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It’s a paradox we call reality, so keeping it real will make you a casualty of abnormal normality.
-Talib Kweli
Sometimes the events of the world are so intensely painful that it's almost hard to believe this is the world we live in. Terrorism, political circuses, war, racism, poverty, environmental degradation, as well as mental health and substance abuse issues, all plague our world, causing anxiety about our individual and collective futures.
Acknowledging this as our shared reality is difficult. It is even more difficult to not allow this reality to cause us to respond in ways that, although initially make us feel as if we are coping with our suffering, end up causing us more suffering in the end. The term "keeping it real" sometimes means being genuine to oneself and others. From another perspective, keeping it real means living your pain, no matter how real it is or the consequences involved. So one can keep it real by acting aggressively, overspending, speaking in ways that cause harm, or in general not giving a damn.
It's the latter form of keeping it real that causes our lives the most damage, and in a sense may not be as real as it seems. One only need to remember the now infamous skit from The Chapelle Show where Dave Chapelle playing Darius James is leaving the club with his date Tanisha Davis, and another man says, "Hey Tanisha, good to see you!" Instead of leaving and going home for a night of fun, Darius turns around and gets in an altercation with a 10th degree Blackbelt who picks fights just for the hell of it. Because his ego was threatened, Darius decided to stay at the club, fight, and ended up getting beat up.
In a world where the ego is valued more than the inherent human qualities of clarity, patience, kindness, charity, and forgiveness, keeping it real is indeed a paradox; the truth is we are more than our egos and at the same time experience our egos as the truth of who we are. Although seemingly solid because of years of reinforcement of "ME" as the most important thing on the planet, upon examination our ideas about our "self" begin to fall apart revealing the contradiction that the previously held substantiality of "ME" is in fact full of no substance at all.
Living according to this abnormal normality, this naturalizing of the unnatural relationship with one's ego as the center of the universe, literally can cause casualties and in fact is the underlying cause of so many of the world's ills. If we saw the truth of interdependence, the faults of chasing illusory happiness through desire and aggression, the harm in ignoring how ourselves and others exist, would the world experience so much difficulty? There is pain we cannot prevent: the death of a loved one, being let go from our jobs, a partner leaving us for someone else, or a life threatening illness that blindsides us. But suffering is a different kind of pain; a self imposed pain that comes from not being able to discern between real and fake, or to see what should be accepted or rejected.
The opportune word is seeing. We see by looking, not with our eye organs but with our internal eyes. By spending time examining what we consider to be real, we may be introduced to a reality that dissolves our attachment to acting out of our initial ego centered behavior, illuminating more useful ways of dealing with the challenges of our everyday lives.
Let us contemplate this: What is real and how do I know? How have I normalized abnormal thoughts, speech and actions? How do I keep it real and is that the most real that I could keep it? Do I cause myself suffering by acting out of habitual behaviors that consistently produce the same negative consequences? How can I keep it really real?
Sit in an upright and comfortable position (on a cushion or chair) with your hands in the meditation posture (place the back of your left hand on the palm of your right hand and let your thumbs touch lightly). Let your eyes rest, half closed and focused on nothing in particular. Let everything in your field of vision just be, without labelling it or judging it. Just let your eyes relax. Sit for five minutes and focus all of your attention on breathing. Feel the complete in and out breath and when your mind wanders, bring your attention back to your breath. After five minutes, allow the question to arise in your mind without seeking the answer and when the question fades, say it gently again. Allow whatever arises to arise and when something feels real, that may be quiet or loud, rest in your mind and place your attention on it. When your mind starts to wander, bring your attention back to what arose for you. Practice contemplation for ten minutes and then return to focusing on your breath for five more minutes. Focus only on the most subtle of experience. Afterwards, carry whatever arose for you in contemplation practice into your everyday life.
Check this previous post for an explanation of contemplation practice. http://www.hiphopalive.org/mind-spray/2016/12/7/4p2lnb8omwoc5dc5uznhcxii002b89
If there is a verse you think should be contemplated or think I should discuss, let me know in the comment section below.
Hiphop Alive
Justin F. Miles is the founder of Hiphop Alive and pioneering practitioner, theorist and educator at the intersection of Hiphop culture, mindfulness and contemplative studies. He is the leading voice championing the use of Hiphop infused contemplative modalities to foster resilience, emotional intelligence, and community empowerment.