🖼️ Beyond Distraction, the Art of Wisdom, and Merton on Imperfection
Monday Muse (Vol. 100)
🖼️ Monday Muse
The “Monday Muse” is a weekly collection of reminders, insights, and maxims on the art of living. The term “muse” has two meanings: (1) a state of deep thought; and (2) a source of inspiration. May the following (in a small way) be a source of contemplation and wisdom to live your highest good.
📌 Perennial Reminder(s)
The American meditation teacher and author Shaila Catherine on distraction:
Before you can experience the extraordinary joy of a settled and concentrated mind, you must learn how to dispel distractions and overcome restlessness. Many kinds of disruptive thoughts can obstruct your concentration in meditation. In ordinary life, these same distractions can lead to anxiety, insomnia, arrogance, procrastination, apathy, worry, and depression while negatively impacting relationships, productivity, and your ease of mind.
As you learn to neutralize distraction and settle the mind, be assured that Buddhism does not reject rational or reflective mental activities — we need the ability to think clearly and function intelligently in this world. Critical thinking is an asset on a spiritual path. Too often, however, restlessness prevents us from effectively using our minds, and pervasive thoughts reinforce habits we might be happier without. […]
Source: Beyond Distraction
📜 Perennial Maxim(s)
The American philosopher and psychologist William James (1842—1910) on the art of wisdom:
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💡 Perennial Insight(s)
The American trappist monk Thomas Merton (1915—1968) on imperfection:
Mistakes are part of our life, and not the least important part. If we are humble, and if we believe in the Providence of God, we will see that our mistakes are not merely a necessary evil, something we must lament and count as lost: they enter into the very structure of our existence. It is by making mistakes that we gain experience, not only for ourselves but for others. …
We cannot avoid missing the point of almost everything we do. But what of it? Life is not a matter of getting something out of everything. Life itself is imperfect. All created beings begin to die as soon as they begin to live, and no one expects any one of them to become absolutely perfect, still less to stay that way. Each individual thing is only a sketch of the specific perfection planned for its kind. Why should we ask it to be anything more? […]
Source: No Man is an Island
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Thank you for reading; I hope you found something useful.
Until next time, be wise and be well,
J.W. Bertolotti
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