Molasses Pours in Winter

Happy holidays, you'all! To balance the craziness and Black Friday madness, I'm consciously slowing down for a 90 day Winter Retreat, all from the comfort of my home! I'm reminded how such a commitment is directly tied to mindful consumption--our Inner Constellation November theme--most specifically the idea of mindful consciousness. What exactly is consciousness? We've been exploring this question in LTMC the past few weeks.

Buddhist psychology defines consciousness in a way that makes a lot of sense--comprising it into two parts--"store consciousness" and "mind consciousness." Store consciousness is explained using the metaphor of buried seeds, which represent everything we've ever experienced or perceived: seeds of anger, fear, joy, peace, etc. Think of a seed store--where you might go if you're planting a garden--in the storehouse is every variety of seed, nothing excluded. If we leave with a few packets, go home, plant the seeds and begin watering, the seeds will manifest into plants, herbs or flowers. The same can be said for the buried seeds in our consciousness: anger, fear, joy, peace etc, that when watered will grow and manifest in our mind consciousness--in the form of thoughts, actions, speech, etc. 

Everything our senses consume, waters the seeds buried deep and brings them up to the surface of our mind where we chose to give them form and life. This idea is entirely liberating because the seeds of happiness, compassion, understanding and enlightenment are within everyone, they just need cultivated. As Thich Nhat Hanh so eloquently writes:

There is a baby Buddha in our store consciousness, and we have to give him or her a chance to be born. When we touch our baby Buddha--the seeds of understanding and love that are buried within us--we become filled with bodhicitta, the mind of love....awakening to our mind of love is the moment the practice begins.*

Wholesome seeds are inherent within. When we take time to remember our garden and consciously water healthy seeds, they will take beautiful form. Entering retreat is a supreme way to mindfully water our wholesome seeds, surrounded by a community that is nourishing the same seeds, committed to the practice of love, peace and understanding. How can we consciously consume in a way that creates beauty? Join LTMC in entering the winter season, intent on slowing down to nourish seeds of compassion and care in ourselves, our loved ones and our community.

*Cultivating the Mind of Love, page 6, Thich Nhat Hanh