Chop Wood Carry Water Plant Seeds is a blog about Self-Sufficient Homesteading. How can we live by creating a sustainable bio-diverse world, instead of by consuming and destroying the only one we have? What kind of teaching have you got if you exclude nature?

Monday, January 27, 2014

What does meditation got to do with it?


These days we are reading a lot about ecological problems we are facing on this planet, and we are starting to realize that its our very life style which is causing those problems. There are those of us which see the issues clearly but feel overwhelmed by them. There are so many issues we are facing that one gets almost paralyzed by the vastness of problems at hand.

Where to start? What to do? How to do it? Can I do it? 

Our mind is used to problem solving and even when there are no problems our mind will try its best to create and find problems that need solving. Some people call this phenomena "Monkey Mind" which jumps from one issue to the next and so on and so forth. A never ending game which seems to have ill effects on this body of ours. The problem solving mind is always on the run and the body reacts to it by releasing stress hormones into the system which in turn stress the mind even more. It is a stress cycle; mind stressing the body and body in turn stressing the mind which in turn stresses the body even more and so on and so forth.

I used to meditate daily for almost 3 years and then stopped with it. I can clearly see now that while I was practicing every day I had more clarity and more calm then now. I had a clear view of whats to be done without much relying on the Monkey Mind. Somehow the Heart knew what to do and the body-mind followed into actual action.

Now I came to the point of owning a farm and there are many thoughts in my head, many plans about how to run it, what to do with it, impatience to get to that point, discouraged by the pesticide using commercial farmers surrounding our farm ... etc ... etc ...
All this thinking is creating lots of stress and unease in the body I feel. There is tension in my muscles and I even have bad dreams lately. 

So I decided to re-kindle my daily meditation practice to calm the body-mind and let the heart lead the way once again. So far it led me the Right Way.
As Zen master said; "Meditate every day for 30 minutes and if you are too busy meditate for 1 hour instead" ;)

3 comments:

  1. It is great to see your progress settling into your new home. Seeing this post I am prompted to ask... have you space cleared your new home? Old houses hold impressions from previous inhabitants and this energy can effect ones peace. Be free to delete this comment. With best wishes, Kim

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    1. Hi Kim :) no reason to delete this comment of yours. Yes i did clear the space by smudging each corner ofeach room with insence smoke. I also placed a rose quartz stone in each corner of the house. I also said words;
      May all house spirits be happy at heart, free from suffering, may no harm come to them. May those with good will remain here and may those with ill will go away.

      What effects ones peace is the mind based on desire and aversion. Calm that mind and peace is evident. In my experience that is of course :)

      Bee well

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  2. I remember now that you dowse for your bees so of course you will have done similar for yourself and be aware! Buddhists I have met from many traditions have been masters of what could be called space clearing.

    Yes mind can disturb inner peace. I feel meditation, in bringing one inner peace, also brings peace and love to the world.

    I found a reference through this blog to the film "the weeping camel". It was magnificent!

    Peace and happiness

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