I Think I’m Meditating
Mindful or Full Mind?
Show Me the Way to Go Om
I’ve never been able to commit to a daily meditation routine, so I can’t justify advocating for its benefits. I’ll leave that to Pema Chodron, Thich Nhat Hanh, and other spirituality pros.
Years ago, I heard legendary jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins tell a story about being taken to visit an ashram by his wife. When he had an audience with the guru, he confessed that he couldn’t get into meditation. The guru asked him if he practiced his music every day. (Rollins is famous for his dedication to lengthy, daily practice.) He replied in the affirmative and the guru told Rollins to not worry; he was already meditating.
Just meditating won’t automatically make you mindful in your day to day life. You have to pay attention (in a certain way) to be mindful. Things can get complicated, but maybe all that meditating can make things simpler. Is simple better? What about complex life? Is being an octopus better than being an amoeba? Being an amoeba must at least be easier. All it has to do is reproduce itself. But as soon as it does that, things start getting complicated. The process probably wasn’t fun. What do amoebas do for fun? Pretend to be complex life?
Om Mani Padme Hum.
Suggested listening: The Freedom Suite by Sonny Rollins https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GldoGTxN6Y
