Liberation in the Mundane
We are creatures of habit, or looking from a dharmic perspective conditioned beings. This means when we learn something it then becomes a habit in our everyday life and it so often then becomes something we follow without any notion of being present through awareness, and so become like a mindless mechanical thing. The habit learned in the body takes over so that we can get lost in our thoughts and fantasies yet still perform the function that we set out to do. By living like this we are cutting ourselves off from the very source of our true nature and liberation and will be forever unfulfilled. The challenge that we all face is with energy (virya) be alive with ever present awareness and be with all of our daily habits and mundane routine, for it is just being like this that the door to freedom and awakening can only be found.
Comments:
Happiness, fulfilment, meaning and liberation are all to be found by awakening to the everyday activities of life. What a powerful message! I am reminded of Thich Nhat Hanh’s observation: “the real miracle is not to walk on water, it is to walk on the earth.
Awakening in the now will be such a relief, really, only having to focus on this moment, then the next, etc. Thank you Aloka, this is very helpful.
This is a powerful reminder of the need to be in the moment, “where your feet are now”. I find it easy to be pulled into the future – particularly to the next holiday – wanting it before it is time. But then I miss out on the living that happens between now and then. Āloka talks about the effort and commitment needed to engage with each moment and not get dragged into the past or future, or just perform activities like a robot with no awareness. The inspiration is to see the meaning and practice in every moment, and the potential to find freedom through every moment of every day.