The Power of Mindfulness

So I haven't actually mentioned this on the channel before but when I finished university and started the channel it was a real time of uncertainty for me. I didn't really know what I was supposed to be doing or whether the channel was a good idea and I had abundant free time to think about it all so I actually developed mild anxiety. So my stomach would be in knots all day and I'd get nervous pangs in my stomach. It just wasn't a particularly nice time for me. This was a new experience for me because I consider myself to be strong-minded. I enjoy being on my own and I work well in general although obviously I do procrastinate as well. So I think my experience is testament to the fact that our own anxieties, depression, whatever we have is down to the fact that either we're being anxious about what's going to come or obsessing over the past and what could have been. What I wasn't doing and what you may not be doing is living in the present moment appreciating the world around you. Now this idea of living in the present moment can be called mindfulness and you may think this is a buzzword that only yogi mums or hippies talk about but that couldn't be further from the truth. The ideas of living in the present and meditation are older than even Daoism. Lao Tzu wrote the Dao De Jing 2,500 years ago and in it he talks about ancient sages and masters that were as old to him as Lao Tzu is to us. So that means there's something like 4,000 years of history separating us from those ancient masters and despite that history these masters asked exactly the same questions that we do. What can I do to make my life go well and to be happy? Now they discussed and debated and over thousands of years developed a set of teachings and the key tenant to both Buddhism and Daoism is the idea that you should actually live your life in the world rather than living it in your thoughts. We say In this life we should enjoy every moment to pursue long lifespan rather than wait till the next round of life. This is the central idea of a Daoist practicer in the Dao De Jing by Lao Tzu. It says Supreme virtue is like water. So the water, evenness, this is very balanced. Not like this, not like this. So if you think of too much like in the past, it might be like this. If you think too much of the future, it might be like this. So to stay now, this is also abided by Lao Tzu's advocate to be like water. Okay but what does it actually mean to be present? Well I'm heading back down to monkey valley to illustrate. Okay I didn't even have to go back down to the valley, the monkeys are just here. Okay I don't know if you can see the monkey behind me but we give monkeys a bad rap. In Buddhism there's the concept called the monkey mind where our mind leaps from thought to thought like a monkey leaps from branch to branch never staying in the present moment. If you actually observe a monkey there's nothing frantic about the leaping, it's joyful. This is because while animals have some idea of past and future like a squirrel can squirrel away nuts for the winter the ability and capacity to worry about these things is uniquely human. Nature doesn't have the sense of past and the future so in this way we see nature appears very calm so this is why we say follows the nature. The point here isn't that we should become monkeys, the ability to plan for the future and learn from our mistakes is essential to living a good life. The point is is that the more we live in the present the more tranquil our minds shall be. This tranquility does not really mean totally empty the mind, it means you appreciate everything even something tiny, you know, you enjoy it. The snow, the silver snow, you know, the green tea leaves and I enjoy the mountain, the trees, I enjoy my family even if my wife is like Socrates, the famous philosopher. Socrates? Socrates' wife who is like very very strong even if my wife is like that I also I enjoy having more wife. I enjoy life very much so I think you can also become like me. So mindfulness or living in the present isn't about never thinking again it's about an active intentional attention to the present moment to what your senses are telling you. Like Master Gu demonstrated when you switch off the inner monologue even for a brief second you begin to appreciate all the miraculous things around you such as trees that are so big and strong and last for hundreds of years or the fact that I'm able to speak to you from China over the internet or the fact that my heart is beating and your heart is beating without us having to do anything. The present world is so much more beautiful and peaceful than the caricature of the world that we create in our heads if we're constantly thinking we never get to experience this richness. Now to some of you that may seem like false positivity may remind you of those self-development gurus who say if you just smile you can achieve anything but Taoism is more subtle than that because actually it's a self-evident fact that all these positive and amazing things are out there in the natural world and in the social world it's just we habitually choose not to recognize them so no wonder so many people feel disillusioned with the world by deliberately choosing to recognize these things you can't help but become more positive because you feel much more grateful to be alive as well as have a deeper connection with nature and other human beings so being present doesn't only just change how you see the external world it also changes how you see your own internal world this is because with time and meditation you begin to observe your thoughts as something distinct from the greater you you realize that your cravings and anxieties are simply flits of energy from your consciousness and ego and that actually you have the space and the control to be able to engage with these thoughts or not this naturally makes you much calmer because you develop the mental strength not to let a negative thought run away with itself so some people may still worry about what's to come so Taoism finally asks you to trust in the Tao or the way that the world works and also to trust in yourself because the image that you create of yourself is wholly inadequate you're much more than your consciousness we say unity of the heaven which means the nature and the human being so this is very important we human beings are from the nature and we will go back to nature so to enjoy yourself enjoy this life the method is don't think of too much of yourself because you are actually you are like one part of the nature a Taoist practicer strongly believes if he has the Taoist mind being harmonious with himself and with people with nature so he respects the Tao the way then in return he will be very much rewarded he knows the things will be resolved in a natural way it's no use to rush no use to be anxious to be in a state of anxiety so yes the past and the future are important but the more we live in the present the less we engage in destructive thoughts about the past or the future and the more we get to experience the richness of living so how do you actually become present? well in everything you do focus on that one thing alone and when you notice that your focus is on something else gently and lovingly bring it back so that's easier said than done and that's where meditation comes in it's like a bicep curl for the brain each time you bring your focus back to the present it gets easier the next time and next week Master Gu will show you how a Taoist meditates so I'm almost home I'm out of breath I hope you found that interesting I'll see you next time so this week's question is where are you with your own meditation and mindfulness journey? have you done meditation? and if not why? and if you are what sort of meditation are you doing? if you did enjoy the video please share it with a friend interested in mental health and Taoism Master Gu and I would really appreciate it thanks again