MEDITATION & MINDFULNESS
Beyond mindfulness into oneness
The power of mindfulness can dissolve our illusion of separation altogether. by Paul Bedson
T
he extensive research into mindfulness meditation is revealing what a truly wonderful
resource it is. What a healing gift to humanity at a time when it is so greatly needed! Mindfulness meditation enhances
physical well-being. It creates a space for physical healing, stabilises emotions and calms the busy mind. Mindfulness meditation connects us with our body and emotions, and enables us to respond to our needs, listen to our intuition, and be guided by our inner integrity. Mindfulness meditation improves the quality of our relationships by gradually healing old wounds and old patterns of defensiveness and reactivity.
THE ESSENCE OF MINDFULNESS And what is the essence of this powerful resource? The essence of mindfulness
meditation is choosing to be present with whatever is happening in our moment-to-moment experience. By choosing to be present and paying attention to our experience, we stop judging, projecting, desiring, avoiding – we stop struggling! Through regular practice, we stop
struggling with ourselves, with others and with life. We experience moments of peace, joy, love, and gratitude. What a healing gift!
From mindfulness practice, the qualities of gratitude, empathy, and loving kindness begin to emerge organically. And yet with mindfulness meditation there is still even more on offer – I call this moving beyond mindfulness into oneness. Or to say it in another way, moving from choosing to be present to ‘being present’ or ‘being presence’. This refinement of mindfulness
meditation comes from being present with less effort, and more lightness of being. Presence arises from becoming more aware of subtle levels of desire and seriousness, which can limit our meditation practice. Accompanying these subtler levels of
desire are attachments to an outcome from meditation and attachment to an identity as ‘doing’ meditation. This identity as ‘the meditator’ creates separation, striving, and holding on. As we become aware of these subtle attachments, they drop away. We can open, let go, and flow into oneness with all that is! Even small glimpses of oneness bring
a sense of freedom. This is a taste of freedom from the illusion of separation and a homecoming to our true self. All the steps of mindfulness are still
relevant because we need to stay awake, alert, present… Then, moving from mindfulness into oneness, we let go of the technique, let go of the observer, the observed, and the observing.
Buddha teaches this letting go in the ‘raft parable’: Along the way, a pilgrim comes
across an obstacle in the form of a wide river. The industrious pilgrim makes a raft from nearby materials and paddles across the river to continue his pilgrimage. But when he reaches the other shore, what does he do with the raft? Does he carry it on his back in case he comes to another river? No, that would seriously slow him down! He leaves it behind, lets go, and moves on. Like the raft in Buddha’s parable,
mindfulness meditation enables us to cross the river from the everyday, busy world, to the shores of peace and presence. Then, letting go of the raft, we can experience a deepening into our true nature – as oneness. l
Connect with other readers & comment on this article at
www.livingnow.com.au
Paul has worked in the field of mind/body medicine for over 25 years as a retreat facilitator, counsellor, psychotherapist, meditation
instructor, and natural therapist. He co-authored the book Meditation: An In-Depth Guide with Ian Gawler; is the current president of the Meditation Association of Australia; and runs a variety of meditation retreat programs at the Yarra Valley Living Centre, Victoria.
MARCH | APRIL 2018 39
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100
