| All the seeds of all the flowers of tomorrow | | | | precepts, recognise and learn from them and |
| are in the seeds of today. An Indian Buddhist | | | | then move on. |
| saying. | | | | |
| | | | I think that the guardians on our sense doors |
| I love this saying. For me it carries within | | | | are even more important today because of the |
| it the fundamental message of dependent | | | | nature of our modern world. We are constantly |
| arising. No single flower or seed is | | | | assailed with images, sounds, smells which |
| independent of itself. It carries within it | | | | probably are not too skilful. (Just take a |
| the past and the future. All the flowers of | | | | look at the majority of our advertising. Most |
| yesterday and all the flowers of tomorrow. In | | | | advertising these days breaks at least one of |
| this meditation I am coupling this with the | | | | these precepts, particularly false speech!) |
| Buddhist approach of guardians of the sense | | | | We post our guardians and then with |
| doors and for me, this is the essence of the | | | | mindfulness, watch the feelings and emotions |
| Dharma. In Buddhism, we have the concept of | | | | that are involved. If we can practise and |
| the 5 usual senses, plus the 6th which is the | | | | maintain our mindfulness during the day, away |
| mind itself. Through our senses we open | | | | from the cushion, then we have at least some |
| ourselves up to the world and experience it. | | | | chance of not allowing these unskilful |
| If we apply mindfulness to these senses we | | | | elements to take hold. We can keep watch and |
| can capture the essence of anything | | | | just allow the positive seeds to develop. |
| experienced and understand it. We can then | | | | |
| decide if it is skilful and unskilful. I like | | | | Here we come back to this beautiful Indian |
| this idea of skilful and unskilful, rather | | | | saying. All the seeds of all the flowers of |
| than good and evil. It feels softer and more | | | | tomorrow are in the seeds of today |
| forgiving somehow, and also somehow more | | | | |
| personal. Rather than some higher power | | | | With mindfulness we develop our positive |
| deciding our fate based on our thoughts and | | | | seeds and weed out the negative. The Buddha |
| actions, we decide for ourselves. We are very | | | | explained to us that actually, we are only |
| much in control of our own destiny. Our own | | | | alive for 1/64th of a finger snap. Everything |
| Karma! | | | | before is a memory, everything to come is a |
| | | | plan, a fantasy, a dream. We are constantly |
| I came to Buddhism because of its approach to | | | | being reborn and our actions take us forward |
| the precepts. The precepts are :- | | | | to the next 1/64th lifetime. If we are |
| | | | mindful to the precepts, through the |
| To refrain from | | | | guardians on our sense doors, particularly |
| | | | the mind, then suddenly each 1/64th lifetime |
| ..harming living beings. | | | | is important and worthwhile. Each is positive |
| | | | and each takes us forward to the next. We |
| ...taking things not freely given. | | | | develop positive Karma. |
| | | | |
| ...sexual misconduct. | | | | A phrase I like to use here which sums this |
| | | | up is "As Buddhist, we capture and celebrate |
| ...false speech. | | | | the most intimate nature of the present |
| | | | moment" |
| ...intoxicating drinks and drugs causing | | | | |
| heedlessness. | | | | So the more I stay mindful, the more I |
| | | | capture each moment with mindfulness, aware |
| Although each precept describes that which is | | | | of what I am feeling, thinking, doing, the |
| unskilful, for example "do not take what | | | | better the next 1/64th lifetime will be. |
| isn't freely given", unlike many other | | | | |
| religions I love the positive view that is | | | | This, for me at the moment is dependent |
| presented alongside - for example "Be | | | | arising and this is the experience of Karma. |
| generous" | | | | I carry forward the results of my previous |
| | | | lifetimes. Not lifetimes before this body was |
| Obviously this is explored here at the very | | | | born, but lifetimes just moments ago. I love |
| high level, but Buddhism requires us to | | | | this way of thinking and I love the Dharma. |
| explore these precepts inside ourselves | | | | And I am only just starting to experience and |
| without reference (necessarily) to others. | | | | understand it! |
| They become our personal measure and we are | | | | |
| our own judges here. It is here that the | | | | Interestingly, this also underlines for me |
| guardians on our sense doors become | | | | why I don't feel I make progress on the |
| important. Particularly the guardian on our | | | | cushion during formal meditation. My |
| mind. Our own 'mindfulness of mind'. This is | | | | meditation is practise for the following day. |
| why we meditate I believe. To help us to | | | | To help me stay mindful. |
| train ourselves to be mindful and able to | | | | |
| catch the unskilful and develop the skilful. | | | | Cultivating mindfulness on this clear spring |
| | | | morning. With the sound of birdsong and the |
| However, coupled with this is the step in the | | | | babbling brook, the guardians on my sense |
| Eightfold path of Right Effort. Although we | | | | doors are far from busy. I feel the gardener |
| judge ourselves, at the same time we are | | | | in my mind, watching my thoughts, tip his hat |
| encouraged to be gentle on ourselves. Push | | | | in acknowledgement to Mara and her unskilful |
| ourselves, but not too hard. Guilt is a | | | | friends, but call and welcome in the skilful |
| delusion in Buddhism. So we are encouraged to | | | | to his home. |
| recognise our unskilful actions against the | | | | |