Blade of Grass

From a letter by Vincent Van Gogh to Theo (his brother), Sept 24, 1888:

If we study Japanese art, we discover a [mind] who is undeniably wise... who spends [...] time - doing what? Studying the distance from the earth to the moon? No! Studying the politics [...]? No! [He/she] studies... a single blade of grass. <...> That is how [he/she] spends [...] life, and life is too short to do [draw] everything.

(note: I "tuned" this a bit to make it more P.C./more readable for 21st century mind and to accentuate the point I meant to extact from this passage)

Interrupt Patterns to Anchor Yourself in the Present

To increase presence into an otherwise mindless activity, interrupt the usual patterns.  For example, try eating with your non-dominant hand.  Notice how this minor manipulation suddenly anchors you in the present.  Incorporate pattern interruption into all kinds of otherwise mindless routines to leverage more mindfulness.  Do dishes with headphones on.  Vacuum with a sombrero on.  Do bills with a quill pen.  Switch up the routine, turn on the awareness to anchor yourself in the present moment.  Challenge yourself to do something wild, out of the ordinary, atypical.  Create a Kodak moment.  Mind is a pattern: interrupt it!

Mindfulness is Ignorance (Bliss) on Demand

Ignorance, they say, is bliss.  As I see it, there are 2 kinds of ignorance:

1.  ignorance of un-awareness (mindlessness of something that can be known)

2. ignorance by choice (a conscious decision to ignore that which cannot be known)

Which type of ignorance is bliss and which is existential loss?

Let’s see if we can briefly sort this out.

You’ve heard this: the past has already happened, therefore it doesn’t exist; the future hasn’t happened, therefore it doesn’t yet exist; thus, here’s nothing but Now…

So, here we stand, sandwiched between the Past that’s already gone and doesn’t exist, and the Future that hasn’t yet happened and therefore doesn’t exist, in the proverbial and pre-verbal here-and-now.  This is all there is!

To ignore this “Now” (the only “thing” that exists) would be the ignorance of un-awareness.  This kind of mindlessness (lack of awareness of the present moment) is an existential loss.  How come?  Because here’s this moment: here it is, it can be known but, if untapped, it remains un-lived.

To ignore what’s outside of this “Now” (i.e. to ignore what cannot be known) would be the ignorance of bliss…  Can this kind of bliss be available on demand?  Sure.  How?  Through mindfulness.  

Mindfulness is a commitment to what is (i.e. to this Now), accompanied by a conscious choice to ignore whatever isn’t (i.e. what cannot be known such as the future or what no longer exists, such as the past).  Mindfulness is a form of ignorance on demand, i.e. a form of bliss on demand.

Pledge allegiance to the Present!  Ignore the rest.  

Not always, of course.  Can’t live in the now 100% (got to reminisce a bit, dwell a bit, plan a bit, worry a bit – that’s all natural mind-stuff).  But whenever you feel like it.  On demand, that is.