Dear Friends,
For the next few days, I’m listening to the next talk from the Equanimity and Awareness Retreat, given by Kamala Masters, titled “Equanimity-Seeing the World with Quiet Eyes“. However, before diving right into the talk, I thought I’d share how, for me, Kamala exemplifies living with equanimity.
I haven’t had the opportunity to sit with Kamala yet, but I’ve listened to many of her talks and read some of her writing. She tells that when she first came to the practice, she was a single mother with young children. She has written about one of her teachers, Munindraji, and how he encouraged her to practice in the midst of that:
One time when [Munindraji] spent a few days at our home after a ten-day retreat, he tried to get me to do sitting meditation every morning. It was pretty hopeless with the three kids – I just knew I couldn’t do it all the time. Not giving up easily, he asked me where I spent most of my time in the house, to which I quickly replied, “In the kitchen, washing dishes.” So we went to the kitchen, and he gave a Dharma talk right there about how much freedom and happiness there can be in the simplicity of being present with whatever is happening, and how the power of that presence of mind would uncover deeper and deeper truths. He stood right next to me at the sink, and with his lilting East Indian accent, he gave on-the-spot mindfulness instructions for washing the dishes.
He said, “Have a general awareness of just washing the dishes, the movement of your hands, the warmth or coolness of the water, picking a dish up, soaping it, rinsing it, putting it down. Nothing else is happening now – just washing the dishes.” Then he told me to experience my posture, or just notice that the process of seeing was happening. He said that I didn’t need to go slow, or to observe everything moment-by-moment, but that I should have a general mindfulness of whatever was happening as I washed the dishes. “Just washing the dishes.” …
This has been a steadfast training in bringing awareness back to my original intention, the simplicity of what I am doing at the time. This helped collect or focus my mind so that it was not so scattered. To do this has required me to develop more perseverance, patience, humility, clear intention, honesty with myself, and much more. These are no small things. Just from washing the dishes! So day by day, dish by dish, a lot of the training of the mind and heart can be accomplished.
~ Kamala Masters, In the Kitchen, Washing Dishes
Rather than suggest a guided meditation or reflection today, I invite you to do the dishes! Or find some type of task like that…
For example, one of my favorite mindful tasks is washing my hands after using the washroom at work. Not only is it good hygiene to do so, but I really do see how that short moment in the day brings focus, patience, joy, and much more. I’d love to hear about some of your mindful moments!
Feel free to share your reflections or comments below, or by email.
With warm wishes,
Andrea