Stillness

As I look around me on the subway or in a waiting room, I see a general discomfort with stillness in human behavior. Occasionally I meet a pair of open eyes, a fellow mindful observer, whose glance is steady, often accompanied by a gentle smile. We tacitly connect in a forest of flickering screens and loud monologues.

Stillness is an inner state. It is the state that exists when the mind and body are freed from tension and racing thoughts. It is achievable with practice. It is initially a fleeting state for the beginner.

Regular meditation develops the mind's capability to find stillness at will. Recognizing the difference between the still mind and the rambling mind is a first step. Meditating on a mantra or on relaxed abdominal breathing produces an intentional stillness of the mind and body. Experiencing that state provides a reference point for the mind with which the mind can compare its other states. The mind knows, "This is how I am in stillness and that is how I am when I am not still." It is that simple.

I believe that the ability to practice humanist values in daily life requires the ability to first achieve stillness of the mind. How else can I access my humanist values in the moment? It is necessary to be focused and clear to avoid distraction by impulse and hormonally driven needs. Stillness is a place from which the humanist can access his/her core values to progress in any given situation. It can all happen in the blink of an eye with practice. Learning to access the stillness of the mind under duress is the way to mastering the ego to find the better self.