"One should become the master of one's mind rather than let one's mind master oneself." ––Nichiren Daishonin
A grandmother helped me see things in a new way. I had been trying to follow Nichiren's advice that we must master our minds or our minds will master us. But that dominator/obedience approach wasn't working. Buddhist activist scholar Joanna Macy urges us to focus on gratitude first, as we set out to change the world. But, the more I focused on gratitude, the more ungrateful (complaining, worrying) thoughts ran rampant in my disobedient mind. This COVID-19 situation is scary!
Then my Buddhist grandmother friend taught me that she calls those "disobedient" swirls of thoughts "creative." She sees them like her preschooler grandchildren who spend much time in her home. Enjoying the children's creative play, she lovingly distracts them if their creativity is leading towards harm.
Imagining my mind as a creative preschooler whom I dearly love helps me take a deep breath and relax a bit as we begin to play together during this pandemic quarantine.
Oh, that we may better learn to play with our inner (grand)child in a loving joyful way, even when she's freaking out and throwing a temper tantrum in these turbulent times.
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