Vernon Howard on conscious sweeping as a spiritual exercise...

[ajay0]

A short but insightful article by Vernon Howard on spiritual exercise....

"THE SPIRITUAL EXERCISE

A pupil asked his teacher, 'Please give me a spiritual exercise.'
Instructed the teacher, 'Sweep the floor.'

'But I'd like to have a spiritual exercise.'

'Sweep the floor while being aware of your sweeping.'

'But I always do it that way.'

'No, you sweep mechanically, with your mind a mile away. Anything
performed consciously is a spiritual exercise.'

The next day the student asked, 'May I have another spiritual
exercise?'

'Wash the dishes.'

True spirituality consists of doing whatever we do with a conscious
mind, a mind which remains where the action is."

- Vernon Howard (Inspire Yourself, p. 30)

 

[ajay0]

How can we gauge whether we are unaware or unconscious at any moment ?

A simple toolkit by Vernon Howard to gauge our state of consciousness at any given point of time, and apply course correction if needed .

"Q. How can we tell when we are unaware of ourselves?

"Q. How can we tell when we are unaware of ourselves?

A. Nothing is simpler. Whenever you feel worried, nervous, pressured, you are living from imagination, not from awareness. These negativities do not control a conscious man."-- Vernon Howard (Pathways to Perfect Living, p. 90)