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Embodied

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Edited by Richie Cuthbertson, Sunday, 1 Jan 2023, 17:09

The human body can't stay comfortable in the same position all the time. It has to move, has to rest, has to eat, has to go to the bathroom, has to sleep, gets sick, gets tired, aches, is full of all kinds of icky stuff, is vulnerable, fragile and changed by hormones that pull it this way and that. The body is driven by the desire for survival, the desire to continue, the craving for existence. 

We are not our bodies. If we were our bodies we would be able to tell them not to age, not to change, not to get sick, not to ache, not to be ugly, not to be forgetful, not to be weak, not to malfunction, not to die. 

But we do not have control over our bodies. The body grows by itself. It came from nature, from biological processes. It appeared and we did not create it, it built itself. 

 The body does not belong to us. It belongs to nature and will have to be returned one day. 

There's no guarantee that any body will live long. Beings die both young and old, sometimes suddenly and unexpectedly. All species of life on Earth experiences this sorrow, death does not differentiate between young and old. It comes for all. Old age is not guaranteed. Death can come at any time, at any age, and this is normal, natural, the way things are.

Even though the body is not me, not mine, not self. I must try my best to take good care of it. Make it comfortable, see to its needs, be kind to it, be a friend to it, not an enemy. It is a home to a myriad different beings and minds and consciousnesses of all kinds. A world within a world. An interdependent ecosystem of different beings working together in symbiosis, fuelled by the desire to live. 

The body likes it when we become aware of it. Which is why I think the feeling of embodiment is pleasant. It is the body showing appreciation that we are paying attention to it. It helps it when we do, even if in pain, it can be a kindness to acknowledge that pain, that part of the body which is suffering, to not just be in our heads. Feeling loved can be a powerful medicine.

One nice thing about being centred in the body, is the body doesn't think in words, it just feels. It is another language, a language before language.

 It can be a kindness to our minds to move the attention away from the incessant thinking that goes on in our brains and just be in the body, fully present to the here and now. The body also appreciates it when we do this. It is a kindness to the body when we acknowledge its presence and connect with it. And the emotion of loving kindness always makes us feel better. 

The suffering of having a body is shared across all species of life. It is something we all have in common. Knowing this can help us show kindness to others as well.

Enlightenment is as much about the heart as it is the intellect. 

Wise head. Warm heart.



Permalink 2 comments (latest comment by Richie Cuthbertson, Tuesday, 3 Jan 2023, 18:18)
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Asoka

Ripples of kindness

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Edited by Richie Cuthbertson, Saturday, 26 Feb 2022, 19:17

Feeling quite rough today. Have become very shivery. And there's a heavy achiness about the body that seems to reach right into the marrow of my bones. I tried to study, but had to give up in the end and liedown. It is cold here at the moment, but keeping the heating off as can't afford to have it on as much as I would like. The cost of energy has sky-rocketed. Apparently this is because we are currently buying our gas off the US who are charging extortionate prices, and they won't let anyone buy cheaper fuel from Russia. Meaning energy prices have gone up here in the UK and the EU.

I am very touched by how my Upāsikā (lay Buddhist) friends have reached out to me and offered their support. Even though we are long distances apart scattered all over the world, there is a strong spiritual connection between us, which warms my heart. I feel blessed to be on this year's Upasika training program, and feel very fortunate to be part of a good bunch of open-hearted people. It really makes a difference to have good friends on the spiritual path.

I was reading about a 1200 year old Tibetan prophecy called the Shambhala warrior. Which is about a group of spiritual people who will rise up during these dark times to dismantle the weapons and technology of mass destruction and lead the world to a new era of peace. 

A Shambhala warrior uses two weapons: compassion, and insight into interdependence, to defeat the old warring and greedy order and bring healing to the Earth. There are Shambhala warriors everywhere, in every country, in every institution, even in the corridors of power. Some might not even know they are Shambhala warriors, and some would not recognise other warriors if they walked passed them in the street, as each one acts independently on their own initiative. They do not have a flag, badges, or any means of identification, and they are not motivated by greed, hatred, or delusion. 

Some have big tasks to perform, and others seemingly small, but each one effects the Earth in a positive way. As each time a Shambhala warrior acts out of compassion and kindness, it sends an energetic ripple that effects everything due to the process of dependent origination. 

There are apparently a great number of Shambhala warriors here now at this time, (maybe you are one dear reader,) and even though it feels hopeless just now and extinction is inevitable. The Shambhala warriors will through compassion and insight into dependent origination, heal the Earth and bring in a new era of peace and stability for all beings (-:

I don't know if the prophecy is true, but it is a nice thought, and brings some hope and cheer to the mind, which is better than feeling like we are doomed. And if we are all done for as a species well it is better to die performing acts of generosity, kindness and compassion, as these acts help to gladden the mind and that is the state of mind one wants at the time of death, plus that good karma carries over into the next life. So you have nothing to lose and much to gain by practising loving-kindness.

Warriors arise!


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What would happen if everyone believed all is one?

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Edited by Richie Cuthbertson, Friday, 24 Dec 2021, 22:20

Interesting article:

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/beautiful-minds/what-would-happen-if-everyone-truly-believed-everything-is-one/

Research seems to support the idea that believing everything is one and connected changes people's psychology to make them more inclusive of others, including different species of animal. The article seems to suggest this belief could be beneficial for human society. (*N.b. no belief in God required)




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