"A mind that is fast is sick. A mind that is slow is sound. A mind that is still is divine." - attributed to Meher Baba
It is no secret that modern life is fast-paced. And it is also no longer a secret that this pace is unhealthy - physically, emotionally and spiritually. I'm grateful to have found a spiritual teacher, Eknath Easwaran of the Blue Mountain Center of Meditation, who emphasizes slowing down as part of his approach to spiritual living.
One of the reasons that Easwaran insists on slowing down the pace of life is to allow the body, the mind and the will to develop the strength and resiliency necessary to continue to progress on the spiritual path. Since I tend to be impatient with the pace of my progress, I'm grateful for Easwaran's reminder that trying to force or rush spiritual growth is dangerous and unhelpful.
L.B. BlackwellIn practice, slowing down might mean taking incremental steps in my attempts to make positive changes in my life. Rather than giving up coffee (or another undesirable substance) altogether, I might try drinking a bit less than I'm used to. Or, for an even smaller but still effective experiment, I could choose a different mug in the morning, leaving my preferred one in the cupboard for another day.
I have tried both of these options recently and have found I was able to loosen up my preferences just a bit. As Easwaran teaches, juggling my likes and dislikes in one area makes it easier for me to do it in other areas.
I have discovered, since I implemented the two experiments above, that my preferences in things like deciding where to eat when my family orders takeout have become more flexible. I'm learning that it can be liberating, when asked for my opinion about where to eat or what to listen to on the radio, to say simply, "I don't have a strong preference" or "I'll let you pick."
A while back, I was having lunch with some of my co-workers, and although I had already chosen my entree I began to doubt my choice as I listened to them discuss what they might order. Pretty quickly, however, I was able to catch my mind in the act and say, "We are going to stick with our first choice, even if their selections sound more enticing." And while I'm sure it was almost all due to the expertise of the chef, it was one of the best restaurant meals I've had in a long time.
To borrow Easwaran's language, it is the artistry of these small daily decisions that appeals so much to me. More than that, though, it is the stillness of mind that comes from slowing down and loosening my preferences, even a little bit, that is the real payoff.
L.B. Blackwell has been practicing Eknath Easwaran's passage meditation for 10 years. He lives in Chattanooga with his wife and two daughters. He blogs at mundaneway.blogspot.com.