Mindful Living Patchwork Quilts and Rainbows!

What do patchwork quilts and rainbows have in common? The answer is many things. Both are usually very colourful, both are creative and artistic, both are definitely impermanent, both are reflections of what does or does not exist and both are usually a wonder to all who see them. You may also ask, why am I writing about patchwork quilts and rainbows?

This is a column about Mindful or conscious living. One of the reasons I am doing so is because this week both quilts and rainbows have been a large part of my life. I have been repairing, all this week, a very pretty old patchwork quilt.

So many different patterns and shapes of materials all hand stitched and quilted together, and worked with so much love. Repairing this quilt has been a wonderful meditation for me. And I am sure that it was for the women who worked on it in a quilting-bee group.

It too was, I am sure, a meditation for them and a wonderful lesson about the mind of true love. This week there was a beautiful rainbow over Bermuda and a pot of gold for me at the end of it!

For we all know where there are rain showers, or sorrow, there is also sunshine or renewal, and that is when rainbows appear. They are just like life, colourful, creative and artistic, definitely impermanent and a reflection of what does or does not exist and a wonder to us all.

A Buddhist philosopher in the 2nd Century called Nagarjuna, stated: "Practicing the Immeasurable Mind of Love extinguishes anger in the hearts of living beings. Practicing the Immeasurable Mind of Compassion extinguishes all sorrows and anxieties in the hearts of living beings.

Practicing the Immeasurable Mind of Joy extinguishes sadness and joylessness in the hearts of living beings. Practicing the Immeasurable Mind of Equanimity extinguishes hatred, aversion and attachment in the hearts of living beings."

For you see love, compassion, joy and equanimity are the true nature of an enlightened person. They are the true nature or essence of who we really are. Love, compassion, joy and equanimity are the reflections of true love within ourselves and within everything and everyone.

So while working on my patchwork quilt, I had time to reflect again deeply about my own mind and the judgments that can form within it, and ask myself that wonderful question: "Am I sure?" Never sure, of course is the answer. For who am I to decide whether or not anything or anyone is "okay"?

One of the aspects of myself that I have worked at long and hard for a number of years, and that stood in my way of peace and joy, was my very strong views or judgmental mind. Now practicing the Immeasurable Mind of Love, my judgmental mind and strong views have for the most part dissolved.

This doesn't mean that I do not have opinions that I freely express, however I am now totally, or to be more honest mostly accepting, of what or who is in the present moment.

So this week while working on my patchwork quilt and looking in wonder at the rainbow I mostly thought about equanimity, which means non-attachment, non-discrimination, even-mindedness, and letting go. It means loving without any discrimination between others and ourselves. Removing all boundaries between others and myself.

For as Canada's First Nation People say, we have to walk ourselves in the other person's moccasins for many miles before we truly and fully understand another.

When that happens there is no "self" and no "other". We express what is called non-duality. Just like the rainbow or the patchwork quilt - many colours and many patterns (or cultures) - and yet one rainbow or one patchwork quilt. I have a dear sweet friend in Canada called Brock Tully who has written many wonderful little inspiration books.

He writes: "Why is it that we can admire different breeds of cats or dogs, or admire roses, daisies, tulips, carnations or other varieties of flowers; however when it comes to people, we expect them to all be the same?" Or I would add, just like ourselves!

Variety is truly the spice of life and to love each other for our uniqueness is to express non-duality and equanimity. If as so many of you believe in one God and one Universe, how can we think otherwise?

We are all one energy, however it is just like the mail, we all come in different sized and different coloured envelopes, with different writing on the outside, so we appear to be different, however the bottom line is we are still just mail!

My patchwork quilt and the beautiful rainbow this week were a wonderful reminder of love (Maitri), compassion (Karuna), joy (Mudita), and equanimity (Upeksha).

These are the four elements of love, the four elements of immeasurable love, because as we practice them they grow in us every day until one day we shall be able to embrace the whole world.

Then we will be happier and so will those around you! Or as the song says, "Yes, let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me".

The Mindfulness Practice Community of Bermuda meets every Sunday at 5.14 p.m. to 6.44 p.m. at The Health Co-Op, 82 South Shore Road, Warwick next to Surf Side Beach Resort to support the practice of living in awareness. All are welcome to join us.

Please call 236-4988 Jeanie or John, or email iamhomeibl.bm. The Mindfulness website is www.plum.village.org and will provide some more information for those interested in the practice of living in the present moment.