Thay Giac Thanh June 9, 1947 - The Mindfulness Bell

For most of us, the commute to and from work is a dail y
reality. I am fortunate to be able to bicycle to work, weather per­
mitting, which in New Mexico is most of the time. Unfortunately,
I thin k it is safe to describe the streets of most of our cities as not
being bastions of mindfulness. Furthermore, most streets and roads
have been designed for cars, not bicycles. You can be entering a
battleground of inattentive, careless and sometimes hostile dri v­
ers, narrow roads full of holes and glass, and the occasional vi ­
cious dog. Yet, it
is ajoy to leave the
car in the garage,
enj oy the peace
and cal m of a n
empty road in the
early morning be-
Bicycle Meditation
DavidPercival
I aIn riding the path of mindfulness
I aIn riding the street of peace
I aIn riding the road of understanding
fore the heat of the day takes over, go through a quiet neighbor­
hood, and do your small part to lessen congestion and pollution.
First, pl an ahead, especially if you have just started riding.
Get a map and pl ot the safest, most direct route. Avoid, when
possible, riding on major hi ghways and busy main streets during
the rush hour. Imagine trying to be mindful on a heavily traveled
main street during the evening ru sh hour when you end up too
close to cars parked on your right and vehicles are rushing by
you on the left.
As you leave your house in the calm of a peaceful morning,
understand that this situati on could change in an instant. Leav­
ing your driveway is an important time to be mindful of the present
moment, to be aware of where you are and of your surroundings,
and to focus on what you and others are doing this moment. As
you get ready to leave, stop for a moment and take a few seconds
to breathe. Concentrate on the task at hand: to get from your
house to where you work happily and in one piece. Be aware that
at any moment you may suddenly find yourself in a sea of un­
mindful dri vers in large metal objects that coul d cause you harm.
As in others situati ons, when you bi cycle it is easy to be lost in
your thoughts, worrying about the project you have to complete
at work, or wondering if your children are safe at school. Be
totally aware you are riding your bicycle, not thinking about home,
work, or problems. Riding your bicycle is the
most importan t thing in your life at that moment.
Being mindful and in the present moment has
never been more important.
You may think at first that the constantly
changing pace of bicycling does not lend itself
to mindfulness. It is frantic at times, when you
are trying to wind your way through rush hour
traffic, make it up that long hill you are un able to
avoid, or wait for the traffic to clear so you can
cross a busy street. Yet, like most things we do, bicycling is made
up of a seri es of changing rhytlmls. And, as in sports or other
aerobic acti vity, bicycling is a wonderful opportunity to observe
and moni tor your breathing. Indeed, bi cycling is a working medi ­
tation, where your breath can be uncomfortabl y obvious at times,
particularl y when you reach the top of that long hill .
As you change gears, note the changing rhythm of your
pedaling. Listen to the rhythm of the cracks in the road. Follow
the rhythm of your heart as it talks to
you. Note the ever changing rhythms
as you proceed down the street, going
slower, faster, stopping, starting, eas­
ing into traffic, moving out of the way
of other vehicles. If your breath is fast
on a hill, note th at your breath is fast;
when it slows down on a flat stretch, note that it is slower. With
eyes wide open, concentrate on the constantly changing rhythms
of your breathing. On your dail y ri de when your mind starts
sli pping away, keep coming back to the reality of the present
moment. As thoughts come to mind, be aware of them, then let
them go.
Events happen fast on roads and highways and often there
is no time for reflecti on. You must react with an instant mindful ­
ness.
Continue to bring yourself back to the present with your
breathing, to your little moving space on a city street. Your aware­
ness of your space and what is around you and what is just ahead is
yO LU' protection. Be in complete awareness by watching the changing
rhythms of your breath. Thay says in The Miracle of Mindfulness,
"Keep your attention foc used on the work, be alert and ready to
handle ably and intelligently any situation which may mi se - thi s is
mindfulness."
Make things that you see or hem" along the road be beacons of
mindfulness: stoplights, stop signs, church belJ s, factory sirens, trains,
buses, bus stops, familiar landmarks you see everyday such as parks,
pl aygrounds, gardens, statues, towers, antennas, unusual buildings
or special trees. Let them all be Buddhas, bells of mindfulness. Come
back to your breath as you see these friends; smile as you go by.
The Mindfulness Bell 29