There are several things that Eastern philosophies, such as Buddhism and minimalism, offer to the human experience. To name just one example that isn’t widely acknowledged around the world, I would point to the ability to discipline one’s character. Unlike what is commonly understood as discipline in the West, where it often implies aggression and the suppression of our passions in order to fit into militarized frameworks, for those who value expansive thinking and put the teachings of Gautama Buddha into practice, being disciplined is not an obligation that requires years of suffering, mistreatment, and sacrifice to achieve; it is a natural outcome of meditation, the subject of this post.
In recent years, especially over the past decade, the use of guided meditation in structured lessons within the world of yoga from India, or in similar practices adapted to Western standards, has become increasingly popular. What do I mean by this? Simply that, fortunately, although this concept is not strictly identical to that of Buddhism, it is nonetheless beginning to normalize in this part of the world. And let’s be completely honest, shall we? Ours is not a society that easily embraces the customs of the other side of the globe.
I won’t even begin with my own experience. I grew up in a typically chaotic household, where my family’s direction was guided by my mother’s orders and desires. She managed and ensured that her rules were followed, from the color of the exterior walls of our home to how I was supposed to dress my daughter at Christmas. Naturally, years of such mental strain, added to everyday life and its ordinary problems, created the perfect breeding ground for inevitable confrontation. But certain remnants of years of accumulated passions leave a mark, you know?
Although we believe that through catharsis, another remnant of Eastern philosophies, we release everything we carry inside, that is not always the case. Anger is the companion I have always carried within me. In one way or another, it has always been there, like a lynx lying in wait that chooses not to attack, only to observe. I am aware that this is not positive for me, and over the years, through a search for wisdom and a strong influence of the idea that in many cases less is actually more, I decided to incorporate meditation into my habits. I do not need to focus my chi or light 200 scented candles. A corner of my home, the Venezuelan winter breeze, and a bit of noise reduction are enough.
Everything that disturbs and worries me eventually disperses and finds balance. It is not a magical solution, of course not. But it is another resource for dealing with the aftermath of living, those same aftereffects that mark everyone’s life, everywhere. If you have seen the Oscar winning film Everything Everywhere All at Once, you may have a broader sense of what I mean. If not, it hardly matters; in the end, it all comes down to finding ways to reconcile with what displeases us or generates conflict. The discipline of keeping ourselves steady is fundamental, elemental, artistic, and sublimely minimalist. Worry less, accept more.
