by Jody Harrow & Eileen Le Guillou
Welcome to our series of posts “Exploring the Spirit”. Last time, we discussed compassion and love as the glue of the universe. Here we think about our attention as we fragment focus with more free time.
Remembering Presence
How did we forget to live in the moment? When did we forget to be present? How did we lose sight?
“Looking out at Long Island Sound from the Jay Estate I am in awe of how the view is ever changing, never exactly the same. Wondering if God created fragments of Itself because it was bored in it's all One-ness, it’s all Same-ness? Moving my mind to take in it's essence and in that split second I catch a glimpse of what’s behind the veil that we call reality. We're all simultaneously moving within the stage of this performance. One moment I have this flash of clarity and the very next it becomes cloudy - moving just beyond the border of my perception.”
- Jody Harrow
Prior to the industrialization of agriculture and products, presence was a necessity for most of humanity. Attuned to the ebbs and flow of seasons and climate variabilities, humans connected to the natural world out of necessity to sustain life. Those who did not grow or raise food developed cottage industries making clothing and soft goods from home, leading to self sufficient, contained communities.
Beginning in the 18th century, innovations in agriculture allowed for a larger yield, and therefore a concentration of efforts. Industrialization transformed other industries moving workers out of their homes and into factories or new fields of study. With the luxury of removing oneself from the moment by reflecting on the past or pondering the future, humans could explore “higher level” pursuits dealing with matters of the mind over the physicality of material output.
Over the last 300 years technologies have furthered our ability to think and create without ever having to maintain a space, meet people in person, or put our hands on any physical product. We outsource more and more, constantly looking for aspects of our lives that we can hand off to someone else so that we can focus our attention on service based, income driven work (the services sector comprises nearly 80% of the US GDP).
But equal and opposite reactions are necessary. Our advancements must be countered with the basic forms of fulfillment, just as the blooming flower plant reaches its roots deeper into the soil.
Our increasingly sedentary lifestyles move us farther and farther away from the very basic things that sustain our lives - earth, sun, and other people. Our mind and body retain the same vigilance that our hunting and gathering ancestors possessed, and while no longer focused on the moment for survival, thoughts of the past and future create anxieties, worry and self doubt. To quiet this discomfort in the absence of earth and sun we take in news, gossip and quell our desires with material purchases.
We now rely on presence as a choice - not a necessity - and we must recreate ways to connect to our life forces. For some it may be hands in soil, familiarize with plants and pests, for others surfing, understanding the tides and the rhythm of the ocean, or simply a mindful walk or run. Animals, too, bring us back to ourselves.
A dear friend of mine shared with me recently that he viewed his dog as a constant reminder of our connection to an egoless expression of pure love, as well as our role as humans to be the stewards of the earth, in turn bringing us back to the present state.
One day my friend & I spotted a pigeon hiding by the side of a busy street. It was injured and unmoving for several hours, so we wrapped it in a towel, placed it in a small cardboard box and carried it to a field nearby to rest with water. If this was going to be it’s last day, we at least wanted to give it peace. We placed it in the hollow of a tree and right before leaving, brushed aside a feather that had been stuck covering its eye. As soon as I cleared the blood and feather obstructing it’s sight, it gave me a piercing glance with a slow blink that struck me. An hour or so later as I approached to bring it seeds, I saw it had flown away. In its place, the feather that had been moved away from its eye lay perfectly placed on a leaf.
Today we see a groundswell of spiritual, mindful, and nature based startups and language like “grounding”, “centering”, “surrender”. Does this gnawing for the meditative quality of life - breathing in the moment - represent a subconscious sense of self returning to its primordial existence? And does the advent of organization, scheduling, and optimization tools represent a subconscious overwhelm at the accumulation of “stuff”, both physical and mental as we become flooded with information?
Our task is to quiet our mind enough so that we can be mindful of what is right in front of us. Only in this state can we move past our fragmented attention and regain sight of the big picture.
