In the spirit of understanding i am going to start asking yall for your truth and definitions
So in your own words.
What is serenity ?
#asknostr
Discussion
A quiet place in the woods where a mountain stream meets a deep and cool blue lake.
The Peaceful emotion you get from settling your mind, gaining right perspective, and moving on with your day.
Not needing anything more emotionally and spiritually. Being peaceful and calm
Mind, soul and body in harmony.
it's often a concept that people aspire to that gets in the way of who they really are. this word is a red flag and reminds me of people who think "Zen" means you are always serene somehow or happy. this is not possible. most of the time we are neutral. we can't be happy or serene if we don't experience the whole range of our feelings, our relative minds work by contrast. practice is the deletion of concepts such as this and then the deletion of the deletion to the point that one forgets the self. (as dogen says "to forget the self is to study the self". serenity can arrive naturally but forcing it (like "those" Zen students on retreat who put on a Serenity mask while at the same time visibly look like they are jabbing a fork in their hand under the table.
i wrote this piece about emotions a while ago and touched on what i am referring to above in it.
sacredpeak.ink/2023/10/19/the-strength-of-strings/
in terms of a definition, real serenity is a natural result of dropping our baggage. the half smile of a person steeped in practice is this smile but that person has feelings and displays those as well exactly in accord with themself in each moment. if you want to see a true half smile, DaVinci painted a very famous painting with one that people misread IMO.
@SGT.FISH thank you for asking this question.
Thank you for the long response 🙏🙏
I read your text on your website. it's amazing. so beautiful image of the sitar. that's exactly what I've experienced with my emotions and that's where authenticity starts - feeling whatever you're feeling each moment. ❤️
yesterday my ego was hurt cause I thought someone was angry at me and was avoiding me. I told this to a friend and she reminded me that it was someone's feelings (if it's not my projection, cause it can be) and I should accept them as they are, but, of course, feeling sad about that is also ok. so I could let go the resistance to feel what I was feeling and was more open to embrace what the other supposedly feels.
observing my resistance to feel is mostly what I do daily. thank you so much for sharing this ❤️
I'm glad it helped. It's important to feel what we feel so we can know, truly and to see the beginnings of the self destructive stories we tell ourselves at times. These stories are part of the human condition, paying attention to them but not holding on to them, we can see the bigger picture including ourselves. Practicing this way, it becomes easier to know when we are lying to ourselves and when we see clearly. 💘
For me, and i think for most people. Life will always be difficult in some manner or another.
Serenity will come and go on the daily or hourly. Serenity can be very fleeting.
Calmness precedes serenity.
The more of your time you own. The easier you can find the time to chill and calm yourself.
Therefore an abundance of free time = more chance to do what you enjoy; leading to potentially finding reoccurring serenity on the daily.
I don’t think serenity should be the goal. Owning your time should be the end game.
Serenity isn’t some sort of milestones that you achieve and have forever.
It’s a mindset and lifestyle to aspire towards.
I hear you gathering from this i assume you define it as calmness and peace ?
Maybe mix in being content.
But that can lead to complacency which may lead to laziness. Which can spiral quickly to an anxious moment.
So maybe a temporary or momentary feeling of complete calm or peace. (And that moment can last for varying times).
Because nothing can be sustained forever.
Very fair definitely making good points
too much thinking. the answer isn't in the intellect, the Mind knows: the blue mountains, the green flush of prairie grass after it rains, the baby crying, the jet flying overhead.
💘
Yes this too. But how will you achieve any of those moments if you do not have the time to ponder and observe.
Unfortunately life is more than just taking in things.
Unless of coarse you’re born into riches. Then thats a whole other onset of potential problems.
who says using Mind isn't active? our true Mind is totally engaged. it's the same Mind that children have when they are absorbed in something they are discovering. it never leaves us. we leave it.
the intellect is like a pocket knife. pull it out when needed, then put it away. would you carry around a pocket knife with all the tools and blades open all the time?
Acceptance
Godliness with contentment
Enjoyment of the blessings of life in the midst of uncertainty
Knowing God is in control so I don't need to worry about all of the crazy and evil in the world.