In the previous section, we saw the city as a field of exploration, an opportunity to question our beliefs about life, about what we think we are.
We questioned the role of our environment in this adventure.
Does living in the city determine, de facto, a disharmony with life?
Now, back to our sheep, uh our cars, sorry.
Let's look at examples of lessons offered by the city.
Here we go:
Context
The city is known to be a source of stress, anxiety, depression and other variants.
One of the explanations concerns our notion of time.
In this environment, everything is built according to, our will, our desires, our projections.
Consequently, we have concreted the earth and coloured the sky with pollution. The buildings hide the sun, the sky and its nuances.
This creates a living space very disconnected from the natural rhythm, from our own rhythm.
As a result, this proposed cycle is received by our body as a foreign object.
We adapt superficially, but all the signs are there.
Our body and psyche react to this unhealthy environment.
Il a été crée suite à des fantasmes en tout genre. Plus spécifiquement suite à une identification au mental (j'y reviendrai plus tard dans l'article).
But would it be more shocking to you if I told you that this is what you desired and created?
You don't suffer the city.
As it turns out, you came into this environment in your chapter.
You wished for it somehow. You desired to experience it and learn lessons through it, to transcend it.
Otherwise you wouldn't be here, you wouldn't be a witness to it.
It's quite extraordinary when you realize that.
The city is a very interesting work, it shows the power of the mind.
It's an incredible tool when you become aware of its nature.
The call to awakening resides is in this understanding, that it is a consequence of an extreme identification with the mind (we can speak of extreme in reference to big cities).
On the other hand, any identification with the mind is extreme but, let us say, here we observe an environment created from scratch by this phenomenon.
Living in the city, we are invited to investigate our own creation. Where does it come from? How can the mind creates it? How am I not the mind? Who am I?
Time; an illusion, a concept, an imagination.
Thus, it is not a system that adapts to us, our nature, our qualities, but it is us who are trying to adapt to a creation of the mind, who think it is reality, who think there is a me and a system.
The notion of time, hours and minutes, contemplated, can easily open our eyes to this perspective.
Time is very interesting to deactivate.
Observe the people who run, hurry, observe in the moment this so-called existence of time. Can you verify it?
I challenge you to confirm the existence of time outside your mind.
The "others" are part of what Is. I accept all the components and nuances of it.
The more we investigate, the more we realize the importance of acceptance, kindness, and love that we can show towards ourselves.
We discover that everything being a projection, facets of the mind, it is important for us to accept them as a part of us. That is to say, to recognize that it exists (the facet), that it Is, to give it respect for this fact alone, whatever its expression.
We don't just take what we want out of life, but all its nuances. The practices of observation, introspection, contemplation allow us to recognize the beauty in everything.
It may seem naive. But...so not.
By accepting, by saying "I love you" to thoughts, people, objects, animals, plants, minerals our energy frequency changes.
We can live beyond what is perceived.
It's like when a person is bothering us. If we are bothered we get stuck in the mind. If we let go inside, we smile at it and wish him/her the best in the world, as we would do with a thought in meditation. We offer ourselves peace. We prioritize.
Every situation is an opportunity to learn.
The city is structurally violent. It is the perfect illustration of what happens when one identifies with thoughts. Its sounds, its rhythm pushes us, in a brutal way, to look for an anchorage inside.
Like a guided meditation or a teacher, it sends an incredible amount of reminders: "rest your attention on your breathing, dear friend, you are getting lost, come back".
Reminders come in many forms, a moment when you catch yourself reading an advertisement, an other moment when you absorb the words of a colleague...
It's easy to dislike the city as one would easily curse incessant thoughts.
To achieve a quality exploration, the city offers the opportunity to accept this part of what is, to contemplate it. It is a matter of looking this aspect straight in the eye, not running away from it to realize it for what it is.
Introspective practices facilitate this awareness and sharpen attention.
I will not mention all aspects of the city (as there are many).
The routine, source of introspection
Routine teaches us about motivations, intentions that drive us to act on a daily basis. I am also referring here to the little habits. Many of these are not in harmony with our well-being, or the expression of our fundamental qualities.
The perception of pain and pleasure.
Everything is so intense that we can realize how much pain and pleasure are not what we think. It is our interpretation. In one context we associate the label of pleasure with one sensation, in another, the label of pain.
Behind appearances
So we have a challenging playground served on a board.
Which is less obvious in a healthy environment.
We would ask ourselves fewer questions, we would be less inclined to contemplate our motives to act, our choices.
As already mentioned, the difference is that in the city it quickly becomes a matter of life and death, in other words, integrity. That's what some philosophers and spirituals say: suffering can wake us up. The nuance being that we don't inflict suffering on ourselves consciously in order to learn, but we learn from what is presented to us.
Very important nuance.
One may also be unaware of this suffering. Carring life on its back and keep walking as if it were...life.
We think we're the masters of the game, we consume life, we control the variables.
But we don't.
When we throw ourselves, little toes or naked body, towards inner contemplation, we discover a peace, a joy, a security, a quality of life never imagined possible, so close, so accessible.
This quality of life cannot be compared to the pleasures of daily life, it is divine, it is so close to our intuition, to what we aspire to in the depths of our being. We smile when we discover that we thought we could be satisfied through an external search for peace and harmony, through sensory and intellectual pleasures.
To tap into this source, if I may say so, the secret is action. Practice, contemplative, introspective routine, discipline.
Conclusion
In conclusion, one of the incredible powers discovered in the city is attention. Not insignificant, it is a source of inner peace.
The big cities are testing us. All our attention is captured on both sides. Strong arguments keep us absorbed.
A nice little exercise for you to do : it is quite funny to notice reluctance towards self exploration, spirituality when what it offers, what it achieves is used as an argument to sell all kinds of consumer products. Peace, bliss, connection, well-being, joy through a bottle of alcohol, a love meeting application, a new technology, a clothing ? I have an anecdote about it that I might share with you one day. In the meantime, if you are used to looking at the billboards on your way, adds on your computer or telephone I invite you to observe what is sold as an experience and contemplate if a product such as this one can bring or contribute significantly in that, peace, joy, unconditional, eternal harmony.
I could write a thesis about the city and its connection to self exploration. There are so many aspects to talk about.
Your will and freedom of choice is being tested.
Take it as a challenge, as clues that show you what you are not, what you don't want.
Take the risk of listening to them, of considering them, of acting according to them.
It is a test,
Will you be able to transcend the matrix?
Nice exploration of yours.
Lifexploratrice
- Marie Mazeau certified teacher. Guiding with gentleness, mindfulness and Joy in Paris and internationally online.