Zen? Is this something to do with Oprah?
Siddhartha “Buddha” Gautama is the father of Buddhism. It may be too early to claim
that Oprah is the “mother” but she seems to be making her case for that title (see the article on Oprah’s “Tolle House” classes).
As a practical matter, the Buddhist concept of improved mental state through meditation can be utilized by anyone. For many, the concept of meditation inspires images of “New Age”, “Hippies”, “Extremist Monks”, or generally something that doesn’t apply to their lives. For others, the practice of meditation suggests a religious construct that is antithetical to their Christian upbringing. The reality is much different.
Mindfulness meditation is a simple practice of attempting to empty all thoughts from your mind. I compare this to the recovery period that your muscles need after a workout. While the mind is not a muscle, meditation can offer a analogous recovery period that can open new avenues of creativity, productivity, and mental acuity.
I hope that the benefits of meditation can be better understood and realized by many more people. For this to happen, the stigma that intimidates many will need to be removed. Hopefully, light-hearted blogs like mine or the powerhouse of the “big O” help to make that happen.
Tags: , buddhism, eckhart tolle, meditation, new earth, oprah, oprah class, tolle, zen
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March 4th, 2008 at 3:07 am
Your point about sweeping thoughts from the Mind reminds me of
Lewis Carrolls “Through the Looking Glass”:
The Walrus and the Carpenter
Were walking close at hand:
They wept like anything to see
Such quantities of sand:
‘If this were only cleared away,’
They said, ‘it would be grand!’
‘If seven maids with seven mops
Swept it for half a year,
Do you suppose,’ the Walrus said,
‘That they could get it clear?’
‘I doubt it,’ said the Carpenter,
And shed a bitter tear.
Yep. That’s how it is when we try to empty thoughts from our mind.
Another way is to focus soft attention on the breath. Works!
PS I just loved your idea of Oprah as the Mother of Zen
March 4th, 2008 at 8:51 pm
Wow. Great quote. Lewis Carroll quotes are really wild. Almost sounds like the lyrics to one of those later Beatles songs
I can guarantee you that 7 maids and 7 mops cannot clear my mind of 30+ years of crazy stuff and songs that appear out of nowhere. Last night during my nightly meditation, I fought off the memory of Barbara Mandrell’s song, “I Was Country, When Country Wasn’t Cool”???? I can’t even venture a guess where that came from. I really don’t think I was ever “country” … even when it was cool. The mind is an odd thing?!?
November 12th, 2008 at 2:23 pm
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