Sanity.

This week I would like to repost a previous topic for reflection on sanity, with editing. This morning’s Washington Post had an article on the situation in Minnesota. It said in part, “Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison on Sunday accused the president and top Trump administration officials of putting out a “flat-out insane” narrative regarding Alex Pretti’s shooting death.” I don’t want to get into the politics of this situation but instead address sanity and insanity. In these troubling times it’s important to look at what is sanity and how to develop it and practice it. The state of mind/body I’m referring to is not dependent on the situation you find yourself in. You can be sane or insane in any situation. Sanity does entail having a degree of stability and openness which enables seeing the situation clearly enough to respond in an appropriate way. Honesty is essential for sanity.

A quality or characteristic of sanity is seeing clearly. We all see clearly but this clarity can be obscured or clouded by delusion. Delusion is anything we see or think and believe that is not true. Another characteristic of sanity is stability. This is the ability to honestly face the situation you’re in without the need to dominate, control or flee. This is being able to be present without freaking out or clinging to unfounded beliefs. This stability also makes it possible to forcefully say no in an appropriate way when it is appropriate. Another characteristic is openness and caring. This is when compassion is the natural expression of who and how we are.

Having the ability to be sane is something that can be developed and strengthened. Breath practice is an effective way to develop sanity. Allow the breath to teach you how to be present and in your body. The breath can teach concentration, focus, patience, openness and the truth that there is no separation of inside and outside. Another method of developing sanity is zazen. Zazen is sitting still and present, upright in your body however it is in this moment. Upright doesn’t necessarily mean with a straight vertical back but being confident, patient and undistracted. When I notice I’m getting a bit crazy, if I return to the meditation of zazen, even if the zazen seems a bit crazy, afterwards I always feel more sane again. There are other ways of developing sanity. When you feel you’re getting kind of crazy, return to your meditation practice.

Realizing the true nature of self or no-self and the seamless functioning of all things is the direct experience and expression of our fundamental sanity. We can then more easily practice simply getting out of the way and act for the benefit and well being of everyone. Being able to get out of the way and act freely in response to the situation is the fullest expression of sanity. Selfish greed, anger and ignorance is how insanity is manifested.

A normal human life can have many events that can result in what feels like insanity. I’m pretty sure human life is not set up to be perfect or easy. It’s hard if not impossible to be sane when we are overwhelmed and feeling crazy. When overwhelmed or feeling crazy, the first step is to notice this is how we are. We will have a next breath so if we can remember, consciously inhale deeply and let the exhale release. If you can, repeat this as many times as you need to. Allow your breath to return you to being okay. That is, more sane. I find practicing developing sanity is important to do everyday and throughout the day. If we wait until we need it, it will often be too late. And we are never alone. We can always reach out to others for help and to offer help. True friendship and sharing is very sane. 

In these insane times the most important thing we can do is cultivate sanity. We always start where we are with ourself. Then with the realization of our interconnectedness, share our sanity openly.

Please join us for morning Zoom zazen from 7:00 to 7:30 Tuesday and Thursday and Sunday morning Zoom zazen and discussion of the topic for reflection blog from 8:00 to 9:00 Pacific Time. Here’s the Zoom link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81161003357?pwd=M0gwRjBENHZDbndUcFRrK004NlQ5Zz09

Meeting ID: 811 6100 3357

Passcode: 278259