Building The House Of Our Lives

The idea that we live within a world of our own making is a principle shared across many of the world's traditions. We create not only through our action but through our inaction. We even create through our intentions. The Buddha teaches us in the Dhammapada, “We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts.” So the question: "What kind of world am I creating today?"

Music: Only us, Narek Mirzaei of Music of Wisdom.
Photo: yunus-tug

Transcript

Dear friends,

As those of us who listen to my meditations will know,

Most of my offerings here on Insight Timer are short,

But this one is intended for times when you might have a little more time available to you and you would like to sit in mindful reflection.

It's also something which my group,

Life of Mindfulness,

Here on Insight Timer,

Can have in reserve for use in a situation where one of my planned live meditations cannot proceed for some reason or another.

I hope it brings you to a place of reflection,

Wisdom and resolution.

Before we begin,

Please make sure that you're sitting comfortably.

You might have a regular space which you set aside for meditation.

If you have such a space,

You'll know how useful it is,

How going there and sitting there can bring you more easily to a place of calm.

You might find it helpful to close your eyes,

But the most important thing is that you feel comfortable.

If you prefer to keep your eyes open,

The recommendation is that you would cast your gaze downward and that will help you to avoid distraction.

Relax,

Allow yourself to feel at home in the here and the now.

You may have come to this space with some thoughts on your mind,

The endless to-do list,

Some concerns about the future,

Some regrets about the past.

Take a deep breath in and as you breathe out,

Remember that all these things can have attention later on,

That is to say if they need attention at all.

For now,

Relax and enjoy this period of quiet reflection in the here and the now.

Let's have a one minute pause.

Welcome back.

Each day offers us a unique opportunity of its own,

No two days are the very same.

They might appear to follow the same pattern as we go about the duties of life,

But in the course of each day there will be circumstances which we face which are unique to that particular day.

In a period of mindful reflection before the day begins,

We can decide how we respond to any challenges which may come to meet us today.

And how we respond makes all the difference.

Each response to events becomes one of the building blocks of our lives.

We can create a good building,

We can create an average building or maybe a poor building.

You may have come across a story which appears in many traditions and it goes along the following lines.

John had spent 40 years on building sites.

He had worked hard,

He worked to keep concrete dust out of his lungs,

Sunburn had worn lines on his face.

John was a hard-working family man and on his days off,

As he travelled around,

He took pride as he passed many of the beautiful buildings he had helped to create.

But 40 years is a lifetime if you're engaged in hard physical work.

One Monday morning he handed in his notice.

I'm sorry but I'm done,

He told the company director.

Not only are my hands aching,

But my heart is aching too.

It's time for a quieter life.

The director was sympathetic to John's position,

Even though he knew he would be sadly missed in the company.

He agreed to accept John's resignation,

But appealed to him to undertake just one last job.

We wish you all the best for the future,

He said,

But it would be wonderful if you could complete one last job for us and then you'll be free.

John agreed,

One last job.

But from the outset his heart wasn't in it.

He selected cheaper materials,

He skipped the small touches that no one outside the building business would notice.

He rushed the measurements,

Ignored small details,

These details that were a source of pride to him throughout his career.

Once this thing is done I'll be free at last,

He told himself.

The job was completed and John retired.

In the course of the retirement celebration,

The director called John to one side and handed him a small envelope.

This is for you,

He said.

It's a small token of appreciation for all your work over the years.

Inside the envelope were the keys and the deeds to the house John had completed.

And also in the envelope,

A card which read,

This house is yours to enjoy.

We wanted to surprise you and to thank you for all the years you gave us.

What a thought,

What a kind thought.

And for John,

What a disappointment when he realised what he had done and what could have been.

A few days later,

John stood in the doorway of the house he had built.

He noticed the rough plasterwork,

The ill-fitting doors,

And although he couldn't see them,

He was aware of the shortcuts hidden behind the walls,

Including the poor insulation.

That night,

Sitting in a draughty kitchen,

John came to understand a truth.

As we go through life,

We don't just build things.

We build the very places where we must live.

Let's have another pause for reflection,

One minute,

Just 60 seconds.

Welcome back again.

The idea that we live in a world of our own making is a principle shared across many of the world's traditions.

We even create through our intentions.

In the ceremony of repentance in the Christian tradition,

We ask that we be forgiven for failings in our thoughts and in our words,

For what we have done and for what we have failed to do.

The Buddha teaches us,

We are what we think.

All that we are arises with our thoughts.

Words from the Dhammapada.

So our inner world truly shapes our outer world also.

We create not only through the work which we do,

But through the thoughts which we entertain.

We create through the love we show.

We come to understand this in moments of mindful reflection,

Which means we have to make time to stop.

If we neglect to pause,

To stop and to think,

We will fail to notice the consequences of our day-to-day actions and we will fail to build as we should.

Imagine your life as a house under construction and remember the story about the builder's last house.

John had to live inside what he built,

A drafty,

Careless construction.

A house is built in haste.

Corners are cut,

Cracks are painted over,

Plastering is rushed.

It's the same with life.

We discover sometimes too late,

Sometimes just in time,

That we must live with what we have made.

In the case of a house,

Retrofitting can be a disproportionate expense.

In the case of our lives,

We don't have to retrofit,

We can't retrofit.

But we can learn the lessons that life has taught us.

The wonderful thing about life is that we can begin again,

Even today.

The life house is not finished.

We,

The builders,

Are still at work.

Let's have another pause for reflection now.

So,

Is there a simple blueprint for building the house of our lives?

If we go to the self-help area of any bookshop,

We will find more books there than we can ever manage to read.

The mind and spirit shelves are full to overflowing.

So,

Where do we begin?

Is there one simple rule that we can look to for guidance?

Happily,

There is.

The Golden Rule is an ancient piece of wisdom,

Which we find in many traditions.

In Christianity,

The well-known,

Do to others as you would have them do to you.

In Islam we have,

None of you truly believes until you wish for others that which you wish for yourself.

In the Jewish tradition,

We read the instruction,

Love your neighbour as yourself.

And again,

What is hateful to you,

Do not do to your fellow.

In Hinduism,

One should not direct towards someone else what is unpleasant to oneself.

Buddhism tells us,

Hurt not others with what pains yourself.

And on and on it goes.

The Golden Rule is a formula for a living which has the possibility of changing the world.

But change has to begin with each of us.

It requires the attention of you and me.

You may have come across the quote by G.

K.

Chesterton.

The problem with Christianity,

He said,

Is not that it has been tried and found wanting,

But that it has been found difficult and left untried.

The same can be said when it comes to the Golden Rule.

It sounds so simple.

It seems so easy.

There's no answer to its logic.

And yet,

In the pressure of day-to-day events,

We can fail to apply it.

Do to others as you would have them do to you.

Our next pause is to allow ourselves to consider this question.

What kind of world am I creating today?

Will I be happy to live in what I have constructed around me?

Welcome back again.

We don't have to seek for perfection.

Our reasonable best is good enough.

All that's needed is our dedication,

Our commitment to the idea of leaving this world a little better than we found it.

The Dalai Lama tells us,

We are here for 90 or 100 years at the very most.

During that period,

We must try to do something good,

Something useful with our lives.

He goes on,

If you contribute to other people's happiness,

You will find the true goal,

The true meaning of life.

There's a saying which is attributed to the Native American tradition,

We will be known forever by the tracks we leave.

The saying is so very true.

It reflects the idea that our life path,

Our choices,

Our kindnesses,

Like footprints,

Endure beyond us.

The effects of our choices outlive us.

They represent our heritage,

For better or worse.

The words,

We will be known forever by the tracks we leave,

These words remind us of the importance of mindful living.

They tell us how the good life involves our commitment to act kindly towards other people.

And since we are all so inextricably bound together on this planet,

The carrying out of our duty of care to each other has consequences for the future of life on earth.

So again in the Native American tradition,

We have a prayer to end our meditation.

Let's keep these thoughts in mind as we set out on building a life of love in the time ahead.

O Great Spirit,

Whose voice I hear in the winds,

And whose breath gives life to all the world,

Hear me.

I am small and weak.

I need your strength and wisdom.

Let me walk in beauty,

And let my eyes ever behold the red and purple sunset.

Make my hands respect the things you have made,

And my ears grow sharp to hear your voice.

Make me wise so that I may understand the things you have taught my people.

Let me learn the lessons you have hidden in every leaf and rock.

I seek strength,

Not to be greater than my brother or sister,

But to fight my greatest enemy,

Myself.

Make me always ready to come to you with clean hands and straight eyes,

So that when life fades as the fading sunset,

My spirit may come to you without shame.

Namaste.

Reviews

Thanks Tony :) my self-guided morning practice is usually about 20 minutes, so this was a great way to spice it up.
Wishing you a peaceful life of your own building.

Always good to go deeper in reflection now and then and to remember “the smile you send out returns to you”. Thanks as always Tony 🙏🏻

Delightful how you pulled all religions together Tony
Thanks for the tracks you leave….

Beautiful and wonderful message. I liked all the different faiths' version of the Golden Rule. Thank you, Tony, as usual!

Very thoughtful and well constructed session. Thank you 🙏🏻

There is so much good in this meditation. Thank Tony for sharing. I do love the story you shared and all the wisdom behind it.
I hope you and Fran are doing well. 🙏🏻💕

Beautiful Tony. I will return to this reflection often! 🙏🏼

Thank you Tony this is very encouraging at a time I need encouragement
Love and blessings you

I loved this longer meditation and reflection Tony. It gave more time for me to absorb your words and keep them with me. I would ask if you could offer a few more longer sessions even though I enjoy the 5 minutes too! Thank you so much 🙏🌷

Thank you dear Tony for this beautiful nourishment and wise guidance. I am grateful and blessed! 🙏❤️🙏❗️

🙏🙏what a treat it is having a longer contemplation 💝

Tony , such a beautiful gift this Sunday morning . Thank you !

This was an excellent guided meditation. The story about the guy and the house he eventually built for himself was gripping! All the short cuts he made, we are all guilty of this @ some point. Tony, this was simply fascinating. Along w/ the mindful breaks. Thank you 🙏🏽 for being you and creating a wonderful space where we all feel so supported and safe. 🩵✨💚🩶🍃🪜🔨🪏🔧⛏️🛠️🪚⚙️🪤🔩⚒️🧱🪓

Thank you, Tony, that was beautiful. It touched my heart. I realized the narrow focus of my inner house, thoughts of "I need to" and "I have to," & self criticism. The Native American saying is powerful: I will be known forever by the tracks I leave. All of this helps me to see the importance and joy/freedom of my daily practice. Asking for strength from the Great Spirit--my tears are flowing. Namaste 🙏

As always, Tony, thank you for this meditation!
So much to learn there—I’ll be turning it over in my mind for some time.
Donna