Reflections on the Lake of Mind
Reflejos en el lago de la mente
A gentle invitation to notice how the mind reflects on experience and to meet even discomfort with open curiosity rather than struggle.
Reflections on the Lake of Mind
As experience is happening,
experience of the sense of being here,
meditating in silence,
there's thoughts and sensations,
breath,
sounds,
a voice.
The mind as a reflecting lake
Thoughts reflecting the mind like the surface of a lake reflecting on everything that's happening,
self-reflecting.
Just an imaginary lake with reflections.
There are sounds of a voice, and on this mind lake, reflections on that sound.
Memories and thoughts of the day and what's to come,
all while they are.
Raw sensations,
perceptions,
sounds,
colors,
light,
all of that already here.
Noticing the sense of agency
In the sense of agency of one being here doing something,
attempting to direct or control the experience of meditation,
notice that's just more reflections on the lake,
the lake of the mind.
And so there's what's happening at the level of sensations and sounds,
colors,
light.
Then there's what's happening on the mind space.
Reflections,
the metaphor of reflection as a commenting on what's happening.
The underlying tone
So notice if the space of reflection has an underlying tone.
A worry of what's happening.
Is there a not-okayness of what's happening?
Is there an anguish or sadness, or on the other hand, maybe lightness?
Notice how this reflection on what's happening,
what life is, where I'm coming from, where I'm going, what I'm doing.
Notice its creative nature.
Pure imagination.
Assumptions and openness
If in the narrative of life, this reflection in this moment,
if there are many assumptions held as truth,
then the possibilities and the space of reflection will feel tight and limited.
If in this space of reflection in this moment all thoughts, all paradigms, all maps are seen as approximations,
interpretations,
possibilities, with deep not-knowing of what is true.
No assumptions.
From this openness,
unconditioned,
the possibilities of reflection and creativity become free.
The freedom for this moment to be perfect.
The freedom for this moment to be beautiful.
All interpretations,
possibilities,
all forms of relating and reflecting, allowed.
No true need for anything to be in any particular way.
Pure, radical surrendering into life and the creative process.
Turning toward discomfort
If discomfort arises, rather than the reflection and the interpretation of a problem,
something to remove or resolve,
can you be open to the possibility of it being perfect and beautiful,
without any assumed need of it needing to go?
We can dive into the tasting,
the savoring of that experience of discomfort,
swimming into the textures,
sensations,
the emotions,
the thoughts, the full experience.
Total intimacy,
total open curiosity.
Not with any purpose of resolving,
just for the sake of experiencing deeply, intimately,
all of what is here.
What would happen to the struggle
What would happen to the struggle,
the constant need of things being different,
the constant efforting to get somewhere else,
what would happen to this
if every unwanted flavor in the moment could be savored, appreciated, enjoyed,
even the discomforts, the fears, the pains?
This is a true possibility.
Savoring what has been rejected
Notice any experience of pulling away from discomfort or texture,
a sensation,
pulling into thoughts,
contracting into narratives.
And find the simplicity of turning that upside down and inside out,
and allowing the full textures of discomfort or concern or apprehension
to be savored and tasted and known directly.
Fully immersive experience.
Let your being taste everything that's been rejected.
If it's already appearing,
if there is a discomfort or something interpreted as unpleasant,
then it's already here.
That is already being welcomed.