Mindfulnessinaction’s Blog
An interactive Mindfulness Meditation blogArchive for June, 2009
A meditation on the fact of illness
Last week I got a call from a former colleague. She is a retiree and while she was at my company, we would just gab on all day about all kinds of things but mostly sports. Therefore, I was happy to hear from her when she called. As we caught up, I asked if she had heard about a mutual colleague whose illness had become worse and now was on permanent disability.
She told me that another friend from work told her about it and that she and this sick colleague were actually close friends. However, since her illness she had been too afraid to call or go by and see her. I told her that she needed to go by and see her because there is no way of knowing how much time she has left. “Don’t say that!” was her response. She went on to tell me about another mutual friend who had been sick and near death. Upon seeing him, she became so overwhelmed she nearly fainted.
I told her I could understand her fear of illness. After all, these were her contemporaries. Their miserable plight was a constant reminder of what she would inevitably face one day. I told her that no matter what I said about our mutual friend it was a fact that we did not know how much time she had. My words would not make it so or not so.
I encouraged her to go see her friend and be with her in her time of need. Illness is a fearful event, but it does not have to be. As you go throughout the week, contemplate this reality of illness. If you can truly come to terms with it, you will discover a deep sense of peace and happiness.
May you be well, happy and peaceful.
I am not the only one.
“Now, a disciple of the noble one considers this: ‘I am not the only one who is sure to fall ill. But wherever beings come and go —pass away and re-arise— they all are subject to illness.’ When a noble disciple often reflects on these facts, the path arises and he/she regularly pursues, develops and cultivates that path. As while doing so the fetters are abandoned, the obsessions and underlying tendencies are destroyed.
World lings are disgusted by other beings who share in our common nature. By those afflicted by ageing and illness. When I live for a higher aim, it is unfitting for me to loathe such pitiful beings.
While dwelling thus, I will defeat that pride in health, youth and life. Having known the state free from props seeing security in renunciation, as I gaze towards Nibbana energy arose in me, unbinding was clearly seen. There is now no way I could partake of sensual pleasures. Having followed the holy life, I will not return.”
There are three beautiful points the Buddha makes. First, he shows us how to develop empathy: “I am not the only one…” should be a meditation we practice as often as possible.
Second, how to put away passion and the behaviors that harm us. Cultivating empathy and recognizing our similarity to all living beings gives us pause to commit evil deeds, thoughts and action.
Third, he gives us a good foundation for social justice and building peace in our lives. This meditation helps us to rise above our petty fears that lead to hate. We could create a society that is sensitive to the realities of what it means to be a living being. Illness does not have to carry a stigma that divides us and keeps us from showing compassion.
Most of us think that the path to Nibbana is some mystical and otherworldly exercise. Look very closely and you will realize that seeing our existence as it really is and cultivating compassion is the way to peace.
May you all ever be well, happy and peaceful!
Rafael
Why on earth would I ever want to think about illness!
For what good reason should one often contemplate the fact… that they are sure tobecome ill, and cannot avoid illness? Beings while healthy take pride in their health and infatuated by that pride in health, they conduct themselves in a bad way in deeds words and thoughts. But in one who often contemplates the certainty of illness that pride of health will either be entirely abandoned or grow weaker…For that good reason the fact of illness should often be contemplated.
In our culture, it has become part of our conditioning to deny or tone down the fact of illness and disease. In general, we take of three approaches to the fact of illness: Denial, blame or the martyr. Denial ranges from disbelief to why me? Blame tends to take the form of pinning illness to some supernatural force as being a test from either a loving God or affliction from an evil Satan. The martyr takes the form of the American hero image who will fight and is not going to let illness beat them; the “I will survive mentality”
Contemplating the fact and inevitability of illness is counter intuitive to this cultural and individual mental conditioning. The Buddha encourages us to take a hard-unbiased look into reality so that we can truly understand what real strength is. Real strength is in knowing and facing reality instead of running from it.
Imagine the kind of society we could have if, as parents, we skillfully taught our children the fact of illness. If we resolved not to cover their eyes and allow them to delude themselves into thinking, they will be healthy and strong forever. Teaching them to contemplate the fact of illness would help them realize there are consequence to any evil they commit in words, deeds and action. Instead of living with reckless abandon and giving into peer pressure while they are young, a voice of reason, in times of temptation will remind them “I am sure to become ill, and cannot avoid illness?
It is unfortunate that we remain determined to distract ourselves from reality at all cost. With all the ageing, illness and death that exists in our world it is amazing that few stop to think deeply about what these realities mean. Contemplating them can lead us from fear, ignorance, hate and delusion and give us the peace of mind we so desperately long for and need. Finally grasping them will help us make better choices on how we treat our bodies and others. This contemplation makes it clear that we all have an expiration date and we should live a full and meaningful life with the time we have.
2nd Thought
I am sure to become ill, I cannot avoid illness. Illness is an inevitable part of the human condition. In the machine that is the human body, there are many moving parts, which can malfunction at any time. The way we grow, develop, and evolve is so incredibly delicate there is not much room for error. This is the miracle of existence: that we even exist at all!
The human body is about self-preservation. It does everything possible to exist. We have the ability to, consciously, give our body the proper diet and exercise it needs to maintain peak performance. Likewise, we can consciously harm it through improper actions. Much of the harm we do to our bodies is unconscious. We develop these unconscious habits in our eating, postures and work habits, and the consequences of these actions bear fruit much later in our lives. I will talk more about this in future posts.
Constructed into the very code of the matrix of life, is illness. The reality is that no matter what you or I do or do not do we will not be able to avoid illness. It is a universal law that in our form of existence, in order for anything to live another living being must die or decay. This is true on both a micro and macro level. From the virus to the lion, every living being depends on the reluctant sacrifice of beings who desire to live as much as the next.
This is not a call to surrender or to lead a life of heedless excess. I am not suggesting that anyone who is ill simply throw his or her hands up in defeat. In understanding the very fact that illness is natural, you understand two things.
One, you should live a healthy life to the best of your ability. When I purchased my last car, the Consumer Report review stated that the rear brakes were one of the flaws for this vehicle. They wear out fast and are expensive to replace. This was not a deal breaker for me. I really loved this car so I was willing to accept this defect. Both having the knowledge and accepting the reality of this built in flaw empowered and informed my actions. I was not going to be the kind of driver who tailgates and races from stop light to stop light standing on the brakes all the time and then be shocked when they wore down.
Second, if you have lived a relatively healthy lifestyle you can live guilt free should you be afflicted with illness. There is nothing wrong with you! You are not broken, bad, a special case or any of those things. You accept that illness is part of living just as growing old is part of living. There is no one to blame; there is no “being” who is testing your faith or punishing your sins; Illness is an unpleasant fact of life but still a fact of life, and when seen clearly you can still live the life you have left to the fullest. Learning to neither embrace nor reject the fact of illness is the path to peace. It is what it is.
A Reveiw of the Facts.
Today concludes the first 13 day period of our five- part meditation retreat on the Five Contemplations for Everyone. In the first segment, we examined the First Contemplation: “I am sure to grow old, I cannot avoid ageing.” We discussed some important elements of this contemplation such as why should we contemplate the fact of ageing; what are the social implications of ageing; the fact that we are not the only ones who will grow old and finally how to cultivate empathy and compassion as we age and watch others around us age as well. We concluded with a meditation that we practiced for 9 days.
If you would like to review, you can read the short posts and practice the meditation to help catch you up. Do not worry, it is not anything overwhelming and should be simple to pick up. You can find all the posts under the main page titled The 5 thoughts for All.
The next meditation begins this Wednesday, June 10. This is my first attempt at something like this so it will be an organic process. You may see some changes here and there based on my own observations or any valuable input you may give on how this meditation retreat can improve.
Below I have outlined a schedule for the next 13 days that I hope will help make sense of what I am trying to accomplish.
Wednesday, June 10:
Blog Post: The Second thought (the fact of illness)
Thursday, June 11:
Blog Post: Why would I ever want to think about getting sick!
Friday, June 12:
Blog Post: I am not the only one.
Saturday June 13-21:
Meditation: The fact of illness
Monday, June 22
Blog Post: Review
It is my sincere hope that you gain something from the meditation retreats that will help you discover happiness and peace.
Be well,
Rafael
