Ego OR Awareness?

     Irritation, Recognition, Boredom, Interest, Inspiration, Experiencing, or Integrating?
     These possible responses to any aspect of Mindfulness are worlds apart – like "heaven & hell." AND at the same time, each is immediately present right here, right now. Each moment we have the effortless, instant choice of any of these. See: http://mindfulnessforeveryone.blogspot.ca/2014/11/589-resting-in-awareness.html
     We don't consistently live in awareness i.e. don't fully integrate aspects of Mindfulness into our daily life, to the extent that our ego remains in charge of our life. And we suffer in direct proportion. 
     As we become progressively more aware of what's happening within & about us in each moment, we gradually learn to choose thoughts, words & behaviors that are increasingly more skillful ie cause less suffering & greater joy for all.
     When's a good time to start living wisely?

Austin Beahm, National Geographic   http://photography.nationalgeographic.com

Drowning, Caught in the Torrent, OR Surfing? What is This? Rebirths

     Even intelligent, well-educated folks may not be able to distinguish between being swept away by the torrential river of life from surfing the waves. The story of our life has a momentum, one with which we start out being cognitively fused - fully identified. Even when we get a bit of insight, letting go of this massive momentum is difficult. We're not just abandoning an idea or concept of who we are (ego), we're unplugging from an ego-associated energy source we've learned to rely on - ego death. There's a massive chasm - the distance between heaven & hell - between understanding concepts and fully integrating them into our lives.
     Like snakes shedding their skins, we must repeatedly shed self-concepts & associated worldviews that we've transcended. We are reborn, not just "one day at a time" but every fraction of the second according to much wiser folks than I.

Buck 65 & Jenn Grant singing Paper Airplane

Transformative Learning

     Transformative learning can be achieved in three stages: 1) reflecting, 2) directly experiencing, and 3) knowing. Reflecting involves critically examining a statement to see if it makes sense. When you intellectually know that a statement is at least logical and theoretically possible, then you go to step 2. Directly experiencing is immersing yourself in the statement. Through mindful compassionate awareness, see if the experience is valid for you personally – in your body – as a felt experience. Here theory becomes a living wisdom rather than a philosophy. Step 3 is knowing – mindfully integrating what you have just learned and felt into your daily life. In scientific terms, this is referred to as “knowledge translation / utilization”. Without this crucial last step, you return to old habits ie there is no real benefit.

       Moffitt P. Dancing with life. Buddhist insights for finding meaning and joy in the face of suffering. Rodale, 2008.

     "There are three kinds of wisdom: Sutamayā paññā, cintāmayā paññā, and bhāvanāmayā paññā. Sutamayā paññā is information you get from reading, from listening to Dhamma discourses, or from discussions with teachers. Cintāmayā paññā is intelligence or knowledge acquired through thinking, reasoning, or intellectual analysis. Bhāvanāmayā paññā is insight or wisdom gained through direct experience. In short, we refer to them as information, intelligence, and insight."

       Ashin Tejaniya "Dhamma Everywhere: Welcoming Each Moment with Awareness+Wisdom."

http://sayadawutejaniya.org/teachings/

Photo: Geza Radics   flickr.com/radicsge