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 I have some difficulty separating my thinking from my feeling. As souls are at least semi-incomprehensible mysteries, I think our world is an incomprehensible mystery and in that sense it has a soul. My experience of the universe leads me to believe the universe is an incomprehensible mystery. As God is an incomprehensible mystery, I see the universe as God, and that the universe is not only my partner in life, the universe and I are one. In that sense the universe is my life. One may believe we practice being true to our own necessities by noticing our present experience and accepting it. "It" is both the universe and mone's experience since I believe the universe is like a hologram in which my one part includes the entire whole. I can be more certain this is true for me when I am compassionate and kind. Being compassionate and kind is something like mindful, wise living. Most of what I state I don't know in advance until it comes to me, and in that sense, I know nothing, while at the same time I know everything I need to know at any given time. Warm and kind regards to everyone and everything.,

 thank you Mish and David Ryan for your comments. Warm and kind regards.

Conrad

 The author of the  Zen Commandments makes it clear that any time one is mindful of what one is doing is "meditation. "Sitting" and being  mindfully in the present,can be helpful for one to see one's entire life as a "meditation." As has been said, the way that can be said is not the way, and the journey and the destination are one. The meaning of the word "meditation" can be infinitely elaborated upon, That the elaboration, unless done mindfully and in the present moment, can be a distraction from meditation.

 I have been meditating for almost 24 years and I still have many wandering thoughts and habits. I find when I am noticing what is happening in the present moment, and I notice wandering thoughts and habits, they can more easily disappear. If they stay I think it would be good if I would notice that they are staying. noticing what is happening and accepting what is happening is more of a key to mindful living than any particular method for reaching something that is not yet present. Methods can be useful but if overly focused on methods they can become a future goal moving one away from the present.. I believe there is "no knowledge, no attainment and no realization for there is nothing to attain." Present mindfulness is both the method and the goal making the  journey and destination one. Thanks for the opportunity to respond. Warm and kind regards to everyone.

 Rajeesh,
Deliberate, slow, mindful action, I believe is a kind of stillness he is talking about.

 Bob , You have my gratitude,

 When I am open and awareI can more easily distinguish between condition thinking and what is truly within me. I think I am so unconscious so often that it is difficult for me to know. As far as I can see, all I can be said about being is: "being is." It is an incomprehensible mystery as is the universe. As Lao Tzu implied, being is the way. He also said: "the way that can be said is not the way." The 1st time I sat to meditate, during my late 50s, tears came to my eyes. That  to me was bringing forth well was within me. The question of being fascinates me but I cannot say what it is. Nor can I say what experiences yet I can more or less describe a particular experience and distinguish it from another particular experience. as I can say some different words about one being and another being. When all beings are part of one being. It is more difficult to speak about.I think questioning being and attempting to use the words surrounding it, are fine if it leads us to be more kind and compassionate to everyone and everything. Thanks for the opportunity to respond. Warm and kind regards to everyone.

 Wanting to prolong those moments can prevent them from continuing..

 I cannot share an experience of the time that I let go of all mental and emotional versions of myself to be what I am because I have never experienced that. The assertion that "our nature is to be unconditionally kind, honest, wise and…"? is more of a question than an assertion. My sense is that we choose to be kind ,honest, wise etc. and it is easier to make that choice when I have no desires and when I notice myself as not separate from everyone and everything. I don't ever recall being absolutely or completely me or one with everyone and everything although I believe I am one with everyone and everything, I am constantly changing and evolving so I barely know who I am ant any given time. I am okay with that and the more I think about not knowing the more comfortable I am with not knowing.  People who know much make me a bit skeptical since I see them as a bit less open than those who know little. I wonder what the closedness contributes to what they are missing. missing. Thanks for the opportunity to respond. Warm and kind regards to everyone.

 there are no lasting solutions. Impermanence surrounds us. Warm and kind regards.

 Thank you Jagdish. I appreciate your comments. We old guys, I'm 82, have much experience. Warm and kind regards. Conrad

 Before I read the article I read some possible questions to answer. My 1st impression was that words have so many meanings that it makes very little difference. After reading the article I know believe with Reman that service/compassion to and with anyone and anything is what happy peaceful living is about. In my younger years I thought that if I would be of service I would get a reward later in heaven. I now find that when I am of service, the reward is immediate. I notice myself being a part of the whole when I am compassionate to anyone or anything. Thanks for the opportunity to respond. Warm and kind regards to everyone

 I seem to operate so unconsciously that I am frequently unaware of boredom. At this moment I'm challenging the thought of boredom because I must often be bored since I am frequently looking forward to the "next thing." I'm surprised I haven't liberated myself more from the chase of the next new thing since I have been living for many years. and I notice that it is my desire that cause problems. Noticing my experience in the present, which is to say being aware, helps me notice my conscious and unconscious desires. When I am aware of those desires I can more readily accept them and let go of them. This was an excellent piece. Thank you for the opportunity to respond. Warm and kind regards,

 The attached book, "Learning What to Ignore" may be helpful, I notice I can't attach it.PLEASE SEND ME YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS AND i CAN THEN ATTACH IT.
 Kind regards
 Conrad

My sense is burning for a while is practice. Letting go is practice and returning to one's practice is practice.  When one is mindful in the present moment, one is practicing. I do not know how I integrate my practice into my daily life and I do not know what is stopping my integration. Most of what I do and say is unconscious.. Accepting my not knowing and accepting my my present state of unconsciousness helps me be more conscious. Thanks for the opportunity to respond.  Wisarm and kind regards to everyone.

 Thank you for your kind words Cecilia.

 I do not know when it is time to move on to the bigger picture as opposed to continuing to strive for perfection I do not know how to develop detachment to the result of my work without compromising on my commitment to its quality.  A personal story when I was reminded of "the bigger picture," is reading the book Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance by Robert Persig, and when I read Todd May's Introduction.to Gilles. Deleuze. I notice I am imperfect and I notice when I accept my being imperfect that I see a bigger picture. One of the biggest pictures I see is, "the way that can be said is not the way. this leads me to think that there is great value in "my not knowing." Accepting myself as I am and accepting other people and things as they are has been helpful for me. I must admit that I have trouble accepting the 1% when they are taking such a large portion of the wealth away from many people who are poor and hungry. I am now writing about that and I have trouble saying kind things about the 1%. Accepting that little bit of trouble is helpful to me. I am now reminded of the Zen story about one's noticing, not that they have finally found their home, but rather, noticing that they have never been away. Seeing that the journey and the destination are one has been helpful for me.Thank you for the opportunity to respond. Warm and kind regards to everyone. 

 Beautiful Hilary. Thanks, 
 Conrad

 A,   Thanks for your kind words.
 Lots of love.
 C

 Being on a spiritual path means to me being on the path I think is right for me at this time. A spiritual path can be my secular living. Secular spirituality seems to be my type of spirituality.A personal story when that wind touched the back of my neck felt greatly special was when I first decided to take an introductory course in meditation at the Zen Buddhist Temple in Ann Arbor Michigan. Before the course, I sat on the floor of my bedroom as though I knew how to meditate, and tears of joy came to my eyes. After over 20 years of meditating, I doubt that I meditate any better now than then. I notice I develop and grow when every moment, regardless of what I am doing, is mindful. Mindfulness and meditation are one as I and the universe are one. .I do not know how to develop the ability to see what is special in every experience except to say I develop more when I notice what I'm noticing as I'm noticing. When I notice "what is" and I accept it peacefully I am more peacefully patient. I more frequently grow and and become more peaceful when I know that I do not know. There are many ways to the way. As Lao Tzu said, "The way they can be said is not the way.Thanks for the opportunity to respond. Warm and kind regards to everyone