Take Five!

“Just be aware, mirrorlike, right now.” 
-Pai-chang

Do not use your phone or any other device to do what follows.

For one week, dedicate five minutes of one day to be totally aware of what you are doing. Repeat for a total of seven weeks. 

Make a chart to keep track of the dedicated awareness periods, and don’t let anyone see it. Your chart might start out looking something like this:

On each awareness day, devote five minutes to when you will be doing something familiar, like preparing a meal, eating, folding laundry, walking…

For that five minutes, be fully attentive to what you are doing. Your single goal: be aware only of what you are doing.

Say you’re folding laundry. No need to think about what might be coming next, or what you did yesterday. In attention, the laundry folds itself. After subtle, helpful thoughts—which you were aware of—such as, where’s the other sock, or, this is a hang-up item, watch as awareness resumes driving the action.

Beginning with week eight, pick two different days, and set aside five minutes of each day to be fully attentive to what you are doing. Repeat for a total of seven weeks.

Where you go from there is up to you.

Knowing what you are doing is an active, potent, meditation, and it’s healing affect on the mind is unlimited.

When you act without thinking, you are perfect.

You don’t have to do anything. Just to know that you are sitting quietly for a few minutes is mentally refreshing.

Awareness delivers—with a word, or more often in silence—all you need to know to live.

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Comments are welcome and all questions will be answered.

I’ll post a new topic each Friday afternoon, in one of two categories. One will be on shooting, and the other will be on living. Or: how I learned to live from what I learned by competing.
Thanks for coming in.