The Mirror of Being

When we are comfortable, our senses seek gratification. There is a likelihood that when things feel proper, our systems initiate signals for growth. While such a development is not unhealthy, it can be a precarious position to be in. This is because, if unchecked, there arises the inclination to consume. The weight of emotional and sensory information ought to be light, especially when we are at ease. In fact, that should be the case irrespective of how we are and how we feel. Our mind could be likened to a mirror. Just as a mirror houses reflection, our minds harbor impressions. This collection tends to imbibe and grow, but unlike a mirror, opacity in the form of rigidly held views and emphases often sets in.

In order to continue to reflect and not crystallize, we must exercise vigilance, much like a mirror is polished. The registration of fear, pain and the like need not be negated or denied but they should likely be viewed as just elements and not the whole. The panorama of the mind could be seen to position for learning and not merely acquisition or consumption. This might allow positive regard for senses and feelings and thoughts, no matter their valence. If such a way were to come about, we would not need to discriminate too much between say hunger and satiety or perhaps between excitement and equanimity. With this happening, all phenomena would be present but not sought or even contained.

The benefit of such a way would lie in being able to choose wisely. In knowing when to act and when to allow. This is not a skill to be taken lightly. In effect, we might learn not to be exclusive but exhaustive. Like a mirror, we could learn to house without grasping and have without selecting. In this manner, the drive for cultivating any specific aspect of what we are experiencing might be rendered unnecessary and we would be able to abide without too many demands, on ourselves or others.