As a path to eternal vigilance and ultimately, cessation of suffering, Ramdev encourages us to tune into the present moment during times of mundanity and neutrality.
In this episode, RamDev offers a balanced perspective on:
- Practicing awareness during neutral, mundane, or transitional moments
- The four Buddhist foundations of mindfulness (body, mind, feelings, dharma)
- The three Buddhist characteristics of existence (impermanence, suffering no self)
- Working skillfully with neutral states so that we are prepared for both joy and adversity
- Embracing eternal vigilance as a tool for inner transformation
- Observing the process of thinking instead of getting caught in thought content
- Asking the powerful question: “How alive do I want to be?”
- Practicing loving-kindness (metta) and checking in with our inner states and levels of connectedness
- Shifting our mental habits to move from unconsciousness toward greater conscious awareness
“What I notice, if I am not paying attention to neutral states, that almost always there is this eternal monologue going on and it’s a way of the ego saying ‘I’m here’. One of the most direct practices I have found for not getting lost in that inner monologue during so many of these neutral moments is learning the practice of watching the mind—Not what you’re thinking about, but being aware of thinking itself.” – RamDev
Photo via Lightitup_now
Listen to more from RamDev Dale Borglum:
RamDev talks about how the current state of the world is uncovering so many opportunities for practice, in Healing at the Edge Ep. 48
RamDev gives a dharma talk about cultivating enough faith to face things as they are, and leads a meditation centered on the power of the grounding breath in Healing at the Edge Ep. 49.
Building a bridge from separation to connection, RamDev offers practices for staying grounded, working with emotions like grief, and transmuting fear into love, in Healing at the Edge Ep. 67.
RamDev shares stories of his time with Ram Dass from the early days of the satsang and reflects on what Ram Dass meant to him as a teacher and friend in Healing at the Edge Ep. 42.
RamDev shares a dharma talk on how we can ease our suffering by offering compassion to our fear, in Healing at the Edge Ep. 46.