Walking this morning, I found much unpleasantness. The mind had its reasons, ready to be indulged. This path often travelled, I did not feel like taking, however. Not this time.
Dharma talks are not for nothing . . .
I remembered the essence of this teaching, from Leigh Brasington:
A short term strategy for diminishing dukkha is to look at the critical link between vedana and craving, including our ability to become mindful of pleasant vedana when it occurs and our craving for it. In that gap lots of concoctions and false perceptions take place.
Yes, the gap. There was a gap, if only I could stop the mind in its tracks. And even if I couldn't, I could at a minimum watch it skip from 'unpleasant', to 'not liking', 'really not liking'. Body meanwhile constricting, throat tightening, stomach knotting. All in a matter of seconds.
Years of evolution at work. It's going to take a while for the body to unlearn, and the mind to understand.
Helpful, Blanche Hartman's image of "Not taking that train (of thoughts)". That I could do, over and over again.
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