Directing Traffic

There are times when I think of my mind as an uncalibrated GPS navigation system. I know where I want to go with my life, but because there's not enough re-calibration, I don't always end up at the location I expected. The lack of calibration in my psychological/intellectual/emotional GPS can actually take me down side roads, alley-ways, diversions, traffic jams, draining one of the most valuable resources that I can have... a focused mind. Without a focus mind, I tend to be lost and just driving around in circles intellectually and emotionally.

Zen practice... deep unswerving zen practice can recalibrate the minds GPS. It's a way of being that facilitates a deep bonding not just to self but all Being. We can know who and where we are, acting accordingly, with no problem at all.

Given that December 8th is Rohatsu, I've been sitting a lot more than I normally do. As I sat, sat, sat, sat, sat... there was a flash of lightning that said, "When mind is aligned... seamless... zero... every moment... every thing is Buddha's Awakened Mind."

My GPS was (temporarily) recalibrated. I'm really grateful. How I could tell that my mind has been re-calibrated? It's in how I've been responding to situations and circumstances, that in the words of one of my friends, that I've been doing "battle," with. The plug as been pulled allowing some of the hurt and other negative emotions drain. Oxygen has been returned to the room. I'm not spectating, I'm engaging...

Today its been raining pretty hard. One of my daughters commented opening the door this morning, "It's a river out there. This weather is so depressing." My response was, "But our mind is always shining, whether we know it or not." She replied, "No likely," and laughed. To me that moment of laughter was a flicker of that shining mind.

Recalibrating our psychological/intellectual/emotional GPS navigation doesn't happen by accident. It comes with sincere effort, confidence and determination. It comes with the motivation to be present. It comes as a process. It comes with sitting and struggling to gain management of our own mind, rather than letting mind-viruses run our life. It comes by harmonizing with our own breath. It comes though being resolute, diligent and compassionate with ourselves. It comes with not having to be all things, to all people. It can come by learning to befriend self.

When our psychological/intellectual/emotional GPS system is re-calibrated... harmonized..., we are capable of directing traffic, rather than the traffic directing us. This is our life. This is the best one we will ever have. Let's care for it well. We can do This!

Your In Zen,

Jaye Seiho Morris, Curator
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