The Here and Now

A rainy and terribly cold afternoon in Norfolk. One would think that with these temperatures, we would be getting snow. But NOOOOOO. All the snow had to happen when I was away on vacation.

It's one of those afternooon to wrap up in a blanket and read. I just perused the book collections in my living room and study (my apartment looks like a library.. except for not having a reference librarian on staff...yet!) but nothing really caught my eye. I've either read them all or if I haven't, am not in the mood for that particular tome. Ah well....maybe it will be a good afternoon to run to Barnes and Noble.

For the first time in well over a year, I hauled myself out of the apartment this morning to attend formal meditation. There's a small Buddhist group that meets a few blocks from where I live that practices in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hahn, the Vietnamese Zen master now living in France. Up until about a year or so ago, I attended on a fairly consistent basis, but over time developed a keen interest in lazy Sundays, so my attendance ultimatly dropped off.
Depsite my time away, the format of the meeting had not changed: introductions and open discussion among the group followed by a videotaped lecture. All of this was followed by 20 minutes of sitting meditation, ten minutes of walking mediation, then capped off with 20 more minutes of sitting meditation. Afterwards a bunch of us went out for lunch and general socializing. It was very nice getting back into the practice and the group was as warm and welcoming as ever.

Over the years, formal meditation has helped keep many things in my life in the proper perspective. It is so easy to become overwhelmed with the comings and goings of daily life, particularly when you pile full-time graduate studies on top of everything else. Meditation is one of those neat little things that keeps one focused on the present moment, the here and the now and makes everything so much more manageable. While one should certainly be aware of the big picture, ones primary focus should be on the task at hand, whether completing a project at work, studying for an exam, washing dishes, or simply just being alive in the present moment.

Certainly a most profound and useful philosophy.