I feel like all of the mind and body exercises that we did this term were beneficial but two of them were a cut above the rest. Loving Kindness was one of my favorite exercises followed by Meeting Aesclepius. There is a reason for choosing those two exercises.
First, Loving kindness focused on loving and helping others. This is something that people do not do much of any more. I have seen the worst in people in my line of work; I work in the death and dying industry as a funeral director apprentice. I have seen people just look at another and blatantly say that they were no good for anything or that they have nothing to live for, or even that they were a waste of skin. This is not uncommon in my line of work, even within families. People NEED to get back to helping their neighbors. We are a global community and we cannot act as one if we cannot get along and get over our very small differences. Love is something that can be projected towards others. Love and kindness are much more important than the dollar bill; I feel that most violence, distrust, and greed is derived from money. The world would be a much better place to live in if everyone could love one another.
Secondly, Meeting Aesclepius is also very important. A person is defined by their thoughts and how ideas are portrayed through them and to them. Ideas fly through the human mind at high speeds and with a lot of chaos. This exercise is designed to see through the chaos to see thoughts clearly. This exercise is also designed to let the participant focus on what is important and push aside ideas that are clogging the process. I feel that if a person whats to be the best that they can then they cannot leave things to chance. If a person can see thoughts clearly then they can anticipate an outcome or situations for the future. This can be done if the mind is silenced and free of distractions.
If these two ideas are combined they focus on both the individual and the community. If both have a healthy relationship then the world becomes a better place. These ideas are already in my life. I try to love my neighbor and I try to see clearly. I have a hard time seeing clearly; my mind is a hurricane of ideas all the time. I can transition through a dozen different ideas in a matter of seconds, it gets hectic sometimes and it drives my wife insane. I could implement both exercises into my life more frequently as a reminder of how important each of these factors are to human life and survival.
Bradly Leis
Hi Bradly,
ReplyDeleteIt was shocking to read what you wrote about people's comments about their deceased family members. This whole area is so fresh in my heart right now as the 15 year old son of some friends of ours passed away on Tues. evening after a four year battle with cancer. I couldn't get to the service, only the viewing but I heard so much encouragement to the family and such high praise for this wonderful young man. We have some family issues, but I hope they are not so deep that we would say horrible things about each other at the funeral. I agree that people seem to be masters at majoring on the minors. What a waste- life is too short. None of us knows when our time will come, and to go through life holding on to petty differences and grudges is such a waste of precious time and energy. I have been so challenged in this class to see each person through a new lens, one that is not tainted by hatred, hurt or guile. As I continue to saturate myself with the love of God, I pray He will shine through me to others, even to those who spitefully use me. What a challenge, but I am determined to succeed!
Hey Bradly, Jeez who would have thought that dying was such an ugly business. I know that these times can be tough and then you put the financial burden on the family, I guess death can bring out someone´s true colors. The exercises that you chose were also my favorite. When we practice loving-kindness, I don´t know if there is anything that makes us feel better. There have been those times when we say something to someone and as soon as we say it, we wish that we could take it back because it was usually said out of frustration. Also when we meet someone who is full of loving-kindness, they have this sense of calm about them and it´s very peaceful to be in their presence.
ReplyDeleteMeeting Aesclepius was beneficial to me as I kept seeing images of all four of my grandparents. There is a type of wisdom that only old age and experience can bring. I feel when I talk with my grandparents that they also have this sense of calm and patience. Good luck with all the thoughts that are flying through your mind. This is something that has bothered me before but now it´s not so bad.