Today, I was reminded of how beautifully the Material Mind and Spirit Mind can work together when the Material Mind is within the space of Spirit Mind, and how different my experience is when surprising things happen around me while my Material Mind is centered in that space of love.
This morning, I was in bed and heard my dog, Lucas, making a choking sound in the room. I jumped out of bed, ran in, and saw that it looked like he was getting ready to throw up. So, I put my hands under him to catch anything that might come out because he was on the couch. My Material Mind was protecting the couch, but my primary feeling was “cho,” which in Japanese means feeling sorry for Lucas because he was feeling sick.
I was with him, and I realized there were a couple of pet sheets nearby because the pet toilet was close, so I grabbed them and put them in front of him, just in case. I was petting him and sending him love. My mind briefly wandered to the thought that I should replace the pet sheets, but mostly I was focused on Lucas and taking care of him. When he was done, I was just thinking, “I really hope he's okay and lives a long time,” and I felt so much love for my dog.
It was interesting because if this had happened two or three years ago, I would have felt annoyed. I would have thought, “Why are our dogs always making a mess?” and my primary feeling would have been agitation. I would have felt rushed or panicked, thinking I had to protect the couch. It wouldn’t have felt smooth, and my actions back then were more upset and less smooth. But today, everything just felt natural and smooth.
Later, I walked into another room and when I came back, I saw a yellow stain on the carpet in front of the couch. I realized that since I had moved the pet sheets, our other dog, Claire, had peed on the carpet instead. Disaster number two.
In the past, when I wasn’t centered in Spirit Mind, this would have felt like double the annoyance—one frustrating situation followed by another. But today, I didn’t feel that at all. I just thought, “Oh right, I forgot to put the pet sheets back. Of course, she just did what dogs do.”
So, I got out the vacuum and cleaned it up. While doing it, I admired my noise-canceling headphones because the vacuum noise wasn’t loud at all. I also admired the design of the vacuum—how it sprays water and cleans everything up so efficiently. I thought about the people who created it and how well-designed it was. I had a nice experience, and after I finished cleaning, I thought, “Wow, this was a completely different experience.”
Two or three years ago, this would have been one frustration followed by another, setting the tone for my whole day—frustration, anxiety, or tension. My blood pressure probably would have spiked, along with adrenaline and all those feelings. But none of that happened today. Instead, I was left with a sense of peace and love. I love my dogs, and I hope they live long and healthy lives.
Hisami was there too, helping out, and I felt so much love for my family and life. Even though the same experiences didn’t feel as beautiful before, they do now.
What I wanted to share is that the situation itself may not change, but I’ve changed the way I experience those situations when my Material Mind is in the space of Spirit Mind. And it’s wonderful.
