Buddhist Words of the Week
Feb. 6th, 2010 10:40 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dreamcatchingsFrom my Buddhist Wisdom Inspiration Cards:
Remember the saying
"The lights are on but nobody's home"?
When you meditate, sitting there
is like turning the lights on,
but then you also have to come home.
This is, obviously, one of the Meditation cards. I think I'm going to find these the hardest to relate to because I haven't meditated in so long. I'm also not sure that I was ever really meditating correctly. Most of the time when I would meditate, it was less the Buddhist sort and more the Wiccan sort, in that I was focusing on something, rather an idea or goal or just trying to feel more connected to the world around me by merging and exchanging energy. I'm not sure if it's the same sort of goal with the Buddhist meditation. I should probably ask a friend of mine I work with who is really into Eastern philosopy and religion. He would know. He probably has several books about it.
It's not to say that I don't understand your point, Buddhist Box. I do. I can't actually verbalize it well, but I understand. It's a calling to be present in all activities and to use meditation to become more present. I think. Again. These are going to be the hardest cards for me. The only thing I can automatically relate this to is the fact that I've felt like I'm just sleepwalking through certain parts of my life. I go on autopilot. I am not in the moment. I am not invested because, well, I don't want to be. To be honest, the less invested in certain things I am, the less they hurt.
At the same time, though, I feel so distant and detached from things. Mostly from people but also from goals and dreams and, well, success. My definiton of success is not the same as, well, I don't want to say everyone's but a lot of people's. I know a vast number of people who define success as being wealthy; I don't. To me success is being happy and fulfilled in what you're doing. It means that you have struck a balance. You have reached the point where you are happy with yourself. You have not stopped growing or learning, but you have stopped fighting life on every step along the way. You have surrendered to the waves not because they overcame you but because you have reached an agreement. Success, to me, is loving what you do, having friends who support and love you without bringing the drama constantly and still having time for new dreams and good books and concerts and wine. Success is being in the moment and enjoying every second. It is not checking out at work because you're not happy with it. It is not avoiding texts from people because you don't want to be in the middle of their next big disaster. It is not chasing people around and making all the effort to maintain a friendship with them. It is realizing that everything goes both ways. It is letting go of what doesn't work.
Thank you, Buddha Box. That ended up being helpful and hard, which is representative of life. Maybe I should start meditating again.
"The lights are on but nobody's home"?
When you meditate, sitting there
is like turning the lights on,
but then you also have to come home.
This is, obviously, one of the Meditation cards. I think I'm going to find these the hardest to relate to because I haven't meditated in so long. I'm also not sure that I was ever really meditating correctly. Most of the time when I would meditate, it was less the Buddhist sort and more the Wiccan sort, in that I was focusing on something, rather an idea or goal or just trying to feel more connected to the world around me by merging and exchanging energy. I'm not sure if it's the same sort of goal with the Buddhist meditation. I should probably ask a friend of mine I work with who is really into Eastern philosopy and religion. He would know. He probably has several books about it.
It's not to say that I don't understand your point, Buddhist Box. I do. I can't actually verbalize it well, but I understand. It's a calling to be present in all activities and to use meditation to become more present. I think. Again. These are going to be the hardest cards for me. The only thing I can automatically relate this to is the fact that I've felt like I'm just sleepwalking through certain parts of my life. I go on autopilot. I am not in the moment. I am not invested because, well, I don't want to be. To be honest, the less invested in certain things I am, the less they hurt.
At the same time, though, I feel so distant and detached from things. Mostly from people but also from goals and dreams and, well, success. My definiton of success is not the same as, well, I don't want to say everyone's but a lot of people's. I know a vast number of people who define success as being wealthy; I don't. To me success is being happy and fulfilled in what you're doing. It means that you have struck a balance. You have reached the point where you are happy with yourself. You have not stopped growing or learning, but you have stopped fighting life on every step along the way. You have surrendered to the waves not because they overcame you but because you have reached an agreement. Success, to me, is loving what you do, having friends who support and love you without bringing the drama constantly and still having time for new dreams and good books and concerts and wine. Success is being in the moment and enjoying every second. It is not checking out at work because you're not happy with it. It is not avoiding texts from people because you don't want to be in the middle of their next big disaster. It is not chasing people around and making all the effort to maintain a friendship with them. It is realizing that everything goes both ways. It is letting go of what doesn't work.
Thank you, Buddha Box. That ended up being helpful and hard, which is representative of life. Maybe I should start meditating again.
