Art of living

Nonfiction, Health & Well Being, Self Help, Self Improvement, Creativity, Psychology, Emotions
Cover of the book Art of living by Maza Sem, Maza Sem
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Maza Sem ISBN: 9781533754424
Publisher: Maza Sem Publication: April 15, 2016
Imprint: Language: English
Author: Maza Sem
ISBN: 9781533754424
Publisher: Maza Sem
Publication: April 15, 2016
Imprint:
Language: English

Suppose you had the opportunity to free yourself of all

worldly responsibilities for ten days, with a quiet, secluded place in

which to live, protected from disturbances. In this place the basic physical requirements of room and board would be provided for you, and helpers would be on hand to see that you were reasonably comfortable. In return you would be expected only to avoid contact with others and, apart from essential activities, to spend all your waking hours with eyes closed, keeping your mind on a chosen

object of attention. Would you accept the offer?

Suppose you had simply heard that such an opportunity existed, and that people like yourself were not only willing but eager to spend their free time in this way. How would you describe their activity? Navel-gazing, you might say, or contemplation; escapism or spiritual retreat; self-intoxication or self-searching; introversion or introspection. Whether the connotation is negative or positive, the common impression of meditation is that it is a withdrawal from the world. Of course there are techniques that function in this way. But meditation need not be an escape. It can also be a means to

encounter the world in order to understand it and ourselves.

Every human being is conditioned to assume that the real world is outside, that the way to live life is by contact with an external reality, by seeking input, physical and mental, from without. Most of us have never considered severing outward contacts in order to see what happens inside. The idea of doing so probably sounds like choosing to spend hours staring at the test pattern on a television screen. We would rather explore the far side of the moon or the bottom of the ocean than the hidden depths within ourselves.

But in fact the universe exists for each of us only when we experience it with body and mind. It is never elsewhere, it is always here and now. By exploring the here-and-now of ourselves we can explore the world. Unless we investigate the world within we can never know reality—we will only know our beliefs about it, or our intellectual conceptions of it. By observing ourselves, however, we

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Suppose you had the opportunity to free yourself of all

worldly responsibilities for ten days, with a quiet, secluded place in

which to live, protected from disturbances. In this place the basic physical requirements of room and board would be provided for you, and helpers would be on hand to see that you were reasonably comfortable. In return you would be expected only to avoid contact with others and, apart from essential activities, to spend all your waking hours with eyes closed, keeping your mind on a chosen

object of attention. Would you accept the offer?

Suppose you had simply heard that such an opportunity existed, and that people like yourself were not only willing but eager to spend their free time in this way. How would you describe their activity? Navel-gazing, you might say, or contemplation; escapism or spiritual retreat; self-intoxication or self-searching; introversion or introspection. Whether the connotation is negative or positive, the common impression of meditation is that it is a withdrawal from the world. Of course there are techniques that function in this way. But meditation need not be an escape. It can also be a means to

encounter the world in order to understand it and ourselves.

Every human being is conditioned to assume that the real world is outside, that the way to live life is by contact with an external reality, by seeking input, physical and mental, from without. Most of us have never considered severing outward contacts in order to see what happens inside. The idea of doing so probably sounds like choosing to spend hours staring at the test pattern on a television screen. We would rather explore the far side of the moon or the bottom of the ocean than the hidden depths within ourselves.

But in fact the universe exists for each of us only when we experience it with body and mind. It is never elsewhere, it is always here and now. By exploring the here-and-now of ourselves we can explore the world. Unless we investigate the world within we can never know reality—we will only know our beliefs about it, or our intellectual conceptions of it. By observing ourselves, however, we

More books from Emotions

Cover of the book Alessitimia, un mondo senza emozioni by Maza Sem
Cover of the book Na hora da decisão by Maza Sem
Cover of the book Sensibilità by Maza Sem
Cover of the book L'attesa. Il percorso emotivo della gravidanza by Maza Sem
Cover of the book HOW TO HEAL A BROKEN HEART AND STOP THE HURT: Mend Your Relationship Heartache With Self-Love by Maza Sem
Cover of the book 科幻電影的預言與真實 by Maza Sem
Cover of the book Master Your Emotions by Maza Sem
Cover of the book Understanding Collective Pride and Group Identity by Maza Sem
Cover of the book 心好累:抗壓力太強反而會生病,精神科醫師教你不再被壓力擊垮的30個練習 by Maza Sem
Cover of the book Unafraid by Maza Sem
Cover of the book How to Stop Worrying by Maza Sem
Cover of the book Emotions of Menace and Enchantment by Maza Sem
Cover of the book Leaving an Abusive Relationship by Maza Sem
Cover of the book The Role of Emotion and Emotion Regulation in Job Stress and Well Being by Maza Sem
Cover of the book Emotional Intelligence: How to Improve Your IQ, Achieve Self-Awareness and Control Your Emotions by Maza Sem
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy