Mindfulness lesson
One day, almost a year go now, while continuing my journey to explore and build a life full of mindfulness, compassion, and mind-body-spirit balance, I opened myself to a new experience. I went to a SGI-USA Buddhist service with a old friend and a new friend. The latter friend attends these services regularly. This was not my first Buddhist experience, as I had been to the The Zen Temple of Pittsburgh for seated meditation several years ago. Nor would it be my first place of spiritual awakening as I have also experienced The Kabbalah Center, and have been to an Eckankar meeting and even a summer solstice Pagan retreat too.
Unfortunately, on this day, I was late arriving and finding seating was difficult. The usher made a fuss about where we were sitting and the commotion of it clearly disturbed the woman praying next to me.
She looked at me as well as the usher and said 'this should not happen during chanting' (which I fully agree). So when there was a break, I mindfully said I was sorry we interrupted her prayers. My compassion not only diffused her anger, but opened the door to the question 'what do you do?'. When I handed her my Arbonne card, she looked at me and smiled. She is a sideline sister! And one who had not been active for awhile. I was the interruption to her possibly picking up her business again! Having this experience in a spiritual space, a place where the practitioners believe the same personal growth which we talk about - putting our minds in positive places and opening up to bring abundance into our lives - is amazing to me. It was incredible and empowering in a way I find hard to put in to words.
My lesson: mindful compassion for others will open doors.
Unfortunately, on this day, I was late arriving and finding seating was difficult. The usher made a fuss about where we were sitting and the commotion of it clearly disturbed the woman praying next to me.
She looked at me as well as the usher and said 'this should not happen during chanting' (which I fully agree). So when there was a break, I mindfully said I was sorry we interrupted her prayers. My compassion not only diffused her anger, but opened the door to the question 'what do you do?'. When I handed her my Arbonne card, she looked at me and smiled. She is a sideline sister! And one who had not been active for awhile. I was the interruption to her possibly picking up her business again! Having this experience in a spiritual space, a place where the practitioners believe the same personal growth which we talk about - putting our minds in positive places and opening up to bring abundance into our lives - is amazing to me. It was incredible and empowering in a way I find hard to put in to words.
My lesson: mindful compassion for others will open doors.
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