Comments on: A little time in Heaven — waiting in a medical clinic http://thehappyseeker.com/2009/07/28/a-little-time-in-heaven-waiting-in-a-medical-clinic/ Coming home to stillness, joy, and inner peace Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:40:27 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Christopher Foster http://thehappyseeker.com/2009/07/28/a-little-time-in-heaven-waiting-in-a-medical-clinic/comment-page-1/#comment-119 Christopher Foster Sun, 02 Aug 2009 16:16:39 +0000 http://thehappyseeker.com/?p=463#comment-119 Thanks so much for this great comment Linda. I wasn't familiar with the story of Bartholomew. It's a powerful story. I'm sure a lot of people could empathize with how 'when I simply tried to lay aside an intruding thought, another one quickly came to take its place'. Personally, I've found a bit of a paradox here. I need to be aware of what's going on with my thoughts and feelings. But it also seems to be very important not to judge them, or resist them, but simply be present with them in the same kind of spacious way the sky is present in our lives. The bottom line, it seems to me, is that our royal state, as you so beautifully evoke it, is not disturbed by chaotic thoughts or troubled feelings, and when I am still, it gives me a chance to be aware of that royal calm no matter what is going on. Thanks so much for this great comment Linda. I wasn’t familiar with the story of Bartholomew. It’s a powerful story. I’m sure a lot of people could empathize with how ‘when I simply tried to lay aside an intruding thought, another one quickly came to take its place’. Personally, I’ve found a bit of a paradox here. I need to be aware of what’s going on with my thoughts and feelings. But it also seems to be very important not to judge them, or resist them, but simply be present with them in the same kind of spacious way the sky is present in our lives. The bottom line, it seems to me, is that our royal state, as you so beautifully evoke it, is not disturbed by chaotic thoughts or troubled feelings, and when I am still, it gives me a chance to be aware of that royal calm no matter what is going on.

]]> By: Linda Baran http://thehappyseeker.com/2009/07/28/a-little-time-in-heaven-waiting-in-a-medical-clinic/comment-page-1/#comment-115 Linda Baran Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:53:20 +0000 http://thehappyseeker.com/?p=463#comment-115 Hi Chris, Thanks so much for this post. Since I'm reading it during lunch at work, it helps me remember to spend a little time in Heaven, even in the midst of a busy rehab clinic. I'm in awe that you are able to do this for 20 or 30 minutes. I have to use clever cognitive therapy tricks to stop my "monkey mind" sometimes. This morning I was swimming at 5:30. No one else was in the pool and it was gloriously quiet. I still had to consciously stop myself from thinking about the work day by using a breathing and counting technique I learned a few years ago. When I simply tried to lay aside an intruding thought, another one quickly came to take its place. My thoughts sometimes remind me of the tale of Bartholomew and the 1000 Hats. In this tale, a king rides through his kingdom and everyone he passes must remove their hat. The penalty for failing to do so is beheading. Bartholomew, a young man in the crowd, removes his hat, only to find another hat in its place. He removes that hat, and another one appears. This strange process continues throughout his arrest. As he marches up the stairs to the gallows, he frantically removes one hat after another. When he reaches the top of the gallows, he removes one last hat and beneath it is a crown. The executioner must now remove his own hat, because Bartholomew is a king. I guess this is a good metaphor for my useless thoughts. I have thousands of them and am not free to express my royal state until I set them all aside. Linda Baran Hi Chris,
Thanks so much for this post. Since I’m reading it during lunch at work, it helps me remember to spend a little time in Heaven, even in the midst of a busy rehab clinic. I’m in awe that you are able to do this for 20 or 30 minutes. I have to use clever cognitive therapy tricks to stop my “monkey mind” sometimes.

This morning I was swimming at 5:30. No one else was in the pool and it was gloriously quiet. I still had to consciously stop myself from thinking about the work day by using a breathing and counting technique I learned a few years ago. When I simply tried to lay aside an intruding thought, another one quickly came to take its place. My thoughts sometimes remind me of the tale of Bartholomew and the 1000 Hats. In this tale, a king rides through his kingdom and everyone he passes must remove their hat. The penalty for failing to do so is beheading. Bartholomew, a young man in the crowd, removes his hat, only to find another hat in its place. He removes that hat, and another one appears. This strange process continues throughout his arrest. As he marches up the stairs to the gallows, he frantically removes one hat after another. When he reaches the top of the gallows, he removes one last hat and beneath it is a crown. The executioner must now remove his own hat, because Bartholomew is a king.

I guess this is a good metaphor for my useless thoughts. I have thousands of them and am not free to express my royal state until I set them all aside.

Linda Baran

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