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HEALING THROUGH SPIRITUALITY

I was searching for a volunteer position, when I came to a Buddhist College which offered a position that was a fit for me.

The Buddhist Centre was in Todmorten, near Manchester. Searching for volunteer work introduced me to Buddhism. This encounter with Buddhism was by chance. Because I never could imagine to go to a Buddhist Meditation Centre. But the idea excited me very much. Someone assesses that nothing comes by chance. The chance, the fatality does not exist.

For many people the events, the circumstances of the life depend upon our mind. If our mind is clear and focused on a goal, what does it matter is our mind. On the other hand, our mind is also involved with the external world. For instance, if we switch off our mind the world disappears. Our mind is in some way linked with the external world.

So, to be clear, I wished to meet Buddhism and the circumstance to actually meet Buddhism came by itself, when I was not looking for it, in fact I was looking for volunteer work. Some people call what I am saying the law of attraction. Your thoughts influence the chance. The Law of Attraction argues that thoughts (both conscious and unconscious) can affect external things.

The same concept is expressed by Jesus, in deepest way. Jesus says: if you have enough faith you can say to this mount move on and it will move on. That means, your willpower, your faith, affects the external things.

In the Buddhist Centre of Todmorten, I met the New Kadampa Tradition. At the beginning, thirty years ago, there was only one centre in Ulverston. Now there are more then eight hundred centres all over the world.

What did I learn reading the books of the founder of the Western New Kadampa Tradition and attending the meetings in the New Kadampa centres?
1)- First I learned what is the meaning of delusion. In Italian language we don’t have such a words and it is difficult to translate in our language.
According GESHE KELSANG GYATSO, the founder of New Kadampa Tradition, “delusions are distorted ways of looking at ourselves, other people, and the world around us – like a distorted mirror they reflect a distorted world.
2)- I learned the meaning of self- grasping and self-cherishing.
The main reason we do not cherish all living beings is that we are so preoccupied with ourselves, and this leaves very little room in our mind to appreciate others
3)- The third thing I learned was the concept of impermanence. Everybody knows what impermanence means, but meditating upon impermanence makes us more aware of the futility of our human things. Everything is impermanent, money, riches, love, friends. Sooner or later we have to part from them, because of the death. But if we think carefully, even in life time nothing is permanent. Everything changes, our friends, our lovers, our jobs and so on. Trying to make stable what is not by its own nature stable, is one of the main delusions.
4)- The forth thing I learned was the technique of meditation. Which I do for myself, with a slight variation I made.
The technique is this: first watch yourself. Why it is very important the observation of ourselves?
For understanding the importance of the self-watching we must have a look to how we are made. According to the Buddhists our mind has three layers: The gross mind, the subtle mind, the very subtle mind.
According to Osho it exists the Heart and the Mind.
The watcher is the heart or the very subtle mind or the witness. Through this observation we see who really we are, our true being, devoid of delusions. In fact delusions are not our real nature, they are just an addition, a projection of the mind.
After watching yourself for a while, watch your breathing, watch the air which passes through your nostrils. Watch the breath which goes in and out. When you breathe in, imagine that a white light is coming inside your body through the crown of your head and reach you heart, when you breathe out imagine the air goes out in the form of a black smoke, carrying with it all your anxieties, worries, delusions. This black smoke then dissolves itself on the floor.
It is a very powerful mediation. It can take just few minutes. I apply it whenever I am involved in a difficult situation or want to relax.
My tagline is: Live a spiritual life and you will heal!
I am Ettore Grillo from Enna, located in the center of Sicily, where I live. My website is www.ettoregrillo.com My blog is http://grilloaegauthorblogs.com
The book I have written is “Travels of the Mind”. It is available at http://www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/TravelsOfTheMind.html
Ettore Grillo, author of “Travels of the Mind”