And makes straight his arrows,
So the master directs
His straying thoughts.
~from the Dhammapada of Guatama the Buddha
I've been listening to my "straying thoughts" today. I realize that even though I've been studying mindfulness in the lineage of Thich Naht Hanh for the past six years, and I have certainly become more mindful with others, particularly my children, who should rightlfully be the cheif beneficiaries, I have not bestowed upon my own "mind" the same privilege of mindfulness.
Egad!!!
You think your being mindful and using deep listening, but then you realize you are not giving it to yourself. My thoughts, and there are many, blow around like tornadoes in my head. I let them have free reign. I don't often try to tame them or control them, but I don't really listen to them either.
I'm a good scorpio! I'm a river. Moving, shifting, creating, transforming...
...so I started listening. I started to give mindful attention to what was there. Then something incredible happened, the thoughts started to slow down, which is good as it's not so great to have tornadoes blowing around your mind.
I used the same breath I've used and taught women to use in birth, to calm the winds of my mind and then direct the flow of my inner river. Still, one can hardly control a river, but it's nice to actually sit beside one and listen to it, and follow it, rather than get swept away by it or only see it transiently out of the corner of ones eye.
