Being Present:

Cultivate a Peaceful Mind through Spiritual Practice

By

Darren Cockburn

Reviewed by Henry Reed

Mindfulness has certainly gained a foothold in our awareness. Don't bother with the small stuff--it's all small stuff: Could this be the mantra of mindfulness? Yet it does seem that the practice of mindfulness (actually paying attention to and noting what is in your awareness) does seem to release one's attachment to the perceptions and allow us some distance from our experience. All the better to appreciate it as "mind stuff."

          Being present: Cultivate a Peaceful Mind through Spiritual Practice (Findhorn Press) offers such an enticement. The author begins by telling us the story of how he came to write this book. One unusual comment for an author, but one I appreciate personally, is that he admits that a lot of what he is writing is his personal distillation of the books by others that he has read. He mentions Ekhardt Tolle frequently.

          It's a methodical book, and it begins with a discussion of "presence." It is one of those experiences that is hard to define exactly, and the words are like fingers pointing to the moon. It's when thinking stops. It is awareness being aware of itself. It lacks craving, but is acceptance and love. It is fearless. It has more to do with the "real you" than your image of yourself, your history and the stories you tell yourself about yourself.

           The meat of the book is his sharing with us the various things that threaten presence and the practices that we can use to re-establish the sense of presence when it has been threatened.

           He begins with the body. It is a primary source of our identity and experiences. Through the body we experience pleasures and pains. What is interesting as a source of study and growth is his comment, repeated throughout the book, that pain is the physical sensation from the body, while suffering is a mental creation brought about through craving. When we are present with our pain, there is no suffering, as there is no desire or craving for things to be different. Being present with our pain may direct our thoughts to the cause of the pain, which may lead to insights about a psychological source of suffering that the body is mirroring for our benefit. Listen.

         Wouldn't you know it, his second thought for sources of pain and suffering has to do with other people. His bringing this topic up so soon is good evidence that he has walked his talk through an environment we are all too familiar with--how other people respond to us and the reactions in us they create. May Presence save us! He notes that the more presence we develop, the more likely we are to find that others around us are less present than we are. We soon can tell the difference between folks with presence and folks who are unconscious. The latter is perhaps the source of our greatest teachers, as these people push our buttons and alert us to the presence of lessons! Pay attention! Always insightful, the author explains the difference between love and the ego craving for control, the internal tension between two modes of perception and responding. I'll thank you to push my buttons to keep me out of sleepwalking!

           Of course he has a chapter on meditation. It is one simple place to practice presence. It is often where we must start. It's too hard to begin by practicing the presence in the face of criticism from others. It is much easier to get started with the craving behind one's own restlessness.

           It's easy to see why the author quotes Tolle so often. Gradually the reader is reminded of that kind of gentle knowledgeableness that is so giving of insights and optimism that we can, indeed, make progress in presence.

          I predict this book will be a reference work for many!

From the publisher, Findhorn Press

Free yourself from unhelpful thoughts and emotions and learn to live peacefully in the present 
• Provides practical exercises, meditations, and reflections centered on mindfulness, breath, and immersion in nature to simplify your life and anchor you in the present 
• Learn to use your body as a tool for raising consciousness, work with occurrences like tiredness, illness, and pain as spiritual teachers, as well as identify and release addictions, including harmful thought patterns 
• Can be integrated with any religion or spiritual teaching with examples pertaining to everyday experiences in the Western world 
          Offering a synthesis of spiritual teachings viewed through the lens of modern personal experiences, Darren Cockburn provides practical insight into how to cultivate a peaceful mind, live skillfully, and nurture a spiritual connection through the power of the present moment. 
          The author shares practical exercises, meditations, and reflections, revealing how to free yourself from becoming lost in unhelpful thoughts and emotions, while bringing acceptance to what life presents you with. He explains how to generate true mindfulness through connection to your breath as well as immersion in nature. He details how to use your body as a tool for raising your level of consciousness as well as how to weave exercise, diet, breathing techniques, and sexuality into your spiritual practice. He explores how to work with occurrences like tiredness, illness, and pain as spiritual teachers for enriching your presence of mind and being. 
          The author explains how simplifying life where possible will also bring a better understanding to all types of existing addictions, including harmful thought patterns, providing precious breathing space for our overly busy minds. In addition, he shows how a stable practice of mindful presence can enhance the quality of communication with others, be it with family, with friends, or at work. 
          Alongside an introduction to meditation techniques and supportive wisdom teachings from Buddhist and other spiritual traditions, Cockburn provides useful guidance on successfully integrating a regular spiritual practice into your day-to-day activities. He also includes pointers on how to create your own unique and personal structure in order to support your ongoing spiritual practice, the fruits of which will ultimately be a peaceful, calmer, and more connected experience of life.

For an excerpt from the book, click here!