Zen, Brigham Young, and Finals

As of my drafting this post I am in the middle of finals week. So many projects to do, so little time.
Or so I've been led to believe.
I'm trying to be Zen about it all and it seems to be working.
 I have an art final that has hit a snag, so to speak. A stray brush stoke seems to have shot my project that I spent hours on right in the foot. Now, normally this could cause me to reach a whole new level of stress, and that stress would combine with the stress of my other finals and snow ball into me eating an entire gallon of Baskin Robbins in despair.

"Who am I kidding? I can't afford fancy stuff like that."

But I am trying to take life as it is, one moment at a time. I recall something said by Brigham Young while the Salt Lake Temple was being built. The Temple's construction was taking a while and some people had concerns about it.

Some will inquire, “Do you suppose we shall finish this Temple, brother Brigham?” I have had such questions put to me already. My answer is, I do not know, and I do not care anymore about it than I should if my body was dead and in the grave, and my spirit in Paradise. I never have cared but for one thing, and that is, simply to know that I am now right before my Father in Heaven. If I am this moment, this day, doing the things God requires of my hands, and precisely where my Father in Heaven wants me to be, I care no more about tomorrow than though it never would come. I do not know where I shall be tomorrow, nor when this Temple will be done—I know no more about it than you do. If God reveals anything for you, I will tell you of it as freely as to say, go to City Creek, and drink until you are satisfied.

The Temple Cornerstones—The Apostleship, &c
A Sermon by President B. Young April 6, 1853, at the General Conference.
Reported by G. D. Watt. http://jod.mrm.org/1/131 

Here we see a 'live life in the moment' mentality. We ought to be most concerned with what we are doing right now. Of course we need to plan for the future and of course we need to learn from the past but what good is that if we no nothing good and worthwhile in the present. I am not worried about my art project because I am not now working on it. Since I am not working on it, there is nothing I can do about it. I have set aside time to fix it and I plan to worry about it then. For now, I will worry about writing a blog, in a few minutes I will be worrying about paying attention in class.
For me, to be Zen is to take life as it comes, as it has always come, and as it always will come; one second at a time. 
A rightous life is not made up of grandiose events that took a great deal of planning, it is made up of countless moments of asking, "is this what I should be doing right now?" and making the best choices for that moment.
Nameste ya'll,
Michael

Pain and Suffering

Recent events in my life have prompted me to write a little on pain and sorrow. You should know, for starters that I do not use pain and sorrow in a synonymous way. I, of course, consider them to be similar things -they are both forms of unhappiness after all- but at their core they remain noticeably different.

Pain is unavoidable. Pain is the result of living in a fallen world. It comprises everything that happened as a result of Adam and Eve's fall. They are usually things over which we have no control. Pain is sickness, injuries, old age, death, when loved ones stray, the unrighteous choices of others, etc. etc. etc. Ad nauseam. Labeling all the ways that pain can enter into our lives would need a depressingly long list, but the common element in all pain is that we tragically have no power to prevent or contain it.

So what is suffering then? Suffering as I define it, is unhappiness that comes as a result of pain. Basically it is second hand pain, an incorrect reaction to pain. It is unique from pain, however, in that we have a choice in encountering it. Suffering can be anywhere between the two extremes of an obsession with pain or an unwillingness to accept pain. When we become obsessed with pain we deliberately prolong it, rehearsing the pain over and over in our mind. We become like a cow chewing cud all day long, never giving up our misery. We seek to expand our hurt until it becomes a massive sea that consumes us and cuts off all other good and worthwhile emotions. In a talk about anger and holding grudges (both types of sorrow) President Hinkley related a story of a man who I would say was consumed by sorrow:

"It concerns Master Hauchecome, who on market day went to town. He was afflicted with rheumatism, and as he stumbled along he noticed a piece of string on the ground in front of him. He picked it up and carefully put it in his pocket. He was seen doing so by his enemy, the harness maker.At the same time it was reported to the mayor that a pocketbook containing money had been lost. It was assumed that what Hauchecome had picked up was the pocketbook, and he was accused of taking it. He vehemently denied the charge. A search of his clothing disclosed only the piece of string, but the slander against him had so troubled him that he became obsessed with it. Wherever he went he bothered to tell people about it. He became such a nuisance that they cried out against him. It sickened him.“His mind kept growing weaker and about the end of December he took to his bed.“He passed away early in January, and, in the ravings of [his] death agony, he protested his innocence, repeating:“‘A little [piece] of string—a little [piece] of string. See, here it is, [Mister Mayor.]’” (See “The Piece of String,” http://www.online-literature.com/Maupassant/270/.) " source 

The great tragedy of this man's suffering is that he chose it for himself and carried around a weight as a reminder of the pain. Though the physical wight was only a piece of string the emotional weight was a crippling burden.

The other extreme of not accepting the reality of pain is equally tragic. We refuse to consciously admit that there is a problem, that there is not cause to mourn or feel pain. It is the stubborn refusal to accept that the world has unpleasant things in it. Those subject to this may even go to great lengths to avoid feeling anything. Drugs, alcohol, video games, and other addictions are often used to dull or hide the pain. But no matter how deeply they bury their pain they still know it is there, like the Poe's Tell Tale Heart, it steadily reminds them of it's presence until it drives them to destroy themselves.

Suffering in not a necessary part of life. it comes from the results of our actions and as such, we can avoid it. We can choose happiness.


So, what are we to do about pain? It is unavoidable and an incorrect response to it just leads to suffering. For starers we can feel our our pain. Pain is a feeling, just like happiness, albeit far less pleasant. As a feeling it demands to be felt. When bad things happen in life we do not need to put on a brave face. Cry if you need to cry, mourn if you need to mourn. Don't condemn yourself for having real emotions. That's what makes you human. Work through your feelings. Do not let them become any more or less than what they truly are.


By confronting our pain we can stop sorrow dead in it's tracks.We can choose happiness.

But then, are we doomed to an eternity of pain that must be humbly endured? Hardly. Pain, as I mentioned before is a result of a fallen world and is a temporary state. Pain is the result of Adam's transgression and through the Atonement of Jesus Christ pain as we know it will one day be nothing but a memory.


Now we have hit on something. In facing our pain we are not alone. Christ took upon himself all our pain and our suffering. He knows it. He bought it with His blood. It's His now. When we feel pain we have the great opportunity to ask Him to release us of it. I don't believe He will just wave a magic wand and make all the bad things go away, He respects us far to much for that. He believes that we are strong enough to deal with pain. The pain is meant to reshape us into something greater, but it will be fleeting. He will guide and instruct you in what you need to know to remove the pain because He believes in YOU.

It is natural to fear pain. It's scary and unpleasant. But to me it is helpful to remember that in the moments leading up to His suffering, Christ was afraid. Looking at the sheer amount of pain He was about to feel for us, He was scared. In perhaps one of them most tender and personal experiences recorded in scripture, The Lord asked his Father if it were possible to avoid the pain. "Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done."(Luke 22:42 KJV). It was then that he was comforted by an Angel. We have no way of knowing what form that comfort took, but I believe that part of it was reminding Christ what pain does in the long run. It changes us, it makes us grow. I believe that He saw our great potential for change. He knew then that through his suffering He could help ease our pain in great and small ways.

Meditating on the Atonement has helped me through pain both great and small. It has helped my suffering evaporate. That is a huge part of it. Yes it is there to redeem us from death, yes it cleanses us from sin, but it also can heal heartbreak, grief, sorrow, and the effects of a crummy day. In whatever pain or suffering you are going through, Christ stands with you, ready to heal.

Pain and suffering are not pleasant topics. But they are part of life. When we agreed to come to this life we did not agree just for part of it, was wanted all of life, even the warts and scars. It is unwise, I think, to dwell solely on the pains and sorrows of life though. There are good parts in life. Yes, the trials of old age and death are tragic, but there are always beautiful sun rises. War will come, but so will music and dancing. Sometimes we stumble and fall flat on our faces, and other times we come out the triumphant victor. "For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." (Psalm 30:5 KJV)

How tragic it is that for the sake of tears many will forsake the flowers.

Yes, you will feel pain in this life. You may even suffer. But you should not let that become your whole life. Feel your pain. It's part of life. Feel your happiness, that's part of life, too.

Namaste y'all,
Michael

How (and why) to meditate

Why should we meditate?

“That which we persist in doing becomes easier to do, not that the nature of the thing has changed, but our power to do so is increased.”
― Heber J. Grant

As president Grant stated our repetition of action increases our ability to do those actions. This means that the more we sin, the easier it is to sin, and, inversely, the more we listen to the spirit, the easier it is to listen to the spirit. Meditation is the act of being still and, in the Mormon context, listening for the spirit, even when the spirit has nothing in particular to say to us right now. Repeated meditation makes it so that the spirit can with ease enter into our lives whenever needed.

When we meditate we make room for Christ, giving Him a place from which He can teach us and instruct us.

Now a quick disclaimer; Meditation can be used to help in a wide variety of situations, but it is not a magical cure all. If you suffer from serious mental or physical problems, talk to a doctor, they kinda totally know what they're talking about. Doctors are Meditative Mormon Approved!

"I also approve of this seal...and like, taking your meds and junk."

Meditation Mechanics:

There are many ways to meditate and be mindful. I'll only discuss a few here and leave to comments open to you readers for other methods.
The fist thing you must understand is that, contrary to popular belief, meditation is not 'clearing you mind' and thinking about nothing. You can't do that. It's impossible. The human mind is always thinking, even when we sleep it keeps going and going and going. Meditation does not stop your brain from running, rather it directs it. Meditation can slow down the mind by placing it on a repetitive track. Or meditation can be used to focus on a single issue and idea, basically making the brain run to a specific place. Here are some particular ways to meditate.

1. Anchor Meditation. This method of meditation is, in my opinion, a basic exercise that all meditaters should use often. It involves thinking and focusing on a specific repetitive thing, such as your breath and using that as an anchor (see where I got the name? clever, huh?). Using your breath as an anchor is very convenient because you always breathe (hopefully). But it's not limited to focusing on breathing. You can focus on walking, you heart beat, music and so on. To do breathing meditation I recommend finding a quiet place to sit comfortably in (no need to do a crazy lotus position, just sit how you normally would in a chair, feet on the floor, hands in you lap and back straight) and focus on your breath. You can count breaths, think 'in' and 'out', or just feel how you body moves as you breath. Any time thoughts other than your breath enter your mind acknowledge them without judging them as good or bad and return your focus to your breath. I suggest you start out with short one to two minute sessions and eventually work up to ten, twenty, and thirty minute sessions.
2. Theme meditation. Basically this is pondering on a topic. As always find a quiet spot to sit comfortably. Begin to contemplate a topic of your choice. I recommend beginning with a prayer asking for the spirit to guide you thoughts. If your mind starts to stray from your topic, use your breath as a reminder of your topic. Focus on your breathing then transition back to your topic. From personal experience I have found this a very effective way of receiving answers to prayers. I actually have a really good story I'll have to share some time. Take as much time as you need for this.
3. Watching meditation. This one is a little difficult to describe in brief and I'll probably devote a whole post to it later. Like always, sit comfortably and use your breath as an anchor point. deliberately let your mind wander, but do so with out encouraging any of the thoughts. simply observe the thoughts as they enter your mind and eventually leave your mind. Do not judge them as good r bad, simply watch them. This is good for getting an idea of the state of your mind. Is it frantic? obsessed with a single topic? This form also helps you practice not feeding unwanted thoughts. 
4. Mantra. By far the easiest meditation and likely the most familiar. For a mantra meditation select a mantra (a short phrase or word) that gives you comfort or helps you do what is right. 'CTR' is basically a mantra and the church has encouraged it to be used as one so I'll use that as an example. When you find yourself in a situation where you feel tempted you may recite 'Choose the Right' to yourself as a reminder to behave properly. If you feel anxious you may choose a mantra like, 'Peace, be Still'. As a child I had a bad temper and when ever I got angry I used the word 'mellow' as a mantra t calm down. The use of mantras is another topic I plan to devote a whole post to in the future.

Let me know it the comments any other ways you meditate and any suggestions you have for others.

Namaste, y'all,

Michael

Mindfulness and Addiction

In General Conference bingo, the 'addiction' space might as well be a freebie. It always come up. It's always a problem.
Addiction is essentially what happens when a person loses the power or will to control their natural impulses. Which makes it the exact opposite of mindfulness.
Mindfulness is the act of being aware of where you are and what you are doing and exerting conrtol over your actions accordingly. Thus, Addiction, as being the act of not controlling your actions, is the antithesis of mindfulness.
Mindfulness can be used to prevent the start or continuation of addictions. In the prietshood session of the April 2014 General Conference President Uchtorf told of an experience he had while he and President Monson where given the opportunity to tour Air Force One. (Uchtdoft talked about planes? YES! I just got BINGO!) Uchtdorf was allowed to go into the cabin and sit in the pilot's seat. Instinctively he put his hands on the wheel (or what ever the airplane equivalent is. The sky wheel, maybe?) and got in position to fly that baby. But then he heard President Monson behind him say "Dieter, don't even think about it." This story tells us two things. One: it tells us the President Uchtdorf is a mastermind that nearly stole Air Force One.

"And I would have gotten away with it, too, if it wasn't for that meddling Monson!" #heneversaidthat Photo from ksl.com

 Two: it gives us a good allegory for how mindfulness can prevent us from sinning and giving into addictions. In this case Uchtdorf represents our natural urges through his natural urge to use a giant machine to spit in gravity's eye. President Monson then represents the Mindful state we should strive for. He was aware of the situation. He knew that he was in one of the coolest airplanes in the world and he knew he was with a huge airplane geek. He saw the potential for issues. So he monitored the situation and when he saw temptation arise he addressed it, not judgmentally but as an honest appraisal of the situation. He knew that Uchtoft meant no harm, but he also knew that taking the President of the United States's ride out for a spin was unwise.

"Probably also illegal, now that I think about it." #heneversaidthat Photo from wikimedia

Mindfulness brings with it a clarity of thought not obscured by love for airplanes or natural desires. With the mindful view point we are in a better position to identify and redirect the desires of the natural man with in us. It helps us see and admit when we have addictions, be they a pornography addiction, an addiction to a certain really good television show or just a deep love of flying. Mindfulness lets us break free of ding things without thinking and lets us act, rather than be acted upon.
So try and be mindful, think about what you are doing. God put three pounds of brain meat in your head for a reason.
Namaste, y'all,
Michael

Boring, Explanatory, Maiden Voyage Post GO!

I've been intending to start a blog like this for a while now. I had so many excuses, but I guess I finally caved. So since this is the first post I suppose I'll try and explain what I hope to accomplish with this. Of course, to do that I'll have to explain a little about myself.

Boring, explanatory, maiden voyage post GO!

My name is Michael. I was raised as a member of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and still am a member. Back in 2012 I attended (and, as of 2014 still am attending) Brigham Young University-Idaho. I've always had a fascination with the various religions and cultures of the world, so when I found that they offered a world religion course here I pounced n it. It was my great fortune that the class I enrolled in was taught by one Gary Purse. Brother Purse had had a unique practice of beginning each of his classes with a moment of meditation, which he justified and helping us learn about Buddhist and Hindu practices as well as improve spirituality in our own faith. To put is simply I got hooked on meditation and mindfulness.

Since that time I have attended Brother Purse's meditation workshop as often as I can and have found this practice of mindfulness and meditation to be remarkably compatible with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I guess that brings me to what I'm trying to do with this blog. I believe that the Church's doctrine and practices point us to mindfulness and encourage the art of meditation. However, I find that my fellow Mormons do not have a culture of meditation or are wholly ignorant of how and why to meditate. I hope that with this blog I can, in some small way perhaps, encourage meditation among Mormons.

So, here's what you can (and can't) expect from this blog.

What you can expect:

• Discussions on the mechanics and 'how to's of meditation.
• Commentary on doctrines and statements of Church authorities in regards to mindfulness and meditation.
• Insights and observations from me.
• My opinions, for which I alone am entirely responsible.
• Assertions that Meditation helps all humanity (including Latter-day Saints).
• Assertions that we would all be better off using the Deseret Alphabet. Because it's my blog and I do what I want, yo.

What you can't expect:

• Politics.
• Me agreeing with you.
• You agreeing with me.
• The Spanish Inquisition.

So that's what you'll get here at the Meditative Mormon.

Expect a post soon where I discuss mindfulness principles that popped up during General Conference.

Namaste, y'all.