This post is a follow-up to Hope’s Wisdom Dialogues Episode Called “Undoing Guilty Perception“, written by Gail Florence.
“The only place to look is inside.”
The mind is a playground. It is a wide space with so many things occurring. It is amazing! As an organ of the body, the mind becomes the brain operating all body parts from the veins, arteries, muscles, bones and senses. Then, when it comes to thinking, perception, analysis and feeling, it becomes the mind. However, it is just one doing these abilities concurrently.
We are awed by masterpieces around the world, auctioning them at rocket prices or marveling at them in galleries when within us is a masterpiece as well - our minds! It certainly deserves a round of applause, too!
However, it is not to say our minds are separate from us. We are one with all its capacities. It is us allowing our minds to drift in thoughts. So, we can say we are the masterpiece. Remember, “We are what we think”?
Be careful with our thoughts...
When we consider our minds as a masterpiece, a feeling of care develops. We become careful with our thoughts just like curators’ meticulous attentiveness towards paintings in museums. We become watchful with our thinking, and the cautiousness is not something to repulse about. It is not to say, “I don’t want to think of my mind as a masterpiece because I want to think freely.” Rather, it is encouraging us to be attentive of our thoughts and interpretations of our surroundings.
To keep the mind intact as a masterpiece, we can allow more thoughts and feelings of comfort, happiness and peace. We allow ourselves to watch the thoughts and emotions coming in, and let them to drift too. We simply recognize what plays in our minds without tenaciously believing or holding on to them. When something arises, for example, an upset feeling, we admit we are upset, look into the reason, and release it free. Physically, we can breathe out the upset feeling and then, go on with life.
Going on with life can mean a lot of things, too. With the upset feeling, we can recognize it and nonchalantly let it drift away. We can also communicate our upset feeling and see how things will go from there. We can also hold on to it and feel upset a little bit longer. What is important is we acknowledge the feeling until we see more clearly the truth behind it. In turn, the truth is what we shine out from us.
Furthermore, masterpieces, whatever they mean, depict and imply, are products of love by their creators. So, we are masterpieces of love by God, our creator. It is our truth – we come from love. Thus, whatever thoughts or negative feelings arise from us are temporary strokes to the bigger picture. As being transient, we can set them free anytime they come. We can tell them, “Hello, visitor!” (recognition), then, “Thank you, good-bye!” (learning and the setting free). We then, go back to serene joy just like the quietness of a home after having days of visitors.
Unhook yourselves from the negativity...
Recognize too, they are temporary strokes which we allow. So, we can say we are making disturbing thoughts and feelings up. Fear, guilt, anger, sadness and disappointment are never real. We are simply convinced they are because we constantly paint our minds with them. However, we can always unhook ourselves from the negativity and return to the peace within us.
So, is it just recognizing they are temporary thoughts and feelings? Yes, it is that simple but, a caveat here: It takes practice. We are gradually nudging our thoughts and feelings out of our minds by saying, “I am making them up,”, “I am okay,” or “I am just interpreting and it is not real.”
Our mind is a masterpiece of love...
Remembering the mind as a masterpiece means we are seeing the thoughts and feelings we allow it, and caring more for it. The watchfulness about what comes and goes in there means doing it to return to our intrinsic joy and love. Interpretations, thoughts and negative feelings are always temporary markings. What is permanent is our being a masterpiece of love. Our minds remain innocent so, we are innocent. Thus, the business of being mindful of the mind.