Mindful Calmness - Our Inner Shelters

"You should at all times collect the mind, because this is quite useful...vexations will have fewer opportunities to manifest. Your personality becomes stable and calm."

-Chan Master Sheng Yen

Change is the only constant...
When was the last time you hear an inaccurate weather 'prediction' report from the weatherman? When was the last time you are swepted off by overwhelming negative emotions like anger, or sadness from a sudden event? We all know that life is full ups and downs, who knows for 100% sure what the next moment brings? But what can we do to make some sense out of this mess of circumstances we call 'life'? How can we have our own inner refuge to shelter you in these endless storms and rains?

We almost certainly can't change the stormy external world, but we certainly have control over our inner worlds. The boss can be screaming, the phones are ringing... how can we have inner peace inside us? From the above quote of Chan Master Sheng Yen, we can see that by consistently training our mind, we can protect our inner environment from the external pollutants.

I know, this is easier said than done. We hear so often, 'how can I not get angry?! after what he has done to me?! No Way! I won't forgive him!'

Buddhism is not a "feel good" religion. It teaches methods to train and calm our minds, so we can see reality in its true light, unhindered from negative emotions and elements that stems from Ignorance, Greed & Hatred. To see the situation in proper perspective, we have to face the issues on hand, be honest with ourselves, resolve the issues instead of running away from them.

Facing our inner emotions like fear, anxiety can be extremely tough. It takes plenty of courage, and determination and compassion to accept ourselves and others, to accept the fact of the situation instead of rejecting them, dwelling in denial, depression or (self-) hatred.

Practising meditation, chanting, etc will not drive the unhappy things that come to us, they won't make the boss happy, won't increase sales, definitely it won't bring world peace. However, with a strong, calm mind well trained with daily mindfulness, we will be like standing on solid ground with a strong pair of legs and great sense of balance. Our moods won't go rollercoastering so easily by daily irritants, and with that, life experiences gradually improves as a result.

So now, do you want to start building your own inner shelter?

With metta,
~buddha-inside.us~


This is a nice contribution, I want to share my reflections and experiences too!

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