Chris GarberInner peace. Beauty.

I am so fortune to have a Kadampa Meditation Center just a stones throw from my house in old Los Feliz—Study and Meditation Programs in Modern Buddhism. Monday evenings, I take the time to attend a General Program class, including meditation and a teaching. A great way to begin the week. I happened upon the Center, over a year and a half ago when there was a banner announcing a series of classes on Kindness and Compassion. Imagine my shock a few weeks in to attending, we were handed a prayer booklet. Prayer. What? A prayer… Well, it is a Buddhist Center after all! I have to say, it has changed my life. Kindness. Compassion. Wondrous! We are studying a new book over the next weeks, How to Transform Your Life, authored by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. (A free ebook is available if you would like to take a gander at the text.)

The last two weeks in class, lead by Gen Rigpa, we have been looking at Part One: Foundation, a mere 10 or so pages on Inner Peace. I find the teachings so relevant in relation to the “noise” of the day. In my notes, “We all have within us our own source of peace and happiness.” At task, to develop and maintain a peaceful mind. Always. Shifting attitudes from negative to positive. Each and every one of us have the ability to do just that, change our minds. After the first class on the topic, we were asked to reflect. Do self checks, observe and watch the state of our minds. Was it a positive, peaceful mind, or otherwise? I have learned, our minds are pure and calm by nature, like a clear, crisp pristine body of water. It is when the mud gets stirred up, that this pristine body of water becomes cloudy and murky. Well, let’s all let the mud settle.

 

 

I plan on focusing on maintaining a positive, peaceful mind. Always. How am I going to accomplish this? I am going to follow the lead of my friend Harold Huttas, and post on my media feeds, what I find to be beautiful, and inspirational—I hope they might bring a moment of brightness to your day, as they do mine. Like removing all of the Television in my household to avoid the “noise” over two years ago, I will likewise scour my media feeds to eliminate negativity. Daily meditation. A new training path in 2017, along with a daily dose of running through the Gaubert, and making entries in to my newly acquired, Five-Minute Journal. Planning and working on my next Adventure in life! And, while having a quick breakfast at République a few weeks ago, I was inspired by a stylish man who sat a few seats down from me at the bar. He did not pull out his mobile phone, but instead pulled out a book! A simple book, and proceeded to read. I looked around the room, and over 2/3 of the people had their eyes gazing at mobile phones, mine was right next to my plate. Imagine. A book. Unplugged and reading. Goals.