In the film A Beautiful Mind, mathematician and Nobel Prize winner John Nash struggles with schizophrenia, as imaginary characters drive him to the brink of madness. The characters that haunt him never leave, but by learning to acknowledge their presence and pay them no heed, they lose the power to control his thoughts.
It is a story of the triumph of the mind and the power of the heart. It is a lesson that revealed to Nash something more profound than his groundbreaking work in mathematics; the healing gift of love from his family, colleagues, and students.
Nash's life exemplifies the struggle we all face. We are haunted by the events and characters of our past, and their relentless dialogue in our minds. We are fearful of our future. There is no relief, neither in waking nor in dreams, and our ability to discern reality becomes distorted. The richness of the present moment - a silent sunrise, a good meal, listening to others - eludes us.
The Buddha taught that all people - even the broken, the destitute, and the untouchables - can be enlightened and healed. His message was that there is a place inside each of us that is untouched by anger, fear, and sadness. No matter what hurt we have endured, or caused others, we can find that place.
Buddhism is not a religion; it is a way of life where there is no divide between the sacred and the secular. It is not a belief outside of us, but the direct experience of life. It is not something we add to life, but a way to quiet the mind, open the heart, and live with kindness. In Zen, it is called the path of the Bodhisattva.
The Bodhisattva vows to awaken, and help others awaken, not by preaching but by kindness. It is a path to end anger and violence in ourselves, our families, and our communities. It is a path to compassion.
That doesn't mean that we sit around waiting for evil and confusion to end. It means we learn to listen to, and engage, others as they are, not as we would like them to be. Meditation helps us achieve this by seeing the emotions that drive us. Then when we feel anger, fear, and sadness, we can say, "Hello old friend, I know you but I'm not going to react to you."
The anchor of meditation is the breath. If you have never meditated before, try this five minute experiment. Close your eyes, sit with your back straight but not stiff, and become aware of your breathing. Don't try to control it. Just let it happen and be aware of it, feeling it flow in and out.
If you feel foolish, note to yourself that this is just a thought and let it go. If you have other thoughts or emotions, note that you are thinking or feeling, and come back to your breath. Don't suppress your thoughts, or try to control them. For most of us, our mind wanders, it is difficult to focus on the breath, and the five minutes feels chaotic instead of relaxing. This is where we start, by observing and becoming a 'witness'. This is the beginning of calming and stabilizing our mind, with gentleness and patience.
The Buddhist teachings are vast and it's easy to get lost in them. If we go back to the basics - the Four Noble Truths - we are reminded why we are on this path; to end suffering. We all suffer from negative thoughts, hurtful speech, and misguided actions. We all try to control others and get them to do things our way. We all create suffering. Airline instructions ask us to grab our own oxygen mask before helping our fellow passengers. We must heal ourselves so we can help others.
If we look at the Buddha's life, we see an example of how to live. When he awoke to the suffering of the world, he searched for answers. He studied the religions and practices of his time, and found a path to enlightenment. Then he spent the remainder of his life teaching and practicing.
This is how we, too, can live: see the suffering of the world, walk the path of healing, and help others. Then we can recover what was always there: a beautiful mind and an open heart.
