Jack Engler and Dan Brown studied yogis at advanced stages of yoga and meditation practice. To their surprise, they found that these yogis continued to experience conflict, fear, anxiety, addictive cravings, interpersonal dependency struggles, etc. However, there was less reaction. The yogis could note a desire until it passed, or they might choose to act on a desire but with full awareness. The researchers found that mindfulness automatically intervened between the impulse/thought/desire and the action, creating freedom from habitual reaction and the capacity for well-considered, beneficial action.
From: Yoga and the Quest for the True Self by Stephen Cope
Pathway to Peace, a series of seven stone sculptures at Peace Garden near Lake Harriet in Minneapolis, each with words representing the community’s feelings about the meaning of peace.
Chop that wood
Carry water
What’s the sound of one hand clapping
Enlightenment, don’t know what it is
Every second, every minute
It keeps changing to something different
Enlightenment, don’t know what it is
Enlightenment, don’t know what it is
It says it’s nonattachment
Nonattachment, nonattachment
I’m in the here and now, and I’m meditating
And still I’m suffering but that’s my problem
Enlightenment, don’t know what it is
Wake up
Enlightenment says the world is nothing
Nothing but a dream, everything’s an illusion
And nothing is real
Good or bad, baby
You can change it anyway you want
You can rearrange it
Enlightenment, don’t know what it is
Chop that wood
And carry water
What’s the sound of one hand clapping
Enlightenment, don’t know what it is
All around, baby, you can see
You’re making your own reality everyday because
Enlightenment, don’t know what it is
Enlightenment, don’t know what it is
Its up to you
Enlightenment, don’t know what it is
It’s up to you everyday
Enlightenment, don’t know what it is
It’s always up to you
Enlightenment, don’t know what it is
Its up to you, the way you think