How Shall I Live a Mindful Life?
A little while ago I received an email from a friend with some information on author Dorian Haarhoff's wordshops and somewhere in the body of the message was the little sentence "How Shall I Live?" Dorian mentions that he has written a Tanka (a classical Japanese 31-syllable lyric poem - which was not included in the email) for each picture in a collage that he has made. It is an invitation to consider how we live during these days - and beyond.
It reminded me of a sitting we did a few years ago at which we touched on the topic "What is the Question to which My Life is the Answer?" I looked everywhere for the original notes on our sitting, but sadly I seem not to have kept them. But it did motivate me to sit with both questions this past week. "How Shall I live?" And "What is the Question to which My Life is the Answer?" The emphasis of my attention moved towards the question: "How shall I live a mindful life?"
In my readings and researches, I came across a page folded over many times, with a short letter printed on it from someone called David Howard from Church Stretton, in Shropshire, England.
I don't know who he is, but he writes so beautifully, if he ever comes across this post, I hope he won't mind me including this. :)
I don't think I have to add much to what he says:
"If I am to live a considered life, I cannot but reflect that I am not alone.
From my birth through my upbringing, my existence has been shaped, not just by my own experiences and thinking, but by my interaction with the lives of others.
Most closely, with family, where one is constantly reminded of the continuum of a network of relationships.
My sense of myself and my own place in the world is tempered by my awareness of others, of the lives they lead, their thoughts and feelings. My concern to lead a good life is, therefore, not solely about myself, but embedded in my concern for others. In the process of trial and error which characterises our existence, I seek to learn, to develop my understanding, but I do so in a continuous dialogue, refining beliefs and attitudes, being assertive when required, attentive to alternatives, tolerant of misunderstandings, and changing when necessary.
As I explore the richness of human life, I travel hopefully, with the expectation that a sensitive, thoughtful and peaceable approach brings abundant rewards.
My ambition for a full and complete life lies not in the accumulation of material wealth, much as I can enjoy the comforts of civilisation, but rather in the quality of experiences and relationships that arrive, in friendship and in love.
If I can live more in line with my needs, as against indulging my wants, and if my style of living is more attuned to a sustainable environment, then I can better resist the temptations of greed and selfishness which threaten human civilisation.
As I work to live as simply as I can in a complex world, I can sit more lightly on the earth, and influence others to do the same. If I mix optimism with realism, I can do good in small measures – modest but worthwhile.
by David Howard, Church Stretton, Shropshire
In light of this, I invite you reflect on this question, and sit with me this Wednesday from 8am. Unfortunately we have time restraints, but I invite you to share any insights you may have had about how we live in these days and beyond.
Metta
_/\_
