New beginnings

The Ninth Mindfulness Training: Truthful and Loving Speech

Aware that words can create happiness or suffering, we are committed to learning to speak truthfully, lovingly and constructively. We will use only words that inspire joy, confidence and hope as well as promote reconciliation and peace in ourselves and among other people. We will speak and listen in a way that can help ourselves and others to transform suffering and see the way out of difficult situations. We are determined not to say untruthful things for the sake of personal interest or to impress people, nor to utter words that might cause division or hatred. We will protect the happiness and harmony of our Sangha by refraining from speaking about the faults of other persons in their absence and always ask ourselves whether our perceptions are correct. We will speak only with the intention to understand and help transform the situation. We will not spread rumours nor criticise or condemn things of which we are not sure. We will do our best to speak out about situations of injustice, even when doing so may make difficulties for us or threaten our safety. Quote from Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings

I have started to teach meditation recently and suddenly realized it is not at all clear to the majority of people what meditation is all about. Therefore I have contemplated a lot on whether it’s a topic I need to introduce in this blog. Since my experience is that the so called mindful living one ought to practice while clearing out the accumulated gunk from the body and spirit in order to restore balance and rid the body and mind from cancer or any other illness in fact, the answer is yes. Talking about mindfulness, meditation, clean eating, clean thinking is very much so linked to how one should go about tackling illness – and not only cancer but illness in general. The medical world talks about DISEAS which in fact is really accurate, two words put together: dis + ease. Because truly that is how we feel when our body gets out of balance. Unease. Discomfort. We develop a dis ease.

So starting today I will take a short side track with this blog (I have had some difficulty writing about anything to be perfectly honest for a while now, which hopefully will be touched upon during the coming months) and start examining the hows – not the why’s anymore. I trust the WHY is within every one of us, we must find it alone and the path is individual every time.

My journey to health will most hopefully evolve as the years pass and with mindful living (honestly, I would rather not use this word because I sense that most people don’t know the core of the word and might get misguided by reading it) I will avoid suffering. Not in my heart, not in my body and certainly not in my mind. For me it is the Buddhist teachings that bring clarity. For you my reader it can be something else and that is absolutely fine. As long as peace is found in the heart and mind.

Namaste – and a very relaxing Sunday to all!