John H. Drais – USA
Understanding cycles and how they affect our lives will greatly enhance your meditation experience. When we take on a new practice things go smoothly at first, but then become more difficult as old habits assert their way. It is likely that most people wanting to take up a new practice, such as meditation or yoga, will give up as soon as the sailing is not smooth. Upon realizing that this is part of the process, and there are benefits for perseverance, it is easier to get through these low times as well as to keep the practice in the high times, too.
Once upon a time, when there was nothing at all, every point was exactly like every other point. Therefore, no distinctions could be made between one point and another. The nature of this state is absolute Motion, Life without any thing alive, motion with no thing to move. Then came the Big Bang! Suddenly every point within the great Ocean of Life began to oscillate between two poles, positive and negative, being and not being. With this breath existence began again.
The energy at every dual point oscillates and vibrates in a harmonic rhythm that depends on and defines its nature. Thus space and the substance within it are one in essence and everything that exists must be of this same essence - pure vibratory energy, so rapidly oscillating that it is particulate to our senses. Perhaps it would be more correct to call these apparent particles wavicles. Distinctions can now be made between things, so time and space exist.
In this so-called material existence, science has discovered that which kabbalah and theosophy have known from the dawn of time keeping. All things fundamentally are nothing more than vibratory energy, “dark light”, the Zohar calls it; there is in fact no particle of matter at all. Every thing is composed rather of wavicles. The ancient world called them atoms, but they are not the atoms of modern chemistry, because literally everything is built from these nonsubstantial wavicles. All of existence is no more than that, despite our sensory experience of matter as particulate. Furthermore, since the very nature of these basic building blocks is vibratory energy, no mater how substantial or insubstantial, all things also display the nature of vibratory energy. When we extrapolate this microcosmic world into our macro cosmic one, we soon see the same holds true as, of course, it must.
This vibratory energy causes everything physical, sensorial, emotional, mental and spiritual to appear to us in cycles, rhythms or oscillations from high to low, from on to off, and back again at a particular period peculiar unto it. Things begin and end, they rise to a maximum then fall to a minimum at some particular rate, their periodic rate. Since we are nothing more than vibratory energy our moods, perception ability, mental acumen, physical well-being, and our very life itself follows this same pattern, only varying one from the other according to their respective periodic lengths. Evolution itself must be cyclical, since it is built from a multitude of life processes.
Many of these rhythms have been known for millennia; seasonal changes, monthly cycles, daily rhythms, for instance. Others have been discovered more recently. Time is even measured now by natural oscillations of the exceeding short duration of Cesium atoms. Still others have been known by various cultures under various names for the past couple of thousand years. We now call these life based rhythms biorhythms and generally refer to three of them and sometimes a fourth: Physical, Emotional, Mental, and Intuitional. Several others have been proposed as well. Gautama, the Buddha, recognized four of these cyclic patterns within him and made them the basis of his meditation system of enlightenment.
At birth these biorhythms begin. They grow to their maximum and then fall away toward their minimum only to grow once more. Everything we do follows this same sequence. You will see it in your attempts to make new habits just like New Year's resolutions. At first it is easy and progress is quick and satisfying. Soon, however, as time passes, old habits come to the fore and our effort to change becomes more difficult. This changeable nature of things opens the door to doubt. Once in, it makes us lose our resolve and directs our footsteps off the Path. This is when we forget and lose interest in changing. It is much easier to just slip back into the old and well-worn habits. Our resolutions, while well meant, are left to next year's attempt.
This is why some days we feel great, but the next we are down. Then, again for no apparent reason, we are "up" yet again. Some days we can't recall anything or find the right word and at others we astound ourselves at our mental acumen. Some days we are deft on our feet and at others we are banging into doors.
Until we are familiar with these cycles we can easily lose our focus and give up too soon. Those who persevere through this difficult time, the low part of the habit cycle, will find their effort is reinforced as the cycle once again climbs toward its maximum. Each time the cycle rises and drops then rises again. Every time we persevere through the low part into the following high we get strengthened in the new and begin losing the old habit and replacing it with the new.
Loving-Kindness practice will make this learning process light and fun. When we experience progress it causes us to build confidence. Loving-Kindness will bring patience, courage and the ability to persevere; with these qualities, success is not in question. Loving-Kindness will bring clarity making known the connection between our actions and their results. Loving-Kindness will guide our journey by heart-light, the only true guide. Loving-Kindness will be followed by compassion, joy and a great inner peace. This is where true happiness is found.
Happiness cannot be based in the realm of things, for certainly nothing that is constantly changing can be the foundation for something that is to last. As we grasp at conditions and states we desire, things change. Our identity, what little we have managed to collect, changes, too. Happiness cannot result from any such changeable things. In order to maneuver within this vibrating ocean of life, we need to come to a dynamic equilibrium with it. We need to learn to watch it without attaching to it or identifying with it.
The condition of being in this dynamic equilibrium we call Mindfulness. The method for successfully maneuvering is Loving-Kindness. Without Loving-Kindness ones maneuvering is directed by their wants and desires solely, and these are attached to things. You remember what happens to things? Things change.
Loving-Kindness does not change, it is of the essence of the Ocean of Life, whether it is Is or Isn't. Although Loving-Kindness is a constant state, our ability to stay in that state is not. It is a product of your biorhythms and comes and goes. Watch this rhythm and learn to stay always in the state of Loving-Kindness. Rise above and don't be touched by the waves. From this state of Loving-Kindness your maneuvering will lead you in ways to maintain your consciousness in dynamic equilibrium with the fluctuations of the Ocean of Life. Loving-Kindness meditation is meditation on the unchanging. Mindfulness is meditation on the changing.
You can have happiness, true happiness, in this lifetime. The course of Loving-Kindness will bring you to the realization what true happiness is. Mindfulness will give you a method to have it. Enjoy!