Climbing a Ladder

[olmate]

I like the time just before sunrise at the waters edge. This morning it occurred to me that this journey is like climbing a ladder - like the one you will see beside the mast of a yacht - ropes with wooden rungs. I visualise my life as letting go of one rung while at the same time reaching for another to continue the journey to - well... to tomorrow.

Lots of my meditation practice has been looking down at the rungs I let go. Then it occurred to me what about the rungs above? Tonight I have had a quick look at the posts on the Law of Attraction but still ponder the thought of "reaching" for the next rung.

Then I read Edwin's wonderful post on the most important moment in my life - now!!

But still someting nags me about those rungs above my head. Are they just the next things to cling on to?

Olmate

[GilesC]

Originally Posted by olmate

But still someting nags me about those rungs above my head. Are they just the next things to cling on to?

Why let the rungs above you nag at you? At least you can be sure there are rungs above you and you don't have to concern yourself with what they are like as they are the same as the rungs you're on now. Only your perception of them will change as you create that sense in your mind that time has moved on, but that is just that, something created in the mind. As you rightly pointed out from Edwin, all that matters is Now!



Hugs

Giles

[Midnight]

Perhaps for this analogy, the rungs above you are issues that surface from long ago because they weren't dealt with properly?

But again, it is only an analogy. It may not be the most accurate one, or helpful one to you if the metaphorical rungs are bugging you.

I like to think of meditation practices as removing mud from a diamond. We have recieved many unhelpful beliefs and feelings from society, negative life experiences, a noisy mind, etc. Much mud has accumulated on our diamond because we were unaware of what was going on within us. Meditation is removing that mud to reveal the beautiful diamond that we were all born as.

If that helps, use that image instead of the one climbing a ladder. I like it better because you can focus more on the now, than what's going to happen.

But it's important to remember not to get attached to an analogy or an explanation or anything. They are only signposts.

[Edwin]

Using the analogy of the rope ladder, I can point out the trouble that most people have with the creation of time in their mind.

Like olmate said, some tend to look back at all the rungs that you have had to let go. It is very easy to look back, and feel remorse about those rungs, and how sad it is that you will never return to those rungs.
When doing that, you forget about the one's you are holding right now.

When looking ahead more than the one you are supposed to hold next, it is very easy to think: "oh my God, look at all those rungs I still have to do, I am not even half where I want to be"
When doing that, you forget about the one's you are holding right now also.

This is what creating time in your mind means.

All you really have to deal with, right now, are the rungs you are holding, and the next one you are reaching out to.
A quick glance ahead is no problem, it can help you filter out the occasional damaged rung so you won't fall, and looking back isn't that much of a problem, if done for a moment, and with a feeling of fondness for the support the rungs have given you, and pride/happiness of what you have achieved.

But most importantly, keep your focus as much as you can on what you are experiencing right now, while your hands and feet move in unison to climb, from rung to rung. If you focus on your breath as well while doing that it is almost like Vipassana meditation.

Just think about it, why spend hours of energy every day thinking about rungs long gone, or yet to come when you could be enjoying the rungs you are holding right now

When climbing like that, a lot of people are startled at how easily they climbed increadible distances in a short time when they glance down again.
They just enjoyed the climb itself, the rythem of it, and never thought about distances or time, or how much their muscles hurt, how far they have yet to climb....

[Milamber]

Memory of past times warms my heart and makes me see deeper who i am now, it converts the pain & drama into learning experience and highlights the happiness like beautiful rays of sun glimmering through the trees.

Should the past rungs never be thought about? These experiences have shaped me so much and have brought me to where i am now, and i try to stay in the now, but i have sudden clarity of past events these days and it gives me so much insight which i didnt see then. I just sometimes wish i had that insight at the time, but then it wouldnt have happened and the insight wouldnt have been gained. I guess thats the point of being in the now, otherwise you are on a loop of the past.

[Bhavya]

Originally Posted by Milamber

Memory of past times warms my heart and makes me see deeper who i am now, it converts the pain & drama into learning experience and highlights the happiness like beautiful rays of sun glimmering through the trees.

Should the past rungs never be thought about? These experiences have shaped me so much and have brought me to where i am now, and i try to stay in the now, but i have sudden clarity of past events these days and it gives me so much insight which i didnt see then. I just sometimes wish i had that insight at the time, but then it wouldnt have happened and the insight wouldnt have been gained. I guess thats the point of being in the now, otherwise you are on a loop of the past.

When insight comes about the past as you've described, it's grace, especially when it creates an inner shift that moves you into a new way of being.

It's really the dwelling in the past - being stuck there - and missing the gift of the present moment that can be a problem, as you know.
And of course, if there's regret because we've harmed another, then we can make amends, with that person (if possible) or with others.

Bhavya

[olmate]

As always, thank you for your insights and wisdom. Truth resonates from every word. Thank you.

The rungs I am with today are just perfect for now.

Olmate

[josephajain]

Really i was very pissed off by this..I would really like to go for this!!

[Edwin]

Originally Posted by josephajain

Really i was very pissed off by this..I would really like to go for this!!

Could you elaborate what you mean josephajain ?

[GilesC]

Originally Posted by josephajain

Really i was very pissed off by this..I would really like to go for this!!