Living Fully.

 

Living fully means jumping into the unknown, dying to all our past and future ideals, and being present with things just as they are.

Jack Kornfield

I finished seeking the Heart of Wisdom (Goldstein & Kornfield; Shambala Classics;2001)and it resonated with every part of me. Though the wisdom shared within its pages was directed towards helping others establish a better Vipassana(Insight meditation)  practice...it  was  wisdom that could also be carried into all avenues of Life. The aim of Vipassana is to open us up to what is in every given moment...being present with things as they are. And that is living fully.  

This being open is a new and unknown experience for most of us who have spent  our lives so far running from or pushing at least half of our experience away because we were afraid.  ( All aversion stems from fear of some kind). Seeking a sense of security we created a false sense of strength and protection  in our narrow, judging  and overly selective minds with our ideals, beliefs, stories and narratives. We got so entangled in those ideals and narratives that we became  stuck, the farthest thing  from free.  Most of us are stuck in our heads and living only half lives. We miss so much when we live like this. 

Through mindfulness; through a practice of sitting quietly once or twice a day; through a committment to look at, understand and to some degree tame  what our minds are doing...we can be freed. We can learn to live fully.               

The capacity to be open to the new in each moment without seeking a false sense of security is the true source of strength and freedom in life. It allows us to receive all things, to touch all things, to learn from whatever presents itself. 

Jack Kornfield

All is Well