Venerable Cittaguno: enjoying the freedom to begin at any time

Most of the time, we live on “autopilot” mode, with very limited awareness of what we are doing, lost in thought, focused on a screen, words or music. And life seems to flow like an unbroken stream. From our waking up to our bedtime, day after day, this routine sets in and we are sometimes like anesthetized.

In fact, all this is only an illusion of our mind which gives this impression of continuity, of time which slips between our fingers without our being able to stop it, of the events which follow one another and which we undergo. How to put an end to this illusion? Simply by becoming aware of the reality of things: we do not live in a flow that carries us away, but in a succession of moments. And with each new moment, we can decide to continue or stop, and move on. Every moment is an opportunity to examine what we are doing, and decide what to do next, to take charge of our lives and to look at the world with fresh eyes. Stop! In everything you do automatically, disconnect the autopilot, and take the helm back in hand.

Savor every moment and every bite

For example during meals, most of the time we start eating, and the meal automatically proceeds to dessert or coffee, depending on our habits, the attention largely occupied by our thoughts, conversations or other media. .

For once, take the time to stop. At the end of each bite, after swallowing, pause before taking another bite. If you are in company, a mini-break will go unnoticed, but gives you the opportunity to savor every moment and every bite. But if you really want to experience the freedom that resides in every moment, then really stop; completely clear your head of all thoughts; listen to the silence or your breathing, before taking another bite. Or better, wait patiently, do not move until the intention to take another bite activates your movement. And there, you can grasp the intention, this trigger, this mechanism at the heart of all our actions.

In everything you do automatically, disconnect the autopilot, and take the helm back in hand.

As you are warned, it's not pleasant, our ego doesn't like it. It's so much more comfortable to be lost in daydreams or conversations, to spend our meal chewing on our thoughts. Yes, maybe the meal will take several hours at this rate. You will lose the taste of food, but you may be able to discover the taste of freedom. With each bite, the choice to continue or stop, like every moment of our lives. Everything depends on our intention, which determines the next moment.

You can apply this to all your routines, morning, evening, weekend, whatever they are. Go from solid line to dotted line. The freedom to start every moment is hidden in this little break. If we pay close attention to what happens there, we can discover it and use it throughout our lives… It is a treasure within everyone's reach. Enjoy your food !