Impermanence is the only certainty.
The mind is like a monkey on LSD running through the house of our minds, checking each window to see if what we want is there and trying to hold on to it (DESIRE and ATTACHMENT) or seeing if what we don't want is there and running away from it (FEAR and AVERSION). Habit energies repeating the same patterns again and again believing that what brought suffering before somehow will not bring suffering again (DELUSION).
All relationships will end. There is no escaping this. They will end through rejection or through death. Every one night stand, every plate, every long term relationship will come to it's final resting place and burn until the final embers are no more.
Attaching oneself to that which is impermanent will surely bring waves of suffering.
Entering into a relationship be it short term, medium or longterm with the conscious awareness of "this too shall end" may seem very negative to some. However, what tends to happen is one appreciates and makes the most of the time spent with the person they are with rising above any petty quarrels and banalities that usually occur. One is all too aware of not attaching oneself to that which is not permanent, thus letting go of any neediness. Knowing this is not "forever", all we have is now. Savoring the moment, being aware, being awake, being detached. For trying to attach oneself to what is not permanent is like trying to hold onto smoke. Trying to hold onto a living creature is like "crushing the sparrow".
And when the moment comes, the inevitable moment, that you'v always being aware of.....the end of the relationship, be it the end of a short term fling or a long term "love" affair, you are ready. You knew this was going to come and you seized the moments, like you seize the joy of the sun rising and setting, like you savor and take your time with a fine wine, using all of your senses......to fully experience the moment. You are satisfied. You have no regrets because you were awake and aware of the inevitable end. You are aware of death and you are at peace with it. You can let go easy because you never tried to hold onto what cannot be held down.
It leads to the question:
What is there to "get over" after a breakup?
There are threads being posted asking "how do you get over....?" with questions such as "how long does it take to get over...?"
What is there to get over? is what we have to get over the level of attachment?
Is is the level of dependence?
What are the expectations that one places on other people that enter into one's life? Is what one admires in a partner holes in their own personality?
If one is not consciously aware of the the impermanence of every relationship, the tendency is to "switch off" and to take for granted that the person will be there forever. This tends to manifest itself such ways as in conversations where we are not fully present. Experiences and we are thinking of something else. Present in body, but mind on a mental excursion. Later when it's over, regret comes as it all feels like a dream.........because it many ways....it was just a dream.
Death is an inevitable part of living. Life and death, the full circle. Meditation is a way to prepare one for death. Living with the conscious awareness of one's own mortality cultivates the ability to live one's life better. To savor one's present moments, to put things into perspective, to see the bigger picture.
"Nothing is permanent except change". Impermanence is the only certainty.
The mind is like a monkey on LSD running through the house of our minds, checking each window to see if what we want is there and trying to hold on to it (DESIRE and ATTACHMENT) or seeing if what we don't want is there and running away from it (FEAR and AVERSION). Habit energies repeating the same patterns again and again believing that what brought suffering before somehow will not bring suffering again (DELUSION).
All relationships will end. There is no escaping this. They will end through rejection or through death. Every one night stand, every plate, every long term relationship will come to it's final resting place and burn until the final embers are no more.
Attaching oneself to that which is impermanent will surely bring waves of suffering.
Entering into a relationship be it short term, medium or longterm with the conscious awareness of "this too shall end" may seem very negative to some. However, what tends to happen is one appreciates and makes the most of the time spent with the person they are with rising above any petty quarrels and banalities that usually occur. One is all too aware of not attaching oneself to that which is not permanent, thus letting go of any neediness. Knowing this is not "forever", all we have is now. Savoring the moment, being aware, being awake, being detached. For trying to attach oneself to what is not permanent is like trying to hold onto smoke. Trying to hold onto a living creature is like "crushing the sparrow".
And when the moment comes, the inevitable moment, that you'v always being aware of.....the end of the relationship, be it the end of a short term fling or a long term "love" affair, you are ready. You knew this was going to come and you seized the moments, like you seize the joy of the sun rising and setting, like you savor and take your time with a fine wine, using all of your senses......to fully experience the moment. You are satisfied. You have no regrets because you were awake and aware of the inevitable end. You are aware of death and you are at peace with it. You can let go easy because you never tried to hold onto what cannot be held down.
It leads to the question:
What is there to "get over" after a breakup?
There are threads being posted asking "how do you get over....?" with questions such as "how long does it take to get over...?"
What is there to get over? is what we have to get over the level of attachment?
Is is the level of dependence?
What are the expectations that one places on other people that enter into one's life? Is what one admires in a partner holes in their own personality?
If one is not consciously aware of the the impermanence of every relationship, the tendency is to "switch off" and to take for granted that the person will be there forever. This tends to manifest itself such ways as in conversations where we are not fully present. Experiences and we are thinking of something else. Present in body, but mind on a mental excursion. Later when it's over, regret comes as it all feels like a dream.........because it many ways....it was just a dream.
