Please feel free to listen to my music while you read. Thanks and I hope you enjoy!
They pray four times per day, they pray five. Who ways is strange when its time to survive?
–MF DOOM
The spiritual practice that one chooses is often a matter of survival. Sometimes its an attempt to answer the question, "what can I do to ease/stop my suffering"? The efficacy of ones practice is never found in the viewer and always in the practitioner themselves. My teacher once told me, "you are your own bullshit meter", meaning I am the only one that could truly determine if my claims of fruition were true. Was my meditation and contemplation practice having the desired effect or was I making it all up?
In today's political and social climate, religious and spiritual practice are more necessary than ever. We can either dive into our paths, allowing ourselves to evaluate and experience the fruit of our practice in our relationships, workplaces, with loved ones and strangers or we can spend time doing what's been described as "counting cows". Being a successful cowherd is not based on being the smartest or spending time evaluating how others raise their herd. Success comes from diligent practice without all the hangups.
So DOOM makes a good point: who cares, who prays how many times per day or who comes off as strange when the real benefit of prayer, meditation and contemplation is only found in the direct experience of our natures and how we allow that realization to show up in our everyday lives. When we find ourselves causing us and others harm, who cares about what anyone else is doing. At that point i'm my own worst enemy and my only true savior.
Let's contemplate DOOM's line: 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 a word, a sentence or the entire phrase to arise in your mind and when the word, sentence or phrase fades, say it gently again. Allow whatever arises to arise without judgement and when something feels real, when there's some spark of insight 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.