Stillness

Cezanne, Still Life

Wind stirs the bamboo,
But once the wind passes,
The bamboo is silent.
Geese land in a chill pond,
But once the geese fly away,
There are no reflections.
In the same way,
Once the red dust passes,
The mind is still.

The affairs of the world are often euphemistically referred to as red dust. This is the involvement of the world that is hard to brush away and yet equally hard to hold on to. We may seek meditative detachment, but as long as the stimulation of the world continue to blow through our minds, the true stillness of meditation is impossible.

If we do not involve ourselves with the difficulties of the world, there will naturally not be any suggestion or stimulation present. Then the mind will be still. The still mind is capable of the most supreme states of existence.

Obviously, total withdrawal from the tribulations, dangers, sensual temptations, and entanglements of everyday life would be one way of doing this. If you feel ready to do this and you have that option, they you should do so. You will find satisfaction and happiness very quickly. But if you are obligated to remain in the world for some time more, and still want to practice the art of tranquillity, you must execute withdrawal on a more microscopic scale. Then stillness is possible for at least short periods.

Deng Ming Tao, 365 Tao

“O Krishna, the stillness of divine union which you describe is beyond my comprehension. How can the mind, which is so restless, attain lasting peace? Krishna, the mind is restless, turbulent, powerful, violent; trying to control it is like trying to tame the wind.” — Bhagavad Gita

“You and I can turn and look
at the silent river and wait. We know
the current is there, hidden; and there
are comings and goings from miles away
that hold the stillness exactly before us.
What the river says, that is what I say.”
— William Stafford

“There is a point where in the mystery of existence contradictions meet; where movement is not all movement and stillness is not all stillness; where the idea and the form, the within and the without, are united; where infinite becomes finite, yet not” — Rabindranath Tagore

“For those who wish to climb the mountain of spiritual awareness, the path is selfless work. For those who have attained the summit of union with the Lord, the path is stillness and peace.” — Bhagavad Gita

“One’s action ought to come out of an achieved stillness: not to be mere rushing on.”
— D.H. Lawrence

We used to go on lots of camping trips when I was a kid, traveling all over the place and exploring for a few days in the woods or the desert or wherever. Then, we took a trip to Monument Valley in New Mexico. Red dust got into everything – the tent, the sleeping bags,, all our clothing – my mom spent weeks washing it all out, and vowed never to go camping again, and she didn’t. I think I missed out on a lot of fun camping trips because of red dust.

And I think that we all miss out on a lot of things because of the red dust that clutters up our minds – all the little things that get into our thoughts and are so difficult to get rid of. The prejudices, the negativity we all seem to walk around with, the mish mash of daily events we have to deal with. It’s difficult to let all that slide away and just have a few moments to simply be ourselves, without all those things cluttering up our thoughts.

So many people seem to think meditation is about getting to where you aren’t thinking any thoughts at all, where your mind is completely quiet. But, rather like the stillness of a river, there are always thoughts moving within us. It’s more about getting to where those thoughts don’t bother you, you notice them in the flow and let them move on, without causing a ripple. Then it becomes the true stillness of the mind. You find yourself able to handle the day to day things more calmly, knowing that, even in the rapids, there will be a still pool ahead where you can rest again.

Let the river do its job, washing out the red dust and carrying it away, so you can get back to enjoying life again. Maybe even going camping, in the red dust of the desert, knowing it won’t bother you anymore.