Photo: Wrote
It. Is. H-O-T…hot. Here. Whew! Drrrippp! Wipe!
About 15 years ago, I used to have a
neighbor I'd meet out on walks. If it was hot she'd complain. If it was
cold she'd complain. Thanks to my neighbor, I've decided to be Buddhist at least when it comes to weather. A Buddhist would say feel it. If it's hot, just feel it. Observe it. And that's what I try to do.
Ever stop and think about the many ways we feel summer heat? Steamy humidity that wafts in visible clouds before it engulfs. Heat trapped in an airtight car that seems to momentarily suck the air from one's lungs. The penetrating suns rays that within minutes of stepping beneath it feels as if it's searing our skin.
I figure there's enough negativity in this life. I Choose not to add to it by complaining about something I cannot change. So, when it comes to the forecast, I have a Buddhist kinda attitude about the weather. It makes accepting the conditions a lot easier. I no longer "suffer" from the persecution of my thoughts over how bad it feels. I just feel it. It works. For me.
We are in the second week here in Nashville of record June heat: high 90s, the hottest since 1952. June in July.
I thought as I merged into the waffling heat yesterday what I’ve learned in meditation: accept what is. Just feel it. Feel the sensations. Don’t judge it. The mind. The mind causes suffering. If I judge the heat bad, then I suffer….Yes, sometimes this works better than others. Mostly, I just watch my thoughts when they start to “go there.”