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Fickleness, Yet Discipline Sermon Link and Exercise
28 Aug 2021 00:20 #362359
by RosalynJ
Pax Per Ministerium
Fickleness, Yet Discipline Sermon Link and Exercise was created by RosalynJ
Here is the link to the text for the live service yesterday: https://www.templeofthejediorder.org/sermons/2801-know-thyself
And here is an exercise to help you apply all we have been learning this month
Fickleness, yet discipline exercise (thank you River)
There is a Buddhist style of meditation called Vipassana. To practice it, first sit comfortably. Once you are settled, begin to pay attention to your breathing, without making any effort to change it's rhythm. Choose one part of your body, perhaps your abdomen or the space just below your nostrils, to focus on as you breathe. Inevitably, stray thoughts will arise. When they do, silently name the general distraction a few times and then let them go. Do this without judgment; do your best to see the distractions as a neutral experience. If you are distracted by the ticking of a clock, simply say "hearing, hearing hearing" silently and then calmly redirect your focus to your body and breathing. If you notice the weight of your foot on the floor, silently think "body, body, body" and then refocus on your breathing meditation. If it is distracting to you to try to generalize your distractions, if it engages your mind too much, it is fine to be more specific in your naming of them or just go with whatever comes to mind first: you might think "clock, clock, clock" and "foot, foot, foot" in the above examples. The goal is simply to acknowledge the fickleness of your mind and then gently discipline it back to your breath.
Practice Vipassana for at least ten minutes, and then take time to reflect on your experience. Were you distracted often; was your mind fickle? Were you able to notice when it was, without judgement? How did it feel to exert discipline and refocus on following your breath? Were you able to do so gently and without judgement? Do you think it is more effective to exert discipline with or without judgement? Which feels better? Does how discipline feels play a role in how effective it is? What do these ideas mean in other areas of your life such as work, relationships, fitness, and your Jedi studies?
And here is an exercise to help you apply all we have been learning this month
Fickleness, yet discipline exercise (thank you River)
There is a Buddhist style of meditation called Vipassana. To practice it, first sit comfortably. Once you are settled, begin to pay attention to your breathing, without making any effort to change it's rhythm. Choose one part of your body, perhaps your abdomen or the space just below your nostrils, to focus on as you breathe. Inevitably, stray thoughts will arise. When they do, silently name the general distraction a few times and then let them go. Do this without judgment; do your best to see the distractions as a neutral experience. If you are distracted by the ticking of a clock, simply say "hearing, hearing hearing" silently and then calmly redirect your focus to your body and breathing. If you notice the weight of your foot on the floor, silently think "body, body, body" and then refocus on your breathing meditation. If it is distracting to you to try to generalize your distractions, if it engages your mind too much, it is fine to be more specific in your naming of them or just go with whatever comes to mind first: you might think "clock, clock, clock" and "foot, foot, foot" in the above examples. The goal is simply to acknowledge the fickleness of your mind and then gently discipline it back to your breath.
Practice Vipassana for at least ten minutes, and then take time to reflect on your experience. Were you distracted often; was your mind fickle? Were you able to notice when it was, without judgement? How did it feel to exert discipline and refocus on following your breath? Were you able to do so gently and without judgement? Do you think it is more effective to exert discipline with or without judgement? Which feels better? Does how discipline feels play a role in how effective it is? What do these ideas mean in other areas of your life such as work, relationships, fitness, and your Jedi studies?
Pax Per Ministerium
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