Not to Be Neglected

Posted by: Michael Rickicki | 11/10/2013

Not to Be Neglected

It occurred to me this morning as I was preparing to begin my first session of walking meditation that there was a way to cut off the obsessive thoughts I have been plagued by for at least the last three months. Rather than simply trying to catch a breath or two while being inundated and drowned by endless thoughts about work, finances and security, the best course of action would be to take up a theme and object that immediately put all of those things into perspective and showed them to be the ephemera that they really are: maranasati.

There was a time, especially in the early years of my practice, where I relied on the recollection of death perhaps overmuch and, as the pendulum swung away from that pole, I have neglected the practice. Today’s experiment with recollecting the certainty of my death while doing cankama bhavana proved to me just how potent the practice really is and that I need to add it back into my formal practice regimen once more. I have, therefore, updated my daily practice outline and although I have slotted only five minutes for maranasati at present I may lengthen it later. I simply don’t want to fall into the trap of using the reflection as a justification for aversion to my life so I need to proceed cautiously with so potent a medicine. I have also backed off of my aditthana to learn the Dhammacakkapavattana sutta by memory as I do not feel I was benefiting mightily from it and instead feel that using that time to memorize the recollection of death verses or the Karaniya Metta sutta in Pali would be a better use of time.

Thank you all who read this and all those who make WordPress a place to share and workout one’s thoughts. I am grateful to all beings who, through their sufferings, allow me to live in ease and comfort and do not take lightly the gifts I am given. May I be worthy of the sacrifices of all beings and not squander my life in distraction and ingratitude! May there be happiness and well-being!