Laughing Medicine

One day a while back I was thinking about all the concepts that created the image of who I was. I thought about my name, the way I look, my beliefs and thoughts, my past and everything that “I” am, and unexplainably started laughing. This deeply serene and calming feeling filled my entire being. I realized that all the ideas of what I am and how I identified what was me, were nothing more than concepts. They are just part of the puzzle. What we are is so much deeper and more beautiful than we can understand or express, and in that moment I was reminded of that. This laughter reminded me not to take this conception of myself and all the opinions or beliefs I have so damn seriously. It taught me that this image is just a role that I am playing, so I should play with it. It was one of the more powerful moments in my life.

So long as we live right now in this moment, there are no problems. As long as we do not connect our being too fiercely with the image or the idea of ourselves, we will not experience a state of disharmony within or to the world we are a part of. I have found that more often than not if I was to step back are take a more complete view of things as they happen, many frustrations and troubles could be avoided. For example if something bad was to happen, I may feel upset or angry not that it happened but that it happened to ME. If I was to take a wider perspective I might find that it isn’t happening to me it is just happening, and I am witnessing this happening. The question once came to me whether or not negative experiences exist solely to remind us to let go of our complete identification of ourselves with the “I” concept.  I have found that one of the most beautiful and healing things that we can do is to laugh at ourselves from time to time. Not only can laughter alter our mood and bring us into a state of happiness, but it can remind us of what is truly important in life.

From there it led me to an idea that at the time I called laughing meditation. There is a yoga or meditation for nearly everything these days and I thought this idea fit perfectly within this group. My idea was pretty simple. All you do is think about all the concepts, ideas, pains, memories, desires, etc. that you think make up the basis of "you”. Go as deep as you can, and let it build. When it all starts to get overwhelming, simply laugh from your belly and let it all go. Imagine all of yourself dying and fading away, and yet you will find that there is still so much left. Beyond all the concepts there is still so much left. Look at yourself in the mirror and laugh at yourself. Laugh at how serious you take yourself. Remind yourself to be fearless and to play. Be flexible and open. To me has been more of a medicine than a meditation, but I feel that there is great power in this simple idea.

All Mixed Up

Why do we not trust ourselves? Why do we look down at ourselves and put ourselves down? And why is it that we get the idea that other people have their shit together somehow better than us?                                                                                                           To me it is common sense that every single one of us is just as confused and mixed up as everybody else. Nobody is better or smarter or more evolved or closer to the ultimate reality or anything else that you can imagine as a competition. I don't care if you are a priest or a guru or a scientist with an endless number of degrees or the president of the United States. To me, you are not any better than anyone else. But don't run too far with this thought either, because I do not think I am better than any of them. Now the truth is that from time to time I cannot help judging people. Sometimes I will get the sense of superiority or inferiority, because that is part of the culture I grew up with, but I understand that just because I may from time to time think it so does not mean it is. And anyone that truly believes they are superior or inferior has a false sense of identity.

We must stop competing with everyone else, especially with ourselves. We get the idea that we could be better and that we should be a better version of ourselves. Why is this? Is it something that we truly feel or is it an idea that has been put into us by something outside us? You cannot be anything other than what you are.

Stop competing with yourself, you are wonderful the way you are. Don't look up to anyone because they are no better than you are, and don't look down on anyone because they are just as good as you. Everyone is just as fucked up and mixed up as you are. We all have the same thoughts and fears and hopes. This is a bridge that can bring us all together as a people.

Quiet The Mind

One of the greatest things that we can do for ourselves is from time to time respectfully tell our mind to be quiet.

It is the nature of mind to wander, but that does not mean we must follow it. Watch the wandering of your mind, the sensations of your body, and the world as it enfolds right in front of you.

I find from my personal experience that as I do not follow my mind, I begin to distance myself further and further from the idea of "me". Even the idea of a separate self seems like an absolutely impossibility. The thoughts that run through my brain and even the actions of my body do not appear to be things that are under my control. That is not to say that they happen TO me either, because there is no individual me at all. Things just seem to happen. Life happens both through and around me. I have found that experiences like this may not only be the real nature of the cosmos, but is an absolute necessity to promote any sort of harmony within oneself.