The first Mindfulness Training or Precept: Reverence for Life

"Aware of the suffering caused by the destruction of life, I am committed to cultivating compassion and learning ways to protect the lives of people, animals, plants and minerals. I am determined not to kill, not to let others kill, and not to support any act of killing in the world, in my thinking, and in my way of life."

Two weeks ago I wrote: "Looking deeply into the practice of this training every day, when we buy or consume something we may be condoning some form of killing. While practising the of people , animals, plants and minerals we know that we are also protecting ourselves.

"We then feel in loving touch with all species on Earth. Feeling loving kindness or compassion however is not really enough we must learn to express it. Love must go together with understanding and insight to show us how to act. However our greatest enemy is our forgetfulness - we forget to be mindful."

We forget to be aware or conscious many times during the day. Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, one of the best known teachers of the practice of mindfulness, has said this many times at his five, seven or 21 day retreats held in the US, that our greatest enemy is forgetfulness.

We forget to be mindful. What does this mean? At these retreats he offers teaching on how to recognise the seeds of violence and the seeds of suffering and how to embrace and transform them. He also teaches how to recognise the seeds of love, compassion, wisdom and understanding within us.

He teaches us how to water these good seeds daily so that our lives will have a better quality. It is the daily watering that is important . Like a plant that sits in the sunshine on a window sill of our home, we have to water it daily in order to prevent it from becoming shrivelled up. If we look after the plant it will become healthy, lush and bloom. Just so with our own lives, we have to water ourselves daily with compassion and self-care in order to prevent ourselves from becoming hard and shrivelled up.

We too can bloom like beautiful flower, if we nourish our mindfulness daily, by watering the seeds of peace in ourselves and those around us, we will become alive. And we then can help ourselves and others to realise peace and compassion. So we must not forget to mindful.

The word "enthusiasm" comes from the Greek " filled with God" and when we tap into these God-ness or goodness seeds that are within all of us, our lives change. Enthusiasm is actually a spiritual commitment, a true loving surrender to all that is wonderful around us.

It is a recognition of all that is wonderful in creation around us and this includes all peoples, animals, plants and minerals. All part of a God created universe and all unique, just like the snowflakes, no two have been created the same. What wonder!

The practice of the First Mindfulness Training is a celebration of reverence for life. When we appreciate or are enthusiastic (filled with God) about the beauty of life, we begin to do everything in our power to protect it. I would like to offer an exercise given by Jack Kornfield, a very well known teacher of living in the moment, to help you experience joy and peace in your life. This practice can help you understand yourself and others better.

For one week purposely bring no harm in thought, word, or deed to any living creature. Become aware of any living beings in your world, people, animals and plants that you ignore and cultivate a sense of care and reverence for them. Acknowledge an associate's smile or a family member's kind words on the phone, appreciate the azure blue sky and sea or the colouring on a stray cat, really listen to the birds singing or the whispering of the Casuarina trees.

After a few days people will notice the transformation in you, when you smile or when you use kind words because those good seeds in you are being watered. When you become truly alive you can touch miracles everywhere. Life is so precious yet many of us spend our day-to-day lives carried away in forgetfulness, or lost in the past, or worrying about the future that we are unable to touch the pure wonder of the present moment.

The Mindfulness Practice Community of Bermuda meets weekly for meditation and group support for those who wish to live more aware, peaceful and joyful life. Call 236-4988 or e-mail iamhomeibl.bm.