Tips 36-39: Housework, Healing, Nonviolence, and Sippy Cup Meditation

MEDITATION PRACTICE FOR MOMS AND DADS, Tip #36: In "Autobiographyy of a Yogi," after Paramahansa Yogananda attains supreme enlightenment, transcendentally flying through the air and seeing and knowing all, his master greets him on his return with a broom and a smile and asks him to sweep the floor. In Zen, this is called "Chop Wood, Carry Water." So if you think you can't be on the path because you have too many chores to do, guess again--even the masters couldn't be absolved from household duties. In fact, household duties are sort of the point.

MEDITATION PRACTICE FOR MOMS AND DAD, Tip #37: It is very good to catch your son's cold. It is especially good for it to turn into a very bad case of bronchitis and send you to the doctor for antibiotics. Why? Because people like me rebel against the knock-down, especially after I am convinced that by being on this path I can use all kinds of positive healing affirmations and visualizations of healing light and natural remedies from the garden and breathing and yoga and not need "evil antibiotics." Because I know that this sickness and the immediate need for antibiotics indicates a much greater, life-oriented need to turn inward and really pay attention to a much more long-term healing that beckons for a less "go go go" attitude and lifestyle, that allows for imperfection, softness, slowness. That being manically proactive for natural remedies was just another form of "go go go" with a holistic label. To finally go to the doctor was to totally surrender to what I would have once perceived as defeat. It was humbling. And maybe that is what is finally causing the healing, more than the antibiotics.

MEDITATION PRACTICE FOR MOMS AND DADS, Tip #38: While there are many, multi-faceted and much-numbered principles in Zen, the Dalai Lama bases his teachings on two foundational principles: 1) the interdependent nature of reality, and 2) do no harm/non-violence. That means, as a parent, while you would never harm your child, you must never beat yourself up (literally or figuratively), either. 

 MEDITATION PRACTICE FOR MOMS AND DADS, Tip #39: While you may have created a lovely sitting area with zafu/zabuton cushions and a small shrine with a Buddha and a bamboo on it (and maybe some little crystals with a mala bead necklace going around the whole thing) you may never get there some mornings--like when your small child calls out for you to bring him a yogurt drink in a sippy cup and just lie down with him for awhile. These shrine-and-cushion-free mornings do not sacrifice your meditation time. Lying there in the warm darkness of pre-dawn is a perfect time to "sit," whether by counting your breaths, counting his sippy cup slurps, working on a koan, or simply doing shikantaza, aka "just sitting (lying/walking/jumping/yelling/freaking/fretting/blissing out/etc.)" and noticing all happenings within and without in this very moment.