“Fear is just an illusion and if you believe in this illusion, you are creating your reality. What can you believe in that is not fear? Love. Love is your essence. If you move from fear deep into your heart, you will discover that there is a beautiful little light that you have forgotten. The more you look at this light, the more it will expand in you. Then you will not need to look at the fear because you will be too busy looking at the beauty inside of yourself.” — Tony Samara Continue reading
Category Archives: Buddhist Meditation
Creativity in the Flow
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi describes flow as “being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you’re using your skills to the utmost.”
The intensity of the flow experience is one we all recognize as a creative one that goes beyond everyday consciousness. One reference is being “in the zone”. Csikszentmihalyi lists conditions necessary for the occurrence and continuation of flow experience:
- clear goals and feedback;
- balance between challenges and skills;
- action and awareness merged;
- concentration on task;
- sense of potential control;
- loss of self-consciousness;
- altered sense of time;
- autotelic (self-rewarding) experience.
The Hustler – Being in the flow state
Here’s a move clip circa 1961 with Paul Newman talking about being in the flow state.
Tony posted a video of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in a TED talk explaining his studies about the roots of happiness and the concept of flow for which he is famous.
‘What makes human beings happy?’ Is the question he was looking for an answer to. Flow is his answer to the question
In our normal experience he looked at where we feel really happy. “Ecstacy in Greek meant to stand to the side of something. A step into an alternative reality. Such an intense experience that it feels like you don’t exist.” When you are in a state of flow, you are able to face high challenges using a high level of skills.
The entire concept of flow is really intriguing, at least to me. What do you think?
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: Creativity, fulfillment and flow
In Buddhism, there is a form of meditation called samatha bhavana, which can lead to blissful states, like flow. In ‘samatha’ the mind becomes like a still, clear pool completely free from disturbance and anger, and ready to mirror on its surface the nature of things as they really are, m which is hidden from ordinary knowledge by the restlessness of desire and craving. You meditate until you attain jhana. Jhana is a meditative state of profound stillness and concentration in which the mind becomes fully immersed and absorbed in the chosen object of attention. It is the cornerstone in the development of right concentration.
Csikszentmihalyi illustrates that creativity is the central source of meaning in our lives and for better or for worse the planet’s future is closely tied to human creativity. Our capacity for being in the flow and ability to face higher challenges and succeed in what we do will in large part directly affect the planet’s future. – Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention.
No matter what walk of life we are in or what we may find ourselves completely absorbed in – we may be enjoying a flow experience. What do you think about flow?
Buddhist Meditation: Mindful Breathing Practice
The traditional Buddhist meditation technique is Mindful Breathing Practice. The goal is to attain a state of deep peace in the present moment, characterized by total immersion of the mind in its object and progressive elimination of thoughts and emotions. The benefit of learning Mindful Breathing Practice is being able to use it to cope with stress and improve relationships in our everyday lives.
Preparation and posture
The meditator selects a a quiet place and sits in any comfortable position that can be sustained for 10 – 20 minutes. What’s key is to keep a straight back throughout Mindful Breathing Practice, as it prevents the mind becoming sluggish or sleepy.
Attention and focus
In Mindful Breathing Practice the attention is focused on the nostrils, as it is there that the entry and exit of breath can be observed. The mediator will observe and follow the natural course of his or her breathing process. No attempt to stop the breath, or to deliberately alter the timing or rhythm will be made.
At first, our mind will be very busy, and we might even feel that the meditation is making our mind busier; but in reality we are just becoming more aware of how busy our mind actually is. There will be a great temptation to follow the different thoughts as they arise, but we should resist this and remain focused single-pointedly on the sensation of the breath. If we discover that our mind has wandered and is following our thoughts, we should immediately return it to the breath. We should repeat this as many times as necessary until the mind settles on the breath. — Breathing Meditations
Settling into the stillness
When the distracting thoughts subside and the meditator’s mind becomes still, a deep sense of quiet joy and peace arises from within.
Breathing in, I know I am breathing in.
Breathing out, I know I am breathing out.
Breathing in, I see myself as a flower.
Breathing out, I feel fresh.
Breathing in, I see myself as a mountain
Breathing out, I feel solid.
Breathing in, I feel myself as still water.
Breathing out, I reflect things as they are.
Breathing in, I see myself as space.
Breathing out, I feel free.
Breathing in, I know that I am breathing in.
Breathing out, I know that I am breathing out.
As my in-breath grows deep,
My out breath grows slow.
Breathing in makes me calm.
Breathing out brings me ease.
With the in-breath, I smile,
With the out-breath I release.
Dwelling in the present moment,
I know this is a wonderful moment.
Feelings come and go, like clouds in a windy sky
From: Mindful Breathing Gathas
As Mindful Breathing Practice leads to a calm, recollected state of mind in which there is also vitality and clarity, the benefit is being able to use it to cope with stress arising in every day life, and to improve relationships through conscious living.
