Thoughts on a Peaceful Day

Occassionally I like to repeat an entry that seemed appropriate when I wrote and still seems so when I read it a few years later. The following is one of those entries...

Every word we think is important.

That may seem a touch strong, but what we think is what we will become. If our thoughts are in any way negative, we’re going in the wrong direction—figuratively and literally.

It’s been a delightfully quiet day. For me that means there has been much work to do but no emergencies hurtling at me through the Internet. The neighbors have been quiet. Other than an occasional car, all I’ve heard have been the sounds of the wrens chirping and the occasional flock of Canada geese discussing flight plans while flying overhead. It’s been a peaceful day, a good day to work.

With this much quiet all I’ve noticed, other than the soft chanting of my "Amituofo" CD, are my thoughts. Even on a peaceful, untroubled day, I’ve noticed they haven’t all been as admirable as they could.  Nothing serious. Just a touch of sarcasm when I was trying for wit or a fleeting thought of what was that? Self-satisfaction? A hint of anger?

Like I said—nothing serious. But if such thoughts arise on a peaceful day without deadlines or disturbances, it’s little wonder we think and say the things we do on bad days. But the problem then is, we don’t notice what we’re doing until the harm is done. Then it’s too late.

So now is a good time to practice, when life is peaceful and I can catch and immediately correct myself. And hopefully I'll get better at it when times are more "challenging."

Comments

[Sue K]

At tonight's meditation your Amituofo CD was mentioned. Melba had us do a walking meditation on gratitude.
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I'm not sure if I have this quote percisely:

"The ancestor of every action is a thought."

[anybody]

Dear Venerable Wu Ling,

On quiet days I find myself boared. Like a child with nothing to do (I really have plenty of tasks I just ignore them very well I suppose that is procrastination or better yet denial). In either case I find myself actively having to WATCH my thoughts. I try to be grateful I have no emergencies (presently) and to change my boring thoughts into enthusiastic happy thoughts.

"...Water the seeds of happiness..."

I am trying to catch myself (because nobody else will do this for me so I have learned and I have tried to give this job to a few therapist but there are no takers) being bored or even just neutral. Maybe neutral is a better word.

I can be so neutral on almost everything I amaze myself over and over. So I too am trying to move myself into a good/ positive enthusiastic happy space during quiet times. Especially now that Thanksgiving and family gatherings are lurking about. I mean arriving in due time.

Taking a neutral feeling and being grateful it is not a hurting feeling wow how cool is that...


Thanks for sharing your quiet times with all of us

.

I suppose the birds were all in agreement and flew straight? Sometimes that is not such a bad idea. Just flying straight.



anybody

[wayne]

Someone told me that those not too serious thoughts (e.g., the sarcasm you mentioned) that occur on a peaceful day have the same nature as tiny holes in a rubber band. As the rubber band sits on my desk doing nothing, those tiny holes do not present a problem. In fact, I have to stretch the rubber band a bit in order to see them. However, when the time comes for me to use the rubber band to hold something in place, those same holes may weaken it enough that it will snap and be useless.

[Venerable Wuling]

Wayne - a very apt analogy, thank you.